Charlotte, NC travel guide
Following the Clippers to Charlotte: Soul Food, Biscuits, and James Harden's 55
We followed the LA Clippers on their road trip to Charlotte, one of the 15 biggest cities in the US that still somehow flies under the radar. This stop also doubled as arena #24 on our NBA Arena Quest and state #23 on Peter's side quest to hit as many states as possible along the way.
Where we ate.
Mert's Heart and Soul
214 N College St, CharlotteSoul food
Get: Cornbread with whipped butter, a salmon patty, tomato and okra, red beans, a shrimp and rice pilaf platter, catfish, and fried green tomatoes
A full soul food spread and easily one of the best meals of the trip. The cornbread came out closer to a corn loaf than a muffin, the catfish had that specific magic only cornmeal-crusted catfish has, and the fried green tomatoes tasted almost like the inside of a jalapeño popper.
Biscuit Belly
1949 E 7th St, CharlotteBiscuits and gravy
Get: Biscuits and sausage gravy, and home fries loaded with brisket, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach
An A+ meal, plain and simple. The gravy is thick with little pieces of sausage throughout, the biscuit is soft enough to second-guess whether the gravy or the biscuit is the real star, and the $4 brisket upcharge on the home fries is worth every dollar. It came out more tender than we expected and not chewy at all.
Spectrum Center concourse
Uptown CharlotteArena food, Hornets vs. Clippers
Get: Chick-fil-A over the $19 North Italia steak chimichurri sando
Home of the Hornets, and our 24th arena. The North Italia sando promised steak chimichurri but delivered dry meat and only the thinnest smear of sauce, more like something you'd get for volunteering somewhere than a $19 arena splurge. Chick-fil-A was in the building; that would have been the smarter call.
Culver's
3521 Foothills Way, Fort Mill, SCRoadside burgers and custard
Get: A classic smash-style burger on a butter bun, plus a chocolate custard
A quick stop while chasing South Carolina, state #23 for Peter, and the fall foliage along the way. The burger reminded us of Bun n' Burger back home in Alhambra: soft butter bun, fresh vegetables, simple classic build. The custard was thicker and colder than a Wendy's Frosty, in the best way.
Sweet Lew's BBQ
923 Belmont Ave, CharlotteBarbecue
Get: House-made sausage, brisket, potato salad, and the vinegar-mustard barbecue sauce
The sausage here is next-level: juicy, smoky, with a slight kick, and worth the trip on its own. The brisket had a nice bark and stayed tender all the way through, and the vinegar-and-mustard barbecue sauce (a real departure if you're not used to mustard-based barbecue sauce) completely changes the plate for the better. Two full plates ran about $33.50.
Good to know before you go
- Spectrum Center requires you to take the cap off any bottled drink before bringing it in, the same rule we ran into at Capital One Arena in DC, reportedly because fans have thrown caps at players.
- We caught James Harden score 55 points in this game, a new Clippers franchise record.