Road Trip: Who’s Doing It Great in Charlotte, NC

“Charlotte has been ranked as the second fastest-growing city in the U.S., and there is a lot of fun culinary action happening here,” says US Foods® New Business Manager (former US Foods Food Fanatics® Chef) Jeremy Bevins. “We’ve always been known as a steakhouse town, and breweries are huge, but now we’re seeing ethnic cuisines flourishing, from ramen shops to Cuban, Korean and more, as younger people have moved into Uptown in the last five years. The closing of older restaurants has made room for these new concepts.”

Culinary Creators Shaping Charlotte’s Next Food Wave

Here’s a look at the US Foods® veteran and newbie culinary creators shaping Charlotte’s next food wave.

FS Food Group

Legendary Charlotte restaurateur Frank Scibelli’s group of concepts with Mama Ricotta’s at the core (circa 1992) has grown over the years to include Midwood Smokehouse, Yafo Kitchen, Paco’s Tacos & Tequila, Little Mama’s and Calle Sol Latin Café & Cevicheria.

Menu Faves: Handmade stracciatella bar at Mama Ricotta’s, amba chicken salad at Yafo Kitchen, spicy rocoto ceviche at Calle Sol, NC vinegar chicken wings at Midwood Smokehouse, volcano queso at Paco’s Tacos

Seaboy

Opened: March 2025
Chef/Owner: Jonny Cox
Located near Lake Norman, this 10-table seafood shack and Cox’s debut concept features an oyster bar for raw and cooked fish, plus some surprise dishes like lamb ragu pappardelle. Menu favorites include grilled octopus, crispy rock shrimp larb, and lobster mac and cheese.

DŌZO Japanese American Kitchen

Opened: December 2024
Chef/Owners: Perry Saito, John Gamble
Nestled in a cozy corner at The City Kitch West End, DŌZO is the newest concept from the three-time award-winning food truck Katsu Kart, delivering classic Japanese cuisine with a new American twist. Menu favorites include tonkatsu sando, crab fried rice with pork belly and roe, and okonomiyaki  (click here for the recipe and here for the step-by-step tutorial for DŌZO’s Osaka-style okonomiyaki).

Marina’s Tapas

Opened: December 2024
Chef/Owner: Andres Kaifer
This food stall at Optimist Hall features a countertop bar for Spanish tapas paired with unique wines and imported La Sueca sangria. Menu favorites include pan con tomate, ham and Manchego cheese bocadillos and Basque cheesecake (click here for the US Foods Basque cheesecake Scoop™ product, plus recipes).