Charlotte | Even in a "Food Desert," You Can Eat Like a King 🍽️

They say Charlotte’s a food desert—and yeah, there’s some truth to it. Great hidden gems exist, but they’re definitely few and far between. Here’s my roundup: 🍖 MOA Korean BBQ 🌟🌟🌟🌟Price: ~$100 per personMeat quality and flavor match the price—decent value, but the service? Attitude city. We went way past Valentine’s Day, but they still forced us to order the Valentine’s set 😒.👍 Winners: Yukhoe (marinated raw beef), ribeye, beef short rib, grilled short rib.👎 Misses: Brisket (tough), and don’t bother calling—the front desk never answers. 🥘 Lam's Kitchen 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Price: $40+ per personBlind ordering here? Zero misses. Every dish slaps, and prices are shockingly low.👍 Obsessed with: Curry beef brisket pot, scallion lamb, (spicy beef offal), rose oil chicken.👎 Only flaw: Rush hours mean endless waits for food and checks—they’re way understaffed. 🌶️ Lee Cafe 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Price: $35+ per personA Sichuan spot recommended by locals—delicious, cheap, and great service. Even non-spice lovers will find something to love! (Fun fact: It’s actually in South Carolina, ~20 mins from Charlotte.)👍 Must-gets: (spicy boiled beef), twice-cooked pork, salt & pepper soft-shell crab. Bonus: They do Cantonese seafood too!👎 If I had to nitpick: It’s a bit far from downtown. 🥟 Open Rice Metropolitan 🌟🌟🌟Price: $35+ per personNot recommended for Cantonese dim sum—tastes way too pre-made.👍 The only saving grace: Roast duck (barely passable).👎 Hard pass on: Shrimp dumplings and char siu—so disappointing. 🍔 Optimist Hall 🌟🌟🌟🌟Price: $30+ per personThink Seattle’s Pike Place Market or Atlanta’s Ponce City Market—tons of global eats and cute shops under one roof.👍 Highlights: Undercurrent Cafe, gelato stand.👎 None, really—it’s all about personal taste! 🍗 Malaya KitchenMalaysian spot with my most-anticipated dish: Hainanese chicken rice. Sadly, they’re closed on Mondays, so I missed out 😭. #CaptureTheMoment #ThisTemplateIsCool #100RestaurantChallenge #FoodRecommendations #FoodDiary #FoodReview #LocalFoodLove #Charlotte #CharlotteNC #CharlotteTravel #CharlotteFood #CharlotteChineseFood #lamskitchen #leecafe #OpenRiceMetropolitan #MOAKoreanBBQ #OptimistHall