131 MAIN Restaurant — Restaurant in Charlotte

131 Main offers a truly exceptional dining experience that warrants every one of its five stars. From the moment you step inside, you know you're in for a treat.

Atmosphere: The restaurant strikes a perfect balance between upscale elegance and comfortable warmth. The inviting wood detailing and gas lamps at SouthPark creates a beautiful setting. The hickory wood fire grill scent subtly wafts through the air, adding an appealing, rustic note. It's lively without being too loud—perfect for a special occasion or a sophisticated dinner.

Customer Service: Impeccable. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and genuinely focused on the guest experience. Our server offered spot-on recommendations and ensured our meal was paced perfectly, making us feel completely cared for without being rushed.

The Food—A Culinary Tour: Every dish we tried was a testament to the restaurant's commitment to freshness and quality: Cedar Plank Salmon with Smashed Red Potatoes: The salmon was succulent, perfectly cooked on the cedar plank, giving it a subtle, smoky aroma. It was topped with a whole grain mustard butter sauce that was tangy and rich. The smashed red potatoes were creamy and buttery, seasoned beautifully, and made for the ideal hearty accompaniment to the delicate fish.

Southern Shrimp and Grits: A southern classic elevated. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the dish was bathed in a traditional Cajun Creole sauce—spicy, rich, and deeply savory with a hint of cured ham. The white cheddar grits beneath were exceptionally creamy and cheesy, forming a luxurious base that was simply divine.

Blackened Chicken Pasta: This dish delivered a fantastic depth of flavor. Tender roasted chicken and penne pasta were tossed in a luscious, spicy Cajun cream sauce, enriched with red peppers, broccoli, and bacon. The blackened seasoning on the chicken added a fantastic, smoky kick that made this a seriously satisfying entree.

The Double Dip (or Triple Dip): We enjoyed their famed "Double Dip," a marvelous appetizer featuring a smoky, fire-roasted pepper dip and fresh, vibrant guacamole, served with crisp tortilla chips. The dips were fresh, flavorful, and incredibly moreish—a great start to the meal.

Soup of the Day (Mushroom and Artichoke): The soup was an absolute highlight. It was rich, earthy, and creamy, with the distinct, savory flavor of mushrooms perfectly complemented by the subtle, slightly tangy notes of the artichoke heart. A truly comforting and sophisticated starter.

Brownie a la Mode: The perfect finish! The brownie was warm, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey, a wonderful contrast to the cool, melting scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was a classic dessert done right—decadent and satisfying.

131 Main is a Charlotte treasure. The dedication to fresh ingredients, the stunning atmosphere, and the flawless service combine to create a truly 5-star dining experience. Highly, highly...

Welcome to 131 MAIN, a GREAT restaurant option in Charlotte. However, we do not usually go here as it is not as cheap as our other restaurants, but the price you pay is worth it. I've been here 5 to 6 times, and it's pretty good. I'll use two times for my example. After I won something, our family took us to 131 MAIN to celebrate. Usually, I'd prefer Brixx, Del Friscos (youch that's expensive), or CO for instance. However, this time didn't disappoint. The atmosphere (as always) was spectacular, with the slight dimming of the lights to make it more comfortable and welcoming. The colours of the restaurant and how the ownings are set up are a well choice for such a restaurant like this, and there's a fireplace outside with seating if it's winter and you're cold and there is a wait. There's also seating inside if you're waiting. Me and my mother love to get the crab cake salad, unfortunately it wasn't on the menu. Luckily, the lovely waiter we had said that you could still order it if it wasn't on the menu, because some people still got it. We got the cast iron cornbread, and it was good for a starter. Soft, but not falling over. Then our entrees came, and boy were they delicious. I'm not much of a salad fan, but the only salads I like are 131 MAIN and Del Friscos, with 131 MAIN taking the crown. The crab cakes were stellar, not being too cooked, not being too soft or mushy, and they were the perfect size. The salad was out of this world, and the vinaigrette just levelled it up, also the croutons are amazing. Another time I came here, I didn't get the crab cake, but rather I tried the Ahi Tuna Stack. I just crunched the chips (i cannot recall what they were called) because I had braces, but the ahi tuna stack was fantastic. The tuna was on point, avocado was too, the rice, everything was a well-organized party. Everything blended well, especially the ginger (i love ginger). Anyways, come to this place if you have no where else to go. My friend also recommends the Danish...

My dining partner had a craving for baby back ribs, so I decided to take them to 131 Main in the SouthPark neighborhood. Parking was a breeze for us, although I can imagine it might be trickier on busier nights. We made reservations and were promptly seated in a spacious booth with comfortable leather seating. The restaurant's dim lighting and tasteful jazz music set a cozy, intimate atmosphere, perfect for conversation. Our friendly waitress, Serena, took excellent care of us throughout the evening.

We started with the grilled artichokes, which were served as three halves of medium-sized artichokes accompanied by a delicious white dipping sauce. The artichoke hearts were a highlight, and every leaf was tender and edible, requiring a satisfying scrape with our teeth to get the meat off. Not a single leaf was left behind!

For our entrée, we shared the Danish Baby Back Ribs. The staff thoughtfully plated half a rack on each plate, complete with generous portions of shoestring French fries and a peanut & ginger slaw. The in-house smoked ribs were covered in a house-made BBQ sauce that struck the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, making each bite an explosion of flavor. I found myself savoring every bit of meat and sauce right off the bone. I've now discovered my go-to spot for baby back ribs.

A nice touch was the hot towels provided after the artichoke appetizer and ribs, allowing us to clean our hands thoroughly.

We couldn’t leave without trying the banana cream pie. It was decadently sweet and absolutely amazing, featuring banana cream pudding topped with banana slices, whipped cream, caramel, chocolate syrup, and a perfectly thick graham cracker crust.

Our 3-course meal, along with two Diet Cokes, came in under $75—a fantastic price, especially considering we shared the full rack of ribs, which was more than enough for both of us. We left fully satisfied and thoroughly impressed.

Will I be coming back?...