Customshop — Restaurant in Charlotte

Came here after reading about Customshop in the axios article naming this the number 1 restraunt in Charlotte. Arrived for dinner at 5:30 on a Friday with a reservation. We were seated immediately as we walked in and the host was personable. We started with cocktails and starters. Signature drinks were very well made and the started were delicious. We enjoyed the heirloom tomatoes with whipped cheese, empanadas, and hamachi crudo. The heirloom tomatoes were delicious in fact I would go back just for those and a cocktail. The empanadas had a delicious pastry but the filing and toppings were not to my preference. And the hamachi crudo was good but nothing on the plate really stood out.

Next, we ordered another round of drinks. An old fashioned and the Day Late signature cocktail. Both were well made but the old fashioned came out without luxardo cherries which is something I love personally and a little disappointing. Thankfully my server offered to bring some out seperately.

We ordered the Duck cooked medium and a Ribeye cooked medium rare. Overall we were very disappointed with the entrees. Both pieces of meat came out appearing to have been cooked on very high heat, very quickly leading to the outside being tough and the interior of the meat being under done. The duck was not cooked medium closer to med rare and the steak was raw in the center. When I mentioned this to the waiter they just offered to "plus it up" and the steak was taken to the kitchen cooked a little longer and returned to me leading to a steak that was still not to the standard of what was expected as the outside was even tougher. Additionally I found two large pieces of grissle in the ribeye. When I mentioned this to the waiter he just said that was normal for a Ribeye. Needless to say I nearly gave the food a 1-star rating on this alone. Poorly cooked steak and grissle in the cut are both almost unforgiveable when you are charging +$40 for a 6-8oz cut of steak.

Thankfully the flan was delicious and allowed us to end our night on a high note.

As the evening progressed though I will say that I agree with other reviews that the restaurant does get quite hard to hold a conversation in. I think it's just because of the shape of the restaurant and the brick walls that lead to the sound reverberating inside leading to everyone trying to yell to be heard.

Overall I think the restaurant could certainly improve. Including in things like having a host / manager in the restaurant checking in quality of the food and experience of the diners. I am not one to make a scene so I paid my bill, tipped our waiter for his service and left. I didn't feel the need to try and get my steak comped but in my opinion at this level of dining when you are spending +$125 per person the expectation is that things shoukd be to a certain standard and when a mistake is made it should be resolved in the best way possible for the diner and not the experience I had of feeling like I was being a bother for expecting a steak to be cooked as I ordered it. It should never have even been given to me when the waiter saw it. But maybe that's just me.

Regardless I may be back, but I will likely not be as there are too many other great but under-apprecited restaurants...

If you’re in the Elizabeth neighborhood and have a hankering for a memorable dining experience, let me introduce you to Customshop. Owned by the talented Chef Andres Kaifer, this local gem prides itself on using fresh, local ingredients to craft dishes that are nothing short of delightful. With a menu that’s both approachable and diverse, there’s something to satisfy every palate.

First things first: let’s talk atmosphere. The noise level is lively and fits the vibrant vibe of the place. While the lighting might be a tad dim for some (flashlight-on-your-phone levels of dim), it adds to the cozy ambiance. Parking? A bit of a challenge, but fear not! There’s a free parking lot right across the street.

Now, onto the star of the show – the food. This was probably my second favorite meal in Charlotte, and that’s saying something. The quality and quantity of the dishes make the reasonable prices feel like a steal. Everything, from the food to the service, was spot on. My waiter, Greg, who’s been serving here for over seven years, was friendly, attentive, and made stellar suggestions throughout our meal.

We kicked things off with the Empanadas – 3 crispy pockets of mojo pork heaven, nestled on a bed of aji panca sauce, topped with queso fresco and espelette. I broke the cardinal rule and didn’t snap a pic, so you’ll have to trust me on this one: they were hot, crispy, and generously stuffed with marinated meat that left me begging for more.

For the main course, I took Greg’s advice and ordered the Canestri pasta. Imagine snail-shaped pasta cooked to al dente perfection, with generous chunks of prosciutto cotto, bathed in Manchego cream and truffle butter, topped with agrodolce, a perfectly poached egg, and gremolata. Greg suggested using a spoon to ensure every bite was a perfect mix of sauce, pasta, and toppings. He wasn’t wrong – this was one of the best dishes I’ve had since moving to Charlotte.

My dining partner opted for the Sea Scallops, and boy, were they a hit. Seared to perfection, the scallops melted in our mouths. They came with a bed of Carolina gold rice middlins risotto, saffron, zephyr squash, and zucchini. My partner was thoroughly impressed, declaring it one of the best dishes they’d ever had.

Dessert was a tough choice, with options like Chef Kaifer’s mother’s flan, chocolate cake with house-made strawberry ice cream, strawberry crumble with a chocolate magic shell poured on top tableside, and a carrot cake. We settled on the carrot cake, and it was a fantastic decision. The sweetness was perfectly balanced by the cream cheese frosting, pickled golden raisins, and walnut crumble. It was a bit small for sharing, but just enough to satisfy our sweet tooth.

Customshop is ideal for solo dining, date nights, or gatherings with friends. If you have out-of-town guests, this is definitely a local spot to impress them with. Just make sure to reserve a table – this place is packed for good reason. Thank you, Chef Andres and Greg, for an...

We go out to celebrate special occasions a lot and will choose nicer restaurants for enhanced experiences. We were not wrong when we chose Customshop. The food was nothing less than fantastic. They were the correct portion size so you have room to try different things. We drank Coffee and Cigarettes (it’s an acquired taste drink but so worth it - I learned something new about alcoholic drinks) and Dr Feelgood (sweet with spices in it). We ate as appetizers the burrata with guava jelly (it was really yummy), sweet potato, and the empanadas that had one of the best sauces - I just wished for MORE sauce, it was incredible! For entrees we had the blue crab ravioli (great sauce, soft meat, texture was just right) and the vaca frita (meat melts in your mouth! The polenta base was creamy and perfect match with the meat). We had two different deserts: the tres leches cake was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had - if you like Black Forest cake, this is it! It’s a chocolate sponge wet with tres leches and dark cherries. The flan was our second desert option, soft with chocolatey whipped cream on top. The restaurant has a super cool vibe with low lights which is great for date nights. The service was great, our server gave us suggestions based on what’s best on the menu and he was on point! We got treated with an additional drink as we were celebrating my partner’s birthday. In total, we spent $166 + tips for two people. This was worth every penny and honestly some of the food was not highly priced - the drinks are what brought our bill up but if you don’t drink, expect to pay around $50-60/person to eat really well high quality food. My only mistake was to not take pictures of each thing we tried - everything was beautifully served in the plate. I honestly don’t care about how the food looks like but care about how it tastes and the chefs at Customshop delivered both looks and taste. I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for an enhanced experience and we...