McNinch House Restaurant — Restaurant in Charlotte

We recently moved to Charlotte and were immediately enticed by its vibrant restaurant, bar, and brewing culture. Just passing by the McNinch house, we were intrigued, and reviews raved about the high-end dining experience. Expectations high, we made reservations and prepared ourselves for an indulgent experience in this charming, historic setting. We loved the welcoming with a nice glass of complimentary bubbly. The front of house team was a sparkling example of hospitality enthusiasts. Unfortunately, this did not pull itself through as a theme for the evening. The introduction by the wine steward was awkward. We assumed he might be busy and brushed away the unfriendly declaration that the wine pairing is set with no deviation possible - "You drink the one I give you". In previous dining experiences, we'd accept this at mediocre set-menu venues at a fraction of the price. Even then, there'd be at least one choice. Nonetheless, my partner opted for the pairing and we both chose the 4-course menu with 2 starters, 1 entrée and 1 desert. Putting in our order, the first wine of the pairing was promptly served. No option to ask for a pre-dinner drink, nor any sight of starters arriving. To make it worse, the wine was simply poured. No tasting. I won’t repeat myself as it was the same for all other 3 pairings to follow. The wine steward proved somewhat knowledgeable sharing select information about the wine. Yet, the story was focused on the terroir (the combination of region, vine, climate etc.) with little description of the tasting notes. At a minimum, we expected the steward to take us through the profile to understand the pairing, ideally as a voice over for us tasting. Is that not what makes the experience of pairing wine with food so amazing? Shortly after, we were offered an amuse bouche. A slice of cucumber, crumbled Feta, and a watermelon ball. Nothing original but refreshing. With the 1st starter, a Lobster Bisque and Lobster Tail salad, we immediately spotted the bisque's heavy dairy skin. Besides the visual downgrade, it suggested that the bisque had been standing and was colder now. The taste proved the same. Otherwise, it was a tasty starter and the same accounts for the Lobster Tail salad. We both had chosen crab cakes as 2nd starters which we agreed were delicious. The textures hinted at a too oily, low heat frying, but we looked over that. The 2nd wine for the starter was a Rioja. In our experience, this has often been a mid/heavy red and it felt odd to pair it with a seafood starter. The wine stayed true to what we knew, and we could not understand why the Rioja was paired with the crab cake. Since there was no explanation, we remain in the unknown. Post starters, we were offered a sugar-coated glass bowl with peachy sorbet balls. I understood these to be palate cleansers. However, it was too sweet to be cleansing which the mint leaf added underneath could not make up for. The spearmint, to our delight, had been taken from the herb garden of McNinch. On to the entrée, a filet mignon and grouper, two red wines were offered as an option for the filet. Expectations already lowered, taking a first bite of the filet, we were ready to put our forks down and leave. There was an unidentifiable chemical taste and the meat itself was no melt in the mouth experience. The Grouper I had chosen was “ok” not considering the truly roasted vegetables accompanying it and their intense burnt flavor and appearance. On the side, we received a tiny dumpling, tasting like raw butter and flour. A disappointment. For the price and high-pitched reviews, we could not understand what we had gone through. Were our expectations too high? Was it just our table? With desert, the fate of this review was sealed. The Peach Cobbler was utterly sweet, and the Lemon Tiramisu had little depth to win us over. Overall, the serving team was friendly, the house has amazing charm, but neither could justify the bill we paid. All in all, we...

This would typically be out of our price range, but we decided to splurge for an early anniversary celebration.

We did a 6pm reservation on a Friday night. There was only one other couple there the entire time we were there (we left shortly after 7).

There's a few different options for ordering. We went with the smallest/cheapest which was the 4 course option for $105 each (2 appetizers, 1 entree, 1 dessert).

Since we were celebrating our anniversary, they brought us a complementary glass of prosecco which was very nice.

Prior to the first appetizer, they brought us a broccolini soup shooter which was very good. For our first appetizer, we both got the She Crab Soup. We wanted to try the Artichoke Soup, but they were out. We loved the She Crab Soup though.

Prior to our second appetizer, the brought us a cheese bread with rosemary butter that was delicious. For our second appetizer we got the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and the Pork Belly. The Crab Cake was the best I've ever had and one of the highlights of the meal. The Pork Belly was the only thing we were disappointed with. It was over cooked and not tender like pork belly should be.

Prior to our entree, they brought us a salted caramel sorbet which was very good. For our entrees, we got the Rosemary & Dijon Crusted Rack of New Zealand Lamb and the Pan Seared Scallops. Both were excellent. The lamb was tender and the scallops cut like butter. During the course, they also brought us a biscuit with rosemary butter that was very good.

For dessert, we got the Hazelnut Crème Brulee and the Caramel and Apple Cheesecake. The Crème Brulee was very good and done perfectly, but the cheesecake was the star of the show. It was light and fluffy with a caramel apple sauce. It was the best cheesecake I've ever had.

Our top four dishes of the night were the crab cake, scallops, rack of lamb, and cheesecake.

To end the evening, they brought me a rose!

They do valet parking, but we found street parking easily. They typically have a Groupon which helps with the cost a little. The service was outstanding.

I'd definitely recommend this for your next...

A night to remember at The McNinch House 🌹✨

Growing up, my Dad wasn’t just an industrial engineer—he was a hobby chef with serious skills. He spent his childhood in restaurants, and at home, he brought that magic to our table. I didn’t grow up eating “normal kid food,” and to this day, he’s the best cook I know. My love for food? 100% from him.

The McNinch House has been on my list for over a decade—and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Executive Chef Eric O’Connor, who joined just a year ago, blew us away.

We had the 4-course tasting menu (I truly don’t know how people survive the 5-course!), and every dish was a standout:

*Corn & Clam Chowder – the cream is everything *Bone Marrow – best I’ve ever had *Lamb Lollipops (my husbands) – best I’ve ever had *Pork Wellington (my husbands) – the basil took it over the top *Snapper Succotash – the bacon made it *Crème Brûlée – perfectly done

From the surprise oyster starter (cool presentation served in a shell over ice) to the palate-cleansing sorbet between courses, every detail was thoughtful and special.

Chef Eric personally served our entrée—how cool is that? The service was impeccable, with a main server and 2-3 others helping throughout. At the end, they even handed me a freshly picked rose from their garden. 💐

We dined in a historic 1800s home filled with charm, and afterward strolled through the garden—flowers everywhere, twinkle lights, fountains, and the Charlotte skyline in view.

I had to ask for the chef’s autograph and a photo—he’s just that good. We told him he deserves a star, and he smiled and said, “We’re on the list.” So now I’m shouting from the rooftops: let’s help make that Michelin star happen! He absolutely deserves it.

Thank you, Chef Eric and the entire McNinch House team, for one of the most enchanting, romantic, and memorable meals I’ve ever had in Charlotte. The whole evening—2.5 hours of pure joy—was not just dinner, it was an...