131 MAIN Restaurant — Restaurant in Cornelius

We visited on a Friday for lunch. Food was very good, and was served hot, very tasty, and well-presented. The people greating you at the door were snippy and almost nasty. Not sure why, maybe they were having a bad afternoon, or perhaps they're in the wrong line of work. Their seating system is a bit weird, as we had reservations for lunch, arrived at least 20 minutes before our reservation time, yet we're told we couldn't be seated until our exact reservation time, even though the restaurant had literally tons of empty seats in it, and many empty booths in the main dining room. Additionally, they encouraged us to sit in the bar area if we wanted to be seated right then. We did decide to sit in the bar area, which was fine actually, but they also encouraged most of the people coming in to also sit in the bar area, where the bartender was also waiting on all the tables, which slowed down the entire lunch. Again, if the "greeters at the door" hadn't been so snippy and miserable, we wouldn't have felt so slighted about the reservation/seating business. Those seats that were empty in the main dining room, remained empty throughout the entire lunch period. We ordered a blackened chicken pasta dish which was actually amazingly good, and the only thing about that dish was they didn't serve any type of bread or garlic toast, which is nice for sopping up the sauce in a dish of this type. Adding a couple pieces of garlic toast would have been perfect. Additionally, we ordered a "Double Dip" appetizer that was absolutely amazing -- one of the best appetizers we've had anywhere. The roasted pepper cheese, salsa, and guacamole was just delicious; and the chips served with it were great. Rather than making us ask for a straw after the waitress has already left the table (after serving the drinks), we'd prefer they simply ask us if we'd like a straw. After watching thousands of masks being discarded across the country for two years, which were left on beaches, in waterways, and on the streets and in parking lots, I think allowing us to have a straw would be OK. All in all, the food served in this restaurant was very, very good (if a bit expensive) and the restaurant itself was well maintained, clean, and nicely decorated. Even the house Pinot Noir was good, so someone is minding the store when it comes to the details. Having a decent tasting, reasonably priced glass of wine on the menu is a must in my book. Parking is a problem for this restaurant, that's all I'll say on the subject. Having snippy "greeters" left a bad first impression, but that was mitigated by the good cooking, great appetizer, and cozy feel of the restaurant. I would recommend this place and simply suggest they closely monitor who they have greeting the customers at the door. P.S. I saw several other people get a bit upset with the door staff while we were there, as we were sitting close enough in the bar area to hear some of the interactions of staff and customers. One woman asked for directions to a bathroom, and the response was literally "I can give you those directions after I seat this guest." I thought that was nasty, and the customer and the customer's husband turned around and marched right back out of the restaurant. There was another uncomfortable interaction whereas the customers stayed, but we're clearly offended and embarrassed at the curt tone of the staff at the hostess station. My wife and I felt the negative interactions were simply not necessary and were brought on for no reason whatsoever. Everything...

I have dined at 131 Main a handful times over the years. I live in Charlotte but work in Lake Norman. However, considered within the context of food options in and around Lake Norman, I could STRETCH this to four stars but…Mickey and Mooch just down the street is a FAR better option and 131 Main fails to measure up each time. Unfortunately, after several years of a lovely run, the owner of Mickey and Mooch retired and the restaurant was sold. So Lake Norman, with all its wealth, is left to awkwardly embrace its seemingly eternal tepid culinary scene. Onto 131 Main:

1. The food is decent and solid food. It is plated well. However, the menu is priced as if the food were of the impressive and fine sort. I have had and enjoyed impressive and fine food. Many times. And often times cheaper than 131 Main. 131 Main’s dishes do not fall into the impressive/fine category in any way…except the prices.
2. The atmosphere is comfortable, intimate, and reflective of a nice evening out. It sets, and ultimately exceeds, your expectations of the food.
3. The wait staff is usually on point. They are key to the atmosphere. And they are plentiful. However, during my most recent visit, the wait staff was a disappointment. We were dining here because my wife selected it for my birthday. Now…you may ask, “If you hold an average opinion of this place, why would you celebrate your birthday here?” Well, these were my sentiments exactly. 😀 Once we pulled into the parking lot, I asked my wife, “Why are we eating here?” Her response was that we had accrued some gift certificates to the place that we needed to use. Fair enough! And the use of the gift certificates were what draped a damp sheet over an average meal. The ill-informed and terse waitress informed us that there was a limit on how many gift certificates could be used per table. Mind you…these were not coupons, not special deals, etc. They were gift certificates. Purchased with cash and intended to be used as cash. She was terse, set, and about as impressive as the food 😜. Needless to say, but I will say it, 131 Main continues to meet my...

131 Main is an American restaurant with locations in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. Not knowing much about the Charlotte restaurant scene, I knew that one of the individuals in my group knew it well, so we agreed to rely on his expertise to recommend a good place for an early dinner. He ended up taking us to 131 Main in Cornelius, just north of Charlotte.

Walking into 131 Main, you are placed in a relaxed mood. The atmosphere is elegant, but not excessively so, with wood, soft lighting, etc. I could see this place becoming popular with locals as a date night location for couples and as a good place for a business meetup or luncheon. You get a feeling of professionalism when you walk in the door, and this feeling continues all the way to the end when you pay your bill and leave for the day.

131 Main serves American style food and there are multiple dishes that are noteworthy. They serve seafood, steaks, sandwiches, salads, and more. We started off our meal with deviled eggs and they were most excellent, which says quite a bit coming from someone like me, who doesn’t normally like this type of food. It took me some time to decide on my main meal because so many items sounded so delicious, but I finally went for the prime rib sandwich along with a locally brewed beer for my beverage. The fries that came with my prime rib sandwich were good, but they didn’t compare to the sandwich and that is fine, since the sandwich was the true star of the show. The tender meat, the dipping sauce- everything was outstanding.

The others in my group ordered their own food dishes and they all reported back to me with positive sentiments overall. So, when I think about everything 131 Main has to offer, from the food to the atmosphere to the service, I cannot really find anything that I would change. It adds up to a restaurant deserving of your time and one that earns an easy...