Best Burgers in Charlotte: All the Way

The best burgers in Charlotte are found in South End along the light rail, in NoDa and Plaza Midwood, in Dilworth and Uptown, and in the food halls that fill old industrial buildings, Optimist Hall and Camp North End. Expect smash burgers, chef-driven bar burgers and the regional classic, the Carolina-style burger ordered “all the way”.

All the way, in the Carolinas, means chili, coleslaw, chopped onions and yellow mustard on the patty; cheese is optional. It is the standard order at old lunch counters and drive-ins across North and South Carolina, and the quickest way to tell whether a Charlotte kitchen respects the local tradition. Pimento cheese, the Southern spread of cheddar, mayonnaise and pimientos, is the other topping to look for. Optimist Hall sits inside a restored textile mill, a reminder that the city’s newest food scene grew out of its mill-town past.

Burgers in Charlotte: key facts

• Neighborhoods to explore: South End, NoDa, Plaza Midwood, Dilworth, Uptown and Camp North End.
• Local style: the Carolina burger all the way, with chili, slaw, onions and mustard.
• Southern topping: pimento cheese.
• Food halls: Optimist Hall and Camp North End group several counters on one site.
• Getting around: the LYNX Blue Line light rail links South End, Uptown and NoDa.
• Currency: US dollar (USD).

Every guide we publish on Charlotte is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Browse our burger restaurant guides to compare Charlotte with other cities.