Charlotte foodies have thoughts on DaBaby’s waffle drama — and TMZ has joined in
Two food stories have Charlotte talking this week — one that’s got the internet arguing (TMZ, included) about waffle prices, and one that has Wesley Heights regulars a little heartbroken.
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Plus, if you need to plan something beyond your next reservation, the fall arts season is stacked, and the Charlotte Symphony just locked down its conductor. If you missed today’s CharlotteFive newsletter, let’s dig in. 🍽️
Bad news for taco lovers on the West side: Maiz Agua Sal, better known as MAS, has permanently closed. The easygoing Mexican brunch, lunch and dinner spot became a Wesley Heights favorite for its authentic tacos, frozen drinks and stewed pork shoulder pozole rojo served with hominy, shredded cabbage, onions and cilantro over fresh tostadas.
The Mexican scratch-kitchen concept from ARDR Hospitality opened in April 2024, making the closure feel especially quick. The team shared a bittersweet farewell with fans: “We leave feeling grateful.”
📖 Get the full story from Tanasia.
Meanwhile, in the “everybody has an opinion” category: DaBaby — rapper Jonathan Lyndale Kirk — opened No Knife Chicken & Waffles in Charlotte, and the reactions have been … loud. 😅
Foodies flooded the comments on CharlotteFive’s Instagram and TikTok with sticker-shock takes, especially about a $25 strawberry shortcake waffle (golden-brown, topped with sliced fresh strawberries, pink crumbles and a drizzle of white icing).
“No way I’m paying $25 for a waffle,” one reader wrote.
Another wasn’t holding back either: “That plain sorry a** looking waffle needs to be $8. Just a celebrity exploiting his fan base and community.”
That said — the line was real. CharlotteFive’s Evan Moore waited three hours to try it, and there was a whole scene outside the dark grey building: crowd wrapped around the block, orange No Knife food truck posted up, inflatable archway and a tall waffle-shaped sign towering overhead.
TMZ couldn’t help but chime in, too.
Was it worth the wait — and the price?
Once you’ve eaten your way through the week, there’s a lot happening around town. Charlotte’s 2026-27 Fall Arts season is packed with family-friendly picks:
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📖 Check out Claire’s full family arts guide for dates, tickets and more.
One more headline for the culture calendar: The Charlotte Symphony extended music director Kwamé Ryan’s contract a year early, keeping him at the podium through the 2031-32 season — the orchestra’s 100th. 🎉
Ryan’s had a wild year. He won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording in February for Houston Grand Opera’s production of Jake Heggie’s “Intelligence,” and made his Met Opera debut in January conducting “Porgy and Bess” — which included opera star Denyce Graves’s final performance in a decades-long career.
He told Observer arts editor Adam Bell that his bond with the musicians was the reason he signed early. “I feel like (the Charlotte Symphony is) a wonderful place for me to grow in the next six years,” Ryan said.
He also said he considers Charlotte as much his home as his place in Germany on the edge of the Black Forest. 💙
📖 Read Adam’s full story on the extension.
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Keep up with what’s new, what’s opening and what to eat: @cltfive on Instagram, @cltfive on Threads, @cltfive on TikTok and @charlottefive.com on Bluesky. 💙
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.
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