Deepwell makes its debut + Cuzzo’s outshines DaBaby amid mac & cheese madness
Queen City eaters are having a big week. A new Kindred family restaurant just opened up in Mooresville, a University City brunch spot is quietly serving a plate that costs less than DaBaby’s while flexing Black-owned pride, and the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice poll wants your take on the city’s best mac and cheese. 🍽️
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If you missed today’s CharlotteFive newsletter, here’s what’s worth your fork this week.
Joe and Katy Kindred — the couple behind Michelin-recommended Kindred and Hello, Sailor; plus Milkbread and Albertine — opened their newest concept Wednesday, Sept. 16. Deepwell is a modern, New Orleans-inspired steakhouse tucked into a historic Main Street building in downtown Mooresville, and if the Kindreds’ track record holds, this one is going to be tough to book. 🔥
“We are SO thrilled to join this amazing community in Mooresville. Thank y’all for the warm welcome.🤎,” the Deepwell team posted Tuesday on Instagram.
They’re not overselling the demand. As of Wednesday morning, the first open reservation for two was Oct. 10 at 9:30 p.m. There’s limited nightly walk-in seating at high tops and the bar — otherwise, plan way ahead. 📍 185 N. Main St., Mooresville
📖 Check out Heidi’s guide for details.
Eyeing rapper DaBaby’s new No Knife Chicken & Waffles but flinching at the check? Evan has a University City tip. He hit Cuzzo’s Cuisine on a Tuesday morning and walked out having spent $27 — tax and tip included — on a full plate. 🧾
Both spots are Black-owned, both sit in areas with a large Black population and both do the wings-waffles-seafood brunch thing. The wallet math is where they diverge.
At No Knife, one strawberry shortcake waffle and six wings ran Evan roughly $45 with tax and tip. A family of four ordering one plain waffle and a bottle of water each would clear $80.
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At Cuzzo’s, Evan ordered Chef Andarrio’s Peach Cobbler Waffle with five tenders ($19.95): a waffle topped with peaches, powdered sugar and cream cheese, served with five tenders coated in lemon pepper seasoning. He describes it as “a smorgasbord of flavor” — crisp-edged, fluffy waffle, juicy peaches, tangy cream cheese and citrusy tenders cutting through the sweetness. It was more than he could finish.
Price check: No Knife charges at least $25 for any waffle with toppings. For about $5 less, you can get a similar waffle, plus protein, at Cuzzo’s. 📍 9601 N. Tryon St. Ste F, Charlotte
The latest CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice poll is live, and this time it’s all about cheese and pasta. Readers nominated nearly 30 top restaurants — think Haberdish, Supperland, Steak 48 and Yafo Kitchen — cut them down to the Top 11, and now it’s moved a bracket-style voteoff to find the Top 5.
Bracket schedule to keep in your back pocket:
Refresh and vote again for another favorite — or keep hammering the button for the same spot. It’s not meant to scientific, but it is meant to be a fun way to support local businesses. 🗳️
The CharlotteFive newsletter lands in your inbox every day with the best food, things to do and lifestyle news across the Queen City — no endless scrolling required. Sign up here for free. ✉️
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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