{"id":3220,"date":"2026-07-13T20:36:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T20:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3220"},"modified":"2026-07-13T20:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T20:36:07","slug":"charlottes-30-best-nachos-spots-need-your-vote-plus-free-oysters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3220","title":{"rendered":"Charlotte’s 30 best nachos spots need your vote \u2014 plus free oysters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey Charlotte \u2014 Monday\u2019s CharlotteFive newsletter<\/a> dropped, and if you\u2019re the kind of person who plans your week around where to eat next, you\u2019re going to want to bookmark this one. \ud83c\udf2e The Readers\u2019 Choice ballot for best nachos is officially open, we\u2019ve got a Ballantyne deli review that put New York charm to the test, and Fin & Fino is handing out free oysters if you\u2019re willing to part with your phone for a minute.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Explosive\u2019 parasitic infection cases continue rising in NC, across the US<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what caught our eye today.<\/p>\n

Y\u2019all came through with the nominations \u2014 Heidi rounded up a whopping 30 restaurants<\/a> in the Charlotte area serving up nachos worth debating over, and now it\u2019s decision time. \ud83d\uddf3\ufe0f Voting is open, and you can refresh the page to vote as many times as your heart (and stomach) desires. This isn\u2019t a scientific survey \u2014 it\u2019s a chance to hype up your go-to spot for a big pile of chips loaded with all the good stuff.<\/p>\n

A few ground rules: eligible restaurants have to be in the Charlotte area (Lake Norman, Gastonia, Matthews, Mint Hill, Fort Mill all count \ud83d\ude4c), have fewer than 20 locations nationwide, and can\u2019t have already won a previous CharlotteFive Readers\u2019 Choice contest. That means Que Fresa, Que Onda and Wing King \u2014 all previous winners \u2014 are sitting this one out, even though their nachos are legit.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49 Get the full ballot here<\/a> and cast your votes.<\/p>\n

Eva took $25 to Katz Deli in Ballantyne<\/a> for the latest installment of the \u201cOn a Budget\u201d series, and let\u2019s just say the experience came with commentary. \ud83d\uddfd The deli was packed when she walked in at lunchtime on a Thursday \u2014 Knicks and Mets merch on the walls, a Lady Liberty mural, and honest-to-goodness New York accents at every table. While she read the menu, multiple strangers asked what she was ordering. One woman finally jumped in: \u201cWell if you\u2019re not sure, ask a New Yorker!\u201d \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n

Eva went with a turkey BLT (Katz is famous for the Reuben, but she doesn\u2019t eat beef), a baked knish, cucumber salad and a cream soda \u2014 landing exactly at $25 with tip. Verdict? The sandwich was comically tall but manageable, the potato knish was a carb-lover\u2019s dream \ud83e\udd54, and the cucumber salad delivered that quick-pickle vibe. She\u2019s already planning a return trip for the fried square knish.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Find Katz Deli on Google Maps<\/a> in Ballantyne, and \ud83d\udc49 read Eva\u2019s full review here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re plotting a late-summer escape, Evan writes that Figure Eight Island might be the quietest beach you\u2019ve never heard of<\/a>. Located about 30 minutes from Wilmington, it\u2019s a five-mile stretch of Atlantic coastline with zero hotels, zero restaurants, zero boardwalks \u2014 just uncrowded beaches, luxury vacation homes and a guarded bridge that\u2019s the only way in. \ud83c\udf0a Southern Living recently called it one of North Carolina\u2019s hidden beach gems, and the celebrity roster (Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Al Gore) tells you what kind of privacy we\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n

Fun fact for the Netflix crowd: Figure Eight isn\u2019t actually where \u201cOuter Banks\u201d is filmed, but it\u2019s referenced throughout the show and inspired the fictional wealthy neighborhood called \u201cFigure 8.\u201d \ud83c\udfac The fifth and final season drops Aug. 20. If you go, expect paddleboarding, kayaking, dolphin sightings and long beach walks \u2014 with Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach nearby if you need actual restaurants.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49 Get the full guide here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a Monday night deal worth planning around: Fin & Fino is bringing back its \u201cshellphone\u201d<\/a> promo. \ud83d\udcf5 Hand over your phone when you sit down, and the social seafood house will send free oysters to your table. The catch? It\u2019s Mondays only, there\u2019s a $20 minimum purchase per guest, and the deal runs through Aug. 31 at both Charlotte-area locations. They\u2019ll even hand out conversation cards so you don\u2019t awkwardly stare at your empty hands.<\/p>\n

Read more Duke Energy, state officials reach settlement in NC electric rate hike case<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Find Fin & Fino on Google Maps<\/a> \u2014 perfect excuse to actually look up from your screen and, you know, talk to the person across from you. \ud83e\uddaa<\/p>\n

Mark your calendars: Queen\u2019s Feast Charlotte Restaurant Week<\/a> runs July 24\u2013Aug. 2, with prix fixe menus ranging from $30 to $55-plus. \ud83c\udf74 This is prime time to try that spot you\u2019ve been eyeing for months without committing to full menu prices. Browse the menus, find the deals that speak to your appetite, and lock in your reservation before your favorites book up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not advocating that we should keep printed newspapers, by any means. But we do need to keep local journalists.\u201d \u2014 Former Charlotte Observer executive editor Rick Thames<\/a>, on his new book, \u201cWhy Local News\u201d.<\/p>\n

Want daily Charlotte food, drink and things-to-do intel delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the free CharlotteFive newsletter here<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s the quickest way to stay on top of what\u2019s opening, what\u2019s closing and what\u2019s worth your appetite this week. \ud83d\udcec<\/p>\n

And follow along on social: @cltfive on Instagram<\/a> \ud83d\udcf8, @cltfive on Threads<\/a> \ud83e\uddf5, @cltfive on TikTok<\/a> \ud83c\udfa5, and @charlottefive.com on Bluesky<\/a> \ud83e\udd8b.<\/p>\n

Got a food find, restaurant tip or Charlotte moment that made your day? Send it to charlottefive@charlottefive.com \u2014 it might show up in a future newsletter. \ud83d\udc8c<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more 14-year-old boy shot man mowing the lawn in rural North Carolina, sheriff says<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vote in the CharlotteFive Readers' Choice nachos contest, check out a Ballantyne deli review, snag free oysters at Fin & Fino and plan Restaurant Week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nCharlotte's 30 best nachos spots need your vote \u2014 plus free oysters - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3220\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Charlotte's 30 best nachos spots need your vote \u2014 plus free oysters - 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