This was our first dinner at Speckled Pear and - wow! The phrase "gourmet dining" gets misused so…read moremuch it's become meaningless. So how about, "epicurean"?, "gastronomic"? OK, I'll just say we had "da** fine" meals. Fresh, seasonal ingredients combined in some unique and surprising ways, beautifully prepared and so, so delicious. Just look at the photos of a selection of our dishes. This was well worth an update of my earlier review. First, Speckled Pear has removed the community seating and the prepared food, bakery and produce counters from my earlier visits and replaced them with true "restaurant" tables. The focus is now squarely on dining, with lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch service. And oh, there's still a wine bar and bottles are still available for purchase. In my humble view a significant positive step. Our servers were excellent, including helpfully explaining some of the wine options (my wife and sister-in-law ordered a flight). Still a fairly casual environment. Great acoustics- I hate echo chambers. We sat close to other guests but were able to easily talk among ourselves without hearing any extraneous neighbor conversations. Dare I say, Speckled Pear is now a {insert tire company name} star-quality dining experience. In Fort Mill! PS - It's a small restaurant which filled quickly and early on the weekday we visited. Reservations are recommended.

If you're a foodie, I'd highly recommend! They're a small business, and update their menu regularly…read morebased off what's in season which I love. Really unique bites to eat, with a thoughtful combination of flavors and ingredients. It's a small spot with intentional design choices and a communal table. Outside of the incredible food, the service really stood out! They have a really kind, and knowledgeable team. We were also lucky enough to meet the chef who with his wife started the restaurant just about a year ago. They're just as warm as the rest of their team! Really looking forward to going back next time we're in Charlotte.

I've been here twice and the waitress already remembers me, the drinks are so fun and tasty. But…read morereally I come for the bone marrow. I love bone marrow and this one of the few places in CLT that does it right! A hole in the wall with limited seating but definitely worth it. I'd make a reservation for sure, but definitely a hidden gem.

What a gem tucked away in a shopping plaza. We arrived early to ensure we were able to grab a seat…read moreat the bar and enjoyed talking to the bartender. We went on a Wednesday so it was half off bottles of wine. I absolutely loved the fried mushrooms and could go and just eat two orders of those. Everything was excellent though and I look forward to going back and trying out some of the seasonal options in the near future.

The food is amazing! I love everything. Never disappointed. Great staff. A go to for our family!!…read moreWe love Emmets!

First time at Emmet's and left disappointed. Arrived and seated promptly so a good start. Our…read moreserver came over and took our drink orders. It took a while to get our drinks and they were not busy. If they were busy I was willing to overlook that but they were not so not sure what happened but we did eventually get our drinks. We started with the Emmet's Trio and the German beef sliders. The trio was just ok. The pickles were the star of that dish. The tomatoes were bland and the eggs were also just ok. Next we had the sliders. The pretzel bun was great, the burger ok but again lacked flavor. I think if there was more of the mustard, it might have helped but disappointed. We tried one more dish, the buffalo chicken dip. It was also not bad just not great and lacked really any heat. It did have a good amount of chicken so there was a positive. The chips were just ok. Throughout the meal we really only saw our server a few times, drinks ran empty so not impressed. Emmet's wasn't awful but they didn't do anything that was great and leave me wanting to come back. It was just ok.

This DTR location is an attractive spot, especially the garden/fountain area outside. It is a great…read moredate night or friends night out spot for sure. The wine selection is impressive and they have great cocktails, typically seasonal rotating options as well. I enjoyed the caviar and chips option, flatbread pizza, and brussels. It was martini night which was a great deal on traditional martinis and the cosmo was delicious. The drawback to this location is parking can be difficult, so plan accordingly for your arrival time in case you have to search for street parking.

I do love the location of this restaurant it's in the heart of Southend + it's very easy to walk…read moreto! When I walked in the server was very attentive, asked what kind of wine I normally like and what entrée I was planning on ordering to help make the best wine recommendations! When I told him I was planning on ordering the gnocchi, he made three different recommendations and allowed us to taste all three prior to making a glass selection! Wine was great + we definitely enjoyed the server's pairings. I would skip the food though! Gnocchi was mushy, tasteless and definitely was not appealing. We asked the server to surprise us for the second entree and the server stated the lamb was the most popular so we were expecting lamb but somehow ended up with salmon. The salmon was not great either as it was not seasoned. It is very vibey and good for a date night or a place to grab a drink. I would just get drinks though- food was not good.

Last night my wife and I went to Seaboy for a 2nd time. Our 1st time was 2 months ago and the food…read moreand service was amazing. This visit was just as impressive. We had mussels, heirloom tomato toast and the 2 off-menu fish items (wahoo collars and seared amberjack). All dishes were excellent. I highly recommend trying the tomato toast appetizer, best version of a bruschetta I have ever had. The service and staff are exceptional. Kent, Joe, Winter and John add an element of fun and local family feel to the experience that is unmatched. We will be back again to enjoy more of this amazing place.

Last night, my wife and I decided to try Seaboy for the first time. To set expectations, this is a…read morepremium restaurant with prices to match, so I naturally judge the food, service, and overall experience by a different standard than I would a quick burger or wing spot. Seaboy absolutely delivered. From the outside, the building is understated and looks more like it belongs near the beach at Oak Island. Once you step inside, however, it is clean, classy, well-appointed, and charmingly coastal without being overly themed or tacky. It feels like the premium restaurant it is. We didn't make reservations because we arrived at 4:30 on a Friday and never expected the place to be completely slammed that early. Jackie, the hostess, took our name and phone number and promised to call as soon as something opened at the bar. Since there wasn't much room to wait inside, she encouraged us to relax in our car. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later, she called and made sure we got the first two available seats. Samantha, the bartender, was both an excellent server and a talented mixologist. She was friendly, welcoming, and attentive, somehow keeping up with all the drinks for the dining room without allowing anyone at the bar to feel ignored. I told her I wasn't much of a drinker but gave her the name of a liquor I enjoy. She created her own cocktail for me, and it was a solid 10 out of 10. Could I walk in and order that exact drink again? Probably not. Would I trust her to surprise me again in a heartbeat? Absolutely. My wife started with a shrimp appetizer that she said may have been the best shrimp she has ever eaten. I had the Caesar salad, which was the only part of the meal that was merely okay. It was beautifully presented, generously portioned, properly dressed, and topped with excellent cheese. Unfortunately, the dressing lacked the bold, savory punch I expect from a great Caesar. Our entrées, however, were phenomenal. I ordered the swordfish, and it was so good that my wife essentially took it over because she liked it even more than the seafood pasta special she had ordered. Fortunately, her rich, cheesy seafood creation was outstanding, so I was perfectly happy with the trade. I polished off her meal, then finished whatever swordfish she left behind! We ended with the deconstructed Key lime pie. It was flavorful and enjoyable, although, like the Caesar, I felt it could have used just a little more refinement. At one point, the chef and owner came out to the bar, shook our hands, introduced himself, and thanked us for coming. He stayed for a little friendly conversation, which was a genuinely nice and personal touch. Those minor critiques aside, the service, food quality, atmosphere, and hospitality were all excellent. Seaboy has immediately become one of our favorite choices for a premium meal, and the overall experience was absolutely five out of five. We will definitely be back soon. To those about to nosh, we salute you!

This restaurant is beautifully appointed. It's intimate and small but not too loud…read more Our server was fantastic. He was there when we needed him and not when we didn't. Great recommendations! The drinks were great- we enjoyed the Smoke 'Em While You Got Em, cucumber kiss, and espresso martini. They were so yummy! Not too strong. Food was awesome- we loved the bread, catch of the day, Korean beef, Spätzle, cacio de Pepe. For dessert- pot de creme and Affrogato. Can't wait to come back!

Always a good time at Good Food. Shared a bunch of plates with my girls, and everything was…read moredelicious -- no time for pics. You can't go wrong with the mushrooms, bao buns, frites, korean beef, meatballs, beet salad, or seasonal dessert

I had an enjoyable experience. I ordered the NYC falafel which, although it could be a bit larger,…read morewas very good. The default side was fries and I asked if there were any substitutions. One was a small side Caesar salad which I got. I was disappointed in the continuing practice for restaurants to charge for small changes like this within informing the customer. Waitress was very nice, however and attentive. What is also quite unique about the restaurant was that you could order small 4 oz beers, just for tasting at $2-3 each. The place is quite large and must get incredibly noisy at times with the hard surfaces and multiple TVs. There is an option to sit directly at the bar or at tables.

The Degenerate is a cool, industrially designed space featuring great bites and drinks. What I love…read moremost is that the menu puts a unique spin on a lot of traditional, classic items. If you are looking for recommendations, I highly suggest trying: The Meatballs: A fantastic twist on a classic, served in a delicious lemon dill sauce instead of a typical marinara. The Sliders: Perfect pulled pork paired with fried green tomatoes and a tangy horseradish sauce. They also feature a highly creative and unique cocktail menu. Two of my personal standouts are the Beetle Juice, which incorporates fresh beet juice, and The Fishbone, which brilliantly highlights their house-made aquavit. Overall, it's a wonderful spot for a great atmosphere and an inventive menu!

After a day of visiting breweries, we were hungry but not starving and I thought tapas would be a…read moreperfect solution. Quickly Yelping "tapas", Marina's stood out with good reviews and a fairly convenient location. We took the Blue Line to Parkwood, a short walk from Optimist Hall, the food hall where Marina's can be found. We were able to score seats at the counter and immediately began ordering. The tomato bread was great and I also loved the patatas bravas. Croquettes and garlic shrimp were also easy on the palette. The food was tasty, filling and hit the spot. Service was quick and friendly. I love tapas because I don't leave feeling overly stuffed and there's the opportunity to taste a variety of items so if you want well prepared tapas in a fun environment, Marina's is a place to go!

If you put a Spanish tapas spot in Optimist Hall, know that we be there on opening day. This place…read morewas so good we went back to order a second round before we finished the first!!! Ordered: croquetas, pan con tomate +manchego, gamba al ajillo, patatas bravas, pimientos del piquillo rellenos, and the calamares fritos. Everything was absolutely incredible. In no order: -sourdough on the shrimp and pan con tomato was a delight. -everything was super fresh. -calamari was a delightful balance of light golden fried -croquetas were so good we needed two orders -shrimp and the sauce was fireeeeeeeeee Service was quick and super friendly!!! He told me I'd be back for more . We sadly missed the meatballs, but will return to enjoy each other's presence at a later time.

Went here for a special occasion, and the food was incredible. Beautiful restaurant, I could have…read moredone with more chill music and not so loud, but overall the ambience was pretty good. Pros: THE FOOD! Beautiful restaurant Cons: Loud pop music The so-so's: Nice waiter but a bit too chatty Customers looking sloppy as hell. What happened to dress codes at nicer places??

Mariposa is definitely an experience in international cuisine…read more The staff is super friendly, very attentive. The restaurant is beautiful a perfect girls night out place. Absolutely awesome to take pictures and you're in the heart of uptown Charlotte. Our cocktails were phenomenal. My mother had a margarita and I had a sidecar. Some menu items maybe acquired tastes, both of our dishes were very tasty and definitely an experience that gave us insight into a different culture's cuisine.

I am absolutely blown away by this sandwich shop. I always hated subway and back in the day I was…read morea Blimpie gal. Wanted to try something new. I was starving so I ordered three mini subs to try. The Bobbie is thanksgiving in a roll. The turkey is so fresh. Not deli sliced turkey. This is the real deal. The only think I wish was added was gravy to dip this magnificent sandwich in. Next up was the wagyu sandwich. Heavenly. The meat was delicate and moist and so flavorful. Finally the tuna mini. It was a good solid sandwich but after the other two, it seemed less extravagant. What I love the most is that they have the sweet peppers that subway got rid of. Jersey Mikes only has banana peppers. I love the sweet pepper strips I used to get. I'm very glad to have found d this place and will go back soon. What a pleasant surprise.

The service from Ashlee and the food was AMAZING! My favorite cheesesteak sandwich ever…read more Great crew and the food never disappoints. My favorite sandwich shop!