The New Orleans Fried Catfish with candied yams and macaroni and cheese with an "uptown" for my drink.

We give it 3.5*s. Owner was very personable. Price point may seem a little steep, but when you receive your entrees you will notice that they don't skimp. The shrimp were nice and large and plentiful. The crabcakes were just as described with no filler and were pretty good. Could have used a dash more of spices. We loved that all vegetables are turkey based. Complimentary corn muffins were just the right balance of sweet and corn. Decor is dark and elegantly masculine. Service was courteous, yet could have been a little more attentive. Have some kinks to work out and would suggest a small and simple side salad to accompany the dinner entrees/no side or 1 side items. Will back and try their lunch variety. read more

My husband was recommended this restaurant by a family member. We decided to check it out, it's more of a casual down home places. We were greeted upon arrival by the hostess who made her rounds to all of the patrons in the restaurant. There was a Soul/Jazz musician who performed. On to the good stuff the food. Food was made to order. We selected the wing meal with 2 homemade sides (tried the mac and Cheese, yams, and rice and gravy). The wings were delicious with a nice blend of seasonings, they were also very plump and the food was hot. The favorite of the sides were the yams. They also offered cornbread, it was okay not my favorite but non the less hot and warm. Overall great for a casual night out for soul food. Range $15-30 per entree. read more

This is by far the best home cooked soul food I've had in charlotte! Good service, food, and atmosphere. Perfect for date night or family dinner! read more

I was very disappointed to come in and place my order. Then 30min later after sitting for so long they came out and told me they didnt have one of my sides. Then on top of that, I was given dry red velvet cake that taste like it had been sitting for about 9 days. My first time and it was not the best experience at all. read more

The food is ok for the most part, but I found a metal item in the breading on the catfish I had ordered on the Ms. Phyllis Seafood Platter to-go. I didn't stay because the restaurant is a bit warm and obviously not insulated well. I didn't notice anything wrong until I got it home and began eating my to-go plate and discovered it, much to my dismay. I was also shocked by the unprofessional attitude of the owner, Mrs. Sharon Freshwater who was discussing the decline of a customer's credit card with one of the employees while I was standing there waiting to pay. This person was obviously a regular and rectified the situation quickly with another card. But as soon as he left she began pointing and naming the customer by name. That was disturbing. But when I discovered metal in my breading, I decided that would be the last time I would eat at Freshwaters. read more

This was a nice surprise. I loved that they didn't use pork in the collards and sautéed cabbage. Both were great. Had the crab cakes fried, they were pretty good. Nice flavor. The catfish bites were nicely done. The music was a good addition. I will definitely come back. read more

Very dim and comfortable atmosphere. Staff was very knowledgeable of the menu and very attentive. Food was ok. The fried shrimp, mac n cheese, and candied yams were great. However, the crab cakes were advertised as lump crab meat when they weren't. It looked and tasted more like claw meat so I was disappointed. They also said the veggies were made with turkey. When I got the collards there was no turkey and tasted more washed off glory greens. Overall, it was an ok meal. I'd probably try them again but only get the items that were great. read more

This restaurant is great! I had the delicious seafood feast; the fried catfish and the crab cakes are amazing!!!! The macaroni and cheese was delicious-it was gone in seconds! In addition, the restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful - the best looking restaurant of its kind, with a wonderful ambience. I am looking forward to going back on Fridays to hear the jazz and enjoy this amazing food again! read more

Best soul food in Charlotte!! Atmosphere and people are fantastic! Ate here for a week start!

I love the food here. The Mr. and I have visited on multiple occasions, including Black Restaurant Week last year. We just ordered takeout (their only option currently) and upon picking the food up, we were told that we could not take advantage of the Black Restaurant Week deal because we didn't tell them that we wanted to when we ordered our food. The flyer does not say that you have to mention the deal to get the discount, nor does the portion size change when you do get the price break. Additionally, when ordering I did ask the gentleman if drinks came with the meals as a part of the Black Restaurant Week deal, and he responded yes. I only asked because he rushed me through my order and didn't ask which drinks we wanted, so that in itself should have been an indication that I had some type of expectation, but I guess it didn't. No problem if this is their policy, but the flyer/menu for the occasion does not indicate any qualifications to take advantage of the deal. We would have ordered elsewhere had we known, as we thought this would give us the most bang for our buck with the 25% off that they are advertising. Great food, and generally really good service, but this experience has me quite bitter about the establishment. read more

Awesome food and great atmosphere. Waitress was clueless and literally left us unattended for 30 minute periods. It was dinner for 2 and it took us over 2 hours to get our food and check out. If it wasn't for the live jazz music, I would have considered walking out. read more

I really hate to leave bad reviews but this deserves the one star. My boyfriend and I went for dinner one night and received awful service and our food was cold by the time we got it. We heard about the restaurant from the owners son while out in the city. We thought it would be a good idea to check it out after the son insisted he owned the restaurant. Actually turns out the son doesn't own the restaurant and the parents do. In my opinion just a bad marketing look. He was out drunk prompting a business for his parents, just not a good look. read more

My husband and I found this place through Living Social and decided to give it a try and man are we happy we did; the food was spectacular... Fresh, delicious, beautiful presentation and generous portions. I had the pecan crusted catfish and my husband had the pork chops neither of us were even slightly disappointed. To add to the charm the service and people were some of nicest we've come across in the city. Super friendly staff... We'll definitely be heading back to this place really soon. The only reason I'm not leaving 5 stars is because the cocktail bar isn't open yet. Soon I hope ... read more

Went in early March for a celebratory birthday dinner. I used to visit the restaurant when they were in Plainfield, NJ. It was nice to see they had moved to Charlotte. I am not big on seafood, so I had the pork chops, cabbage, ( which is great) and the macaroni & cheese and rice & gravy ( little salty). Parking is terrible, but I do like to support black owned restaurants. Will definitely be a regular. read more

I tried Freshwaters for the first time Wednesday. The staff was friendly. The restaurant is beautiful. The corn muffin was delish! I had shrimp etouffee over grits. It was well seasoned. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is the shrimp had tails on. I'm looking forward to going back, maybe for Friday night jazz. read more

Arrived at 1:35 pm, waited about 7 minutes to be seated. Placed our food order quickly, it's been over an hour and we still haven't been served. Water and tea has not been refreshed. This is very disappointing! Mrs Freshwater made an announcement that the food is cooked to order and there are no heat lamps in the kitchen, this is why you have to wait. An hour for a piece of salmon is unreasonable. read more

Where do I start 1st..We got such a good deal off of Living Social that I figured even if the food is mediocre..my husband & I would still have gotten our money's worth. Well low & behold what a nice almost tucked away gem..since it's in a small plaza..This restaurant belongs in the heart of the city! I ordered fried catfish w/geens & sauteed cabbage. .Omg..can you say simply delicious..so light crispy & fresh tasting..every bite! Could've had the catfish grilled blackened cajun or pecan crusted..My husbands' St.Louis Ribs fell off the bone..I had to beg him to let me taste 1 itty bitty piece. To top everything off the owner met & explained the menu & how everything is made to order & all veggies are seasoned w/smoked turkey. The decor, staff, the menu is Freshwaters' FINEST! I can't wait to return to try every single entree on the menu! Come one come all for fine Southern & New Orleans Cuisine. Rosie B. read more

Seafood platter was legit. Real soul food, cooked with heart. Owner came out to speak with us and her husband is the chef. Will be coming back and bringing friends. read more

Went in Tuesday for the crab cake special. All the food was amazing! I had the mac and cheese, cabbage, and green beans! They had a limited spirit menu, I couldn't get a dirty martini, but everything else was awesome. read more

Nice find in an unassuming strip center. Real southern food with a NOLA flavor. Friendly wait staff and very personable owner. Add to my dependable go-to places. read more

Delicious food, wonderful atmosphere, friendly and great service. The owner is very personable and greeted us, explained the menu and came back to make sure our food was to our expectations. I highly recommend this for a business lunch or an evening out. read more

Have dined at this establishment for years even when they were located in NJ. The owners are awesome people. Good food too!

I found this place online and decided to try it yesterday. I called in and picked up lunch for myself and 3 co workers. I called right when they were opening and expected them to ask me to call back once the opened, they didn't and were extremely polite and took our orders. When I went to pick up the food I met one of the owners and she was incredibly nice and helpful and answered my questions about certain items on the menu, the cook/chef came out also and talked to me about how they prepared certain things, again just very friendly and helpful staff. The bottom line was that they got our orders right, the food was fresh and hot and as described and most importantly delicious. I had fried shrimp and other tried the Cajun chicken, the sides were all delicious also! My only comment was they did not have cocktail sauce for the shrimp but did have a yummy dipping sauce to compensate. I can promise we will be back and look forward to trying them for dinner one evening. She said they have a sax player on Friday nights and can see myself enjoying the food and nice atmosphere with some good tunes on a Friday night. Well done Freshwaters!!! read more

I confirmed a dinner reservation w Tonya on December 28th an entire month ago. Imagine my surprise to hear the gentlemen who arrived were turned away because there was an event held instead. The doors were closed to them. This is not professional in any manner and that's 13 customers lost my spouse included. No apology, no rectifying the situation and no customer service. This is very disappointing. I once gave you all a 5 star rating and now that has been changed. read more

There's a great new restaurant in town. I went to Freshwaters with a friend for lunch. The food is very good and authentically cajun. I added some hot sauce to my étouffée and some of the other dishes could have used a bit more spice/seasoning but that could be just to personal taste. I like my food to have some bite. That being said everything was very fresh and absolutely delicious. The sides in particular are very good. I'm only sorry I was too full to try one of the homemade deserts. The difference maker at Freshwaters is without question the staff and the owner. They are just fantastic. They are arguably the best in town. I was made to feel like I was the most important person in the room. They simply couldn't do a better job. I look forward to going back for dinner. It really is a wonderful new option in Charlotte and definitely should be visited. read more

I took a party of 11 today for the first time for lunch. Every one enjoyed their selections and the only complaint was the mac/cheese. It was somewhat grainy or coarse and not smooth and cheesy. Sharon is very pleasant and welcoming. The restaurant has a nice decor. The servers were relatively new, but were pretty good for newbies. I will be going back. read more

I was a little skeptical about patronizing this place after reading the reviews but I thought I'd give it a try for myself. I'm so glad I did. Everything was fabulous - the owner, the servers, the food, the ambiance. A diehard fan of crab cakes, I had to try those. Delicious! My party and I also tried the cabbage (a must try); the collards; the mac and cheese; the potato salad (awesome); the ribs (fall-off-the-bone good) and the candied yams (the best I've ever tasted and I'm a true Southern girl). My only regret is that I can't go back there for dinner again tonight! read more

Was really good. I had the garlic shrimp, mac and cheese and cabbage...yum....I wasn't a fan of the peach cobbler...it was a bit loose and runny..... read more

My birthday lunch was perfect! The service & quality of the food at Freshwaters was tops. Mrs. Freshwater and the staff made sure I didn't want for anything. The food was amazing in terms of taste, quality, & time from order to table. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Delicious food and atmosphere . The owners wife is the hostess and welcomed us . The owner is the chef ..Service was great . Definitely recommend this place. We will return read more

Great gem in Uptown Charlotte! Love the Friday night jazz. Fun atmosphere and fabulous food.

Five star food and service! I've been here two nights in a row! I first came with the ladies and was so impressed I came back again for date night! Live jazz night! The food is amazingly flavored and seasoned. Grilled crab cakes and catfish were both two thumbs up for me! Crab cakes are all crab meat and flavor! For sides I tried collards, cabbage, and yams. Everything delicious! Try the uptown drink! I got sweet potato cheesecake to go because I had to try a dessert too and let me tell you if you like cheesecake you need to try this one!!!! Ahhhhmazing!!!! As a dessert specialist, I could tell by eying the layer cakes at the bar that they would be most excellent. I will try those next time. Small top shelf bar. Service was great! Everyone here is really sweet. This just became a regular spot for us! I will bring family here when they come to town. Only need a reservation for large parties. Free parking a breeze for uptown right in front of the building. read more

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mrs. fresh water had a horrible attitude to say the least so let's start there, when I arrived there was a huge spill in the front entrance with no one to greet me and no sign on the floor I could have easily fallen and hurt myself but thank goodness I was aware and looked down, we stood there for about three minutes waiting on someone to come to the door and greet us when Mrs. freshwater walked around the corner she did not even say hello all she said was ma'am we're closed and with a very dry and rude attitude she didn't even make eye contact, I have been here before and the food was great while we were there but when reheated it is not the same, to say the least I wanted to return and get some of the good food I experience the first time, but her attitude was the rudest I have ever seen in my 33 years of living, I will no longer be visiting this establishment and I will be sure to let all of my friends and family know how rude Mrs Freshwater really is, I was really looking forward to enjoying some of the food. also the first time I went I waited for almost an hour for my food, I understand they say they make it fresh to order but that is ridiculous I only waited because it was my first experience there and I heard that it was good home cooking but her attitude made the food less than appealing... I will never return to this establishment, I could spend my money elsewhere and be treated way better than some hole in the wall, do not go here!!!! I understand it's a cove it some hours have changed versus what they say online, but the hand written sign on the door said that they closed at 6 PM, we arrived at 5:20 PM and even if they were close she could have been a little nicer, she is very rude I will be sure to let anyone I know not to visit this place read more

We have been here twice now, and both times included great food, with generous portions and friendly, well-trained, efficient service. We will definitely be back, there are lots more delights for us to try. read more

Delicious Food, Great service it is now my go to place for meetings and out of town guest. I have been to New Orleans for business and fell in love with the culture and food and now Charlotte has a taste of New Orleans here. read more

I usually go to Freshwaters when I want fresh veggies unencumbered by a lot of grease, and they never disappoint me. I love the cabbage, collard greens, and green beans! And when I want to veer off course with my healthy eating, I endulge in their great mac & cheese and candied yams. I love the fact that everything is so fresh, and not greasy at all. I only gave four stars due to the ambiance. read more

This places serves more southern food in my opinion. The food is really good. I do think it is a little over priced due to type of establishment. I feel like prices are more high end and the restaurant itself isn't high end. The waitresses are always friendly and helpful. The female owner isn't always as friendly. The inside atmosphere is nice. read more

A group of twelve of us visited here after church today. We'd all heard about it and some have visited here before. Wow! What a difference from Simmons. The décor is absolutely beautiful, even the bathroom is very nice and clean. I had blackened salmon, sweet potatoes and string beans. Everything was delicious. The salmon was so tender. Everyone at the table seemed to enjoy their food. We loved talking to our waitress who was from France. I'd heard varying reviews of the restaurant. All restaurants have to work out their kinks. This was my first time visiting and I was very impressed. We will definitely be back. read more

Unfortunately, I left without ordering dinner! I attended a financial seminar at this restaurant last evening. Had I not attended this seminar, I would have never patronized this restaurant. After I sat myself at my table, I was approached by two young waitresses. I thought it was a bit much, or maybe one of them was in training or something. I asked for a drink menu or if there were any drink specials, and the owner, Sharon, charges my table, interrupts the waitress as she was answering my question and proceeds with telling me the wine options! Now, I have three waitresses at my table! I thought that was so very rude, unprofessional and so not necessary! So, I divert my attention back to the waitress and ask for a glass of wine. The owner, Sharon, barks at the waitress to "write it down!" Just nasty! So midway through the hour long financial seminar, the owner informs the keyboardist to start playing. He begins playing music, very loud, while the presenter was speaking!! So rude! I decided right then, I was leaving after the presentation and would never patronize this restaurant! I had called my husband to bring our daughter and meet me at the restaurant for dinner, but I quickly cancelled those plans and left!! read more