I recently got take out from here!! We had a cheese allergy, and they accidentally had put cheese on the spaghetti. I immediately called and asked if they were able to redo the order (they were now closed). They were quick to offer to make us another meal although the kitchen was closed!! They were apologetic and had awesome customer service throughout the order process. I was super impressed. we got the spaghetti & cheese ravioli -- both were so yummy!!! I would try this place again!! read more

I had an antipasto salad - medium - perfect size for one person. There was a good amount of meat and cheese, but only 2 olives, which was a bummer. I got a substitute for tomatoes for an egg. Everyone seemed that they liked their meals, but no 'loving' anything. I think the large would've given me two meals, and the small might have been a little filler prior to another entree. There are specials every night - we came in on a Thursday night & it was receive a free appetizer for 2 entrees bought. There were 4 of us, and the waitress was kind enough to give us 2 appetizers (mozzarella sticks and cheesy bread). Overall, a friendly, casual, nicely priced (aka cheap prices) restaurant, that if I was in the area, I wouldn't mind stopping at again. read more

The Open Kitchen - Medium size antipasto salad with no beets, sub eggs - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I haven't eaten here since I was a teen, but I remembered that it had been around forever so thought it would be good, and was glad to see Uber Eats delivered all the way to our house in SW Charlotte. Will NEVER order from or eat there again - just simply wasn't good. I imagine, with all the truly good, authentic Italian restaurants in Charlotte now, they're kept alive by an older clientele who doesn't know any better/hasn't had any good Italian food. I got lasagna which was hidden in a huge bowl of mushy meat and watered down sauce. My husband didn't eat his ravioli, it was just not good. Our dinner came with several untoasted pieces of bread and they forgot my Caesar salad which Uber Eats refunded. The entrees were cheap (around $15), but of course after paying fees and tips we got nothing much for $50. What a disappointment. read more

I was not impressed. Others had raved about it, the garlic bread was over done. I doubt I would go back.

I think everyone knows this spot is past it's prime. We went with family in town to celebrate someone we lost, who used to love this place. The food comes in really large portions, but just is not good. We started with the mozzarella sticks and some cheese bread, both were acceptable, but nothing to write home about. I had the chicken parm, which is nothing like any other chicken parm I've ever had. After it was delivered I realized that I had ordered it a long time ago and also thought the same thing. My mistake. It was basically grilled chicken swimming in a dish of underwhelming pasta sauce with some cheese on top. We will definitely not be back here again - there are a ton of other better options in Charlotte for Italian. read more

I'm torn on the rating. The staff is fun but the food is basic . We had a party of 10 and ordered a variety of food. Top of the list is the cheese bread, everything else is run of the mill. The shrimp had a "funny" taste and everything else is coated in cheese . Parking is a pain, but you can park across from the airport. It's a full bar and martinis have vermouth, even when ordered up read more

The food was mediocre at best. Three of my guests had shrimp Alfredo and it was bland and tasted like jar alfredo sauce. I had lasagna parmigiana and it was just ok. The sanitation score was 93.5 which is below my standard of at least 95.5 but I thought I'd give them a try. I should have listened to my instinct. Oh and this parachute guy was right above my wife's head. A sure fire indication they don't clean well at all. read more

The Open Kitchen - Parachute guy right above the dinner table - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Been going there for over 30 years! Always the best food! Chicken Parmesan is our favorite along with their Greek salad.

This place has been around since 1952. We live right up the road and in the beginning of the pandemic shutdown, we ordered "open kitchen" takeout almost every other day to support local businesses. This place has never disappointed us! From the Barcelona chicken (highly recommended) butter garlic noodles with seasoned to perfection chicken, to the spicy pizza, chicken and veal Parmesan, Italian sausage sub and chicken Alfredo. No complaints whatsoever. It's hard to find places that are original and family owned and not the typical chain restaurant. We finally got to eat inside the restaurant last night and service was absolutely incredible, food came out very quick and was again absolutely delicious. read more

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Doesn't look like much from the outside, but the first time we walked in, it was like we were immediately transported to a little Italian restaurant in NYC. The staff is always friendly, and the food is delicious! We always get the garlic bread appetizer, and my go-to dish is the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, which is always so good. And a serving large enough that I always take some to go! read more

I stopped here for lunch today and soooo glad that I tried it. The parking lot was packed and following lunch, I can see why. I had spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs. The salad that came with it was crisp with a very tasty, balsamic vinaigrette. The spaghetti was steaming hot when it arrived....perfect! The way it should be served. The sauce was a very good marinara and the meat balls were also very good. Fresh bread came with the meal and a glass of Chianti washed it down, nicely I will come back here and I'll bring my family. If you're looking for Italian, DO NOT let the outside fool you. This is a very good Italian restaurant. Just West of downtown Charlotte, on Morehead. read more

We have a theory that the pizza is actually made by the nearby 7-11. Crust is obviously manufactured elsewhere and frozen. Cheese is as bland as it gets. Why even have pizza on the menu if this is the best you can do? read more

I had a terrible experience at this restaurant from beginning to ending! We had a reservation at 7pm for a party of 11. We got there on time and was seated. The waitress did not come to our table for 15 minutes to take our drink order. 15 min after that another waitress came to our table and stated that the previous waitress had lost our drink order and she needed to retake it. We then got our drinks around 7:40pm. Once we got our drink orders the waitress walked away and did not come back for 10 minutes to take our food order! This waitress was so confused about our food order it took her 15 minutes to write everything down. We then got our food around 8:20pm. The waitress was serving our food and she dropped a whole TRAY of hot food on my 3 year old nephew. My nephew was screaming and his back was burning. The waitress did apologize but not once did the manager/ owner come out and apologize to us. 4 of us ordered lasagna and it was so disgusting it taste like it was store bought or frozen. We all sent our lasagna back. The cheese on the pizza was absolutely disgusting and taste like it was microwaved. The complimentary bread was soft but cold. The alfredo sauce taste like it was canned. When it was time to pay our tab the waitress informed us that the owner had comped our meal because of the incident that happened with my nephew. We still left this waitress a $60 tip after such a terrible experience. As we were walking out the door the owner/manager run up to us screaming " you didn't pay your bill". We argued with this man for about twenty minutes and he still insisted we pay for our bill because apparently he never told the waitress to comp the whole party, only to comp my sisters check since it was her son that the food fell on. We went inside to pay and he asked the waitress for our tabs and she told him " you told me to comp their meals" . The owner/ manager then told the waitress well now you're going to pay for their food out of your tips. We then insisted that we pay because we felt bad for the waitress and he said no for us to leave. I will never go back to this restaurant ! He is very unprofessional and we felt discriminated against because of our skin color. read more

Ventured into this place with the hubs after driving past it countless times and I have to say, it wasn't half bad. Sure, it's not a "fancy" Italian spot, and it's doesn't have gourmet food, but it's kind of kitschy and cute. The portions are rather large, definitely split-able. I ordered the spaghetti with clam sauce. It was spaghetti, nothing fancy, cooked well and topped with zillions of chopped clams. Was it the best I've ever eaten? No, but it also was very far from the the worst. Their pizza that was on many tables looked decent and I would certainly venture back to this spot again. read more

The Open Kitchen - Spaghetti with clam sauce - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This is a historic, family owned icon in Charlotte! The service is personal and the food amazing! Not to mention, the building is worth the trip!! Don't miss the opportunity to spend some time here!!! read more

Finally made it into this local spot for a quick lunch. Loved the atmosphere. Had the lasagna and a side salad. The Italian dressing was amazing. Really enjoyed the lasagna and smaller lunch portion. The bread was nice and soft but, having it warm would have made it even better. Definitely need to go try some other meals soon! read more

The Open Kitchen - Lasagna! - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The service was good and we had a really nice waitress. The bread was also very good. But the entrees were pretty mediocre. I had the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. There was very little Alfredo sauce and absolutely no seasoning. It was supposed to come with bacon, but that was missing as well. It was about two step below Olive Garden and no where near authentic Italian food. read more

waitress was not capable of communicating adequately in English or Thai which raises some safety concerns especially given that we had someone with food allergies. fruit platter was extremely bland although beautifully presented. Pasta was more of a clear soup than a sauce, not at all my idea of what a pasta dish should be. read more

Delizioso... which is delicious in Italian.Don't shy away from the fact that it doesn't look so fancy , I came here with friends one of my friends was Italian so i knew if she said this place was good then its good! They both bragged and boasted about the chicken Barcelona. Omg they weren't lieing when they said it was one of the best dishes here. The noodles were drenched in a savory honey butter, my mouth is watering right now just speaking about it, i asked to have the marinara sauce and mushrooms on the side versus in the actual dish, i also had feta crumbled cheese added. I have to come back here and see how the lasagna is and try the cheesy garlic bread as well. read more

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Ordered Lasagna and at first it looked delicious, with the sauce covered all over. The sauce was masking the awful taste of 5 day old Lasagna. Took two small bites asked for a to go box...took it home and threw it in the trash. Couldn't give it to my dogs!! How your business survived so long in the food industry amazes me . I will not be back, nor will I recommend this place. "OPEN KITCHEN", UGH!! read more

Like many others have said, I've been in Charlotte for two decades now and had never been to Open Kitchen. I knew it was there, I'd driven by it countless times, but the opportunity to go in never came up. The decor obviously roundhouse kicks you in the face as you walk in screaming, "look at how long we've been here". Not a bad thing, it's actually quite quaint and gives you tons to look at while they find a place to sit you. I've been to places like this, it's regulars and nostalgia that keep them afloat. We had a group of about 10-12 people from work. We were given pretty much a little room to ourselves, which was really nice and gave us a chance to talk. The waitress was friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, she kept placing our orders in front of the wrong people! Not all terrible, but we noticed. The food was ok. Nothing we had was terrible, but also nothing made me wanna write home about it. It's basic Italian food, which I am already not the biggest fan. I ordered the Chicken Alfredo and it was ok. I ate it all and enjoyed it. I hope this place stays here forever, we need more landmarks like this one to stick around in Charlotte. And I am sure there is a super fan base demographic out there for it, I am just not part of it. I will go back if/when prompted, but probably will not suggested myself. Not bad, not good, just there. read more

Today we wanted to celebrate my Mom's first birthday in Heaven. She passed in June after a long battle with Cancer. Our sweet waitress asked if we were celebrating anything. I quickly replied that my Dad and I are celebrating my Mom. This restaurant is special to my Dad. He came here a lot while in high school, over 30 years ago. Upon finishing our meal this amazing waitress brought us tiramisu with a lit candle. Her compassion surpassed anything we'd ever expect. Thank you for our amazing cantelloni and dessert!! Everything was magnificent! read more

The Open Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Just go for the old school vibe. Look at all the stuff on the walls. Get chicken or veal barcelona greek style with lots of feta cheese and extra burnt butter. Crab parmesan with pasta of choice. Steak even. Mama k or blue cheese dressing. Very simple but good. Request glass ware if you don't want plastic. One of the only places left in town that can handle larger groups. Boom. read more

Great food and great atmosphere. This is my second time eating at this restaurant. I would definitely recommend this restaurant!!

I've been here a few times since it's so close to my office. The staff is nice, and the place seems clean. I think my biggest issue is the price for the food. I've had better Italian food elsewhere for better prices. And sometimes if I have more time then I drive over there. The food is decent, I've had the ziti, the spaghetti, and the alfredo pasta. The salads are decent and the bread is super good! The bread is honestly the best part. It's perfect, doughy and soft! Super yum! Usually they don't clear your table when your done with bread plates or trash until after you leave. It's a good casual place. I do like the music as well. read more

Have been in Charlotte for a little over a year now, and this was probably the best Italian place I have found so far. I was torn between the ravioli and lasagna, and the server suggested the lasagna, so that's what I went with. There was a little bit of grease on top when I got it, but that means you know they made it with a little extra love, right? The Italian dressing on my side salad was very good, as was the bread they brought out. read more

Great food. The walls are like a museum of Charlotte over the years. The waitresses, owners, and cashier are friendly, and even funny. My family loves their original dish of Veal Juliano. We haven't found any other dish we like as much - anywhere. read more

I ordered two entrees through Yelp/ChowNow and received the email confirmation quoting it would be ready by 7 13. I arrived at 7 15. My order was not ready until 7 28. Now, the staff while I waited were very courteous and communicative. Made sure the order was right and showed the contents even, which was nice. The pizza was decent. I was a fan of the red sauce and wished there was more on the pizza. Due to proximity and price, I'd probably order the pizzas again sometime down the road. However, I also purchased the fettuccine alfredo, added chicken. I am glad I added the chicken, in was the only thing with seasoning. I could tell the fettuccine posts had been sitting, cooked, in some pot for some time, probably still in water. Had zero chew and tasted watery/flavorless. The Alfredo sauce.... I have no idea what it was? Water with some heavy cream added? Didn't even seem like salt was added let alone a healthy amount of parmigiana -- which is what Alfredo sauce should be, maybe with some black pepper for some semblance of depth? Oh well, definitely won't ever order anything Alfredo related here. read more

The food was excellent. I was a little wearing going inside because it didn't exactly look like a nice restaurant. Even the inside was not exactly welcoming and seems a bit unclean, it could use some freshening up, we looked up and the vents and cakes of dust. However, the staff was so nice, the service was excellent, and we loved our food. read more

Nothing world famous about this place. Best part may be the interior decor, I guess a little nostalgic feeling sure, but touch of tacky. Food is ok. You could make this at home if not something a little better following any online recipe. Wine was old and not flavorful. With so many other Italian spots in CLT, really no need to try this place read more

Never knew this restaurant was here until my church group chose it for our monthly lunch spot. As it turns out, this has been in Charlotte for many many decades. I think it's more than fifty years in business. The service was impeccable today, especially given the large group that we had. I had the Greek salad with chicken. I liked that it had beets on it! It was good and there was enough for me to bring home. I also liked that this restaurant had several rooms and is a great place for groups. Obviously, if you like pizza or pasta, this is a particularly good place to come. So glad I finally discovered this treasure cove in Charlotte. read more

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Had a great experience here. Had a larger party, and the waitress did a good job. The food, lasagna, and pizza were good. I believe the pizza dough is either purchased in bulk or frozen. It had a good taste, but, coming from Chicago, it wasn't 100% homemade. Everyone really enjoyed the atmosphere, and it brought back memories when we were kids when visiting older restaurants. I recommen it and for larger party sizes too. read more

We went with a large group (approximately 30), and we made reservations ahead of time so as not to surprise the staff. We were also all on one check, so we did our best to make it as easy as possible. When we arrived, there was one server for our party and another large party. He was obviously frazzled from the start. He was fine overall, but he actually said to us that he thought he might have to quit that night. It was awkward. The food here is mediocre at best. My ravioli was still frozen in the middle and had to be sent back. I didn't hear anything great from anyone in the party. The bathrooms could use some updating. In the unisex bathroom, the mirror was so high I had to stand on my tip-toes to check my teeth. I'm 5'4", so average height for a woman. We also saw a cockroach run through the bathroom. I will spare you the video. read more

Don't let the exterior fool you - this Charlotte establishment is a must try! Family-owned and dripping with old-world Italian charm, Open Kitchen is the red-and-white-checked-tablecloth was-the-Godfather-filmed-here restaurant you need in your life. Great for families and groups, the food is simple but the atmosphere something truly special. read more

Great place being going here for years! Love the Chicken Parmesan ! And their famous salad dressing!

Cool spot . Saw it on a friends post and decided to try it on a layover . It was like going back in time in the best way ! Cool old school vibe , and the food was great . Parking was ample , service was fast ! Depending on where you are staying if you are traveling it feels like it is a bit far out (even though it isn't technically) . Very traditional meals and menu , and you can't go wrong ordering any of the classics . This is definitely worth a try if you are in town and in the mood for a non franchise meal ! read more

This is my first time here but not my last! Wonderful small Italian restaurant atmosphere. As a movie buff, this restaurant reminds me of The Godfather where Michael asked to the bathroom and came out shooting Sollozo and police chief McCluskey. On a side note, we are taking the canoli home for later. read more

The Open Kitchen - The restaurant table scene - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Today was my 1st time eating here & it was fantastic. Being Italian & from the NE where Italian food is premiere, I am a snob when it comes to the sauce. The marinara sauce on the cheese ravioli was stellar. I mopped up the remains with some bread & I am very pleased. I am in Charlotte 15 years & no one ever told me about the Open Kitchen until my husband had me meet him there today. We will be returning & trying the pizza. The atmosphere reminds me of the older Italian restaurants in Little Italy, NY. Our waitress was awesome & very attentive which is hard to find since Covid & all of the restaurants complain that they are short staffed. This 1 waitress handle the dining room like a pro. read more

Great hidden gem, I love to show new people. The pizza is good and large portions. I typically get the baked ziti add sausage. AMAZING and oh soooo cheesy. The decor is just part of the charm of the old building. A good date spot and also good for large parties. Many Italian classic dishes to choose from and easy on the pocket. You see everyone from local lawyers to construction workers. read more

Bit of trivia. Open Kitchen was the first place in North Carolina to serve pizza. Yes, people traveled near and far to experiment with such "international cuisine." It wasn't all that long ago that PIZZA was unique. Of course, it wasn't all that long ago that you could see SugarCreek at Dixie Electric Company next to Cinema Blue. And for you babies whom want to correct me, "The Creek" was originally named SugarCreek and they lived off Carmel Road. The food as a whole is truly extra-medium; but, walking in the front door is like entering a time warp circa 1974. Charlotte hasn't done a very good job saving the historical places. . .or bands. What ever happend to SugarCreek? Heck, less than 3 blocks away is an empty, leveled field where Coffee Cup used to be. Sigh. As such, Open Kitchen is a fun place to go on occasion. Italian: no. Go to Villa Antonios for that. Old Charlotte "Greek Italian" cooking and a tase of history: yes. They're nice people and you'll see some fun B&W photos at the cash register. read more

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