We went during Charlotte Food Week and on a night when the restaurant had live music! Awesome atmosphere, cocktails were amazing, I had a Paloma spritz, my husband had an old fashion. The meatloaf was moist and cooked to perfection, as were the broccoli and mash potatoes with gravy. The fried chicken was crispy and moist. But I have to say the star of the show for me was the Asian Crunch salad! Fresh, flavorful, savory with bits of sweet and tons of texture. We'll be going back for another date night her soon! read more

Culinary Dropout - Mississippi Mud Pie - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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We've been to Culinary Dropout three times now, and this visit was a completely different experience from our first two. The first two visits were outstanding. The first time was in November 2025 and 2nd time March 2026 where the bartenders were professional, welcoming, knowledgeable, and made some of the best Bloody Marys we've had in Charlotte. The food was excellent, and we left both times excited to come back. Unfortunately, this Sunday's visit (around 2 p.m.) felt like a different restaurant. It was much busier, and service was noticeably lacking. We waited quite a while just to be acknowledged, our drinks weren't nearly the quality they had been before, and the Bloody Mary tasted like it came straight from a mix instead of being handcrafted like our previous visits. The food was also disappointing. It was much saltier than we remembered, and we never received the Caesar salad with steak we ordered. To the staff's credit, it wasn't on our bill, so we didn't mention it. Overall, no one was rude, but the attention to detail, professionalism, and overall experience that earned our previous five-star reviews just wasn't there this time. We're hoping this was simply an off day because we genuinely loved this place and would like to see it return to the high standard that made us regular customers. read more

Made a reservation for dinner last night for a friends reunion and we couldn't have picked a better spot! We got to sit in the private events room which gave us room to chat! Our server, Austin, was awesome! He gave plenty of recommendations and made sure we were taken care of! We all ordered the endless summer margarita which had watermelon but also we asked for muddled jalapeños to get added which were sooo yummy that we had three each haha! Also, the Mexican candy shots were delish!! We opted to just split a bunch of appetizers over ordering entrees and they were all fabulous! We had the slicer charcuterie board which consisted of the chef's cheese and meat selections, roasted asparagus, and toasted bread and everything on the board was delish! We also really like the spicy tuna crispy rice and the bbq pork belly nachos. My favorite were the pretzel bites with beer cheese. The cheese came out with a warmer under it so that it stayed nice and melty for us! Lastly, we shared the monkey bread dessert which we were pleasantly surprised had some spiced apples in there as well which paired nicely with the vanilla ice cream on the side :) Overall, we had a great time and look forward to coming back soon! read more

Culinary Dropout - Episode 163 - The Slicer, Soft Pretzels & Provolone Fondue, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, and BBQ Pork Belly Nachos - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I really enjoyed our time here! They provide parking in the garage and give you a pass. They have a rotating menu, we tried the ribs which were awesome!! So flavorful and the sauce was so yummy. The chicken and mash was great, I didn't love the sides of Cole slow I think they could replace it with something better. We also tried the breakfast short rib bowl, so good! Great portions Our server was super kind and you could pay online. They had live music for brunch of Sunday as well. read more

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After taking my mother here for her birthday this year, I started to wonder why it took me so long to try this place. I've been missing out. I loved it so much, I returned a few weeks later with a friend. The food did not miss, and the portions were large. The service was above average both times I visited, and it has a hip, lively atmosphere. Loved every second of my dining experiences here so I'll surely return. read more

Culinary Dropout - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I have heard so so much about this restuarant since moving to the area. I have to say, everything they said about it was correct. The women at the check in were pleasant and greeted with a smile. The server, Austin was absolutely amazing. He was everything a server should be. I cant say enough. He took the time to go over the options and took the time to help me decide on a dish. Everything we had was very good the Mexican 57 cocktail I had was very good. The place inside and out is absolutely amazing and well thought out. The ambiance is very modern with a great vibe. The one thing which is many out of the establishment control. There was a hint of possibility a garbage dumpster never. In 90+ heat it was the best smell when the wind blew. I definitely will still return. Great experience. read more

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Great atmosphere, Great Food... perfect vibe for a casual date night! My wife and I started out with cocktails, she went with the espresso martini and I had the camp fire bourbon drink. The martini was sweeter than she was accustomed to but still enjoyed it. My cocktail was terrific. We went during Queens feast week, so my meal came with an app and desert that we split. We started off with their outstanding homemade chips and onion tip. It was a perfect light app and the saltiness helped off set the sweetness of the drinks. For dinner, my wife had the chicken cutlet sandwich. Which loved but struggled to eat all of it. It was a very large portion. The chicken was tender and the presentation was highlighted the fresh ingredients. I went with Ma the Meatloaf... love the Will Ferrel reference and entree was amazing. Our server, Austin recommended it. Great call, l virtually licked the plate. We finished off by sharing the Mississippi Mud Pie, which we were too full to eat but still did. Luckily we had time to walk to the comedy show we were attending that. We definitely needed to burn some calories. read more

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The menu is good and the restaurant is huge, I'm sure it's hopping on the weekends. I got the strawberry and spinach salad with salmon and it was good, but the garden herbs were a little over powering. My friend got the Avocado shrimp Louie salad and I will say it did not look the best. Probably best to stick with appetizers and mains/sandwiches at a place like this read more

This was my first time at Culinary Dropout in downtown Charlotte, NC. It was a Saturday night and it was quite crowded. Live music started as we got seated. It is quite a loud place with the music and people trying to talk over the music. Our server came right away and we got drinks and ordered an appetizer quickly, but ordering the meal took quite a while. Grant it, they were very busy though. We got our food over an hour after we arrived. The food was very good. read more

I've bookmarked Culinary Dropout for months as a place I needed to check out. Had no idea what to expect when I walked in but it's a pretty huge space. Nice spacious bar with TVs, surrounded by plenty of comfortable sit-down seating. My server, Danielle, was new but you wouldn't know it. She was fantastic -- a great representative for a very popular place. Her drink recommendation was on point as well. I ordered the burger which was good but not the best I've had and knocked a star off this review. However, the apps were great which leads me to believe I need to come back and try some other stuff. In the meantime, this is absolutely a place I'd not only go for brunch/lunch/dinner, but perhaps to sit at the bar and enjoy a game or two. See for yourselves. read more

We sat at the bar on Monday night. The ambiance is very chill and relaxing and the restaurant was not busy at the bar or dining rooms. One side of the bar seemed to have better service than the other. We were on the other. Our server was responsive, but only if we got his attention. Vida Verdita mocktail was amazing. It was sweet and spicy and refreshing; so herbaceous. Spicy vegan curry was full of broccolini, mushrooms, eggplant, and sweet potato. Honestly, the sweet potato didn't add much, but felt just like mush. The curry was creamy and flavorful and the black rice gave it a nice bite. Overall, great meal, but our server was not cool or great. read more

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I had been wanting to eat here for quite some time. Sadly, I didn't feel it lived up to the hype. We were a party of 12 and were seated very quickly. The service was fantastic! Our waitress was very attentive and there was never an empty glass. The food, though, just wasn't it. Appetizers: The cheese on the nachos was very bland. The charcuterie boards we're also just very very basic. The pretzel bites and cheese were good, but not great. I had the 36 hour pork ribs and the first few bites were pretty good, but it was just a very boring dish after that. They were cooked very well, but the sauce just didn't hold up. I'd say the coleslaw that was served with it was the highlight of the meal for me. Excellent! We chose not to get dessert after the meal as the choices were pretty limited and not that great in my opinion. I don't know why more places don't have cheesecake or just a scoop of ice cream with a cookie as a staple. I don't think I'll be back unless a friend is determined to go. read more

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What can I say. Everything made scratch from farm to table. Yummmy. We got seated quickly. Our server was training another server but they took care of us well. Very classy looking place with a full bar. Spicy shrimp crispy rice: 5 stars for flavor, texture and everything else. Really enjoyed biting into the crispy rice part. Remind me of a similar dish from a Japanese restaurant in the Keys. Delish. Butternut squash and kale salad: 5 stars. Don't know all the things they put in it but I could not stop eating it and pretty soon the whole bowl was gone. Mushroom pizza:4 stars. Cheesy enough and I flavorful. I liked the veggies on top. I guess I missed the tomato sauce. Wished I had more time in Charlotte to return for another meal. read more

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Large space and not sure that it ever gets full. Excited to try it given there is a location opening in Ballantyne. It wasn't too be. Can't distinguish staff from diners. I don't want to see belly button or back piercings. We had to ask for everything - Splenda, water, nothing came w/o asking. Server spilled creamer all over the floor and a bit on the table. Instead of wiping down the cup or providing another, server left the cup and dripping of cream throughout the meal onto the person. The menu was promising and hard time selecting. Chose the fish and chips. Was told it was a scratch kitchen and was looking forward to homemade fries - unfortunately, they seemed like they were out of a bag and served cold. The fish had so much grease my dining companions watched me squish the grease out before eating. The tartar sauce seemed like mayonnaise with a couple pieces of pickle thrown in. The coleslaw seemed like it came from a bag as well. There was nothing good about this meal except the ketchup. Sadly, we won't be trying the Bowl location. read more

I'm a sucker for any place that says their menu is made from scratch. This was our first dinner experience for the weekend and it did not disappoint. The location is in a great spot downtown with a nearby parking garage (a block up). Inside is dimly lit with welcoming vibes. We arrived closer to 7 and they had live music in a Friday night that was.... Ok at best. For the type of spot it was I certainly wasn't expecting live music but would think they might have had someone more polished. Our cocktails were well done and refreshing. We started with the crispy Brussels sprouts (extra crispy please) that came out... not crispy. There was some charring in the top but otherwise they were very chewy and had a texture you'd expect if steamed. The flavors were great though. Our main dishes were perfect! Prices were reasonable for the area you were in but expect to pay a little more. My rating is 4 stars instead of five due to the Brussels sprouts not being extra crispy as we had requested and they forgot our dessert. We waited a long while for it before the sever brought us our check. I asked if they were still bringing it out and she darted off to get it. I appreciated that she did not include it with the bill. I don't know if I would go back but it's worth trying at least once if you're in the city. read more

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Ribs were amazing, my wife got the steak which she loved as well. Waitress was attentive and helpful w drink recommendations.

This place is a chain but I always get good consistent food except this time fries were cold. Crispy rice so was very good. Burger was very good perfectly made and so good. Only Down fall was both mine and my wives fries were cold not even warm. Isabel our waitress was so good super attentive. The place had live music was very good and the place is nicely decorated and not too loud bid space! read more

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The food was great & the atmosphere was great as well. I went with a friend of mine. I got the Mongolian short rib plate & they got the steak frites. Presentation was a beauty & it tasted even better. The service was great too. We sat at the bar first and then moved to a table after waiting on the list. Both spots, we had great servers that were very attentive. I will be back! read more

Culinary Dropout - Mongolian Short Rib* - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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DO NOT GO! AVOID - Worst Dining Experience I've Ever Had Do you want a bad time? Come here! If you are looking to ruin your night, this is the place to do it. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you take your business elsewhere. We ended up leaving after 90 minutes of pure frustration. We had no food, were being dripped on by a leak in the ceiling, received terrible service, and were served the wrong drinks. Here is the breakdown of why this place is a disaster: Poor Beginning: It took 10 minutes to be seated, which was understandable given the concert nearby. However, once seated, we sat for another 20 minutes before even getting water. I watched our waiter visit every surrounding table while what felt like he was pointedly ignoring ours. Seating: as our waiter brought our water and took our drink order, something started dripping on me. The waiter caught it and we also shortly after called it out as it continued requesting a new seat. They said we'll look to move you. Fast forward 30 minutes, the waiter said he's waiting for a table in his section to open up to MOVE ME FROM THE DRIPPING WATER. He prioritized his payout over our comfort, and we were never moved. Drinks: It took 30 minutes to get our drinks, even though I could see them sitting at the bar for at least 15 minutes while our waiter chatted with other tables. To top it off, my boyfriend was served the wrong beer, but the service was so slow we didn't even bother asking for a correction. Food: We ordered a starter early on as we were starving, but it never arrived. To make matters worse, a table of ten seated next to us ordered their mains, ate, and paid their tab before our starter ever showed up. We eventually decided to just leave rather than wait for the appetizer we never received. The only "positive" was that the manager eventually comped our two drinks, but even that took 10 minutes to process while we were trying to pay our tab and escape. Save your time and go literally anywhere else. read more

Enjoyed dinner before a concert at BOA stadium, and glad we had a reservation. We started off with cocktails - Paloma Spritz and Tijuana Spa Water. Both were really good. My husband and daughter shared a cheese pizza, and they enjoyed it. I had the Chopped Chicken Salad and enjoyed it, but wished the chicken was warm (not cold). I would also recommend dressing on the side, if you don't like heavy dressing. read more

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live music was cool, and it was a cool looking place, but the locals sitting next to us saying this was one of the last places they'd usually go in charlotte was a little foreshadowing of the rest of the evening. service was good but they also looked a little understaffed, all the food for the rest of my party came out pretty quickly but the fish and chips took probably around 40 minutes to come out, the server communicated with us about it so i wasn't upset. but then they were so salty once they finally hit the table, it was pretty much inedible. just seemed a little over priced and a little overrated. read more

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I got wine and an appetizer. Service, drinks, and food were good. The atmosphere is a cool vibe. read more

Culinary Dropout - White Truffle Deviled Eggs - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This establishment is fun and delicious. The server was friendly, outside seating is great, and the food was delicious. The cocktail menu was inventive. This is one of the go to places when coming to Charlotte. Parking is at a premium coming here unless you can walk. Till next time ... read more

Culinary Dropout - Roasted Salmon* - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Came in on a Friday night where I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had (GOOD!) live music playing with strong drinks and tasty nachos waiting for me Not sure why these culinary geniuses chose to drop out when my entire experience was giving A+ energy. read more

Culinary Dropout - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I was excited about the selections but the actual entrees proved to be very underwhelming. The Spicy Rigatoni was served with next to no/very little meat, the noodles were disappointingly undercooked. My guest was not a fan of his meal, theMongolian Short Rib either. The drinks, while having very attractive names and expectations, also highly underwhelmed as well. The atmosphere was great and the service workers were attentive but I don't think I'll be back anytime soon. read more

Culinary Dropout - Spicy Rigatoni - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

First trip to CD. A beautified warm Friday night on the patio seating. The restaurant is large and busy but still intimate. The service is top notch and friendly. The food was delicious we started with the angus pigs in a blanket which were delicious and unusual the garlic crème fraîche. A delicious unusual dip. I ordered the steak frites which were cooked perfectly a nice deep smoke flavor not the beef minimal seasoning the frites perfectly cooked. she ordered the meatloaf. Which was also delicious. For dessert, the apple monkey bread aka mode Nicely spiced and not too sweet a delicious end. Over all a definite A+. Looking. Forward to going back. read more

Had this place on our radar for our trip to Charlotte so made sure to stop in for dinner. The place had a great vibe to it all around. We grabbed a seat at the bar and the team there took good care of us. The Manager chatted for a bit as well during his rounds. Our food was great and the Martini was excellent as well. read more

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I want to give a HUGE shoutout to Eric who was working the bar 7/9. I lost my card and was pretty sure I left it there but when I returned I couldn't find it and Eric couldn't either after spending a good amount of time thoroughly looking - which I very much appreciated. I left my name and number in case they found it but I wasn't hopeful and was leaving town the next day. Eric found it and gave me a call a couple hours later. He even offered to run it out to me if I called and let them know I was near so we wouldn't have to deal with parking. I've never had a server go above and beyond like this. I would highly recommend this place on service alone but the food was great too! Thank you again Eric! You are the best! read more

This was my first visit and my food was delicious. I loved the location and service. I had a vodka drink mixed with high moon and it was really good. service was really great read more

Culinary Dropout - Korean Style Ribeye Cap* Korean Style Ribeye Cap* - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The atmosphere in this restaurant had a great city vibe. There is a bar in the middle with plenty of TVs to watch anything you want. This would be great for any gameday. When we arrived for brunch on a Saturday, it was not busy at all which was nice. Our server was friendly and gave us time when needed to decide on our orders. All of the food options were tasty. The pizza was a little greasy, but that's expected with Detroit Style. The dip is a great appetizer to start with and has a salty and sweet combo with the strawberries. The mud pie is very rich, so be prepared to share with family or friends (or eat it all yourself). Overall, this is a great spot to get brunch or catch a sports game with friends. I'd definitely recommend to anyone who wants some good food with a laid back atmosphere in Charlotte. read more

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The food, the service, the ambience, the entire experience was exceptional. The food was absolutely delicious -- the eggs were perfectly soft and fluffy, the bacon was cooked just right with the perfect crisp, and the breakfast potatoes were seasoned to perfection. every bite tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. The salmon dish was equally impressive, packed with rich flavor and beautifully presented. The service was warm and welcoming. The ambience truly tied it all together -- classy, cozy, and upscale with a beautiful modern dining atmosphere that made brunch feel like a special occasion. read more

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I Came here for dinner on a Saturday evening. I had been to one in phoenix previously. I was impressed with the menu selection, and the fact that they have a "from scratch kitchen." Everyone in our party loved their dishes. I ordered the mushroom pizza, and a friend of mine ordered the short ribs. Both were fantastic. That night they played live music and it was a great band. I will be back next time I am in Charlotte. read more

Culinary Dropout - Black Truffle Mushroom Pizza - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I'm gonna I love food at culinary dropout it was full of flavor and came out extremely quick despite them saying it might take a while while our server Mattan was attentive and well knowledged about the menu the ambience and music was also nice. I would come again. read more

Culinary Dropout - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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We came in for a late lunch-the restaurant was a ghost town. (Completely fine with us) We sat at the bar (not sure of our bartenders name). The service was AWFUL!!!! The bartender (female with dark hair and tattoos) wasn't friendly, never checked on us throughout the meal-every time we talked to her we felt like we were bothering her. We ordered the shrimp & sticky rice balls & the whipped feta. The food was just ok. Wasn't terrible wasn't great. Just average. The restaurant itself was nice-even though the bar was dirty the entire time we sat at the bar. Like I said the bartender wasn't busy just sat on her phone the entire time. We had high hopes- as we are visiting from out of town. Also-my Tito's was $15.50 and that's just for a single pour. Overall I wouldn't recommend this place unless you like over priced menu items and terrible service. read more

Culinary Dropout - Whipped Feta & Tahini Dip - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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First time. Came around 8. Nice decor, ambiance. Wasn't sure of what to do upon entering, no host but someone walked up to us and seated us. Live music so it was hard to talk but good vibe. Huge dining area separated by the bar. Food was delicious. Our server was very personable but apparently really busy although it wasn't a full house. We had a nice date night and we'll be back. Can't say enough about the delicious food. read more

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This place totally hit the spot. We tried the Brussels sprouts, chicken sandwich, and roast beef sandwich--and wow. Everything was tasty. The Brussels sprouts were crispy and packed with flavor, the chicken was juicy, and the roast beef? Melt-in-your-mouth good. Service was awesome too--friendly, fast, and just really on it. The whole vibe is chill but stylish, like the kind of spot you want to hang out at for hours. Definitely coming back. Might even order the same thing again... it was that good. read more

Culinary Dropout - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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This was not a great experience for me. This dude was adamant that I ordered something other than my meal and charged me more for it even though I did not order said meal. No coming back here no sir. Singer was way too loud and played imagine dragons read more

I came here for restaurant week with some girls and had a great time! The food did not disappoint. Huge fan of the cheese being heated by a candle so it doesn't get cold. The fish and chips was to die for. It is the best I have found in Charlotte so far. It is perfectly crispy and didn't come out soggy at all. I am usually not a huge dessert fan but the Mississippi mud pie was KILLER! I couldn't get enough of it. read more

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Wow!!! Great service and great food!!!! We ordered Pork belly nachos so delicious Vegan curry soup- yummy! Burger with gluten free bun. Cooked perfect and fries were amazing. Such a great experience. If in the area this place is made from scratch and so good!!!! read more

Culinary Dropout - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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We sat at the bar for a few drinks after work hours and enjoyed chatting with the nice bartender. The drinks were good and he even gave me the rest of the High noon can after using what he needed from it in my mixed drink. read more

Culinary Dropout - Mixed drinks - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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