Hours as of 8/3 are Noon to 10pm. Lakou Haitian Restaurant on Graham Street. To my knowledge it is the only Haitian restaurant in Charlotte. It's mostly a takeout place but there are 2 booths that can fit 4 people and 3 small tables that can fit a few people. You order at the cash register and then seat yourself or wait. I ordered the fried red snapper, a friend ordered the stewed red snapper. I liked hers better because it was nice and moist with lots of flavor from the red sauce. Mine was still very good, and she preferred mine. We had the passion fruit lemonade and it was so good my friend got a second one. Be prepared to wait awhile for your food. We put in our order at 2:10pm. He said it would take about 20 minutes; however, we received our food at 2:50pm. Our fish came with either rice and beans or black rice and either green plantains or sweet plantains. I got the rice and beans. My Jamaican friend said the taste was similar to her country. Another friend ordered the Griot, which is cubed and fried seasoned pork over black rice. I really liked the black rice, but the pork was a bit dry. They did give some small containers of sauce with it. The metal containers make it easy to reheat your food at home. Kudos for that. Another friend got their fried chicken and said it was ok. We all agreed the snapper was the way to go. Additionally, I ordered Haitian Mac & Cheese and really loved it. It was creamy and different. It sort of reminded me of an Italian vodka sauce. To go, I ordered 2 beef and 2 fish patties. Hubby loves beef pies and I've never seen fish patties, so of course I had to try them. The beef pies were really good. Highly recommend those flakey crusted beef patties with wonderful seasonings. The fish patties' seasonings were very unique. Maybe the flavor of cloves ? We likely would have ordered dessert if they had anything other than coconut rum cake, but I don't like coconut. This place is difficult to find. It's on Graham Street 1 mile from 85 away from Downtown next to a Food Lion in a Strip Mall. There's no actual sign on the building except for a banner near the door. A nail salon is next door on the other side. read more

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Got to check out this spot with some friends last week and was genuinely excited! I'm a huge fan of Haitian food and haven't had it much in Charlotte so I was glad to try Lakou. The restaurant is in a plaza with a Food Lion and a few other stores.There's plenty of parking. It was a little tricky to find at first glance because they don't have a sign on the building like the other business around them. They do have a larger hanging sign in front of the door which helps. I would describe this place as a pick up spot only. Yes, they have a few tables and chairs inside but there is no waitstaff. I ordered a passionfruit lemonade, sweet plantains, pikliz and Haitian mac n cheese. My food was DELICIOUS! Truly. If I were hungrier I would've ordered more. The reason for the "just ok" rating was due to things I'm sure can be remedied for future guests. The young lady taking orders wasn't the nicest person. They had a bit of a line when we ordered so I understand, but please be kind to people patroning your business. It took a good while for us to get our food, and that is perfectly okay. But it literally took 30 mins or more to even get my drink. I got that well after my food. I had to ask about it, so I'm guessing it was just forgotten. All that aside, I would eat here again, but I would call my order in well in advance and expect to pick it up and go. Great food, just hope the service gets a little better moving forward. Definitely recommend for the food!! read more

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I was greeted by a sweet young lady when I arrived around 1245ish. She took my order and confirmed that everything is made fresh to order, which I was happy to hear. I ordered the oxtail plate with the black mushroom Haitian rice and peas and sweet plantain. A order of griot (fried pork) The coconut cake The soursop lemonade My total cost was almost $60... I was not satisfied with the food at all. And I hate to give this type of report because I'm Haitian and I saw all the hype on this restaurant and had really high expectations, and I was really excited to support the business. And like I said the young lady was really nice, so the 3 stars are for the service alone. The rice was too grainy, and tasted nothing like the traditional diri ak djon djon that I'm used to, it was also very bland and had no flavor. The oxtail was not as tender and was salty, and again was not prepared the traditional Haitian way (which is fine, but maybe say Caribbean food instead of Haitian food). And I know people prepare food differently depending on what part of the country they're from, but the base is about the same regardless of that. The griot was cold, and they piled a bunch of raw onions on top which gave it a really off putting smell, and again it lacked flavor... The cake had good flavor, but was strangely hard and stale. I basically threw everything away. The saving grace was the Soursop lemonade, it was delicious, not too sweet, and the perfect balance of sweet and sour. They should bottle that up and sell it by the gallon! It could have been an off day, but that was enough for me to not have to come back to find out for the food. However if I'm ever in the area I will stop in for the Soursop lemonade for sure. This is constructive feedback, I think this family is super nice and hope for nothing but success for this new business. read more

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I'm a Caribbean girl from the North. It is hard to get good authentic Caribbean food outside of NYC or South Florida - so I normally don't even bother. I took a chance on Lakou and didn't regret it. The store is nothing fancy, but was clean and simple. The gentleman that took my order was pleasant, and helpful in choosing what to order. I ordered the oxtail with rice and peas, and griot with black rice, and side of macaroni pie. Everything is so delicious, fresh, and flavorful. I will be back to try their legume which sounds amazing. I recommend Lakou for delicious Caribbean food in Charlotte. read more

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Love Haitian food, and had a friend who recommended this place to me. It's not too far from my house so I was excited to try it one Sunday after church. It's in a shopping center with food lion, and a nail salon. I wasn't sure where the location was at due to signage until you walk upon the side walk. The place isn't much of a sit down place most people got their food to go or called it on. They do have like 2 booths and a few tables to sit at. When I walked in, I wasn't really greeted just a you want to order? It was a young girl so I was giving her grace. The menu was at the front and was just a laminated copy of the menu. The prices aren't bad at all. I decided to get a soursop lemonade which was delicious and my friend got the passion fruit lemonade which I had to ask about her drink bc she was waiting on it. We got the snappers (one friend, the other stewed) with black rice (mushroom rice), sweet plantains and mac & cheese. The snapper was very flavorful but the stewed was a little too spicy for me. It was hard to enjoy bc it was that spicy. However I did what I could. The rice was amazing, the plantains were excellent. I realized after several other orders I never got my mac &cheese and had to ask about it. The young lady went and checked on it and brought it out immediately. It was pretty good. We did sit and eat our food although no one else did. Overall it's a great place to eat and i'd order again but probably carry out. I do appreciate the sign that specifies the daughter doesn't speak creole but her parents do, to be patient with them, etc. If you love Haitian food, def a must try!! read more

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Coming from Miami I was excited when they opened and the food was authentic and delicious. read more

Lakou - Griot Diri Jhon Jhon plantain pickliz - Haitian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

First time trying Haitian food in a lovely restaurant. Very clean and spacious inside. Ordered griot (deep-fried and seasoned pork). Its pork shoulder marinated in citrus, braised, and then cut into chunks and fried. Delicious seasoning. I got the cabbage and beans and rice. The pikliz was out of this world. It's made of cabbage, onion, carrots, bell peppers, chilies, garlic, salt, pepper, and cloves. They used a food processor, and I tasted vinegar used to cure all the ingredients. It was spicy and so good! Used it as a condiment over the griot. Heaven! Do try them out. Customer service was awesome, and they cook to order, so factor in 15-20 min wait time. read more

Lakou - Griot (fried pork), rice, and beans - Haitian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Food was amazing. It is real authentication. The Griot was so good. Everything was made fresh and the black rice had a beautiful gravy that seasoned it really well also their stuffed pies and their plantains were excellent. read more

Authentic Haitian food right here in Charlotte!! Food was delicious!! It was the real deal. I drove over an hour and I have no regrets!! Highly recommend!! And read more

The newest and only Haitian restaurant in the city of Charlotte. The chef who runs the restaurant is one of the best chefs in Charlotte. I am completely new to Haitian cuisine and have tried items blindly and everything is delicious from the griot to the legume and my now new favorite the bouyon. Located adjacent to the Food Lion so there is ample parking. You are immediately greeted with a nice big smile and the staff is helpful and honest about the menu items if you need any assistance. If you are not familiar with Haitian food. I highly recommend you have an open mind and give Lakou a try and you will not be disappointed. As I write this review they are currently in their soft opening stages so as the restaurant gets a feel on what the community likes the most it will become more refined. They also have mocktails and lemonades that are delicious and refreshing. read more

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Food was delicious. I have been there a few times. Price is decent. Their griot is the best with black rice. Every one should check this restaurant when you are in Charlotte. read more

Lakou - Haitian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I order DoorDash and I was still impressed by the presentation. The portions were a good size. Now I love the rice it was my first time eating black rice. The fried pork was a bit a lot dry and tasteless. Also, the slaw was good I end up topping the pork with it. I will definitely eat here again but something different. read more

Lakou - Griot with black rice and slaw - Haitian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Best oxtails in Charlotte in my opinion and I have tried just about all the places that sell them. The black rice is also amazing and the pikliz, which I add to my oxtails and even eat plain. Haitian Mac and cheese is also great. read more

I love Haitian food...I love it even better when it's consistently good and the service that comes with it is just as good. Unfortunately that is not the case for this establishment. On two occasions vegetable legume is an option, but the next three times it's not an option and the person looks me in the eye and says it was never was an option. One day the food is amazing, fresh and flavorful...and other times it's bland, lukewarm and pikliz questionable. I tried...a few times...but I don't want to keep taking a gamble. Lastly...the lackluster customer service is really irritating. Hire an upbeat, friendly person if hiring someone young or hire an adult who wants to actually be there. The attitude, lack of knowledge for questions and lack of care when dealing with customers is a loss for future business. read more

I WISH I took a picture of my food before I dug in! I ordered Lakou for lunch. I chose the whole fried snapper, black rice, fried and sweet plantain and the passionfruit and soursop lemonade (I'm greedy, I .wanted to try a little bit of everything) The food was delicious! The pikliz was so good and tasted fresh with the perfect amount of kick. Speaking of kick, the hot sauce was also delectable on everything. I know the fried fish would have been even better if I came to pick it up as it was coming out. My fault because I left my house later than planned so I arrived about 20 min after the estimated pick up time. Even though the breading was not as crispy as I prefer the flavor made up for that in every way. The restaurant is in the Food Lion parking lot - right next door to Food Lion. They didn't have a building sign up so if you're not looking you could miss it. My advice would be to double check your food before leaving. They gave me 2 orders of green plantain which I discovered when I got home. I normally check but I was desperate to get back home to eat my fried fish haha! This is not my first time to Haitian food but this is definitely a cuisine Charlotte has been missing and I wish this restaurant the best and much success. I will definitely continue to recommend and return when I am in the mood for a treat! read more

As soon I walked I was greeted by the sweetest teenager , ready to take my order . I knew right away this was a family owned business and felt at home . The aroma of the food in the air was intoxicating , it smelled so good and I was extra excited! It was my first time trying a full Haitian meal and it won't be the last . The food was delicious! Comfort Caribbean food only place in Charlotte to get such wonderful flavors . read more

Lakou - Oxtail pizza - Haitian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Fried Griot plate was everything this was the aftermath Service was amazing The owners are great Restaurant was clean Price was fair and worth every penny I will be back read more

Lakou - Fried Griot plate was everything this was the aftermath Service was great - Haitian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The food was good and flavorful. The customer was awesome. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the music. I got the griot, diri djon djon, passion fruit lemonade and soursop. read more

Lakou - Haitian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I've ate almost the whole menu from here, the griot (fried pig skin), stewed chicken & goat, oxtails, and every single time gotta pair it with the black rice. Yes black rice sounded crazy to me at first because I've never seen nor had it but it's good af. The consistency with quality is impeccable at this place. Oh yea don't forget to add a soursop lemonade or passion fruit, both don't miss. Be mindful as this food is made with love so they take their time and some days there's higher traffic than others so either call in or be prepared to wait. read more

Being born and raised in South Florida I was always craving Haitian food after moving up to charlotte, and when I found Lakou I definitely wasn't disappointed, this place is excellent very delicious go try it out read more

So far I have eaten Smother chicken with black rice and peas and sweet plantains. I also have had the oxtails with peas and rice and sweet plantains and all of it has been good. I'm gonna try everything on the menu and I know it will be good so try it out. I'm pretty sure you'll come back again just like me. read more

Dope authentic Haitian food! Best patties & griot in the city! Be sure to try the soursop juice too

My first time trying Haitian food. I got the stewed snapper, black rice, cabbage and sweet plantain. The sauce on the stew snapper was out of this world delicious!! The rice had so much flavor and cabbage. Everything was fresh and hot! The pickly slaw was so good as well. 10 out of 10 taking my hubby back with me today. read more

We searched Haitian food and drive more than an hour to find this spot! It's worth the drive!!! The food was fresh, delicious, authentic, and service was spot on! Lovely location with an awesome family vibe. The place has great seating options as well. I pray this place last and everyone is able to enjoy the experience of this food. We can't wait to patron this business again. read more

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The place never disappoints! I had their food multiple times. I DoorDash the food as well and the food is still hot when it gets to me!

I'm born of two Haitian parents heavily prepared Haitian cuisine for us. This place is authentic and delicious. Great job!

As a Haitian, I was excited to hear that there was a spot opening up in Charlotte. I don't trust everyone's food, but this one did not disappoint. The food was cooked to perfection, griot, fish, Lalo, rice.... You name it. It's a weekly trip for me and I love it. The service is great for a small team. You can also order on the website and it'll be ready for you to pick up. read more

As a Haitian, it feels so good to have a place here that sells authentic and delicious haitian dishes! The service was immaculate and the staff was very friendly. The only con was the tiny portion of the coconut rum cake, but they gave a generous serving of food so it made up for it. Over all, I will absolutely be frequenting here regularly. read more

My friend and I tried Lakou today. I must say the food was amazing! I got the jerk chicken with rice and cabbage and a passion fruit lemonade. My friend got the snapper with the black mushroom rice and she said it was delicious! Sydney and Natasha(owners) are very nice. If you like Haitian food, definitely must check out! I'll be back for sure! read more

The food is consistently delicious. The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere, is very clean, and is aesthetically pleasing. I am so happy that this Haitian restaurant is open in Charlotte. read more

Great food. A lot of flavors. Had the griot well done and the rice and beans perfect.

This is the REAL DEAL! Out of all of the Caribbean/Africana restaurants in Charlotte, this restaurant has the most authentic cuisine. They surpass on freshness, flavor, presentation and portion size. Many blessings to the owner(s) and staff! I highly highly recommend!!! read more

Great Food and experience recommend the acra and Mac n cheese! Great place to eat and enjoy a different culture. Cabbage was great!