10/10 - I'll Definitely Be Back! I stopped by Laurel Park at SouthPark for lunch last week, and it exceeded my expectations. The only small challenge was figuring out the parking at first, but I ended up parking in the parking garage underneath and walking up to the restaurant, which was easy once I found it. I chose to sit on the outdoor patio, and I'm so glad I did. The atmosphere is beautiful without feeling overly formal. It's casual, comfortable, and would be perfect for a lunch date, girls' day out, solo date, or even a relaxed date night. The outdoor bar area is really nice, with TVs, a fireplace for cooler weather, and fans that kept the patio comfortable on a warm afternoon. Before ordering, I asked my server for recommendations. They suggested either the Honey Hot Chicken Sandwich or the Short Rib Sandwich. I went with the Honey Hot Chicken Sandwich and regular fries, and it was absolutely amazing! I can definitely see why it's a favorite. I visited during my workday and was able to sit outside while attending a meeting. It was peaceful, comfortable, and never felt overcrowded. The service was excellent from start to finish. One of the managers stopped by to check on my experience, which I really appreciated. I also noticed him making the rounds to other tables, and that personal touch says a lot about how they care for their guests. The restaurant was very clean, including the bathrooms. Ladies, there's even a full-length mirror that's perfect for a quick outfit check or photo before you leave! Overall, I highly recommend Laurel Park. Great food, beautiful atmosphere, attentive service, and a relaxing patio make this an easy 10/10. I'll definitely be back to try the Short Rib Sandwich next time! read more

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Was in town for my birthday and my family brought me here for dinner. Very cute ambiance. Definitely the place you need extra glasses and lights to see menu (haha) They were very busy on a Friday. But we never felt that with service. The staff was friendly, helpful and attentive. The food was very good. We started off with Italian meatballs. These were delicious. Very flavor ful and the sauce was robust and had a hint of spice which I loved. Then the watermelon feta salad. I loved this. There was yellow and red watermelon and just yum. The fruit was juicy and sweet then with the saltyness from the feta, great salad! For a pasta dish we went with the Radiatore. Grilled chicken with summer squash. Nice portion size with great flavors Entrees we went with Pan Seared Salmon, Steak Frites and crab cakes. All very good dishes. The chimichurri with the steak Frites was amazing, perfect addition for the perfectly cooked steak. For me the crab cakes stole the show. These by far some of the best crab cakes I've had. Tons crab not a lot of crap filler. The taste was so good. It came with a red cabbage and apple slaw, pickled fresno peppers with spicy aioli, when I tell you it was so good. I could have eaten the sides to the crab cakes by itself. But together it was an amazing dish. read more

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Laurel Park was a bit of a let down. The restaurant was hot and the service was slow. Our party was seated in the dinning room where the patio doors are located, which created an area that was very warm and unfortunately created an uncomfortable atmosphere for enjoying a meal. Service was slow the entire night. Our appetizers were good. We had the meatballs, stuffed focaccia, and the beet hummus. Our meals were just ok. No photos were taken. But we had the steak frites, Cobb salad with chicken, and Caesar salad with chicken. Parking was not an issue. Parking available directly in front of the restaurant and also the nearby parking deck. Might be a great spot for drinks and appetizers on the patio, but that's about it for me. read more

Laurel Park - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I met up with Susan for lunch on a Thursday. It was slow when we got there at 12n. We had thought about sitting on their expanded patio but it was 92 degrees and 80% humidity so we thought better of it. We both had the Cobb salad with romaine lettuce and all the 'spring mix' which you never know what you're going to get with that. We both added the salmon and it was very good. We shared the truffle fries for an appetizer which was tasty. I kinda felt like we were being rushed out at the end because the seating hostess came over a couple of times to clean our table and ask what else we needed until we asked for our check. It was much busier when we left but there were many empty tables. The dining room is really nice, very upscale, bright and airy. The service was really good too! read more

The old Village Tavern in South Park is now a sparkling new outfit called Laurel Park, and it is gorgeous. I don't know who had the decor assignment, but the attention to detail was on display, particularly at the patio bar. Food is slow to come out (maybe new opening jitters), but once it did, it was really quite good. Terrific service. Live music on weekends. A whole vibe. We started with house made biscuits that were crusty outside, tender inside. It was served with perfectly sweet & tart freshly made jam. THANK YOU! All restaurants serving biscuits should make their own jams! Shrimp and grits - this dish worked; good amount of heat; I'd probably blacken the shrimp first, but the flavor and texture were there in the grits: creamy but with a good chew. Pan-Seared Salmon with northern bean ragu, pickled onion salad, charred cilantro oil. Perfectly seared fish. I don't know what was in that ragu, but I need the recipe. I was wondering when I first saw the dish, but all of these elements really worked well together. Firecracker Shrimp with pickled onion cucumber salad, scallions, black sesame seed, fried kale and fire aioli. Really tasty. Great sauce. Although since I believe you should season at every step, I'd put some seasoning on the shrimp/in the batter itself rather than just letting the sauce do all the heavy lifting. Attentive service. Reasonable drink prices. Definitely a must try. read more

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Laurel Park is not good, they should reconsider the items on their menu. I work in the same office building and no one in our office even considers Laurel Park as a lunch option. On the LUNCH menu, a Caesar salad with chicken is THIRTY DOLLARS!!! The $22 burger is mushy. They don't even carry ketchup, instead they give you this disgusting tomato jam concoction. The interior decor has a somewhat outdated 70's feel to it, however the outdoor area and bar is nice, and gives a bohemian vibe. read more

Returned to this fine establishment this evening and enjoyed a lovely limoncello lavender martini at the outdoor bar before moving inside for an exquisite meal. Inside we had superb service and the best short rib I have ever had in my entire life. I highly recommend the short rib. This meal was topped off with delicious tiramisu. My compliments to the owner, who stopped by our table and offered the highest hospitality. read more

Laurel Park - Limoncello lavender martini - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

We were very fond of Village Tavern's patio dining scene...so were sad to hear they closed. Still, we were glad to hear that this great space was reoccupied again, so decided to check it out. Well, the place has been nicely renovated. Looked completely different than before...a bit more upscaled. The look of the place was very classic. Their patio was vastly different as well...with this huge bar area occupying the center portion. Also the patio is now much smaller...as the area is now somewhat more confined. The menu seemed more Italian than "New American" as described (?). Price points were a bit lofty for what they were...and the options were a bit limited. This is where I deducted a star. We started with Fried Calamari....which was DEE-Lish! For our entrees, my husband got the Chicken Florentine, which he really enjoyed. I got the Torchio Pastio, which I kinda regretted choosing. Guess I didn't love the overall flavor of the dish? Service was good. From hostess to our waitress, everyone was very attentive. We also loved the big, open booth seating...but didn't like how we ended up right next to the kitchen area, where all the waiters congregated to chat right next to us. Still, we enjoyed the experience...and are definitely up for revisiting in the future. read more

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I've only been twice. Once for lunch and once for dinner. I'm torn. It's a pretty place, the menu looks great but the food is really hit or miss. The lunch menu has a bulgolgi cheesesteak and I was so excited to try. Really underwhelming. Too much bread, the flavor was off. Honestly, it could be out of this world but it was a miss for me. read more

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Hubs has wanted to try this place for awhile now - and the reviews are strong, so I gave in.... that being said, perhaps we went at the wrong time? I respect the family owned concept and only hope that this feedback HELPS as they continue to evolve.... 1. We went in as they opened (waited for their meeting to end before being seated). We sat quietly for an uncomfortable amount of time before an actual server came to us - the water filler and initial greeter was great, but she wasn't our server. 2. We were the first ones there and sat right in the middle of the restaurant - a weird table for being the first one's there, but we shrugged it off assuming they'd fill up and the other tables may have been earlier reservations. 3. Our server was spending more time socializing (there were at least 6-8 employees standing around by the kitchen galley and they all clearly got along/liked each other). But we sat there for an awkward amount of time making eye contact with some of them waiting for acknowledgement. 4. The menu is limited. Don't expect a massive list of options. We were actually ok with that and the arancini app was AMAZING. Drinks sat empty for a LONG time before someone (water gal) finally asked if we wanted refills. Our server was too busy chatting with her pals. 5. Main courses looked great plated, but were not hot and really underwhelming. The chicken has such great potential, but it had an odd taste to me so I really couldn't eat it (and the server didn't ask when she later picked up a full plate of uneaten food). 6. Finished our meals and sat for 30 mins with no drinks or anything in front of us. (I wish I was exaggerating). We were chatting just fine, but nobody checked in and the restaurant had not gotten overwhelmingly busy.... so it was odd. Just continued socializing. You'd think they'd want to turn the tables as quickly as possible. We had to finally flag and ask for our check. It wasn't a cheap meal by any means - (and we weren't expecting it to be). But - will we be back? Probably not for awhile. The outdoor patio scene looked great - maybe it's a cocktail hour kind of place and that's where the excitement is... but inside, we were sadly disappointed and underwhelmed. (Except that arancini)! read more

Great menu selections, and great service. Been many times and have never been disappointed.

Had a wonderful Father's Day brunch here yesterday! They are located in the former Village Tavern space which should be familiar to a lot of Charlotte OGs but for those who don't know it is tucked away on Congress Street off of the main road through South Park. The restaurant is elegantly designed and decorated, gives the vibe of a high end hotel lounge. There was a large outdoor patio space that looked like a real fun time but since it was a brutally hot day we elected to sit inside where it was nice and cool. I'll have to come back for a happy hour some time to check that out. We started our meal with some mimosas which were poured with just the right juice to alcohol ratio. Some places struggle to get this right so we were impressed. For an appetizer we got the stuffed focaccia bread which was delectable and cheesy. I decided to try something different and go for a sweet breakfast and ordered the chocolate chip ricotta waffles. Topped with a chocolate drizzle and some chantilly cream these waffles were amazing! Add in some caramelized bananas and this felt more like a desert than a breakfast but I'm not complaining! I wasn't the only one who enjoyed their food though, my girlfriend ordered the bacon and cheese omelette and thought it was great along with the breakfast potatoes. This is definitely a place you should go if you want to enjoy great service and a nice meal in a high end but not overly stuffy environment. read more

Laurel Park - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My daughter and I try to spend Sundays together, so I've been wanting to come and try Laurel Park. When we arrived, we were greeted and seated quickly. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful! Our waiter, Jacob, was such a sweet person and gave us suggestions since it was our first time there. Everything for brunch looked amazing, but he suggested Biscuit and Gravy and I added a side of bacon. It was AMAZING!!! The gravy was chicken gravy with chicken pieces and biscuits were soft and filling. I will definitely come back and try something different but 10/10 I definitely recommend! read more

Laurel Park - Biscuits and Gravy with bacon - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The food is absolutely amazing, some of the best truffle fries I've had in Charlotte. The chimichurri that comes with the steak also made the steak soooo much better. The service was very quick and our waiter checked on us frequently, the manager was also extremely nice in coming to everyone's table and interacting. If you come I recommend sitting outside on the patio, they have live music and the setting really makes you feel like you're on vacation. Will definitely be coming back again! read more

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Wow! This might just get added to my favorite spots list in Charlotte. My mom and I made the decision to go to a last-minute reservation for dinner tonight and they just so happened to have one time slot left for 5:30 PM. I am so glad that we went here tonight for dinner to celebrate a special occasion. First of all, the decorations inside the restaurant were adorable. The outdoor patio area that I could see through the windows since it was so cold outside tonight looked amazing and I can't wait to come back to eat outside when the weather gets warmer. They've completely renovated the outside to make a bar area and extra seating compared to the restaurant that was there previously. Inside the restaurant it's decorated very nicely. It's very bright and the bar is super cute too. Now for the staff!! The hostess was so nice and so was our server! Everyone that I spoke to that worked there seemed very friendly and very welcoming which I love that especially since it was at a nice restaurant. My mom and I started with brussel sprouts appetizer and it was amazing. It had bacon, candied walnuts, and green onions. The mixture of the flavors was just so good! Then for our entrées, we both ordered the steak frites. I ordered mine medium rare, and my mom ordered hers medium. Both of us enjoyed the steaks and the Parmesan truffle fries that came with it. The steak also had a peppercorn sauce on top that was really good and it was just enough sauce! Overall, we had a great experience here tonight and I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Laurel Park - Steak frites - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Nope Really wanted to like this new restaurant in SouthPark A bit of an odd location near a business park. Chairs and table, uncomfortable and cheap looking. No ambiance. Server was sweet, but too busy to care. Chicken Florentine tasted like cafeteria food. Husband's short rib was dry and tasteless. Risotto was the same... Didn't finish food, had to track down server to pay almost $200 for two people Definitely not coming back. read more

Over all experience was very good. Loved mostly all the dishes we ordered however a little dissatisfied that they didn't have any espresso such as lattes. Definitely try the cinnamon monkey bread. read more

Laurel Park - Stuffed focaccia - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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It was great! Perfect Bloody Mary!! The BLT is so good. I didn't want to eat when we got there. I just wanted to have a drink and hang with friends. I are it all!! read more

I really wanted to like this highly recommended SouthPark restaurant, but our recent visit, to celebrate an early Valentine's Day, left us wondering what all the fuss was about. To start with, the low ceiling in the main dining room amplified the noise from the surrounding tables and made intimate conversation difficult. Laurel Park has an impressive covered patio that looks like a great spot to meet friends on a summer evening, but it wasn't open on the cold February night we were there. We started with cocktails and the delicious Nana's Meatballs, a flavorful appetizer drenched in melted cheese and a rich pasta sauce. But our entrees were both disappointing, and I found the accompanying wine list a bit underwhelming. The Malfadine I ordered, with grilled shrimp and pasta, was decent, but the Braised Short Rib dish my wife chose was dry and forgettable. We were also let down by the Chocolate Cake we shared for dessert, which honestly tasted like it came out of a box in the grocery freezer section. Service was excellent throughout our meal, and parking is conveniently available in the surface deck of the office building that houses the restaurant. Maybe we came by on an off night, but based on the experience and the premium pricing, I really can't recommend Laurel Park. read more

New favorite spot. Welcoming, professional environment from the maitre'd, our server Jessica and the owner Dan. Although our first visit we already felt like regulars. The decor is bright and open. The acoustics were also great. The steak frites was perfect temperature. The chicken marsala was a 10. The chocolate olive oil cake was delicious with just the right amount of sweetness. We went for lunch, which coincidentally was the first day lunch was offered. Very pleased... can't wait to come back for dinner soon. read more

This is where Village Tavern used to be and what an upgrade! The food is delicious especially the shrimp pasta and short rib. Yum! Servers are attentive and always will give recommendations on their faves. It can be a little pricy but they don't cheap on the food- large portions. The outdoor bar space is also amazing! read more

What a perfect evening! Our server was Ashley C. She answered our questions about the food to a tee! Always with a smile and she genuinely cared. Ambiance was great! I was concerned my friend and I would not have enough room at a two top, but we did! We were able to converse without the rest of the restaurant drowning us out, and it was a busy night on 2/12/26 Thursday. Food was excellent! My friend had the Bucatini with meatballs. I had the Malfadine. Pasta was made in house...fresh. Generous portion of grilled shrimp. Calabrian cream sauce wasn't too spicy. The pistachio gremolata was a slight touch on top to give depth of flavor and some soft crunch. You won't be disappointed here and I've recommended it to friends and neighbors. read more

Beautiful restaurant and great food. We had hamachi crudo appetizer and it was delicious. KC Strip was good portion and cooked perfectly. Nice experience! read more

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Nice atmosphere. Attentive staff food was average to be honest (nothing special, especially for the price)

The quality of the food doesn't match the prices. We went for brunch and nothing that we purchased stood out in any way. The vibe was a bit stuffy overall. Not a spot I'd go back to. read more

Great remodel to Village Tavern. Can't wait until the weather becomes warmer to hang outside.

Had a great time at the bar with 2 friends this weekend. Riley our bartender was so friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this place and him for cocktails, can't wait to come back to eat. read more

I have gone three times to Laurel Park and really think they have done a spectacular job of transforming the restaurant. It is beautifully decorated and the outside bar and patio are perfect for socializing. The only problem is the menu is limited to fried or high calorie appetizers for the bar area. I am not the only one who thinks so. I heard many of my friends make the same comment. The shrimp appetizer is fried with a heavy crust and would be healthier and tastier in an Asian sauce. The cauliflower dish is not that tasty and could be prepared in a healthier way. Maybe bar bites would be a good addition at an affordable price. A vodka on the rocks is priced at $17.00 and when you have two drinks and an appetizer, you walk away with a hefty tab. I will go back but won't order an appetizer and will stick to one or two drinks. I think the wait staff is friendly and want to please and they definitely are in a great location. Healthy appetizers and more affordable prices will keep people coming. read more

We hadn't been here since it became Laurel Park. We had a very nice dinner - kudos to Edwin who was very attentive and provided excellent service without being intrusive. We had the Brussels sprout appetizer which was great and I would get it again. Then the Cobb salad and the pasta with meatballs. Both were very good options - we will be back. We sat on the outdoor patio and there was music at Symphony Park. Overall a great experience! read more

Went for brunch. Food was delicious. Our table had burgers and omelettes. Service was great and the place is beautiful. We enjoyed ourselves and will be back. read more

We had 5 star service dining in the bar area. It's small but comfortable. The bartender Riley was friendly and very well-trained on menu items. We enjoyed watching him shake martinis & pour up drinks. Overall we had a great experience! read more

Laurel Park - Bar ambience - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Food WAY overpriced!! It took FOREVER to get a glass of wine and they were not that busy. Chicken was average...certainly not something I would recommend. Bring back Village Tavern! read more

Great Crab Cakes! Great cocktails! This place is very swanky and expensive, but completely worth it. Haven't been to a restaurant this nice in a long time. read more

Laurel Park - New American Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Loved the vibe of the restaurant, food was good and service was great. Would return again!!

Great new restaurant in a familiar place! Laurel Park is a beautiful, well designed and very tasty restaurant. The ambiance and decor are all complimentary of each other with 4-5 person booths, 2 tops, 4 tops, and padded bench seating for larger parties. We dined in the evening, but there are large windows surrounding the restaurant that look onto their private outdoor space as well a shared courtyard for a nice daytime view. We were able to try many of their dishes during the soft opening and each one I would order again. The firecracker shrimp appetizer & roasted cauliflower appetizer were delicious & had great flavors. The beet hummus appetizer was incredibly unique & red, but still maintained the hummus taste I am used to. The braised short rib entree was very moist, great flavor and easily pulled apart for each bite. The crab cakes were also delicious and had a light crunch to the breading that complimented the crab, as well as a cabbage pickled slaw (I think) to accompany the 2 crab cakes. We finished with 2 desserts, vanilla & chocolate olive oil cakes- both were great, but I preferred the lighter taste of the vanilla with strawberry glaze. We were also served freshly brewed decaf coffee at our request that tasted very delightful! Service was superb with very attentive wait staff where water was consistently refilled even by those who were not our main waiter. Food service was also very timely. The vibe was comfortable for a casual quality lunch with a friend, yet professional and elevated enough for a business dinner or date. The mix of carpet & wood floors with the varying table & chair designs were expertly designed and thought out to blend into a beautiful space. Very excited to return with family and coworkers from the area! read more

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My wife and I enjoyed our second dinner at Laurel Park last night, February 12. It was not only significantly better than our first experience, it was exceptional. The food was excellent (shrimp starter to share, chicken florentine and salmon); the atmosphere is sophisticated (but not overly so); and the service (both the waitperson and backwaiters) was flawless. read more

Great location, great food, great atmosphere. Love this place. My new favorite restaurant in Charlotte!

Went with 2 friends for a birthday dinner. Service was great . Had the beef braised short rib. Was very flavorful. Looking forward to warmer weather so we can visit the outside bar area. A great time was had by all. read more

I was very disappointed with everything! Obviously they had invested a lot of money in remodeling the old Village Tavern location but the place lacked ambience. The bar area lacked a large selection of both alcohol and wine selections. There were only 7 main entree selections and 3 salad selections. I ordered the beef short rib served over risotto with a red wine reduction. The presentation seemed clumsy and was hard to eat because it was very liquidy. The short rib was placed in the middle of the plate. The portion was large and the short rib was good but not overly delicious. The risotto was OK but again too much liquid. I will not be returning. This is a very poor replacement for a restaurant that had become a Charlotte tradition!!' read more

Tasty food! From start to finish, all service was friendly. It's a very welcoming environment for all to enjoy!