This place has everything to be a great local Italian place except one thing, good Italian food! I had the spaghetti with Italian sausage. What I got didn't look like any plate of spaghetti I've ever seen. The sausage was piled on top the meat sauce in ground pile. Poor, poor presentation. I tasted the pizza and the crust was undercooked and burnt on the edges. Obviously the oven was too hot. My advise, stop in have a drink enjoy the atmosphere then gotlot Olive Garden to eat. read more

This is the same restaurant where my parents would eat when they were dating (circa 1960's). Fun place to eat. I enjoy the Mozzarella Sticks as an appetizer, and a Pizza Ala Greque (DE. LICIOUS.) for main course. The salads are HUGE and very tasty. Have yet to try the cannoli or tiramisu for dessert. Definitely recommend as a place to check out. read more

I really wish I had seen this place in its prime. I had high hopes of the place which unfortunately came crashing down as I walked in. It's been open for over 50 years right here in Charlotte and it definitely looks that way. With such a following and die hard repeat clientele ( we met a 72yr old lady who had been coming there since she was 16!) it's a hard restaurant to look at. The entire outside is basically falling apart and the inside looks 50yrs old. The place has such potential though. With, what seemed like long time employees, it could definitely see a bump in business in such a busy downtown spot with some major updates. I love the all of the extra kitschy items around but fresh paint and hardware would go a long way. It was my first time here and unfortunately it will most likely be my last despite the nostalgia. It really seems like the owners just stopped caring. read more

The Open Kitchen offered decent Italian food, but I wouldn't call it "world famous". The atmosphere was the best part of my visit. I loved the brick interior. The servers were kind and attentive, but it's worth noting that our party of four was served after nearly 20 minutes of waiting, and with only a handful of other guests in the restaurant at the time (weekday for lunch). I ordered the cheese-stuffed cannelloni and I thought it to be an acceptable dish, but I can't say I'd ever go back there again. I've had better, cheaper Italian elsewhere in Charlotte. read more

This is one of the "Charlotte institutions" that unfortunately has slipped in quality, but people still go there. It must be based on their longevity, but at some point hopefully the owners will realize they need to improve the food quality or else people will choose to eat elsewhere. The food is at best bland and at worst inedible. That is downright sad for a decades-old, family run Italian restaurant. That said, the ambience is quaintly appealing, albeit in a run down sort of way. It's right off I-77 and very close to the Bank of America football stadium--another reason it remains popular. read more

Wife and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary with our children this evening at Open Kitchen. My buddy is from Charlotte and grew up down the road from Open Kitchen. He told me this would be a great place to celebrate. He was right. Food and service were both excellent!!! Service- excellent Bread- excellent Anti-pasta salad- excellent Dinner- excellent excellent and excellent 1. Wife had the combo for one....huge portion ...she didn't even eat half. She loved all of it except for the chicken livers. First time she tried them... I tasted them and they were fine...just something we don't eat. 2. Daughter had meatball sub and LOVED IT!!! 3. Son had grilled fingers and enjoyed them. 4. I had veal parmigiana....wow, wow, wow. DELICIOUS!!!! Dessert- excellent...waitress brought us a piece of tiramisu. Wow...excellent!!!! This was our first time and will definitely not be our last!!!! read more

Play some Italian music for an even better vibe ;) great atmosphere and wonderful food! Will return and bring others! read more

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

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Open kitchen was the first restaurant to offer pizza in the Charlotte area, and the place is filled with nostalgic atmosphere, complete with red and white checkerboard charm. The place has value because of its place in history, and no doubt has many lifelong followers. Despite the fact that the pizzas are baked on pre-cooked frozen shells, they still had a nostalgic appeal of something that I might have had as a little kid. The crust was crunchy, and the cheese was full of sharp flavors and spices. For anyone looking for sophistication, consider yourselves forewarned. The spaghetti and meat sauce was a pretty big disappointment with slight sweetness, but if I lived near Charlotte, I might return for the pizza. read more

The first time I visited here was horrible. The eggplant parm is absolutely disgusting. Cinnamon flavor and just gross!!! That was several years ago, so I decided to try again today. The sanitation rating scared me at 92...ehhhh should be a lot better. It was very busy for a Wednesday. The waitress was helpful and friendly. I got the spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were very good, I was impressed. I would go back and get this again...I hope the sanitation rating gets better! Quick service. Good tiramisu also. read more

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

Tour de Italia de Food Lion.. Great place if you want to explore the wonders of canned and frozen Italian cuisine! I had the chicken Barcelona, featuring canned mushrooms, an unnaturally generous helping of what can be best described as "sketchy meat grease," and something extra on the side I didn't remember seeing on the menu: canned, unflavored tomato paste. I was perplexed. Until my girl friend got her manicotti dish; which correctly featured the canned unflavored tomato paste but had a seemingly random addition of the canned mushrooms. Something like this must have gone through their heads to reach an epiphany reserved for the great Italian philosophers: "well, we opened the can of mushrooms and there's still a third left, that's 25 cent worth. And we opened this big can of tomato paste with at least 30 cents worth left... I have an idea - lets RANDOMLY ADD THE CANNED INGREDIENTS TO BOTH DISHES AND SAVE 55 CENTS!! Enjoy, the frozen cheesy garlic bread actually was quite good! read more

I have eaten here since 1959 . . . still one of my favorite places in town. Food and service are outstanding. Always love going to The Open Kitchen. Watson read more

A gem in Charlotte! Excellent food. Our last pickup order of lasagna was 1/2 the size we get in person though. If we knew it was that size, we wouldn't have paid as much as we did for it :/ other than that, this place is always awesome. :-) calamari appetizer is a great start! read more

I grew up in Philly, eating at neighborhood joints that had the same vibe as Open Kitchen, and I've felt right at home every time I've had a meal there. The last time, however, really went above and beyond. For starters, my companion and I arrived at 4:45, and the server told us he'd have bread out to us momentarily, as "the bread guy" had just arrived. When it came, it was crusty and tender on the inside and drank the butter well. As it was tomato season, they had a caprese salad on as an appetizer special, and it was excellent. The tomatoes were thickly cut and very fresh, and the mozzarella was decadently creamy. My companion went for the fried calamari, which was delicious although to me could have used a touch more salt. It was properly cooked, which is an achievement in itself. My entree was the real winner. Braciole is one of those dishes that is easy to make, but hard to make well. This was stellar. The salami, prosciutto and Italian sausage were distributed well in the rolled steak, and cooked perfectly. This is one of those old-school dishes, like Oysters Rockefeller, that you don't find on a lot of menus anymore, and that's a sad thing. My companion, being of a somewhat more pedestrian bent, had the lasagna, and it was tasty. I haven't been much of a lasagna guy since I discovered the Latin version, Pastelon, which uses plantains in place of noodles and tons of chorizo. With cold Peroni in abundance, this was a truly excellent meal. It's working-class Italian food done with an attention to detail. Look at it this way: You're going to spend far less than you would at Olive Garden (may they rot) and get FAR better food. read more

Wow, what can I say about this place! Hmm, the atmosphere is good, food ok, but the service I received...HAHA terrible! I assume since I went with a group of my friends and we are "college kids" she was expecting us to not tip well or be obnoxious one of the few things labeled as being a college student. First she was rude, second she would not give us our 'complimentary' basket of bread! Therefor she received very little tip! I was not impressed with her at all! The food could of been better but what can you expect for a cheap price! Overall the experience was ok, not the best, but definitely not the worst! Could of been better! I though will never be back! Disclaimer... **Eat here at your own risk!** read more

This small old fashioned Italian restaurant is one of Charlotte's hidden gems among all the high rises and new expensive restaurants! The food is freshly prepared and never disappoints. I have never left this place without a smile, a stuffed belly and a take home box. The only negative is that city has eaten a chunk of their parking. read more

We always enjoy eating here. Classic Charlotte restaurant we have been going to for years. Love the chicken parmigiana.

I had lived near this place for a year and never made it there. I'm not sure I'm sad about that either. I used a groupon to go here so I was able to taste appetizers, entrees, wine & desert. The prices were very reasonable but I wasn't super impressed with the food. Our waitress brought out some bread & breadsticks. I love my bread so I was sad when it wasn't fresh made, it was definitely bought. The breadsticks were more like bread crackers that came in little plastic bags just like crackers do. Nothing to come back for there. I got the lasagna that was described as "put back in the oven with more cheese", and though the lasagna part of the dish was fine - the gobs of cheese and grease weren't really up my alley. We had enough money leftover to get desert so we splurged for cheesecake - with pineapple. I had never had pineapple cheesecake and now I know why. It was very gelatin-y and we had to scrape the orange colored "pineapple" off the top. The decorations and the history of the place were neat, and I'm a bit sad I didn't try the famous pizza, but I don't think I'll be going back to try it either. read more

Why is this not all 5 star reviews! Character for days. Been going here 30 years. Pizza is ridiculous good, veal parm best in city, and basic spaghetti fantastic. Best low key place in CLT. I suspect the lower star reviews expect fancy hi brow places with zero character. read more

It's locally owned. The building is old and historic. The inside has a very cool atmosphere. It's within walking distance of my house. For all of these reasons, I really, really want to like this place. However, the food just isn't that great. I've been three times now and each time I was pretty disappointed with the food. I've had pizza and two different pasta dishes. The pizza was alright I guess. The lasagna was ok too I guess. However, the alfredo sauce I got with my chicken alfredo was treading closer to the side of thick gravy than alfredo. Don't even get me started on the bread you receive pre-meal. I think they just pull it straight out of the bag and put it in a basket. Additionally, the prices do not match the actual food received. Long story short...I MAY visit Open Kitchen every once and a while...but unless the menu/prices change, I definitely won't be a frequenter. read more

Came here with a group for a friend's birthday. We decided we wanted to do family-style so we ordered some appetizers, salads, and entrees. Our server was spot-on with service and recommendations. Often times groups are hard to manage and the food takes very long, but not in this case! My tea stayed full and when we left our bellies were all full. They had some interesting items on the menu and if I ever decide to try liver it will definitely be here! read more

I was surprised to see the star average for Open Kitchen which prompted me to really write this review. I've been coming to this restaurant for 30+ years and everything about it is top notch. There's something nostalgic about a restaurant like this--its survived economic ups and downs and the Great Recession of 2008-09. The food is excellent from the salads to pizza to entrees. The service is very good and the ambience is old school/nostalgic. I highly recommend this restaurant for all of the reasons mentioned here. read more

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

I love this restaurant. They have many healthy alternative options. Their salads hit the spot and you can modify them to your liking. I also like their chicken parmigiana w/o noodles, I add vegetables as a substitute. read more

If you're looking for a froofy, over-priced, millennial-frequented place, then this is not it. What this place IS, is an old-school Charlotte staple serving authentic Greek/Italian food. They do it up right here. If you're looking for Lasagna, get the Lasagna parmigiana because it has all the cheesy goodness. Also, highly recommend the cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer. All the negative reviews confuse me because this place is straight up delicious. Perhaps they were expecting something else. Let's just put it this way, if you grew up in the Charlotte area BEFORE the influx of non-North Carolinians, then you'll understand. read more

Went to the Open Kitchen about a year ago and the inside was very cool, lots of old Charlotte pics. To see how much S Tryon St has changed over the past 60-70 years is amazing. Really like the look/atmosphere of this place. My favorite is Spaghetti so I gave theres a try and it was okay....not to die for, not bad just average. Compared to other restaurants I think they should offer you a little more food then they do but i suppose its about equal to Olive Garden. I was disappointed that they didn't offer any healthy pasta whole wheat replacements. Overall, it was a nice experience....tried something new but I probably won't be going back. I'd recommend someone go there for a meal but I don't think it's going to work itself into one of your regular dine out spots. read more

Disgusting. We came for lunch and it was packed. So we were pretty excited .It took over 20 mins to get our drinks The mother son duo were incredibly rude. And the food was dreadful. We had the ravioli which was still frozen....? Like come on. And then the chicken parm. It look like it was going to be amazing ! But the only edible part was the cheese on top. It appeared that frozen grilled chicken strips were lined in the dish and then covered with sauce and cheese. The salad was just iceberg. Nothing special. Also the bathroom situation was way uncomfortable with the placement of the toilet ... read more

Lasagna is amazing. The atmosphere is great. Opened in 1952. We will be coming back to this place.

Open Kitchen was recommended to me by some of the locals as a must if you need a quick lunch. I ended up going for dinner, but I'm sure it's the same. The first thing you notice about the place is it's totally old school. Everything in there looks antique. Even the cash register is the old fashion kind (but refurbished to be electronic). As for dinner, I had the Lasagna Parmigiana and then Pineapple Cheesecake for dessert. Almost half the lasagna of was cheese (I'm not complaining) and it was a generous portion for the price. It tasted good, but it certainly didn't blow me away. Kind of your run of the mill American lasagna. The cheesecake was homemade, but unlike the lasagna, I was a little disappointed in the size of the slice. However, what little I did have tasted very good. I ended up having to scrape off the pineapple sauce because it detracted from the rich cheesecake. I suggest ordering it plain. All in all, I enjoyed my experience at the Open Kitchen, but with so many other options in Charlotte, it may be a while before I try them again. read more

I had high hopes for this place since hearing it has been a Charlotte staple, but I was a bit disappointed. I am Italian and the food tasted sub par, definitely not true authentic Italian. They have large portions which is always a plus and prices were fairly reasonable. Our server was not pleasant at all, I wish I remembered her name. I asked what dish was better and she told me to just pick one. Obviously, not helpful. She was very rude to everyone at our table. We all were out of waters and they weren't filled until the end of our meal. The meal felt very rushed like she wanted us to leave despite it being early in the evening and the only ones there. Not a place I will be going again which is unfortunate since I live very close. I think if the food and service was better it would make the difference since the atmosphere inside makes you feel like you are in little Italy. If you want good Italian, there's better places in the city to get it. read more

I am very happy that this restaurant has been around for years! Ask any Charlotte native if they have been to the Open Kitchen, and the answer would most likely be yes. With that being said, the food is a bit outdated and needs a revamp. The food wasn't bad, but it was just missing something new. If that makes sense... But who knows? It's been around for years, so I may just be asking for too much. read more

My husband and I love, love, love, the lasagna Parmegiana and the garlic cheesy bread, and the iced tea. Really all three of these are fantastic! read more

I really don't know what these reviewers are talking about. I will admit that I grew up going here but continued to until I moved out of state. This was mine and my husband's favorite date spot. I always got a cup of minestrone soup and dipped the bread in it. The lasagna parmesan is to die for and though you might not expect it, they actually do have the best steak in town which they call our best steak that is topped with yummy mushrooms. The service has always been top notch and this is one of the places we are already missing. Please don't let the bad reviews sway you. This place has a very loyal following for a reason. Excellent food and service. read more

The host walked away after he suggested pulling out the table 4 tables from a jammed corner, he didn't offer to assist. The food was just ok, the pizza was inferior but you got plenty of cold bread with your dinner. The waitress was also absent much of the time but brought the bill with a 20% tip included. We will not be returning. read more

Service is always great! The dining room has such an authentic feel. My favorite dish is chicken Barcelona. It's the most delicious chicken pasta dish I have ever had. They can get very busy on the weekends so be sure to arrive early! Don't forget to order a salad with the house Italian dressing! It is a little expensive but so worth it! read more

Not great. Mushrooms in the chicken Barcelona were canned. Marinara was just canned tomato sauce with a little seasoning. Crab bechemel was made with imitation. Noodles were not cooked al dente. I make better Italian at home. Too bad. read more

Been coming here for years I really really love the lasagne it's so good so is the bread

Just ok. Cute and interesting decor and feel inside. Food is generic Greek-owned going for Italian from the mid century, and not the freshest seeming. Great prices and friendly staff at least, though we did have to ask for water refills. Don't see it lasting much longer (at least not at those prices) with the changes in the area raising the property tax and yuppie tastes coming in. Mostly older crowd inside, can see why they send the mailer coupons (why we went), Groupons, Yelp ads, etc. read more

I have been going to the Open Kitchen most of my life and thoroughly enjoy every time. It has been my birthday restaurant for as far back as I can remember. I was there last night for my 55th birthday!! The food is good, portions are generous, the price is fair and the atmosphere is fabulous! This is not your 5-star celebrity chef type of restaurant, but it's a great family place with a menu for everyone. I hope to keep going for the next 55 years:) read more

Within one week, I had 3 different individuals mention this restaurant to me - raved about the authentic Italian food. My parents are off-the-boat Italian. I know authentic Italian. This wasn't it. It seemed that everything had a twist to authentic. The Italian antipasto salad was good. For the entree, I had the eggplant parmigiana. It was floating in oil and cheese. I ate as much of the eggplant and meat as I could dig out. The bread basket had variety but the sliced bread was non-descript. Thank goodness for Groupon! read more

We went for a work party in the back so it probably wasn't a fair judgement. The food was good but I got the baked ziti and would try something else next time. read more

Oh wow talk about a throw back in time. But if you like really good authentic Italian food this is your place the ambience I'll be honest a little weird but it is so eclectic it was funny. Try the Barcelona chicken you will fall in love pizza is excellent prices you can well afford. And the waitstaffAre really helpful if you don't know what you want to eat they don't rush you an excellent place to go in Charlotte a hidden gem read more