Summer Reign in the Queen City: The Ultimate Summer Weekend Travel Guide for Charlotte, North Carolina

“Do we fly or do we drive?” Michael and I kept asking each other during the month of June. We’d just made plans to visit friends in their adopted hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina over the July 4th holiday weekend, and with the cost-savings of having a place to stay, we considered flying to save time.

Update: I live here now! You can find more great Charlotte content (from a local!) right here.

We bounced back and forth between the two modes of transportation – particularly after finding flights for $99 out of Orlando – but the high cost of a rental car over the holiday weekend made the decision easy.

We started our drive up on a Wednesday night, stopping over in Savannah to stay with a sweet couple and their pets in an inexpensive Airbnb, and eventually made it to the Queen City by lunchtime on July 4th. After a crazy hailstorm passed through we were off on an adventure, attending the Southeast’s largest fireworks show and taking turns with our friends showing each other around. After all, once you’ve lived somewhere for a little while, it’s easy to put off exploring your hometown.

Much of our weekend was spent as quality time with friends, so there are fewer photos than usual. Still, I hope this guide is helpful if you’re planning a visit!:

THINGS TO DO IN CHARLOTTE

U.S. National Whitewater Center

U.S. National Whitewater Center | 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28214

The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte is one of the largest attractions in the area, and we were definitely impressed with the facilities! Our friends hold an annual parking pass, so it was nice to save $6 on the entrance fee. Without gear to raft or climb, we opted not to purchase any activity, but instead just hung out, ordered drinks, and listened to the live band playing during their River Jam concert series. Clearly, this is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike!

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Dowd YMCA

Dowd YMCA | 400 E Morehead St, Charlotte, NC 28202

The YMCA may seem like a strange recommendation, but we like to squeeze a workout in when we can and as members of our home branch, we can use any facility in the country for free. The Dowd location is packed with state-of-the-art equipment and I really enjoyed my Zumba class. What made our workout even better was the view of Uptown from the rooftop track (above).

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Charlotte Regional Farmers Market

Charlotte Regional Farmers Market | 1801 Yorkmont Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217

Charlotte is home to several farmer’s markets, but we headed to the largest in the area: the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. This state-run market is open most days of the week, but I understand the weekends bring in more vendors and customers. Indeed, it was quite busy during our Saturday visit.

WHERE TO EAT IN CHARLOTTE

Midwood Smokehouse

Midwood Smokehouse | Multiple Locations

Just before arriving at our vegetarian friends’ house, we stopped for lunch at Midwood Smokehouse. BBQ is a hotly debated topic in Charlotte, and you’ll never be able to determine which place serves the best. But I can say that we completely cleared our plate at Midwood.

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Benny Pennello’s

Benny Pennello's | 2909 N Davidson St #100, Charlotte, NC 28205

(Please excuse the late-night, post-drinks cell phone pic!). Virginia-based readers may have heard of Benny’s 28″ pies, but prior to this trip, we had not been enlightened. It’s hard to describe how large these pies (and slices) are; even in the photo it’s not obvious, but just know that this slice is sitting on two paper plates, as it can’t be contained by one.

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Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams | 416 E 36th St Suite 400, Charlotte, NC 28205

Chains don’t often make it on our lists, but Jeni’s is still pretty new to the Charlotte area and I’d be remiss not to include it! We were happy to accompany our friends on their first visit to the parlor for always unique and delicious flavors.

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Living Kitchen

Living Kitchen | 2000 South Blvd Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28203

After lots of barbecue and beer, my body was ready to repent. Still, dining at vegan/raw Living Kitchen felt like a treat, with my mock-tuna sandwich, Michael’s raw quesadilla, and raw brownie (not pictured). I wish we had a place like this at home!

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Two Scoops Creamery

Two Scoops Creamery | 1616 Camden Rd #100, Charlotte, NC 28203

This photo almost didn’t happen, as the ice cream threatened to melt immediately! Two Scoops Creamery is a small local chain with three locations, and their ice cream was quite good (though I think Jeni’s beats them out).

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Bosna Market

Bosna Market | 2719 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

We were full from lunch when we arrived at Bosna Market so we didn’t sit down for a meal. Instead, we explored the shelves of the tiny shop, picking up some candies to bring back home with us. Next time, we’d save room and enjoy a bite at one of their few tables.

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Enat Ethiopian Restaurant

Enat Ethiopian Restaurant | Multiple Locations

To thank our friends for hosting us, we visited Enat Ethiopian Restaurant. Like all of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants, this one is located in a strip mall (update: they now have a second location at Optimist Hall). We appreciated the approachable menu and helpful staff, and left with full and happy bellies. Our friends had not visited before, and were already making plans to return as we were leaving!

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Amélie’s French Bakery and Café

Amélie's French Bakery and Café | Multiple Locations

Amélie’s French Bakery and Café is sort of an institution in Charlotte, with several locations in town (including one open 24 hours!). It was late when we visited and a little empty, but we were still amazed at the sheer quantity of items available. Is it as good as pastries we’ve had in France? Probably not. But a worthwhile visit nonetheless (update: after these allegations emerged, we’ve chosen to no longer patronize this restaurant).

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Price’s Chicken Coop

Price's Chicken Coop | Now Closed

Price’s Chicken Coop has been around since the 1960s and shows no signs of going anywhere despite the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood surrounding it (note: Price’s Chicken Coop shuttered in 2021). Visiting is a bit overwhelming: the sole menu hangs over the counter, and there are several registers with lines forming in blobs. Sharing a half chicken dinner made the most sense, and we swapped the cole slaw for potato salad (solid choice!). Next time we’d probably ask them to hold the fries; everything else is so good, they kind of feel like an afterthought.

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Poppy’s Bagels

Poppy's Bagels & More | Multiple Locations

Poppy’s Bagels was our final stop before departing Charlotte and a favorite hangout for our friends. The bagels are not NYC-worthy, but the variety of sandwich options is staggering. Neither of us could finish our sandwiches – sharing is the way to go!

WHERE TO DRINK IN CHARLOTTE

Wooden Robot & Chamber by Wooden Robot

Wooden Robot | 1440 S Tryon St #110, Charlotte, NC 28203
Chamber by Wooden Robot | 416 E 36th St STE 100, Charlotte, NC 28205

We visited both Wooden Robot and the Chamber by Wooden Robot while in Charlotte, and liked the vibe and drinks at both. Wooden Robot serves food but also allows outside food (so it’s a great place to bring your fried chicken from Price’s!), and the Chamber is located right on the Light Rail in NoDa, making it a great brewery to incorporate on a crawl, if you’re so inclined.

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Protagonist NoDa

Protagonist NoDa | 3123 N Davidson St Suite 104, Charlotte, NC 28205

Protagonist NoDa is somewhat new in town, and while they perhaps are trying a little too hard to be cool, the beer is undeniably good.

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Town Brewing

Town Brewing | 800 Grandin Rd, Charlotte, NC 28208

We didn’t stay for a drink at Town Brewing but just popped in to fill our growler with a beer called My Apologies, You’re Welcome. It ended up being a crowd favorite back at our friends’ place.

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Legion Brewing Plaza Midwood

Legion Brewing Plaza Midwood | 1906 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

It poured one night, but the music and atmosphere at Legion Brewing’s Plaza Midwood location kept us cozy! A fun dude-duo played a medley of romantic songs and energized the crowd to sing along.

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The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery | 4150 Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is probably the best-known brewery in Charlotte, and their biergarten would be a great place to hang with a big group on a Sunday afternoon. German-style beers aren’t my favorite, but the atmosphere made up for that.

WHERE TO FIND COFFEE IN CHARLOTTE

Stable Hand

Stable Hand | 125 Remount Rd B, Charlotte, NC 28203

~~HEX Espresso Bar~~ edit: now called Stable Hand made my favorite cup of coffee during my Charlotte visit (I should have returned, but wanted to give other places a try – forever a conundrum!). I wish we’d had time to visit their roastery, but we just couldn’t make it work with their limited hours.

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Mugshots Coffee and Tea

Mugshots Coffee and Tea | now at 35 N Main St, Belmont, NC 28012

Mugshots Coffee and Tea is located inside a gym, which isn’t clear from Google Maps, and it makes for a… different coffee shop experience. Despite slow service and having to listen to the instructor shouting instructions in a spin class, the coffee was solid. (Update: Mugshots is now located in Belmont)

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And a Non-Recommendation: Not Just Coffee

I’d rarely discount a place after just one experience, but Not Just Coffee received two strikes from us. The first location we visited completely botched our order (fine, mistakes happen). The second was pretty hostile toward laptop users on the weekend, and we left the empty shop without ordering.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON VISITING CHARLOTTE

Less than six months after publishing this post, Michael and I upped and moved from Florida to Charlotte – so I guess you could say the city really left a great impression! I’m honored to be a Charlottean now, and to have the chance to share more of what makes this city so great.

Planning a trip to the Queen City? You may also enjoy these other Charlotte posts:

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Have you spent time in Charlotte? If not, is The Queen City on your radar?