18 Best Restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina | Eater Carolinas

"Community Matters Cafe is the brainchild restaurant of the Charlotte Rescue Mission, which places graduates of the nonprofit’s rehabilitation program into the cafe as part of a life skills education. Here, executive chef Chayil Johnson, an emerging chef hailing from Johnson and Wales, pays homage to Southern Black foodways and his Louisiana upbringing, making country ham squash gnocchi, cornmeal pancakes, and a Cajun buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. Anything with sausage or pork on the menu is a guaranteed star. The baked goods and coffee on the other side of the dining room are a nice, snug touch. The theme here is to “restore hope,” and with service like this, it kind of does. And the views of Uptown from the outdoor patio are strikingly up-close and personal." - Kayleigh Ruller