Lang Van

"A lot of restaurants claim they’ll make you feel like family (you know who we’re talking about), but Lang Van, a Vietnamese spot in East Charlotte, is one of the few restaurants that actually succeeds. “Hello, my love!” the owner shouts to everyone who walks in, and after just one visit, she’ll have your order memorized. This is the kind of restaurant you run to after a long, exhausting day when you don’t want to cook or go out anywhere too stuffy. It’s always busy but the wait’s never too long, you don’t need to dress up, and every element (food, people, and the simple, living-room-sized dining room) is comforting. When you’re properly stuffed with bánh xèo, stir-fried vermicelli with lemongrass-curried chicken, and Vietnamese iced coffee, the staff will send you off with a peanut butter confection, a fortune cookie, a tamarind-flavored candy, and a “see you tomorrow!”" - tess allen

"A lot of restaurants claim they’ll make you feel like family (you know who we’re talking about), but Lang Van, a Vietnamese spot in East Charlotte, is one of the few restaurants that actually succeeds. “Hello, my love!” the owner shouts to everyone who walks in, and after just one visit, she’ll probably have your order memorized. This is the kind of restaurant you run to after a long, exhausting day when you don’t want to cook or go out anywhere too stuffy. It’s always busy but the wait’s never too long, you don’t need to dress up, and every element (food, people, and the simple, living-room-sized dining room) is comforting. When you’re properly stuffed with bánh xèo, stir-fried vermicelli with lemongrass-curried chicken, and Vietnamese iced coffee, the staff will send you off with a peanut butter confection, a fortune cookie, a tamarind-flavored candy, and a “See you tomorrow!”" - Tess Allen

"Owner Dan Nguyen and her family-run Vietnamese restaurant are so beloved in Charlotte that regulars started a fundraising campaign to keep the place open through the pandemic. It worked, and Lang Van is thriving again — and as crowded as ever. The menu at lunch and dinner still has more than 130 items, and Nguyen still uncannily remembers what customers like when they come back. Try banh xeo, a classic curry-yellow pancake filled with shrimp; com chien thom, pineapple fried rice served in a hollowed-out pineapple half;  or the crispy quail, served with a little dish of salt and black pepper with lemon." - Timothy DePeugh, Kathleen Purvis

"Lang Van may be a family favorite East Charlotte staple, but this twenty-plus-year-old Vietnamese restaurant decked out in green, white, and bamboo very well can be a date spot for two. Owner Dan Nguyen, who serves a vast array of hot pot dishes, vermicelli noodles, curries, and veggie rice dishes to the booths and tables herself, makes this always-packed spot an easeful, reliable atmosphere for lively conversation. It has all the cozy, connected energy of date night at home, but with a spirit of neighborhood-style service and craveable Vietnamese cuisine." - Kayleigh Ruller