Your 2024 guide to eating your way through The Arboretum shopping center in Charlotte
The Arboretum shopping center’s dining scene has seen a lot of change in the past few years, and we’re here to help you navigate it.
Longtime local favorites such as the Charlotte Cafe and Akropolis Cafe have closed, as have national chain restaurants such as Chili’s and McAlister’s. But new options have joined the crowd, too.
There are an almost overwhelming number of food and beverage providers to choose from at The Arboretum — 28 of them, in fact. And many are locally owned spots featuring Asian cuisine, brunch, Italian food, Southern classics and more.
Here’s what you can find to eat and drink at the shopping center now:
BB.Q Chicken
Restaurant chain Bb.q Chicken opened at the Arboretum in 2021, bringing Korean fried chicken to Charlotte. Often-ordered flavors are the Golden Original, honey garlic and soy garlic, paired with sides such as Ddeok-Bokki, kimchi fried rice and fried dumplings.
Cajun Yard Dog
Cajun Yard Dog — a cheeky reference to the alligators of Louisiana — offers Cajun, Creole and Southern style food such as catfish bites, etouffee and jambalaya. Seafood entrees such as blackened salmon and 12 different po boy sandwiches are also on the menu.
Chick-Fil-A
Chick-Fil-A, the Georgia-based fast food giant with a mission “to glorify God by being a faithful steward,” sells its chicken sandwiches, nuggets and salads at The Arboretum. This location, like all the others, is closed on Sundays.
Chopt Creative Salad Co.
Chopt Creative Salad Co. offers customizable salads, wraps and warm bowls. You can go with a classic such as The Chopt Greek Salad or Crispy Chicken Ranch, or try a seasonal option such as the spicy jalapeno goddess wrap.
Curry Junction
A spinoff of the popular Curry Gate restaurant in Charlotte is set to take over the space vacated by Akropolis Cafe in 2024. When Curry Junction opens, the Indian and Nepalese menu will feel familiar to customers. Only a few items are changing from the original restaurant’s traditional curry dishes, plus tandoori-style cuisine paired with freshly baked naan.
Firehouse Subs
Firehouse Subs offers warm and cold subs such as the Firehouse Steak & Cheese and the Hook & Ladder with smoked turkey breast, honey ham and Monterey Jack. The chain that also has a foundation that gives back to first responders by funding lifesaving equipment.
Five Guys
Five Guys offers burgers, hot dogs and fries — and the chain restaurant offers you the opportunity to pile on all the toppings you want. You can stick with the standard lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard options, or go for an upgraded version with grilled mushrooms and onions plus jalapenos.
JOA Korean Food
At JOA Korean Food, you’ll find bibimbap, bulgogi and galbi, along with japchae and kimchi. You can pair the traditional tastes with a canned Shikhye drink, which is a Korean rice punch.
Kung Fu Tea
To quench your thirst while you’re shopping, you can stop in for a drink at bubble tea franchise Kung Fu Tea. The chain’s best sellers include milk teas, fruit teas and lemonades, milk caps and slushes.
Le Peep
Visit Le Peep for breakfast, brunch and lunch, and you’ll find a variety of egg dishes, sandwiches, skillets and salads. French toast, pancakes and waffles are also staples at the chain restaurant.
Link & Pin
Link & Pin’s Arboretum location — its largest — offers an upscale dining spot for dinner or a weekend brunch where hoodies and athletic wear aren’t permitted. Expect shareables and steaks, burgers, pasta and more in addition to a full menu of cocktails.
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Malaya Kitchen
Malaya Kitchen offers Malaysian cuisine and other Asian food, such as noodle and rice dishes. Try chicken curry or beef rendang, or order one of the chef’s specialties, which include Mango Flavor, Belacan Sauce (a Malay variety of shrimp paste)or Sarang Burong (fried taro with shrimp, chicken and vegetables).
Manhattan Bagel
Manhattan Bagel serves up New York-style bagels that are baked fresh daily. The chain restaurant also offers a variety of spreads for your poppyseed, everything or asiago bagel, plus breakfast sandwiches such as the spinach bacon croissant or omelet wrap.
Matcha Café Maiko
Matcha Café Maiko, a matcha chain that imports its ingredients from Japan, offers a variety of beverages, shaved ice and soft serve ice cream. You can also pick up a latte, tea or even a matcha float to treat yourself.
McDonald’s
You know the menu. Get your Big Macs, Quarter Pounders with Cheese and all your other McDonald’s favorites when you swing through The Arboretum location of the global hamburger chain.
Nautical Bowls
Nautical Bowls is a chain restaurant that crafts plant-based bowls that are gluten free, soy free and dairy free. Its signature Nauti Bowl mixes acai, pitaya, ground peanut butter, cocoa nibs and granola — or you can build your own creation.
New South Kitchen & Bar
New South Kitchen & Bar, one of Charlotte’s Classic Eats, is the kind of neighborhood restaurant where you can get elevated Southern comfort food without a sky high price tag. We’re talking baked pimento cheese, fried oysters and blackened meatloaf, collards, fried okra and grits.
Noodles & Company
A safe stop for pasta lovers and picky youngsters is Noodles & Company, where you can pick from a variety of noodle bowls, pasta dishes and even zoodles to fill your belly. Mac and cheese and plain butter noodles are available, along with chicken parm, pad Thai with grilled chicken and Buffalo chicken mac.
Nusa
Nusa, the Carolinas’ only Indonesian restaurant, opened in late 2023 in the former Charlotte Cafe space at the Arboretum. On the menu, you’ll find traditional dishes such as gado gado, chicken satay, noodles and braised beef.
Panera Bread
Soup, salad and sandwich chain Panera Bread carries a variety of choices to get you through the day, from early morning breakfast sandwiches and baked goods to flatbread pizzas and family meals.
Portofino’s
Portofinos is a longstanding Italian restaurant with multiple Charlotte locations. You can dine in or carry out pasta with your choice of 14 sauces including arrabbiata, bolognese or vodka sauce, or you can dive into piccata or pizzaiola, or create your own pizza. Top off your meal with tiramisu or a cannoli, and it’s complete.
Roz Grill
Roz Gril plans to bring modern Mediterranean food with “traditional tastes” when it opens at The Arboretum. A date for the restaurant to begin service has not yet been announced.
Smoothie King
While you’re out browsing stores, you can stop in for a drink at Smoothie King. The chain smoothie shop offers coffee options such as Gladiator Chocolate Espresso to help you recharge, high protein selections such as Peanut Power Plus and wellness blends such as gut health papaya mango ginger.
Sushiya Japan Ramen & Sushi Bar
Sushiya Japan serves Asian-inspired food such as hibachi dishes, ramen and sushi. You can dine in or pick up a bento box, yakisoba or even an Arboretum Roll, complete with spicy tuna, cucumber and avocado, topped with seared tuna, ponzu sauce and scallions.
Taco Bell
You likely know what to expect at Taco Bell, a national chain known for enticing its customers to stuff themselves silly with tacos, burritos and nachos. Live Mas, and all that!
Tacos 4 Life
Arkansas-based Tacos 4 Life touts its slogan of “craft tacos for a cause” and means it. For every taco, bowl, salad, quesadilla or order of nachos purchased, the growing chain donates a portion of the proceeds to its nonprofit partner, Feed My Starving Children.
Viscious Biscuit
Vicious Biscuit opened in The Arboretum in 2022, bringing along enormous biscuit sandwiches, beignets and benedicts. Pro tip: You’ll want to order some of its signature jalapeno cheddar pups, served with remoulade (and there are Bloody Marys, too).
Vinter Wine Market
Vinter Wine Market offers guests the chance to sit for a few sips and grab a meal at the same time. The menu includes light bites like Mediterranean hummus with spiced pita, as well as flatbreads, salads, charcuterie and artisan cheese plates.
The Arboretum Shopping Center
Location: 8008 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
