Southern Living has called South Boulevard “the South’s most underrated food crawl” for its diverse collection of eateries.
Here are the restaurants the magazine lauds along the stretch:
Coffee and pastries
La Greka Coffee Shop
Named for an Italian-style moka coffee pot, La Greka is nestled inside a Compare Foods. Panaderia offerings and tacos are available at the counter, along with caffeinated classics.
Southern Living recommends the Carribbean Latte, topped with coconut flakes.
Vicente Bistro
The viennoiserie offers a variety of classic pastries, such as pan au chocolat and ham and cheese croissants, but co-owner Sam Chappelle recommended the coffee rolls — orange-espresso spirals in the style of a cinnamon roll — to Southern Living.
The magazine also recommended Sumaq Coffee and Folia, which becomes a cocktail bar in the evenings.
Mexican
Maria’s Mexican Restaurant
Maria’s is woman-owned and colorfully painted with bright, Latin American murals. A recent CharlotteFive article commends it for quality, cheap eats. Southern Living’s article recommends the ramen and tacos, but Maria’s is also well known for birria quesadillas.
A meat-packed quesadilla/taco hybrid filled with melted cheese and birria, folded together with diced onion and cilantro. Maria’s Mexican Restaurant
The magazine also recommended Tacos El Nevado, Compa Tacos, La Lima Sangucheria for bowls and sandwiches, Raíces for Oaxacan and cocktails and The Story of Mi Cariño for West Coast cantina fare.
Asian
Zamindar’s Clubhouse
This upscale Indian restaurant in South End was previously described by CharlotteFive as “Michelin-level,” after opening in 2026. Named for feudal landlords, Zamindar’s focuses on pretty plating and a high quality variety of regional Indian cuisines.
“My goal is to make the plates look beautiful. But, also, when you have that first bite, you should feel the authenticity in the taste,” executive chef Vamshi Krishna Adi previously told CharlotteFive.
Sharabi Chicken Tikka is cooked via tandoor, then flambed tableside at Zamindar’s Clubhouse. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
Pho Van
Charlotte is chock-full of opinions on where to get a good bowl of pho, and Southern Living recommended this Vietnamese spot with a massive menu. It opened in 2024.
Southern Living also recommended Saigon Palace for pho, Doan’s Vietnamese Cuisine, Curry Gate for Indian food, Yunta for Peruvian-Japanese fusion food and Sun’s Kitchen for Chinese.
The colorful dumpling flight from Sun’s Kitchen comes with pork and Chive (white), beef and carrot (orange), chicken and mushroom (pink), veggie (green) and shrimp and chicken (violet). Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
To see more of the magazine’s recommendations in South End and on South Boulevard, check out the article.
Southern Living features North Carolina
Southern Living has featured plenty of other places in North Carolina, CharlotteFive has previously reported, including:
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Eva Flowe
The Charlotte Observer
Eva Flowe is a North Carolina native and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. She joined the Charlotte Observer as part of the NC service journalism team in April 2026.
Dining and Cooking