Tupelo Honey Cafe

We like Tupelo Honey. That said, we had another not so great breakfast.
#1 The service was very slow. It took at least 20 minutes to get our food.
#2 My eggs came out luke warm, so I sent them back
#3 Had to wait another 20 minutes to get my order.
They could have done this right the first time.
Other than that, its fine… just not every week

The concept and atmosphere was nice but they totally missed the mark on culinary execution. I ordered the strawberry shortcake dessert which was basically a biscuit with strawberries and plain yogurt. the brussel sprouts were ok, but i’ve had way better. The flavors of the sweet potato pancake were a bit overpowering and the piece of chicken that came with it was on the small side. The lavender limeaide was good though hardly lavender, and the bacon was good. Def disappointed.

Awesome tasty menu that has good quality fresh ingredients and awesome atmosphere! I had the good country breakfast. Cool décor.

This place has over 600 reviews, so I’ll keep it short.
There is a reason this place is always packed. The food is good the staff is friendly. I haven’t had a bad meal here. I’m not a biscuit person, but their biscuits are delicious, especially with honey. Go for lunch, dinner, or brunch… it’s consistently good. Go early or be prepared to wait.

Trying different Southern comfort food spots in Charlotte can be a hit or miss. Tupelo Honey Café is definitely a hit! Absolutely delicious. I’m full and still have food to take home. The portions will not leave you disappointed or hungry.
We came at 7pm on a Saturday and was seated right away by a warm and friendly Hostess. Our waitress was plesant and helpful with making a choice and our water glass was never empty.
The Menu isn’t overwhelming with too many options but just the right amount to make a great selection. I had the Shoo Pancake served with bacon, candied pecans, warm maple syrup, and a crisy, absolutely delicious, boneless chicken breast. BTW, the Pancake is HUGE and it’s sweet potato. I am sooooo happy right now!
The sweet potato pancake taste like sweet potatoes! Not some food coloring or spice but an actual sweet potato the only dislike was my bacon. I love my bacon well done, extra crispy, a little Cajun, lol. Although it wasn’t bad I just wish it was crispy. This dish is not overly sweet; it was a great balance of sweet and salty.
My Husband had the Fried Chicken with the brussel sprouts and fried okra. You can choose your own sides and they have yummy selections. It was two pieces of boneless fried chicken breast with yummy gravy over it. The Biscuit that comes out before your meal with the blueberry perseve is delicious. The right amount of crunch on the outside while being moist on the inside.
I will definitely be back to try other dishes. The price is right, the place is warm and the staff is friendly. I’m definitely bringing friends back with me.

Stopped here while on vacation from Pennsylvania. When I say they have amazing food, they have AMAZING FOOD. First off the biscuits and the blueberry jam are amazing.
I wish I could have had every item on the menu but I did get to have the fried chicken and biscuits and my fellow foodie had the cracklins and the farmers breakfast (I think that’s what it is called.) All of it left us wanting more. I don’t think you can go wrong with anything here!
Not to mention, the staff was incredibly kind, quick, and efficient.
If you get a chance, go here. There is no way you could regret if you have even the smallest liking for southern food.

Our family visited Charlotte and we ate dinner at Tupelo Honey Café for my sister’s Law School Graduation. The restaurant is located on the second floor (which you can take the stairs or elevator), and it is also located across the street from the Fire Station which is very odd.
The server was kinda in a pissed off mood (and a I don’t care attitude) towards the beginning, but once during he wrote down our orders his mood changed.
I ordered a «Mountain Pulled Pork Sandwich» but oddly enough I got a «Bone-​In Porterhouse Pork Chop» instead. too many pork items on the menu maybe? He said that he would change it for me once I brought him about this issue, but I wasn’t that picky so I sticked with it and ate it. The Pork Chop was great and juicy, but I kinda wished I ate the Mountain Pulled Pork Sandwich.
The restaurant overall is great, and when it comes to ownership. I think both the owner and manager roaming the restaurant helping tables are both great and friendly.
Note: Tupelo Honey Café gets really cold. So be prepared to bring a sweater or a jacket with you when you enter.

Yes, yes, yes!
First time to visit this restaurant today and it was amazing! Chicken & waffles… whoa…heavenly!
Our server, Jonathan, was one of the best we’ve had anywhere – made the meal extra special with our friends.
I highly recommend this restaurant.

I love you Boston but I’m sorry, some things you just have to go south for, like good southern cooking. I know some may not consider North Carolina part of the south, (not south enough to be southern but not north enough to be part of the northeast), but I have found that they do southern cuisine well enough to be considered an honorary member!
At Tupelo, I came for the biscuits. Considered by other Unilocalers as the best in the state, with good reason. It’s everything a biscuit should be: layered with buttery goodness. The poppy seeds (pretty sure that’s what it was) and blueberry jam just take it to another level. Should have asked for seconds (you know, just to be sure it was safe for the other diners)
The Mac and cheese, simply
Wow. These are baked rather than stove top and topped with breadcrumbs.
Also had the tacos. Fried chicken (the greatest food ever) in a taco (perhaps the greatest food vehicle ever lol), with homemade slaw. What is there not to love? Word to the wise: the jalepeno’s pack a serious punch.
Tupelo, I shall return

I came here with a group to celebrate a friends birthday. There were 5 of us and she was able to make a reservation which is a plus, certainly on Saturday mornings when they are packed. There is a nice outdoor space, but not a lot of parking, so be aware, you may have to circle around a bit to find a space.
At 11am the place was full. We had a booth in the back near the kitchen. Our waiter took a little bit to come over so by the time he did we had decided on our food. 4 of us decided on the Poutine Scramble, and I got a glass of Brut Champagne which was $ 7. I’m glad I ordered my drink when I did because the next time we saw our waiter was when we got our food. He brought out the complimentary biscuits with our meal. The timing felt a little off and I think I would have enjoyed more of my biscuit if it came before the meal.
The scramble was a lot of flavors. It comes with eggs, potatoes, cheese, white gravy, bacon (I think because it might be bacon bits), etc. It’s a lot. I just think I didn’t get gravy on eggs. I was hoping it would work, but it didn’t.
The waiter did refill our glasses 3x which was great because as my husband so lovingly says, I drink water like a camel. I just feel like he was really overwhelmed.
Based on the reviews of the Asheville location I had high expectations going in, maybe the bar was set a little too high.

Tupelo Honey Café lives up to its hype. My girl friend and I arrived on a weekday early evening and had no problems getting a seat. Apparently this place is hot as a brunch spot. Plenty of space inside, though outside was packed since it was nice out. This place serves up some serious Southern fare. Service was very nice and we were attended to most of the evening. Don’t come here if you’re looking for anything close to healthy, by the way.
Fried Green Tomatoes — deliciously crispy on the outside and slightly tangy (as it should be) on the inside. Served over their signature goat cheese grits. Delicious — a must get!
Crispy lemon brussel sprouts — if anything, I would pass on these. Very fried and not enough lemon flavor, or any flavor at all, really. Not good if you hate brussel sprouts.
Baked mac and cheese — legit mac and cheese. What more can I say? Good ratio of cheese to macaroni.
Tupelo shrimp and grips (added chorizo) — y’all. The chorizo does it here. Absolutely worth the extra $ 3 as it gives the whole thing even more flavor and kick. The grits, which are the same as in the fried green tomatoes. The shrimp are large, juicy, plump, well-​seasoned, and oh-​so-​delicious. This was our favorite dish of the evening, hands down. But — you have to add the chorizo!
Shoo mercy pancake — basically fried chicken (breast) and sweet potato pancake. This thing was massive. The sweet potato pancake was awesome and went very well with the peach butter and of course, maple syrup. I don’t care for thick cut special bacon… just prefer the normal boring Oscar Mayer stuff, so if this is your jam, you’d love the copious amounts of bacon on here. The fried chicken breast was juicy and crispy and goes well with hot sauce and honey (trust me). This comes pretty close to the shrimp and grits.
Biscuits with homemade jam and tupelo honey — for some reason they never brought these out til halfway through our meal. YAAAAAAAAS these are amazing, especially with the tupelo honey (the best!) and homemade berry jam.
Pecan pie — skip. I’ve had better elsewhere. Or maybe we were just too full.
Solid place for good service, great Southern food, and groups (on weekday evenings).

Came here for another Sunday brunch and was again blown away. This is quickly becoming my go to brunch place. We sat in the bar because there was a small wait when we arrived. I am very happy that we did because our server, Calvin, was fantastic. He was very attentive and had really great menu suggestions. My two friends and I were having a really hard time deciding on what to get so we decided to split three items. We split the Blueberry Pain Perdu, Famous Sweet Potato Pancake, and the Genuine Country Breakfast with over-​easy eggs sausage, and potato cracklins.
The Blueberry Pain is sweet. I definitely could not have eaten a full plate of them, but as a portion of my breakfast it was perfect. The Sweet Potato pancake was also delicious. It actually inspired me to look up sweet potato pancake recipes when i got home. Basically i want to have this for breakfast every day. It was fantastic but again super sweet so consider splitting this with someone. For the genuine country breakfast please see my review above. It is a classic for a reason.

We wanted the local Southern flavor before jetting back to San Diego, and boy, are we happy we came here! They greet you with a warm homemade biscuit and homemade jam while you’re waiting… the environment is loud but not too loud where you’re yelling at each other across the table. The food was beyond our expectations especially when there is so much Unilocal hype and you don’t really know your way around the city. We ordered the Southern style burger and the mac and cheese as a side… I only wish I had been hungrier so I could have my own entrée! The wait seems long but they have really comfy couches so you’re not standing all the time and the table turning rate really is incredible. I can’t wait to visit again!

Okay listen,… this brunch was the bomb! I was a bit underwhelmed in general by the food scene in Charlotte, but this was my first stop after hitting the city and I’m glad I stayed.
Food: I had the Shoo Mercy Pancake and I was so happy with it. That sweet potato pancake was perfectly sweet and a little bit savory. The fried chicken on top and peppered bacon simply took the dish over the top. I ate just about ALL of it. It was delicious, The only thing that I did not care for were the pecans sprinkled on top of the dish, as I am not too fond of nuts on top of or baked into my food. Luckily, they were whole nuts so I was easily able to chuck them off of the plate and dive in. I also ordered the mega-​mosa mimosa, it was nice and strong. They have two mimosa options, a regular sized one in a wine glass for $ 8, and the mega one in a regular draft glass for like $ 9.do yourself a favor and get the mega size. It is virtually ALL sparkling wine! Yessss! As if I wasnt stuffed enough from the pancake I could not leave this place without also trying on the complimentary hot biscuits w/​blueberry jam. Great biscuit!.. Not too doughy, & with just enough crunch on the outside.
Service: Not too shabby. I went alone on a busy Saturday morning and was finally able to weasel my self onto a bar stool to sit after about 20 mins of waiting on the porch outside. I put my name down for a table initially, but was told by the hostess that the bar area seating is first come, first serve, so if I found a seat there before my table was ready, by all means take it. That’s exactly what I did. The bartenders were quick and attentive given the volume of orders they had coming in. I was pleased. My food took only 10 mins to arrive after ordering it. That was impressive given the amount of people in the place.
Atmosphere: Nice décor, but honestly I was just there for the FOOD! :)
Brunch is BUSY here and parking is a bit of a nightmare. There is a lot that the restaursnt shares with the other businesses and it fills quickly. I had to stalk someone for my spot! That is probably the only thing that would deter me from returning frequently. Yet and still, I will certainly be back.

Fantastic place for brunch! It’s a beautifully decorated space — bright and airy. The service was friendly, fast and attentive. The menu is full of southern favorites with a modern twist. For instance, they serve goat cheese grits. I am not, I repeat NOT a fan of goat cheese, so I asked our server if we can order plain grits. She advised that the goat cheese tang is really subtle and promptly brought us a sample. She was right! Imagine me the goat cheese hater ordering them! They were creamy and cheesy, and very well seasoned.
The kid ordered the French toast. It was thick slices of fluffy challa bread, lightly dusted with confectioners sugar. So good! The peppered bacon on the side was done perfectly. I ordered the southern poutine scramble — eggs, bacon and potatoes with gravy on top. Very yummy! Hubby had the sweet potato pancake, which comes with fried chicken on top. The chicken was a little dry, but fried well. The pancake was sweet — almost pumpkin tasting, which was wonderful.
You get a LOT of food for the price. Be prepared for a nap. We’d definitely return when in the area again.

As we are new to Charlotte, NC and in the process of setting up our new Vacation house, we Unilocaled our way to the Tupelo Honey Café for breakfast.
Our waitress, Carly was beyond helpful and kind. As New Yorkers coming to the South, we needed some of the menu items explained to us and wanted to know more about the preserves. Carly brought us two warm biscuits with Blueberry preserves on the side. We were in biscuit heaven! We would come back just to see Carly. Oh and did I mention how good the food was? It definitely was great and plenty of it.
Then if our first experience there was not enough fun, before I knew it, Tupelo’s Manager, Tiara walked up to our booth and slid right on in next to me to ask us about our first experience there. Well! We ended up talking and laughing with her for almost an hour Funny, outspoken and dynamic, well suited for her role in management and training of new staff.
We left after big hugs well fed and happy!
We shall return!
Linda and Anthony

My boyfriend and I came here after a few friends recommended Tupelo from their experience in Virginia. We arrived, knowing it would be a wait. No problem. We’ve been on a culinary tour of the city & I was stoked to try this place.
We hopped in line & the guy ahead of us was told there was a 20 minute wait. When we stepped up next, I was told «1 hour 20 minutes.» Now, coming in there were 2 set & ready tables, and 1 that was waiting to be bussed. I declined the wait list and walked out confused.
The waiter outside asked as we passed his empty tables «leaving so soon» and we asked him were his tables reserved. He said they’re first come basis, self seating outside and told us to tell the hostess to seat us outside since he’s «wide open.» I walked back in and reiterated this to the hostess who replied «I’m only one person» then asked if I wanted to get on the «1 hour» waiting list.
1 how did we get to 1 hour in under 2 minutes? 2 how did we get an hour longer wait than the guy ahead of us? 3 why wasn’t she seating the waiter who was available and happy to serve during peak hours? Because they offer a vegetarian option in addition to all the meat for brunch, I could see this having been a possible favorite for us, but the first experience here was far too poor to ignore. I will not be returning.

Every time I visit Charlotte, I inform my better half that we cannot leave until we pay homage to the keeper of biscuits and tupelo honey.
Every meal is kicked off with fresh outta the oven biscuits served with fresh blueberry preserves and Tupelo honey (this is mostly the reason by I insist on coming here!) They kick my grandma’s biscuit’s outta the water (sorry, Grandma, but you need to step your game up!)
Top picks:
If you have never tried chicken & pancakes, or if you love it: their’s are top notch. If you are really up for a challenge, try eating the entire meal… I don’t think it can be done. The Shoo Mercy Pancake consists of 2 heaping flapjacks topped with buttermilk fried chicken, maple-​peppered bacon and 100% maple syrup.
I also am a big fan of the Tupelo Farm Fresh Cheeseburger consisting of pasture-​raised Black Angus beef served with aged Wisconsin cheddar, lettuce, onions, house-​made pickles and Chef Brian’s special sauce. I like to accompany my burger with shaved brussels sprouts salad
with honey vinaigrette and baked mac ‘n cheese.
Also, be sure to sign up for their email club and get a Tupelo Honey pint glass!

I’d say this is more of a morning drink spot then a good food spot. Food is pretty greasy, and it didn’t blow me away as much as I would have thought (given the long wait). The pictures make it look tastier than it actually is.
I will say their biscuits are on point! Sadly, the free biscuits are more delicious than the entrée you pay for.

Buttery, warm out of the oven biscuits fall apart in your mouth and not in your hand; accompanied by a simple preserve that lacks the overbearing sweetness of most that covet it’s appearance.
Fried green tomatoes that find the difficult sweet spot between toothsome and mushy with a batter that clings on for dear life allowing one to enjoy both the crisp crunch and buttery softness that the treat should provide. Set atop of a bed of grits, the red pepper coulis adds brightness and interest to a dish that begs for a spatula scrape or a brownie spoon lick at the end.
The sweet potato pancake, if just a tad bit on the dryer side, is accompanied by near perfectly cooked fried chicken and a maple pepper bacon that adds to the complexity to the dish.
The heaping 26 dollar portion of Shoo Fly Shrimp and Grits loads every bite with shrimp, so much so that they I believe this to be the first time I’ve ever taken home a shrimp dish with shrimp to be had. The spicy mix of peppers and mushrooms flavors the dish well, and I order chorizo on the side expecting crushed or cubed pieces, but instead get large moderately thick slices of the dark red spicy meat.
Pork egg rolls have the appearance of being hastily rolled and are a bit too greasy for my liking. The only thing I would not be back for.
Service is kind and warm. The hostess provides a level of southern charm that starts the meal on a very high note.