Hidden gem in Charlotte’s Oakhurst neighborhood where the menu is as creative as the food
July 23, 2026
Q&A: Is Queen’s Feast still worth it, National Tequila Day
Each week, we answer reader questions about food and drink in Charlotte
Q: Is Queen’s Feast still worth it?
Tom: I think so, with some asterisks. Now entering its nineteenth year, the semi-annual Queen’s Feast/Restaurant Week is a great tool for restaurants during the two slowest times of the year, post-holidays and dead of summer. This isn’t so much about earning profit as it is keeping the lights on. The typical razor-thin margins are sliced even thinner during this promotion, but it is a great opportunity for them to attract potentially long-term repeat customers as well as continue giving their employees a paycheck. For us diners, it’s still a great way to check out some of the places we’ve “been thinking about” and explore a few dishes that may currently be out of our normal comfort zones.
As far as the price goes, those are definitely up, but in line with the overall rise in dining out prices. In 2008, the Restaurant Week deal was $30 for three courses, at a time when the average fine dining check (sans beverages) was about $50. Eighteen years later, there are still five restaurants doing a three-course $30 Queen’s Feast dinner: Emmy Squared Pizza (Plaza Midwood), Open Rice Asian Kitchen (Midtown), Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market (Pineville), Southern Artisan Spirits (Kings Mountain), and Cranford Brothers Barbecue (Hickory). The vast majority are now in the $45-$55 range. An average fine dining check these days comes in at about $90/person. So in terms of percentage, it’s pretty much the same deal. I should also note four restaurants are offering Queen’s Feast brunch/lunch packages for $25.
You can get all the details of the 122 restaurants participating in the Summer 2026 edition of Queen’s Feast/Restaurant week at its website. The event runs July 24 through August 2.
Q: Where should I celebrate National Tequila Day?
Tom: First thing, make sure you have a good Uber/Lyft balance. That said, there are some excellent bars in Charlotte where you can explore all things agave on National Tequila Day tomorrow, July 24. My choices would be The Story of Mi Cariño in South End where Henry Schmulling has curated a mind-numbing (pun intended) array of agave spirits presented in a creative and festive way. Same can be said of Puerta in Elizabeth which, like Mi Cariño, offers rare bottles you won’t find anywhere else. Other great calls would be Maíz Agua Sal in Wesley Heights and Paco’s Tacos & Tequila in SouthPark which both boast close to 200 unique bottles, as well as Qué Onda Tacos + Tequila (multiple locations) which stocks over 100 tequilas. Also a quick shout-out to Hermanita, the speakeasy inside El Malo in Plaza Midwood. The bar doesn’t have the encyclopedic collection as the others, but beverage director Jenna “Duckie” Reynolds puts out some mighty fine tequila cocktails that go way beyond the margarita.
