July 30, 2026
Q&A: Great affordable restaurants, N.C. legislation updates
Each week, we answer reader questions about food and drink in Charlotte
Q: Can you recommend some great restaurants that won’t break the bank? We moved here four years ago and we have a regular rotation that we are starting to get too stuck in a rut with.
Tom: Well, “won’t break the bank” is a relataive term, but there are some restuarants both Kristen and I feel offer maximum bang for your dining buck. 300 East has been a staple restaurant in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood since 1986. Chef co-owner Ashley Boyd specializes in locally sourced ingredients presented in ways that are both accessible and exciting. Pastry chef Alexa “Lex” Druhan continues the restaurant’s long tradition of offering one of the finest dessert menus in the city. Just opened a few months ago in the former Letty’s space in Plaza-Shamrock, PostScript has quickly earned a legion of fans who go for its well-thought dishes and smart cocktail program. The Teal Turnip in Oakhurst offers well-crafted and creative dishes with excellent wines and cocktails. Perry Saito’s Dōzo in Dilworth offers combinations of Japanese street food and fine dining and is completely worth the visit. If you are looking for just a little wine time with maybe a little nibble, check out Bond Street Wines in Eastover and The Wine Vault in Elizabeth. If cocktails are your vibe, Sneak, also in Elizabeth, is a cool spot to spend a happy hour as is Blue Door in LoSo.
Q: Where are we on the recent ABC and THC bill proposals in the state legislature?
Tom: Getting there. Neither proposal is law, although House Bill 328 is moving again — and with a significant change to the bill than we recently reported. HB 328 would establish 21 as the minimum age for purchasing or possessing hemp-derived consumables. More controversially, the state Senate adopted a conference report requiring that finished products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container (no matter what size the container) would become controlled substances. Currently, the threshold is 0.3% THC with a maximum of 10 milligrams. This would effectively remove most THC beverages, gummies, and related consumable hemp-based products sold in North Carolina. On July 30, that report was returned to the House and sent to its Rules Committee. The House must take an up-or-down vote. It cannot amend a conference report. If approved, HB 328 goes to Governot Josh Stein for his signature to become law. If rejected, lawmakers would need to negotiate another agreement.
House Bill 198, the ABC Omnibus, remains stalled. The House and Senate passed different versions, and negotiators have not produced a conference agreement since being appointed June 30. Its latest version includes allowing two mixed drinks to be served at once, in-seat alcohol sales at concerts, alcoholic whipped cream, and financing for an ABC warehouse. It does not legalize happy hour as some early versions proposed. Bottom line: HB 328 is alive; HB 198 is waiting.
