by Kristen Wile

Wine Spectator magazine has released its annual list of Restaurant Award recipients, the cover feature in its upcoming July issue. This year, a number of Charlotte restaurants are featured, including first-year honorees L’Ostrica and Reid’s Fine Foods, as well as Dean’s Steakhouse and Caroline’s Oyster Bar, both in the Uptown JW Marriott hotel.

“We put a lot of time and energy in selecting each individual wine that makes it onto our list, onto our retail shelves, and into our pairing program,” says Cat Carter, co-owner of L’Ostrica. “To receive this recognition as a young restaurant from Wine Spectator is an honor. I hope it serves as a reflection of the passion we have for discovering — and sharing — great wines from all over the world.”

18 restaurants in the city earned awards this year, an increase from last year; six restaurants again earned a Best of Award of Excellence. Many of the city’s awards are steakhouses, clustered around Uptown and SouthPark. The longest tenured award holder is Uptown’s Capital Grille, which has made the list since 1999 and upgraded to a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025. Counter-, Peppervine, and Reid’s Fine Foods are the three local, independent restaurants to earn that title.

“We’re honored to retain the Best of Award of Excellence for the third year,” says Michael Myers, sommelier at Counter-. “What I’m most thrilled about with this particular year is being recognized for focusing more on local wines, not just the East Coast but specifically from North Carolina.”

Myers believes Counter-, a tasting menu concept where guests are seated at a chef’s counter, is the only “Best of” winner featuring wine from North Carolina.

“[It shows] that N.C. wines deserve their place on wine lists, and can stand up to wines from around the world. Counter- is about the stories, and I’m so excited that Counter- is able to tell N.C. winegrowers/winemakers’ stories in a positive light.”

For award consideration, restaurants must submit their wine lists and application fee of nearly $700 to the magazine. Wine Spectator staff first confirms the list includes accurate vintages and producer names, as well as correct spelling of offerings. From there, restaurants are considered for one of three awards.

The Award of Excellence highlights wine lists that “offer at least 90 selections, feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Whether compact or extensive, focused or diverse, these lists deliver sufficient choice to satisfy discerning wine lovers,” according to the contest rules.

Restaurants that earn the Best of Award of Excellence generally serve more than 350 wine selections, and “display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation.”

The Grand Award is given to around 100 restaurants nationwide. Charlotte is yet to earn a Grand Award. Greenville, S.C. restaurant Soby’s was among the three new restaurants granted a Grand Award in 2025.

See the full list of local winners below.

Best of Award of Excellence

Barcelona Wine Bar, South End
The Capital Grille, Uptown
Counter-, West Charlotte
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, SouthPark
Peppervine, SouthPark
Reid’s Fine Foods, SouthPark

Award of Excellence

Caroline’s Oyster Bar, Uptown
Chima Steakhouse, Uptown
Dean’s Italian Steakhouse, Uptown
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Uptown
Juniper Grill, Ballantyne
L’Ostrica, Montford Park
McNinch House, Uptown
Morton’s, The Steakhouse, Uptown
The Palm Charlotte, SouthPark
STK Charlotte, Uptown
Sullivan’s Steakhouse, South End
Supperland, Plaza Midwood

See the full list here.