Going meatless in 2024? 13 vegetarian meals to try at Charlotte restaurants. – Charlotte Observer
The Enchiladas Calabaza at Three Amigos is made with zucchini, covered in your choice of roja, verde or mole sauce and then topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado and queso fresco. It’s served with rice and beans.
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How to eat healthy at Charlotte restaurants in 2024
If you’re trying a new diet and don’t know how to order when you go out to eat, check out our guide:
If changing up your diet is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, consider going vegetarian with the help of Charlotte-area restaurants.
A vegetarian diet by definition means ditching meat, poultry and fish but keeping animal byproducts including milk and cheese.
People across the world follow a vegetarian diet for any number of reasons: religion, supporting animal rights, culture or just to eat more vegetables. When a vegetarian diet prioritizes fruit and vegetables, research has shown that the diet can improve heart health, reduce risk of cancer, prevent Type 2 diabetes and more.
If you’re vegetarian in Charlotte, consider checking out these restaurants and dishes to start off the new year with a gift to the palate:
Athens Pizza & Kabob
Location: 2920 Old Monroe Rd, Stallings, NC 28104
Cuisine: Pizza, Iranian
Dish to try: The Veggie pizza — Athens’ version isn’t one you’ll find many other places. It’s got broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms, olives, onions, green peppers, sauce and cheese. Pair it with the kashke bademjan appetizer, which is an eggplant-based Iranian spread.
Blue Star Grill
Location: 120-A Marketplace Ave, Mooresville, NC 28117
Cuisine: American
Dish to try: Start the meal off with an order of fried Brussels sprouts, topped with blue cheese crumbles and candied walnuts. Then order the pan-roasted seasonal veggies wrap, with a red pepper aioli, lettuce, tomato and goat cheese.
Botiwalla by Chai Pani
Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St UNIT 203, Charlotte, NC 28206
Cuisine: Indian
Dish to try: The Desi Salad is shredded white and red cabbage, carrots, scallions and roasted cashews, topped with toasted sesame seeds, cilantro and crunchy chickpea noodles. It’s served with a cumin-lime vinaigrette. Top with Paneer cheese marinated in yogurt, lime juice, Kashmiri chili paste and North Indian spices, then grilled with onions and bell peppers.
Enat Ethiopian Restaurant
Location: 4450 The Plaza Suite D, Charlotte, NC 28215
Cuisine: Ethiopian
Dish to try: Vegan Platter, made with more than nine Ethiopian vegetable dishes, such as shiro, a chickpea stew, tikel gomen, a cabbage dish, and beets and potato salad. Or, try the Veggie Firfir, pieces of spice-soaked injera, which is soft, thin bread with tiny holes throughout to be used as a utensil to grab your grub, cooked with fresh diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers and special spices.
Kid Cashew
Location: 1608 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Dish to try: The Quinoa Stuffed Avocado includes cucumber salsa and shredded lettuce with chipotle sauce. Order a half as a side or a full as a meal! Other good small plate, shareable options include Brussels sprouts, caramelized with lemon vinaigrette and toasted almonds, and chilled Wood-Fired Beets, with pistachios, mandarin oranges, goat cheese and extra virgin olive oil.
Love in Action Cafe
Location: 4419 Tuckaseegee Road, Charlotte, NC 28208
Cuisine: Vegan
Dish to try: The hoagie, a jackfruit cheesesteak with mushrooms, onions and peppers. While you’re there, you can also give the sea moss gels a try.
Ma Ma Wok
Location: 11914 Elm Lane, Charlotte, NC 28277
Cuisine: Asian, with vegetarian meats and fish
Dish to try: Order up the veggie fish with curry sauce. It’s served with peas, carrots, corn, potatoes and choice of rice.
Milkbread
Location: 1431 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 624 Jetton St #110, Davidson, NC 28036
Dish to try: Whole Bowl with cauliflower rice, whipped tahini, jammy egg, red onion, pepper and nut crunch. Top it with a side of hot-dipped Crispy Cauliflower, made with a vegan house breading. You’ll have leftovers, and that’s not a bad thing. And don’t forget to add all the sauces (our favorites are honey mustard, homemade ranch and Eastern Carolina hot dipped — but whatever you choose, it’s the right one).
The Pickled Peach
Location: 202 S Main St, Davidson, NC
Cuisine: American, seasonal
Dish to try: Go for the White Bean Hummus Sandwich, which includes fresh mozzarella or avocado and spinach with balsamic reduction on grilled sourdough. You can also sub the sourdough for a collard wrap or gluten-free bread option, if you choose.
Rico’s Açai
Location: 917 Pecan Ave. Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 8446 Rea Rd. Suite 100 Charlotte, NC 28277
Cuisine: Açai bowls
Dish to try: Grab a Butter Bro Bowl, made with açaí puree, granola, bananas, peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella and hemp hearts.
Superica
Location: 101 West Worthington Ave #100, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 4223 Providence Rd Suite D, Charlotte, NC 28211
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Dish to try: Vegetable Mixta fajitas, loaded with veggies including carrots, cauliflower, red cabbage, onions, poblano pepper, roasted corn and fingerling sweet potatoes and served with charro beans, Mexican butter, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo and homemade flour tortillas.
Three Amigos
Location: 2917 Central Ave A, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 7741 Colony Rd Suite A1, Charlotte, NC 28226
Cuisine: Mexican
Dish to try: Enchiladas Calabaza, made with zucchini, covered in your choice of roja, verde or mole sauce and then topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado and queso fresco. It’s served with rice and beans.
Yanni Bistro
Location: 131 E John Street, Matthews, NC 28105
Cuisine: Plant-based
Dish to try: At this restaurant specializing in plant-based cuisine, try the Aubergine & Falafel, with roasted eggplant, tomato and pickled turnips, served with a gluten-free wrap.
Melissa Oyler and Heidi Finley contributed to this story.
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Maddie Ellis is a former CharlotteFive reporting intern turned journalist. Having grown up in Charlotte, she loves reporting on lifestyle and entertainment news connected to the Queen City. Find her latest work on Twitter @madelinellis.
