Mert's, Charlotte

Mert's is becoming a Charlotte institution. It is already the best Southern restaurant Uptown. It appears to be more expensive than one might expect for this cuisine. The wait staff is very friendly. As I thanked my waitress on leaving Mert's she said, "Come back, hun!" However, it is because of its location. For one thing, the uptown location means higher rents and higher prices must be charged in order to pay the rent. However, the folks who work in the nearby bank buildings are used to paying high prices for the food. Even with the location factored in, Mert's is still more reasonable than the average Uptown restaurant. In fact, it is possible to get by on a good meal for less than $10 (not counting tip).

Favorite Dish: The type of food served here is Southern comfort food. My family and I have eaten this all our lives. As an appetiser, they served tender and sweet cornbread. Some cornbread I've had is so tough you could build a house with it, but this is great. I had the fried chicken served together with pinto beans and collard greens. The one thing that surprised me was that they adorned the collard greens with onions and tomatoes. I guess they have to kick them up a notch with all the folks from up North migrating to there. Mark had the shrimp and grits with focaccia bread. I love most international cuisines, but every once in awhile, it's good to get back to basics, even on holiday. It was refreshing to see a restaurant serving such Southern comfort food in the shadow of the modern skyscrapers of Uptown Charlotte and amidst the high-dollar restaurants. Mert's Heart & Soul captured my heart and soul, which earns it an A.