Mert’s Heart & Soul

Charlotte


Down at street level, beneath Uptown’s soaring skyscrapers, this cozy, homely diner buzzes with bankers and bohos alike. Its Lowcountry classics include shrimp and grits, barbecue beef ribs and fried catfish, but we love the spicy salmon cakes best.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Charlotte attractions

1. Levine Museum of the New South

0.12 MILES

Tracing the story of the ‘New South’ that emerged from the ashes of the Civil War, this committed museum explores the years of Reconstruction, Jim Crow…

2. Discovery Place Science

0.12 MILES

Illustrating simple scientific principles with eye-catching displays, Discovery Place is targeted largely at kids. It centers on a steamy rainforest that…

3. Romare Bearden Park

0.41 MILES

This small park celebrates the African American artist and writer Romare Bearden, born in Charlotte in 1911. A pretty spot to admire the Uptown skyline or…

4. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

0.45 MILES

An Uptown landmark, thanks to sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle’s huge mirror-tiled Firebird out front, this showcase for 20th-century art was donated to the…

5. Mint Museum Uptown

0.48 MILES

A stunning modernist edifice tucked between mighty skyscrapers, the Uptown portion of Charlotte’s Mint Museum consists of two distinct halves. One makes a…

6. NASCAR Hall of Fame

0.48 MILES

The race-car simulator ($5) at this rip-roaring Uptown museum hurtles you onto the track and into a 15-car race that feels surprisingly real. Elsewhere,…

7. Harvey B Gantt Center

0.52 MILES

This thriving Uptown art museum was named in honor of former city mayor and civil rights champion Harvey Gannt. Its three small galleries host changing…

8. Mint Museum Randolph

2.54 MILES

The US Mint opened its first-ever outpost in Uptown Charlotte in 1837, using gold mined from the mountains nearby. Transported 3 miles southeast a century…