These Are the Best Places to Eat in Charlotte, According to 'Top Chef' Judges

"I've never been to Charlotte before we arrived here to start filming a few weeks ago,"

"So I'm not an expert. But of all of us, I'm the reporter. I had to come with the lists and the research. I love that we get to drop down in a city we've never been before and really live for7 weeks."

"(Well, most of the time. Lesson learned: serving ceviche on a 90 degree day isn't the move.)"

Top Chef Season 23 is filming in Charlotte, North Carolina, marking the franchise's first visit to the city during a seven-week production that includes quick-fire challenges and elimination rounds like Restaurant Wars. Judges eat well during filming but are not on set every day, and production requires local research and recommendations to stay well-fed. Longtime judge Gail Simmons had not visited Charlotte before filming, became a neighborhood regular, and compiled local dining research. Host Kristen Kish collected and organized local restaurant suggestions to sustain long filming days. Part of the season will also be filmed in Greenville, South Carolina, and the season airs spring 2026.

Read at Travel + Leisure