When spending a day in the city with friends, a lot of restaurants can quickly drain your bank account. Hot spots like Optimist Hall and the upscale restaurants along South End’s Rail Trail come with a hefty price tag. If you’re looking for affordable spots around the Queen City, apart from your average fast-food drive-thru Bojangles or Chikfila, then keep reading to learn about some hidden (and not so secret ) places to grab a quick bite with your friends. The first strategy to eating affordably with your friends is sharing, a $15 entree at an excellent restaurant becomes affordable for you and your best friend. A local restaurant whose menu allows for evenly and affordably splitting the costs is Inizio Pizza Napoletana, a wood-fired pizza restaurant located in Dilworth, Providence Commons, and Huntersville. Their large 16 inch pizzas range from $15-23 and have eight large slices, ideal for splitting with 2-3 of your friends before heading to nearby Southend (down the street from the Dilworth location) for a walk with city views on the Charlotte Rail Trail. Still craving pizza? Benny Pennello’s, a NoDa Pizza joint with locations around the country is known for its massive pizzas. A whole pie is 40 inches, and one slice alone takes up two plates, so the $5 per slice price tag will get you your money’s worth. If you’re in NoDa and in the mood for an affordable bite, stop by Benny Pennello’s for a slice (or two) in between visits to art galleries, trinket shops, and thrift stores.
Moving away from pizza, a great option for keeping to a budget is picnics. Heading to a local market or grocery store for a sandwich, chips, and a drink is sometimes the most appealing affordable option around. Take your goods to go and head to the Rail Trail, Romare Bearden Park, First Ward Park, or in your car on a parking deck with good views. A popular Charlotte spot with locations strategically located near some of Charlotte’s exciting neighborhoods is the Rhino Market. Find one across from Romare Bearden Park in Uptown, in NoDa across from Amelie’s, in South End, and Wesley Heights. Take advantage of Charlotte’s walkable city center and its surrounding neighborhoods with snacks and sandwiches to go from Rhino Market. Salads and sandwiches here average around $7.99, paired with some chips and a drink, and you’re all set! Another option for an affordable sandwich is the often overlooked $6 combo at Harris Teeter, including a half sub, a drink, and chips. This can be bought at lunch time at any Harris Teeter location with a deli and is an affordable to-go option to stock a car picnic or picnic in the park. Lastly, Common Market, with a few locations around the city including Midwood, South End, and Oakwold, offers lunch and breakfast sandwiches, salads, bowls, and soups for all under $10 with snacks and sides available for purchase in the market as well. Take sandwiches or lunch meals from any of these places around Charlotte to complete a day out with friends.
Another way to save money while spending time with friends is to get coffee, pastries, or snacks while on the go. Although eating your meal at home may not be as appealing as a unique Charlotte restaurant, but it will save you money. Charlotte is chock full of Instagram
-worthy coffee shops, bakeries, and other places to grab snacks. A handful of coffee shops sell iced and hot coffee for $4-$6 around the city, Undercurrent Coffee (Plaza Midwood), Not Just Coffee (many locations around the city), and Coco and the Director (Uptown) are just a few options for a caffeine fix while out and about with friends. No matter what you are looking for from a day in the Queen City exploring, there are plenty of ways to save money if you know where to look. So next time you and your friends are making plans, make sure to refer back to this article for some affordable inspiration.