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This Is North Carolina’s Favorite Cuisine

Picking a favorite type of cuisine is tough. But my three favorites well that’s easy. Mexican, Italian, and Chinese in no particular order. And those seem to be the most…

North Carolina's Favorite Cuisine
(Photo by Fernando Leon/Getty Images for Barilla)

Picking a favorite type of cuisine is tough. But my three favorites well that's easy. Mexican, Italian, and Chinese in no particular order. And those seem to be the most popular nationwide. This is according to our friends at TotalShape.com. They used Google search data to determine which international cuisine is the most popular in each state.  They did this by analyzing the number of searches over the past year.  This included searches for all the terms related to a specific cuisine. What was North Carolina's favorite cuisine? Italian. I can support that!

But the most popular nationwide by far was Chinese cuisine. It cemented its status as the most popular cuisine in the US by topping the list in 28 states, including New York, Delaware, and Connecticut. Following Chinese was Italian which was the clear winner in California, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Washington, and perhaps surprisingly, Hawaii. And then lastly Mexican cuisine took the crown for 2 states. Keep reading to see which states picked what and the top 15 Italian restaurants in Charlotte since it is North Carolina's favorite cuisine.

Chinese

  • Idaho
  • Alaska
  • Wyoming
  • New Mexico
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Nebraska
  • Kanasa
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Minnesota
  • Iowa
  • Missouri
  • Arkansas
  • Louisiana
  • Wisconsin
  • Illinois
  • Mississippi
  • Michigan
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • South Carolina
  • West Virginia
  • Virginia
  • Washington DC
  • Maryland
  • Delaware
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • New York
  • Connecticut
  • Rhode Island
  • Massachusetts
  • Vermont
  • New Hampshire
  • Maine

Italian

  • North Carolina
  • Florida
  • Tennessee
  • Montana
  • Colorado
  • Utah
  • Nevada
  • Washington
  • California
  • Hawaii

Mexican

  • Oregon
  • Arizona

List: The 15 Best Italian Restaurants In Charlotte According To Open Table

There is just something about Italian food. Whether you want pizza, pasta, seafood, something light, or a little heavy. The flavors are simply to die for. And it can be done so many ways. But in a city like Charlotte with so many restaurants, it can be overwhelming to know where to try next. It seems like every day somewhere new is opening. Should you keep going to that chain you love? Is the neighborhood spot really the best? Are you missing out on incredible food? So let me offer you at least a little help. I went to OpenTable.com to figure out what are considered the top Italian restaurants in Charlotte.

Several of these I've not yet tried. I have to say that after eating in the North End in Boston, nothing has compared. And I still dream of eating my way through Italy. But a lot on this list may be more authentic and closer to that. At least I hope so! This list features a variety of locations across the area. There are also date night spots and places you can go with your friends for a quick bite. Spoiler alert however there are some CLASSIC Charlotte spots that didn't make this list. Keep in mind anything on it does use Open Table for reservations. So keep that in mind. That doesn't change the fact that all the restaurants on this list come highly recommended. Some have 2-3,000 reviews!

Top 15 Italian Restaurants In Charlotte According To Open Table:

15. Buca di Beppo

Neighborhood: Pineville

Rating: 4.3

Reviews: 960

14. Angeline's

Neighborhood: Uptown

Rating: 4.3

Reviews: 947

13. Zinicola

Neighborhood: Ballantyne

Rating: 4.5

Reviews: 723

12. Aria Tuscan Grill

Neighborhood: Uptown

Rating: 4.5

Reviews: 3500

11. Arooji's Wine Room

Neighborhood: Ballantyne

Rating: 4.6

Reviews: 303

10. Cicchetti

Neighborhood: Uptown

Rating: 4.6

Reviews: 43

9. North Italia

Neighborhood: South End

Rating: 4.6

Reviews: 820

8. The Jimmy

Neighborhood: Myers Park

Rating: 4.6

Reviews: 245

7. Via Roma

Neighborhood: Waverly

Rating: 4.7

Reviews: 796

6. Novanta Pizzeria Napoletana

Neighborhood: Mooresville

Rating: 4.7

Reviews: 174

5. Primo Prime

Neighborhood: Myers Park

Rating: 4.7

Reviews: 392

4. Indaco

Neighborhood: Charlotte

Rating: 4.7

Reviews: 535

3. Luce Ristorante

Neighborhood: Uptown

Rating: 4.8

Reviews: 2217

2. Toscana Ristorante Italiano

Neighborhood: South Park

Rating: 4.8

Reviews: 2017

1. Dolce Ristorante

Neighborhood: Dilworth

Rating: 4.8

Reviews: 1218

Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.