It’s a brat summer — but with bites. Here’s where you can eat bratwurst in Charlotte
As summertime starts to come to a close, I can’t help but think about brat summer — but a completely different take on Charlie XCX’s version of the lime-green tinged brat aesthetic. To clarify, I am actually talking about places in Charlotte to go and get bratwursts.
Many restaurants in Charlotte have crafted bratwursts made from pork, beef or veal into a German-inspired sausage experience. Has anyone ever tried local honey on their brats before? No? Well, then keep reading!
For those who are typically on the hunt to try something new or are having a craving for good bratwursts on a budget, then you are most definitely in luck.
Here’s where to go to enjoy affordable German eats in and around Charlotte:
Carolina Butcher and Beer Garden
Location: 9762 Charlotte Hwy, Indian Land, SC 29707
Carolina Butcher and Beer Garden is located in Indian Land with a restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, where you can stop if you’re traveling. You’ll find that Carolina Butcher and Beer Garden is both a restaurant and butcher shop with homemade sausages and burgers. If you are looking for something gluten-free, give its bratwurst a try. You can hang out in their beer garden too.
Crave - Hot Dogs and BBQ
Location: 282 S. Sharon Amity Rd. Suite 335, Charlotte, NC 28211
Location: 3050 Derita Road, Suite 10, Concord NC 28027
At Crave, you won’t want to pass up a classic bratwurst, especially since the restaurant was awarded Best Bratwurst at Taste of Charlotte’s OktoberFest in 2023. With a self-pour beer wall and a $6.95 classic bratwurst topped with sauerkraut and mustard, Crave is definitely a place to visit.
Gilde Brewery
Location: 3530 Dewitt Ln, Charlotte, NC 28217
Gilde Brewery not only provides 475 years of German brewing history at its Charlotte location, but it also brings authentic German beer and cuisine to the city. Choose your pick of either a brat dog or Bavarian Bratwurst. Or, if one is not enough, then treat yourself to a Wurst Flight, where you can get one bratwurst, one braunwurst and one knackwurst.
Let’s also note that the Gilde brand began in Hannover, Germany, where Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was both the electress, then Queen of Hannover before becoming queen of Great Britain and Ireland.
The Good Wurst Company
Location: 1222 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 3001 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 4015 Corning Pl, Charlotte, NC 28216
In need of a quick bite or have a craving for smoked meat or scratch sausage? The Good Wurst Company has been voted to have the best wiener links in Charlotte for the past three years.
From its classic House Made Bratwurst to its Farm Fresh Brat, prices for the Good Wurst’s brats can range from between $8.59-$9.45. All bratwursts and frankfurters meals come with either potato salad, cucumber salad or coleslaw and can have up to five free toppings. The menu even includes a variety of burgers and sandwiches.
Hot Dog Depot
Location: 218 Albright Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29730
Location: 106 Clebourne Street, Fort Mill, SC, 29715 (opening fall 2024)
One of the best things about visiting different restaurants in and around the Charlotte area, is seeing how diverse and unique their takes are with the menu. Hot Dog Depot owners Dave Sutton and his wife, Jay, have created many variations of hot dogs and burgers — and that has included the restaurant’s brats
The new Hot Honey Brat, priced at $4.39, has quickly become a customer favorite.
“The recipe is simple, we combine grilled onions with a local sweet heat honey provided by Jackson Family Honey,” Dave Sutton said.
Customers can choose from 20 different toppings to put on their bratwurst, hot dog or burger, too.
[COMING SOON: Local restaurant expands with new spot for hot dogs, burgers, milkshakes and more.]
JJ’s Red Hots
Location: 1514 East Blvd Charlotte, NC 28203
If you are on the hunt for a really great deal, then JJ’s Red Hots is where you’ll want to look. For $14.99, you can get a choice of a sausage such as the homemade JJ’s Bratwurst or the Smoked Jalapeño Brat with a choice of a side and a drink.
JJ’s Red Hots was also featured in celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” on Food Network. Its Chili Cheese Coney — which includes house-made chili, shredded cheese and diced onions — was featured on the show.
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Location: 4150 Yancey Road Charlotte NC, 28277
Location: 15025 Bowl Street Charlotte, NC 28277
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is Charlotte’s oldest independent brewery. Start by ordering a Bavarian Style Pretzel ($8) and your choice of sausage ($11). (We recommend the brat or jalapeno cheddar brat.) Then end your meal with either a scrumptious apple strudel ($7) or a German chocolate brownie sundae ($7), all while enjoying live music and drinking beer.
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery will also open another location in Cornelius, while its Water Works Restaurant and Biergarten spinoff will open in Mount Holly in fall 2025.
Waldhorn Restaurant
Location: 12101 Lancaster Hwy, Pineville, NC 28134
Owned by a family with German roots, Waldhorn Restaurant is also home to tradition and authentic German cuisine. Waldhorn not only has international options but also delicious bratwurst meals. Come on in for either lunch and dinner and enjoy Bratwurst Sandwich ($12.95) or a Schwäbische Wurstplatte ($19.95).
This story was originally published August 12, 2024 at 5:30 AM with the headline "It’s a brat summer — but with bites. Here’s where you can eat bratwurst in Charlotte."
