CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In the middle of the hustle and bustle of Uptown, you'll find Mert's Heart and Soul, a southern restaurant, serving up low country soul food.

  • Mert's Heart and Soul is located right in Uptown Charlotte.
  • They specialize in low country soul food with the popular dish being fried chicken, green beans, and mac and cheese. 
  • Their cornbread includes a secret ingredient! 

Owners, James Bazzelle and his wife, Renee, opened Mert's 20 years ago.

“We wanted a restaurant that families could come to and could afford,” said Bazzelle.

It’s their second restaurant. Bazzelle said GA on Tryon was only in business a few years but he said that's where they met a very special customer -- Ms. Myrlte Lockhart.

“She was a regular and we got to know her very well. She told us when she was younger, her nickname was Mert,” said Bazzelle.

While they were naming this restaurant, Bazzelle said he wanted something southern.

“So I told the design guy try Mert's. He wrote Mert's and then added the heart and soul, and me and wife looked at the logo and we said 'That's the name of our restaurant!'”

Bazzelle said Lockhart was a private person, so you won't see her photo inside, but her soul lives on in their recipes. One of their most popular dishes is fried chicken with green beans and macaroni and cheese.

But what Mert's is known for isn't any specific dish but their homemade mini cornbread loaves. Bazzelle said they make about 2,000 mini loaves a week with a side of homemade honey butter.

If you’d like to visit Mert’s Heart and Soul, it’s located at 214 N College St Charlotte, NC 28202, just a couple of blocks away from the EpiCentre in Uptown.

 

 

Hours of Operation:

Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30pm

Friday 11 a.m. to 11:30pm

Saturday 9 a.m. to 11:30pm

Sunday 9 a.m. to 9:30pm

You can also check out their website here: https://mertscharlotte.com/.

Have a favorite restaurant you want us to try next? Send us your favorite places to eat in town by emailing us at menuhopping@charter.com.

Get the latest news, sports and weather delivered straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up for email and text alerts.