Nan and Byron’s

I ate here for Queen’s Feast/​Charlotte’s Restaurant Week on Sunday, 1÷31÷2016 at 6:30 PM with 2 friends. I would ideally like to give Nan and Byron’s 3.5 stars, but can’t do half. so I decided to go up rather than down.
Our original reservation was for 6, but we were running late and they accommodated us by moving us to 6:30. The staff is super friendly. Nan and Byron’s is very appealing to the eye. It has a funky and creative entrance that is glass and the door handles are a shovel and a 4-​pronged rake. The glass immediately draws you in so you can admire the very neatly designed copper ceiling. There’s a coat rack to the right, restrooms to the left and you’re directly greeted by a check-​in desk upon arrival. Past check in is the brightly lit and fully stocked bar with many stools to the left and 2 rows of high tables paired with chairs. The bar serves a good variety of local beers and wines. There are also TVs to watch sports or entertainment. To the rear of the main dining room, is a one-​step up elevated booth area with 4 tables. Off of the main dining room to the right is another fairly large dining area with regular height tables and chairs. It is dimly lit. There is also an outdoor area that is open in nice weather and wrapped in plastic in the winter. The kitchen is off to the left of the main dining area.
As a complimentary starter each table is presented with flavored popcorn. It is very airy and has a slight kick after taste. Two of us weren’t big fans of it, while the other person loved it.
An alcoholic beverage was included in the Queen’s Feast menu at this establishment. I choose Riesling, while my counterparts chose Absolut vodka with cranberry juice. One person tried a sample of a local beer called Copper. We had waters all around.
My personal choice of appetizer was the Cobb salad. I loved the lettuce. I believe it was green leaf lettuce and 4 – 6 full pieces were on my plate surrounded by sides of crumbled egg, blue cheese, avocado and halved cherry or grape tomatoes. I omitted the bacon, since i’m a vegetarian. The lettuce and tomatoes made the cobb salad very crispy and fresh, but overall it was more creamy due to the avocado, cheese and egg. It was supposed to come with blue cheese dressing, but didn’t have any (or much), which worked out well. It was tasty and I enjoyed it. One friend also had the salad, but without the blue cheese and opted for another type of dressing. The other had sweet chili chicken wings. The first order came out cold and then when a steaming replacement plate came out, she decided she didn’t like them and the other person who got the salad ended up eating a majority of them.
My entrée selection was Grilled Portobello Mushrooms drizzled with charred onion hollandaise with sweet potato blue cheese gratin and Brussels sprouts. The portobellos had a definite grilled flavor and my two meat eating friends both agreed it was delicious. One even said it tasted like steak! Nice portion size, about 4 medium sized portobellos! The sweet potato blue cheese gratin looks like a thick piece of ham and I questioned our waiter, who said «no, that’s not meat.» Haha. It was surprisingly very creamy and tasty, even though i’m not a big blue cheese person. it was very interesting, creative, thinking outside of the box dish! I’m also not a huge fan of Brussels sprouts, but these were excellent. practically my favorite part of the meal! They were halved, naturally buttery, crispy on the outside and seasoned well. I believe they were either just grilled or steamed and grilled. They were so good. stole the show! I packed part of my entrée to go and enjoyed it for dinner tonight at work. The sweet potato blue cheese gratin wasn’t as good as when it was first prepared, but still edible.
My friends both ordered the filet mignon. They were both happy with it, stating it was buttery fall off your fork tender. It came with crushed potatoes aka mashed– they were good, but nothing to write home about and I think green beans.
Lastly, I ordered as a treat the Key Lime Tart with blackberry compote sauce, vanilla Chantilly, lime zest and a fresh blackberry. My favorite thing about key lime pie is the contrast and merge of flavors between the sweet, dry graham cracker crust and the tart key lime filling. The blackberry was a fresh, juicy reminder of another natural fruit flavor. I initially ordered it to-​go, but ended up eating it all after tasting it in the to-​go box! My comrades both opted for the s’mores cheesecake with graham cracker crust. The marshmallows are made in-​house and surprisingly a toasted dark chocolate fudge cocoa nib is placed in the middle of each one.
Our waiter K.T. was very polite, engaging, kept our drinks refreshed and checked in frequently. Nick, the owner also visited our table after the chicken wing fiasco. He was pleasant and apologetic.
Good atmosphere, decent food and would consider returning!

Great selection at the bar. I tried a rum drink but the lemonade looked delicious. Customer service was top notch. Kitchen closed at 10pm and we got there just 20 min before. I ordered the mushroom ravioli. I love how the flavor of the mushrooms really pop out. The white cream sauce was kinda salty. The peas helped the flavor. My friend got the steak salad and said it was perfect. The steak was medium rare and flavorful with a tangy mix of dressing and fresh greens. The décor was nice, lighting soft. They have a mix of high tables, booths and regular tables. On cold evenings don’t sit by the front. The large glass doors allow a lot of the cold in when opened. They had a beer garden in the back. I’d come back just to try the many options on the cocktail list.

I like that parking is so easy here.
My second visit here and i guess i just dont care for it. The fried oyster app– tiny oysters– too small to taste anything more than the light breading, pineapple & jalapeño.
Mussels — oh yuck. Seriously — seemed like a can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup was poured over them.
The flank steak was not too bad. Cooked as requested and nicely seasoned.
Lastly, S’mores cheesecake. The house made marshmallows were a good idea, and they had been torched for a toasted outside, unfortunately, once bitten into discovered they were refrigerator cold. Bringing them to room temp, then torching would have been so much better.
Our server was adorable; she did a great job.
We were seated in the back corner by the servers station. It was Africa hot. The couple next to us asked for dessert to go because they were so uncomfortable and I thought we were going to get heat stroke. Funny thing is that the place wasn’t packed when we arrived. Why would you seat anyone in the worst seat in the house (per the service staff when we asked about the temp) until you had no other option?

I was excited to come to Nan and Byron’s for my friends birthday brunch. I was a little skeptical though about the mixed Unilocal reviews. But I decided to give it a try. I really do hate writing bad reviews but this time it’s warranted. First, the service was really slow. Although we had a large party of 9, 5 of us ordered from the a la carte menus and everyone else had the buffet. It took an hour for our a la carte dishes to get to us. And there were only 3 more parties of about 2 – 3 people each in thise parties. So there is no need for our service to be that slow. When our food arrived, the home fries we ordered were burnt to a crisp. I posted a picture of the burnt potaties. We were saddened that the chef actually sent the plates out with burnt home fries. The bacon on our burgers wasn’t even done and it wasn’t crispy. They did get the temperature of my burger correct. Sadly to say, this wasn’t a good experience at Nan and Byron’s that’s why they’re getting a 1.

Always a good date night dinner spot. From their old bay type seasoned popcorn to their decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone on the menu.
My fiancé always gets their salmon and claims it as his favorite in Charlotte. I tend to wander on the menu, from the crispy beet burger to the bucatini pasta, everything is always prepared beautifully and tastes great.
My only one disappointment… their mushroom soup. I just wanted it to be thicker, or have more flavor… something in it was just missing.

Don’t get the buffet brunch. Definitely not worth 23 bucks. I found the food to be sub-​par, you get one drink, and not a big selection. We should’ve ordered off the regular menu. The food looked fresher, obviously. But then again, I’m a picky bitch. You all might love it. Ok, the «sausage gravy» tasted odd with NO sign of sausage anywhere. Scrambled eggs looked dry, «homefries potatoes» were bland and tasteless and weren’t homefries, they were roasted potatoes,
That’s all. The shrimp was pretty good and the sauces were tasty. I didn’t try the crab legs. The sticky buns were broken up and liquidied in a sugary, Carmelized sauce and they were FUCKIN SCRUMPTIOUS !! Best thing, I thought. They had cheese and fruit, blah blah. I don’t eat that shit for breakfast. I need bacon and eggs, and all that. For me, because I prefer typical breakfast food, it wasn’t worth the price and the quality suffers. I wouldn’t go back. My fat ass is till trying to get into the Tupelo Honey Café!!’

It was ok.

What a disappointment and poor experience. I almost gave them 1 star. Our waiter was bumbling over his words and couldn’t answer any of our questions.
My friends asked if there were any non dairy creamer options. He had to go find out, and then advised us they did not. How do you not have a single non diary option in the whole place?! I asked what drinks were available prior to this and I was advised coffee and juice, so I ordered plain coffee even though I wanted a latte. Once my friends asked for the creamer options he mentioned the coffee bar options. Ugh! I then traded my plain coffee for a sad, cold latte.
We also had a wobbly table which quickly became an issue once food was served. We waited as he placed napkins etc under the table.
We had the shrimp and polenta, which was too salty. We also had the beet Benedict and it was so bland. Not to mention our poached eggs came out hard boiled. We had to send it back to the kitchen for another and we were still disappointed.
We will NOT be back. Sadly, I took out of town friends here. This makes me question trying 5 church.

Awkward server
Overly salty shrimp and polenta
Poached eggs on a Benedict that were served hard boiled
Under seasoned Benedict
Big disappointment

I took my boyfriend (who lives out of town) here because I love the atmosphere and I have always been told how great the food was. The service was fine, our waitress was nice and attentive for the most part however the food is what lacked. I ordered the prime bistro steak, it came with mashed potatoes. While the food was just okay, it came out cold and my steak was slightly overdone. I am not a fan of cold mashed potatoes. The drinks were good but I felt very small for the price. I wish I could give this 2 and a half stars because it is a fun place but way too over priced for what you get.
Favorite thing here is the popcorn! It’s a nice touch and delicious so make sure you get it! The oysters are also a great app!

I’ll echo what a lot of Unilocalers before me pointed out… Nan and Byron is really nothing special. In fact, it’s a really expensive nothing special. I’ll take average food at low prices and will champion outstanding food at high prices but just ok food that breaks the bank, well, sucks! I wish I had just taken you all at your word and skipped this one.
We ate at the bar. The hostess was fairly unfriendly but the jovial bartenders made up for her. Beer selection on draught was pitiful. They had a really limited selection and shockingly 3 – 4 empty handles. So, they had the space for more beer and a wider selection, just choose not to? I’m confused. Anywho, due to the lack of good, craft beer, I ordered the sparking mojito. At $ 11, this was quite possibly the biggest rip off of the night. About 90% prosecco (a glass of prosecco would have only run me $ 6, btw) and 10% mojito, I was disappointed.
We ordered a meat and cheese board and the pork spring rolls to start. Luckily we had a chance to make it through those before ordering anything else. The meat and cheese was fine. Nothing special but priced at $ 15+. The spring rolls, touted by the bar tender as «outstanding» were a serious let down. The appetizer cost $ 10. For 2 dry, bland spring rolls. That’s $ 5 per spring roll for all the math majors out there.
After realizing this place was not worth the money, we choose to pay out tab (over $ 50 for 2 drinks and 2 apps!) and leave. I found myself wishing we’d gone to just about any other spot on South or East Blvd. Lesson learned!

Small portions for the money, plates look plain and without any garnish. A wanna be upscale restaurant should not compromise on quality or presentation. Having flies around brunch buffet only topped the experience.

Service is great here. Goes well with the whole southern hospitality theme. Food is alright. They brand themselves as an upscale brunch place but the presentation of the food not!
Tip: Try and avoid ordering a cappuccino here.

Good atmosphere and great mixed drinks. I have been here about five times and have never been blown away with the food and have always been disappointed with the price and small portions. I understand that meat is expensive, but is it really necessary to put child-​sized portions of vegetables and other sides on the plate?
5 Church and Nan’s is under the same ownership, and I would give the same review of both spots. These guys create great drinking places yet seem to fall short on the food.

I had date night at N&B tonight. We enjoyed the meatloaf and petite filet. My steak was overcooked by the manager quickly fixed it and offered to take care of a round of drinks and a dessert. We sat in a cozy booth that felt quite intimate. I was slightly confused on the service. Our waiter rarely came to our table, the manager and «back server» interacted with us more. We hope the tip was split with them.

Was here once prior and had a nice time. Returned for their 2 year anniversary night with the select $ 2 menu and was extremely disappointed.
Had a reservation for two people and did not get seated until 30 minutes after. Okay, I get it, you may have taken too many reservations to sit, but 30 mins is pushing it for a two top.
Got sat and were greeted 15 minutes later. Ordered drinks and food at the same time. Received our drinks about ten mins later by another server. Look, the restaurant was busy, but this was now over 45 mins to get a drink after our reservation time.
Saw our server 45 minutes later to be asked if we wanted dessert (not having received our meal yet). He realized how long the wait was for our food and said he was checking on it. 25 minutes later he still hasn’t returned with an update.
We left cash for our drinks and left without receiving our food. I understand food takes a while when the place is packed, but at least give us an update after apologizing for the delay and «checking on the food.» Both of us were servers and would have been understanding.
Anyway, we won’t be returning unfortunately.

Just ok. The winner on the brunch buffet was the cocktail shrimp. The loser of the whole experience was the waitress, no personality and terrible service! Coffee was ok, my husband likes it but I’ve had better. Most of the hot items were cold on the buffet… the food could have been warmer or fresh off the griddle/​oven. And you have to toast your own croissants/​bagels/​breads. They had crab legs on the menu but they were cold and hard to eat when you sit a few inches away from your neighbor. It s a one and done kind of place, tried it but did not love enough to come back.

Not impressed with this restaurant. I rarely ever give a one star and here are the reasons why Nan and Byron’s is getting this type of a review.
Walked in and greeted by the hostess. Little early and went over to the bar. Ordered a Crystal Cosmo which was okay. Other friend joined us and ordered a water. Bartender never brought her glass of water.
Hostess comes over and says our table is ready and to check out at the bar. Ask bartender for the tab, he says he has other thing to do. He get a drink for someone else and then he takes chair and moves it and gets preoccupied with other things and not with the customers at the bar area. I am still waiting to be checked out. Hostess comes back 2^nd time to seat us but I haven’t been checked out. Another staff member brings me the check. I give her cash. She short changes me.
We finally get seated. There were no complementary popcorn. We split the Signature Taco. The Beer Braised Pork was dry and had no flavor stacked with tons of arugula. As for the Taco– it is a flour tortilla– you would think it be soft but it was hard. Someone over cooked it. Asked the waitress is the taco suppose to be this hard when the other one is soft? She said that is how it is and then she says let me see and takes it and brings back the item in a softer taco shell.
Ordered the Prince Edward Island Mussels– Not crazy about the sauce which is like Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Was not my cup of tea. Have had way way better Mussel’s than the ones they serve here.
We decided not to go for desert for we were not pleased nor impressed by the food this evening. One of my friends, who was here like last November said they were not on their game tonight. She did not eat her Brussel Sprouts because it was not seasoned.
My friend asked the waitress for the check. She never came with the check. Then, my other friend asked for the check again.
This place is not even busy. Looks like more staff here than patrons.
Tonight, the food and the service was not good. Wait staff takes forever to bring you the check. No smile or customer service. The prize goes to the hostess and reception area, who greet the customers, seats them and says goodbye after the meal. They did a great job.
We will not be back. Too many restaurants in Charlotte to select from.

I did not start off on the right foot with this restaurant. Their first contact with me was a phone call threatening to cancel my reservation if I did not call back to confirm «due to the increased business of restaurant week». I only had a party of 4 scheduled and looked on OpenTable to find there were still plenty of spots available leading up to my 6:30 reservation. It was for a Wednesday after all. This irked me so much I almost cancelled in favor of finding another restaurant for my group.
By the time Wednesday rolled around 2 of the group were unable to attend so I easily updated the reservation. Part of me wishes I had not done that because our reserved table for 2 people was an uncomfortable high top at the bar. However people were generally helpful in retrieving my purse whenit kept falling off the chair with the rounded back.
We started with a complimentary bowl of popcorn which had an interesting spicy BBQ seasoning on it. I ordered the tuna tartare as my appetizer which was delicious! I loved the sauces artfully spread across my plate to compliment the tuna. My sister said the fried oysters were delicious and I take her at her word since she left none for me to try!
I opted for the $ 5 upcharge to get the scallops. The plate contained 4 large and correctly cooked scallops but the seasoning on them was far too strong. I would have enjoyed the dish more if it had more of a scallop taste.
The cheesecake at the end had a very coarse crust but the filling was good.
The meal was delicious but the atmosphere and experience were lacking. I will probably return for drinks but not for dinner.

I really, really wanted to like this place more. For some reason or another, I’ve had Nan & Byron’s on my list of «must-​try restaurants» for a while and with them participating in Charlotte Restaurant week this Summer, I decided this would be a good opportunity. My friend made reservations for early Saturday evening (7−18−15) and we had no trouble getting parking spots in their limited parking lot.
The exterior really feels reminiscent of a small firehouse (which I believe the space was before it was turned into a restaurant) and has a very intimate and modern feel on the inside. Our waitress greeted us and let us know about our meal options. We both ordered from the restaurant week menu (which included an alcoholic beverage of your choice) and munched on the complimentary popcorn basket. I really liked the popcorn, it has a subtle spicy kick to it. I ordered a glass of Malbec and started off with the crispy oysters. The oysters are each served with slices of jalapeño and pineapple. A nice balance of heat and sweet. Unfortunately, the oysters are quite bland on their own and I didn’t find them to be that crispy. My friend ordered the sweet chili wings and I much preferred those over the oysters.
For the main entrée, I went with the wagyu flank steak. It was served with «crushed» aka mashed potatoes and broccolini. I was HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED in the steak. I asked for it medium and it was inconsistently warm throughout. Lukewarm steak is just a no-​no. The potatoes were the warmest thing on the plate and they had nice flavor thanks to the scallions that were mixed in. The broccolini was just… there. I had a few pieces of it but I much prefer regular ol’ broccoli. My friend ordered the filet mignon and she was also disappointed in her meal.
For dessert, I went with the key lime tart. Of course the one thing I don’t take a picture of ends up being the best part of the meal. This was a winner. I looked at their menu and it doesn’t appear to be a regular offering of theirs. They should change that right now. It’s the perfect summer dessert. The tart was served with blackberry sauce and the balance of the acidic lime and sweet blackberry worked so well together. Not too heavy and nice light flavors. I could’ve probably eaten an entire dish of that.
The service was great and very considerate but I was so disappointed in the overall meal, especially since I had been looking forward to eating there for quite some time. I’m going to blame the business of restaurant week for the meal quality and I hope to return to different experience trying out their brunch/​lunch menu.