Catalina Kitchen + Bar is Charlotte’s newest destination for elevated classics and coastal-Inspired delights. Located in the heart of the Elizabeth neighborhood, Catalina has a welcoming bar and dining room, and a gorgeous outdoor patio.
Catalina’s scratch kitchen satisfies all cravings and palates. Going on a date night or business dinner? Order from options like filet mignon, succulent oysters and hand-made pasta topped with the freshest seafood they can source. Or just want a casual evening spot? The menu also has a great crispy chicken sandwich, fish tacos, and a healthy protein bowl.
Weeknight or weekend, dinner or drinks, Social Hour or brunch, Catalina Kitchen + Bar is your destination for approachable yet high-quality dining and exceptional service.
We chatted with the team at Catalina for the inside scoop on weekend brunch, and what sets this neighborhood spot apart from the every-growing food scene in Charlotte.
What To Expect at Catalina Charlotte
How do you put a unique spin on traditional American dishes?
Like the craft cocktail movement over the past decade, most, if not all, cocktails can be traced back to prohibition cocktails. We use modern cooking techniques with the best possible ingredients to elevate traditional American dishes. Fortunately, American cuisine is a compilation of the legendary culinary areas from around the world.
What can people look forward to with Catalina Kitchen + Bar’s new weekend brunch?
We are featuring a wonderful brunch menu which is approximately 70% of our dinner menu along with phenomenal brunch features like Chicken & Waffles, Baked French Toast, and Avocado Toast paired with an array of fun and seasonal brunch cocktails like the unofficial state cocktail of North Carolina, a Cherry Bounce.
Tell us about some weeknight promotions you offer.
We’ve added some fun beverage features on weeknights as an added bonus for anyone who joins us for Social Hour or dinner.
MARTINI MONDAY: $9 Tito’s Martinis
PINTS AND POURS TUESDAY: $5 Drafts & $8 Selected Wines by the Glass
CATALINA WINE MIXER WEDNESDAY: 1/2 off all Bottles of Wine under $100
CRAFT COCKTAIL THURSDAY: $10 Selected Specialty Cocktails
How does your menu reflect being a part of the Charlotte community?
Compared to our Midwest restaurants, Catalina Kitchen + Bar skews a little lighter and healthier, but keeping our same attention to detail and offering some comforting dishes like our house-made pastas and the crispy chicken sandwich. Our proximity to the coast allows us to serve extremely fresh seafood, which you find throughout our menu.
Why We Love it
What is it like being in the heart of Charlotte’s most loved neighborhoods?
We are honored to have our first location in the historic Elizabeth neighborhood. The community has been so welcoming to us, and the location is ideal for anyone coming from Uptown, South End, SouthPark, Plaza Midwood, and beyond. We pride ourselves on being a restaurant group of local restaurants. Stressing local because none of our restaurants are the same in menu, atmosphere, etc. We try to find a location where we can serve the neighborhood and do our best to become their favorite place to eat.
How do you focus on creating scratch-made food while offering an array of options for everyone?
We designed our menu for guests to use us for multiple occasions through the week and month, buying the best possible ingredients and doing our best to treat them the right way. We make our own pasta, butcher our proteins such as fish, and partner with the best of the local vendors to get outstanding, consistent products delivered everyday.
How do you craft inspiration from your namesake, Saint Catalina Island?
We believe Saint Catalina Island both represents the coastal comfort concept and a nod to our Chicago roots as the Island was owned by the Wrigley family.
The Perfect Catalina Order
That’s a tough question because I love all of our food, but if I were going to choose, I would start with the Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Fresh Shucked Oysters of the Day that we source from North Carolina or up the East Coast. I would pair my first course with the Cenote cocktail with cristiano anejo tequila. I would move onto the Caesar salad with our house Caesar dressing. For entrees, we promote splitting items so I would share the Pappardelle with the short rib ragu and Fish of the Day, which is currently Red Snapper. I would pair the salad and dinner with a glass of Montepulciano. I would finish with a Staggs Jr bourbon neat and split the Apple Cobbler with Honey Bourbon Ice Cream.
Photography by LunahZon Photography.
