Charlotte's 24-Hour Hotspot Is One Of The Best Diners In North Carolina

There's something quintessentially American about the 24-hour diner, where classic comfort food meets unceasing capitalism in an always-open culinary hangout. The late-night diner has become a cultural touchstone, the place of strange and sometimes surreal happenings from "Pulp Fiction" to "Twin Peaks" to "When Harry Met Sally..." Folks looking to get their 24-hour diner fix in Charlotte can find that particular mix of the familiar and dreamlike at the RedEye Diner in Uptown.

This retro diner offers a mix of Southern and traditional diner comfort food available 24/7. Sink into eggs cooked the way you like, or a juicy burger, or try the diner's famed shrimp and grits or chicken and waffles. While it may not be considered the best diner in North Carolina, the food at RedEye plus its warm and thoughtful service make it a contender to be named one of the best 24-hour diners in the U.S.

Part of what makes the RedEye such a hotspot is that its comfort food, late-night hours, and low prices are all what make a diner, well, a diner. Not surprisingly, the diner is an American invention. In 1872, Rhode Island resident Walter Scott turned his wagon into a food truck, serving cheap eggs, coffee, and sandwiches to workers on the night shift. Others expanded both this idea and the hours, creating lunch cars with frosted glass and murals on the outside and stoves, ice boxes, and seating on the inside. By the 1920s, the name "dining cars" had been shortened to "diners" and popularized as places of the proletariat. In diners, folks of different economic backgrounds could get an affordable, home-cooked meal at all hours of the day.

The RedEye's menu offers breakfast classics like omelettes, buttermilk pancakes, and waffles, as well as lunch and dinner options like 100% beef burgers, country fried steak, and fried chicken. Its specials include a coconut French toast, a fried chicken sandwich with a firecracker sauce, and the "Bubba," an open-faced biscuit covered with cheddar scrambled eggs and sausage gravy.

Although the diner has gotten mixed reviews on Yelp, those on Google have been more enthusiastic, bringing it to a 4.1 rating. Visitors have highlighted the shrimp and grits, plus the coconut French toast, which one user described as "to die for." It's not just the food either, as several people praised the old-school diner vibe, with one person noting that "the hustle and bustle, the noise, people talking, the jukebox — it genuinely feels like stepping back in time."

You can order online for pickup or delivery. Those visiting this 24/7 diner may want to bring cash or a physical card, as the restaurant did not accept Apple Pay or tap payments at last notice before the time of writing. While the honor of "diner capital of the world" goes to New Jersey instead of North Carolina, diner fans and comfort food heads can easily get their kicks at the RedEye to see firsthand if it should be counted as one of Charlotte's must-try restaurants.