Charlotte’s Counter- earns first Michelin Star for a North Carolina restaurant

Counter- received the high culinary honor at a ceremony Monday night as part of the inaugural selection for the American South. Michelin announced the 2025 honorees in a release prior to the event in Greenville.

Chef Sam Hart’s restaurant on West Morehead Street also is the first in North Carolina to land a star. 

Here is how Michelin describes the business that pairs its contemporary cuisine in an unconventional way since 2020:

To say that Counter is an outlier in the Charlotte dining scene risks understatement: this ambitious, mercurial project from Chef Sam Hart is sui generis. The boldly immersive experience features shifting concepts fueled by Chef Hart’s multifarious passions and creativity, drawing on themes of nostalgia, music, personal history and more on a multi-course tasting menu. Local products are celebrated, including herbs and vegetables from nearby urban farms, combined with wide-ranging culinary influences that make for a truly memorable meal. The tight-knit team provides effortlessly gracious hospitality, and the beverage offerings are sure to impress.

Hart, a Charlotte native, was a finalist for the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast. He also is the chef for Spaghett, which opened in uptown’s Fourth Ward in July. 

Four South Carolina establishments also received a Michelin Star, three of which are in Charleston. Malagón Mercado y Taperia (Charleston), Scoundrel (Greenville), Vern’s (Charleston) and Wild Common (Charleston). 

The Michelin Guide offers recommendation for fine dining and lodging all over the world. The business are on a scale of zero, one, two, and three stars.

Another Charlotte restaurant also landed Michelin laurels. Lang Van, serving Vietnamese cuisine on Shamrock Drive, received a Bib Gourmand award for offering meals at the best value.

The 2025 American South selection includes the pre-existing Atlanta restaurant selection as a part of this first regional edition in North America. Atlanta had seven new Michelin-recommended restaurants this year.