Coming this fall to uptown Charlotte: A taqueria and a sushi restaurant

Fresh on the heels of news about two restaurants from the Kindred team, Albertine and Milkbread, coming to Duke Energy Plaza in uptown Charlotte, there’s more. Que Fresa Taqueria + Bar and Somi Sushi are heading there this fall, as well.

“We wanted the Duke Energy Plaza to be a showcase for diverse, locally owned small businesses,” said Donna Council, senior vice president of Corporate Real Estate, Aviation and Business Services at Duke Energy Plaza. “Ground-floor retailers like these make for a more vibrant area and help add to the dynamic fabric of uptown Charlotte.”

Que Fresa

Que Fresa, a sister restaurant to Que Onda that opened its first location in Wesley Heights last fall, is slated to open uptown in the 2,000-square-foot space at the corner of College Street and East Brooklyn Village Boulevard.

The fast-casual taqueria offers a modern take on counter service Mexican food, with signature tacos, all-day weekend brunch, cocktails and soft-serve margaritas — plus Puffy Chips. The restaurant is owned by Manny Flores and inspired by his wife, Paola, who grew up among other “fresas” in Mexico — a slang term for preppy girls.

When Que Fresa opens uptown, look for the $9.95 lunch menu, featuring options such as two tacos with a choice of protein including pulled chicken tinga or pollo asado, plus rice and beans. Until then, you may catch a taste during one of its lunch pop-ups being held uptown.

“We put in countless hours of hard work to create this brand, and it’s been so rewarding to see how much Charlotte loves Que Fresa. We are extremely excited to serve Uptown,” Flores said.

Que Fresa’s weekend brunch options include Chicken & Waffles, which comes with Chipotle maple syrup and mango salsa.

Somi Sushi

Somi Sushi, a fast-casual restaurant with a location in Matthews, will serve sushi and other Japanese cuisine, including katsu, sashimi, ramen dishes and a build-your-own-bento-box option. Wine, sake and beer will be available for sipping with your meal at the full-service restaurant that won’t take reservations.

The 1,000-square-foot restaurant is owned by chef Thomas Seo — who was born in South Korea — and his wife, Julia, who was also his inspiration for the restaurant. He has been a sushi chef for more than 15 years. “It will be easy to come and go, with a lot of takeout,” Seo told CharlotteFive.

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Somi Sushi owners chef Thomas and Julia Seo with their young child.

To get a sense of the restaurant, be sure to order the Somi Roll ($15), named after his wife. It’s made with spicy tuna, cream cheese and shrimp tempura on the inside, with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, tempura flakes, red tobiko, scallion, sweet chili, spicy mayo and eel sauce on the outside.

A Somi Roll at Somi Sushi.

Que Fresa Taqueria + Bar

Location: Duke Energy Plaza, 525 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202 (coming fall 2023)

Location: 1500-A W. Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28208

Menu

Cuisine: Mexican, brunch

Instagram: @eatquefresa

Somi Sushi

Location: Duke Energy Plaza, 525 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202 (coming fall 2023)

Location: 3104 Weddington Rd #100, Matthews, NC 28105

Menu

Cuisine: Japanese, sushi

Instagram: @somi_sushi