The Gilded Anchor, a new Southern barbecue and seafood restaurant from the Coastal Smoke Hospitality group, is set to open its doors in uptown Charlotte next month, bringing a unique "surf-and-turf" concept to the city's core.

The Gilded Anchor, opening in a prime uptown Charlotte location that has sat vacant for over a year, aims to bridge two of the South's most beloved food traditions: smoky, slow-cooked barbecue and fresh, coastal seafood. This new restaurant promises a dining experience that is both familiar and thrillingly new, and represents a significant vote of confidence in uptown's vitality, bringing new energy and foot traffic to the city's heart.

What We Know So Far

  • The Gilded Anchor is a new restaurant concept that will blend traditional Southern barbecue with a seafood-forward menu, according to a press release from Coastal Smoke Hospitality.
  • The project is led by restaurateurs Sarah Jenkins and David Chen, with Chef Marcus Thorne, formerly of Charleston's acclaimed "The Mariner's Table," heading the kitchen.
  • The restaurant is located at 201 N. Tryon Street, in the former space of "Uptown Capital Bank," a location confirmed by both the restaurant group and a report in Charlotte Commercial Real Estate Today.
  • A soft opening for reservations is planned for late October, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for the first week of November, according to a company statement.
  • The menu will feature a raw bar, wood-fired seafood, and a selection of slow-smoked meats, including brisket and Carolina-style pulled pork, Chef Thorne confirmed in an interview with City & Local.

What's on the menu at Charlotte's new Southern seafood spot?

Head Chef Marcus Thorne describes The Gilded Anchor's concept not as fusion, but as a "culinary conversation" between the Carolina coast and the Piedmont's smokehouse traditions. "These are two pillars of Southern food," he explained, "They've always existed side-by-side, but we want to put them on the same plate, to show how they can elevate each other." This philosophy is evident throughout the ambitious menu.

Near the restaurant's entrance, a raw bar will offer a rotating selection of East Coast oysters, littleneck clams, and peel-and-eat shrimp, served with house-made cocktail sauce and tangy mignonette. Chef Thorne highlights "Smoked Oysters" as a signature offering, where freshly shucked oysters are lightly kissed with applewood smoke before serving, adding a unique layer of complexity and exemplifying The Gilded Anchor's barbecue-seafood blend.