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How do I know the pizza at Salud Cerverceria is the best in Charlotte? I’m about to order it for the second time in as many days.
If this piece feels rushed at the start, blame my editor: the restaurant’s atmosphere comes first.
Salud’s NoDa location feels like a trendy Bushwick loft: charred-wood floors and high ceilings give it an industrial vibe, while mint-green stools and hanging plants add pops of personality.
It’s also a shrine to footy (or a haven for soccer fans): a Manchester United-Aston Villa match flickered on a giant projector in the back corner, while pop-art murals of Lionel Messi and Bad Bunny decorated the bathroom doors. Boney James’ “Coastin’” hummed through the speakers — a smooth, sun-soaked groove of warm sax and lazy guitar — setting the mood for my unusually warm Sunday lunch (There’s also a beer shop on the first floor of the building with a curated selection of craft beers).
I hadn’t planned on pizza. A sandwich had caught my eye when I browsed the menu before I left for NoDa. But one of the women behind the bar suggested otherwise.
When I asked for recommendations, they answered in perfect unison:
“Latin Lingo.”
Here’s what you need to know about Salud.
What’s on the menu at Salud?
Salud Cerveceria’s menu features a mix of casual pub-style starters, fresh salads, hearty sandwiches, and a variety of wood-fired 12-inch pizzas with creative toppings, plus desserts like alfajores and tres leches. It also serves breakfast items on weekends, including burritos, breakfast wraps and sandwiches.
Most entrées range from $10-$13, and pizzas range from $16-$20.
Here’s everything I got for roughly $25 (before tax and tip):
- Latin Lingo pizza ($18): Spicy crema base, chicken, roasted corn, onion, jalapeños, cotija cheese, cilantro, tajin and lime.
- Latino Bakes alfajores ($7): Soft cookies, similar to shortbread, dusted with powdered sugar and sandwiched together with dulce de leche.
Those cookies sounded promising, and they were. But I need you to forget them. Focus on the pizza.
“Sad” doesn’t come close to describing how I felt when it was gone. Perhaps “melancholy,” “despondent,” or even “woebegone” captures it better.
This will sound cliche and maybe a little dramatic, but have you ever had a dish so good it changed your perspective on life? I’m not just talking about something that’s “good” – I mean a dish that lingers in your mind long after the last bite, reshaping your sense of flavor, memory and maybe even happiness itself. I’m pretty sure I skipped back to my car after I finished that pizza.
The chefs at Salud somehow took the familiar flavors of a street taco, translated them to a pizza, and made them taste even better. The spicy crema base balanced the smoky chicken, roasted corn, and punchy jalapeños perfectly, while the lime added a sharp, welcome spark.
I had two more paragraphs typed up in praise, but nothing I wrote did it justice. If you’re reading this between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m., and you live anywhere near NoDa, order that pizza. Seriously. Even if you don’t, find a way.
You can thank me later.
Salud Cerveceria
Location: 3306 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, NC 28205
Cuisine: Pizza, sandwiches, wings and desserts
Instagram: @saludcerveceria
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Evan Moore
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