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Plaza Midwood’s latest dining spot offers creative barbecue with patio views

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The Improper Pig is rolling out a new flagship location and new flavors are coming right along with it.

The local barbecue joint owned by Stomp, Chomp & Roll is opening its new Plaza Midwood restaurant on Monday, Feb. 16.

The hospitality group recently closed its last location of The Pizza Peel and also opened a Flying Biscuit Cafe in Matthews while running Improper Pig eateries in South Charlotte and in Fort Mill. Now, it’s turning its focus to the new 3,100-square-foot spot with a dining room — also in a former Pizza Peel location.

A restaurateur with a well-groomed, long grey beard and a styled mustache stands in a modern restaurant, holding two plates of food and wearing a dark navy button-down shirt and grey trousers. With the right hand, the restaurant owner holds a plate of crispy eggrolls with a side of red dip; with the left, a large bowl of fried rice garnished with green onions and two small dipping cups. The restaurant background features red and white striped wall tiles, industrial lighting, and bright yellow and orange chairs.
Stomp, Chomp & Roll founder Will Bigham at The Improper Pig’s new Plaza Midwood flagship restaurant. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

Now, the flagship space will hold 68 guests inside, and there’s room for almost 100 more outdoors. The Central Avenue location features an outdoor bar, an expanded kitchen with a wood-fired grill and smoker, and a vibrant design put together with Plaza Midwood diners in mind.

A long, polished dark wood bar with a base featuring vertical red and white striped tiles. Blue metal barstools with dark wood seats are lined up along the counter. Behind the bar, there is a stainless steel backsplash, multiple beer taps, and dark wood shelving stocked with various liquor bottles. Two televisions are mounted on the white wooden wall at either end of the shelving unit.
The Improper Pig Plaza Midwood’s bar. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

Late-night offerings and live entertainment are also in the works, along with community programming. That’s something important to Stomp, Chomp & Roll founder Will Bigham, who lives in Plaza Midwood.

“We’re excited being a part of the community here,” Bigham told CharlotteFive. “I bought a house here in 2000. I’ve raised three kids in the neighborhood.”

The interior dining room of a restaurant, showing a modern industrial design with high ceilings and exposed orange ventilation pipes. The space features large glass garage-style doors that let in natural light, white brick accents, and a back wall covered in red and white striped tiles behind a stainless steel open kitchen. Square wooden tables are paired with bright yellow and orange metal chairs, while the foreground shows a row of light blue barstools.
The dining room at The Improper Pig’s flagship location. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

The Improper Pig’s new menu items

Diners will still find their Improper Pig favorites, including the St. Louis-style ribs and brisket. There are also plenty of vegetarian items, including the No Pig Sandwich, smoked tofu and several of the side dishes such as collard greens and Asian slaw. But the flagship location will also bring new menu items across the brand, including cocktail features.

A metal tray holds a long, glazed rack of ribs alongside four slices of triangular Texas toast and a small bowl of golden-brown hushpuppies with pickled red onions. Three small white square bowls contain southern sides: sweet potato mash with a crumble topping, collard greens, and creamy coleslaw.
The Improper Pig’s Smokin Rack. Courtesy NiceDay and LunahZon Photography

The new menu leans heavily on Asian flavors, which have been part of The Improper Pig’s identity from the beginning. Its first location grew out of the restaurant group’s first restaurant, Mama Fu’s in Cotswold.

A close-up of a specialty burger served on a white rectangular plate. The burger features a thick, charred beef patty topped with a fried egg, drizzled with red sriracha-style sauce and green garnishes. A generous layer of red kimchi and fresh lettuce sits beneath the patty on a toasted brioche bun.
The Improper Pig’s Kimchi Burger. Courtesy NiceDay and LunahZon Photography

New tastes include:

  • Beet it Salad – Arugula, roasted beets, butternut squash, shallots, pumpkin seeds and cider-dijon vinaigrette ($14)
  • Spicy Edamame – Steamed edamame with spicy green bean sauce ($8)
  • Smoked-Curry Rolls – Spring roll wrappers, smoked chicken, onion, carrot, cabbage, garlic, rice noodles, yellow curry and Tong’s Thai BBQ sauce ($11)
  • Kimchi Burger – Wagyu beef, kimchi aioli, kimchi, fried egg, lettuce, Sriracha, furikake and a brioche bun ($19)
  • Pimento Burger – Wagyu beef, red onion, romaine, pickle relish, pimento cheese, mayo, mustard and a brioche bun ($18)
  • Fried Rice – Jasmine rice, egg, peas, carrots, yellow onion, garlic, chili paste, Mama’s sauce, scallions, shrimp sauce and Tong’s Thai BBQ sauce ($12). Customers can add a smoked chicken, pulled pork, smoked tofu or brisket (+$5) or andouille sausage (+$3)
  • Miso Hungry – Salmon, white miso & yuzu-sake butter, house-rubbed sesame seeds ($29)
  • Skillet Brownie – Ghirardelli chocolate brownie, chocolate chunks, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream ($10)

A plate of four crispy, fried smoked curry rolls sliced on a sharp diagonal to reveal a vibrant filling of shredded carrots, cabbage, and herbs. They are garnished with fresh cilantro and served on a bed of shredded lettuce with a small white ramekin of sweet chili sauce on a rectangular white plate.
Smoked Curry Rolls at The Improper Pig. Courtesy NiceDay and LunahZon Photography

The beverage program has seen a refresh with the help of Cody Jones, as well, with a new sake program and other drinks with Asian flair to pair with your meal.

Among the new options, built to stand out from other drinks you’ll find around town, are:

  • Sake 75 with gin, yuzu sake, lemon juice, simple syrup and prosecco ($15)
  • Lychee martini with vodka, lychee syrup and elderflower liqueur ($15)
  • Miso Nutty with vodka, lime and lemon juice, ginger and jalapeno simple syrup, white miso paste and toasted peanut oil ($13)

“Our whole customer experience is come in, eat great food, in a relaxed atmosphere welcome to everyone,” Bigham said.

A stemless martini glass filled with a translucent, pale yellow cocktail sits on a polished dark wood bar top. The drink is garnished with a single lychee fruit on a bamboo skewer. In the background, a row of silver beer taps and various glassware are visible in a brightly lit modern bar setting.
The Improper Pig’s lychee martini. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

Location: 1600 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC (opening Feb. 16)

Location: 9855 Sandy Rock Place A, Charlotte NC

Location: 204 Main Street, Fort Mill, SC

Menu

Cuisine: Barbecue

Instagram: @improperpig

Hours: Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

A view of a spacious outdoor dining patio at The Improper Pig, featuring artificial green turf and a variety of colorful metal mesh chairs in orange, yellow, and light blue. Several white rectangular and round tables are spread across the turf. In the background, an outdoor wooden bar sits under a covered area next to an orange corrugated metal wall, with a multi-story residential building and bare trees visible under an overcast sky.
The patio at The Improper Pig in Plaza Midwood. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

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An exterior shot of The Improper Pig restaurant featuring a purple facade, an orange “Improper Pig” sign under a large overhang, and an outdoor patio with blue and yellow seating.
The Improper Pig’s flagship location is at 1600 Central Ave. in Plaza Midwood. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM.

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Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits.
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