Hazelnut Crêperie

Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // New American restaurant // decent but not standout

the ELEVATOR PITCH

Hazelnut Crêperie is one of the handful of restaurants in Charlotte that specialize in crêpes, and one of the only in the Ballantyne area. When you walk in, the restaurant’s ambiance is somewhere between a fast-casual sandwich shop (like Jimmy John’s) to a modern sterile laboratory (maybe not as intense as your college chemistry class though)…birthing the unique experience of ordering and dining in a modern-sterile-laboratory-fast-casual-sandwich shop! A must-try!

On a more serious note, Hazelnut Crêperie has done a great job championing the versatility of the crêpe. Whenever I think “crêpe,” I think “paper-thin pancake wrapping up nutella and strawberries where I need to be in the mood for something sweet and better not be too hungry because the portion of one maybe is enough to act as a meal (but I probably would need another).” Hazelnut Crêperie has taken that stereotype, smashed it, and reformed it to be so much more. Crêpes can be enjoyed at any time of the day here: breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner!

On top of making it an all-day round food option, they’ve also taken a New American spin on the French crêpe (which started off being an unintentional cooking accident). There are menu items that feature international flavors like Crepe Samosa and Undo Your Thai, while also keeping classique American options like Buffalo Chicken and Chicken Bacon Ranch. My only gripe is that they seem to use the same list of ingredients, just reforming the combos to create different crêpe profiles, so I’m skeptical that each crêpe will actually taste that much different than its menu siblings?

Anyway, if you’re craving crêpes, looking for a restaurant with a lot of options for your people with a mix of dietary preferences, or just craving crêpes, Hazelnut Crêperie delivers solid on their promise to feed you.

Now onto a couple of the menu offerings…

Reviews on the munchies pictured above:

Chevre & Mozz: great flavor combo, not too saucy or runny. You could hold & consume it like a slice of pizza! (rating: 8/10)

Chipotle Chicken: more saucy than the Chevre & Mozz and requires a fork & knife situation or many many napkins. No complaints. (rating: 8/10)

Reviews on the munchie pictured above:

Berry Delight: overall tasted like a baklava with the crunch of walnuts and the taste of honey laced in every bite. I would’ve preferred a stronger goat cheese flavor (you almost can’t tell it’s in there, for better or for worse). (rating: 7/10)

👉gluten-free crepe batter: was reallllly good. The texture was more on the crisp side, but that could’ve been because they cooked it longer rather than because the batter is gluten-free. Either way, I think it meets the classic crêpe expectations! (rating: 9.5/10)

the RÉSUMÉ

address // 9830 Rea Rd D, Charlotte, NC 28277

operations // every day, 8:00 AM - 9:30 PM

logistics // loads of free parking spaces in front of the other storefronts/on the side of the street

amenities //

• 1 public restroom, no changing table

• no WiFi & minimal outlets

• indoor & outdoor seating

vibes // kind of sterile, but definitely modern; the usage of disposable plates/eating utensils brings the formality down a couple of notches. This definitely oozes “casual” and is perfectly family friendly.

menu //

• espresso ($3.50 - $6.00): hot/iced latte; cappuccino, mocha, macchiato

  ⭐non-dairy milk options available

• crêpes ($10.25 - $12.75): breakfast, savory/lunch, vegetarian, and sweet/dessert

  ⭐gluten-free batter available with any crêpe

  ⭐they have crêpes for kids too! ($6.75 - $8.50)

• salads ($8.75): only two options so far: a Greek style & an Asian style

recs // order the dessert crêpe to get a classic crêpe experience (the ratio of filling to pancake is perfect). But if you’re looking for something more filling, a savory option is definitely the route to take. Haven’t had enough of their options to have a favorite order to recommend, but the menu is approachable enough where I’m excited to try more things.

site // Hazelnuts Crêperie

~ cath!!