The Good Wurst Company
Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // American restaurant // casual quick bites
The Good Wurst Company formally closed February 2025, but the original owner, Lincoln Clark, reopened the restaurant in April 2025 with the name Clark’s Snack Bar. Read more here!
The ELEVATOR PITCH
The Good Wurst Company has the energy of a young American dad who’s really mastered his grill game and is known in the neighborhood as the coolest outdoor summer barbecue party host. He’s hip and fun, sporting darts and shuffle boards, pulling off the baseball-cap-on-backwards look, and wearing a casual chill that makes his basement The Pad™ to hang out in for all of the teenage boys.
He’s also a culinary curator, pulling in delicious cookout grub from various Western countries to create a melting pot of a menu that features Montreal-style bagels, Belgian-style frites, German-style wursts, and American-style burgers and dogs (needless to say, definitely a meat lover’s paradise). But don’t be quick to label this as junk food! The Good Wurst Company makes their sausages, smoked meats, and Montreal-style bagels from scratch, using quality ingredients so it doesn’t feel as bad for you. It’s American handhelds, but elevated. Perfect in moderation or when wanting a gourmet late night bite (McDonald’s is a vibe, but not every late night amiright).
The interior vibes are just as laid back and down-to-earth as the menu. Plywood walls, metal chairs, picnic tables… it all feels very we’re-a-neighborhood-deli-that’s-been-around-for-ages-and-we-don’t-need-frills-because-our-food-speaks-for-itself. There’s a welcoming comfort in the casual; you can show up in sweats or pj’s, or in your spiffy business suit.
Come here to enjoy a medley of American cookout handhelds and New York Jewish deli counter offerings that’re a class above the rest. They’ve got your burgers and dogs, but also wursts and famous meat-forward sandwiches like Reubens & pastrami melts. The Good Wurst Company takes you back to simpler times, where good food isn’t complicated.
Now onto some things we tried from the menu!
reviews on breakfast 👇
Pastrami + Egg on Garlic Bagel: wooo nelly this was good! A little plain Jane, but you can definitely add fix-ins if you have a vision (which we did not 😆). Because there wasn’t a lot of other stuff going on, the smokiness of the pastrami really came through (it’s not THAT smokey, just a smidge smokey), which was cool to taste without distractions. I loved the usage of real minced garlic on top of the bagel, it made the bites of bagel really garlicky! (rating: 8/10)
Taylor Ham, Egg, Cheese on Asiago Cheese Bagel: I chose to add pepper jack cheese, because a breakfast sandwich doesn’t feel right to me without some melty cheese! Overall, with the Taylor ham being more subtle and neutral tasting, the pepper jack cheese flavor not coming through that much, the bagel itself (while visually loaded with cheese) only having a subtle cheese flavor (I think Panera’s Asiago STILL tastes the most cheesy and hence, wins the moniker of best Asiago bagel for me), the entire sandwich was a lot more mild than I’d have preferred. It seemed to miss a sauce, or pickle or something. Other than that, delicious! (rating: 7.5/10)
👉 Montreal-style Bagels: my first time having one, and they were more tender than I expected; almost like a biscuit and a bagel had a child. Very enjoyable, but don’t expect it to feel like a regular bagel :) (rating: 10/10)
⭐ both breakfast sandwiches sound like they would sit heavy, but it really didn’t (a true testament to the quality of ingredients used!)
what lunch can look like!
Reviews coming below 👇
Spicy Chicken Sandwich: this shocked me!! I am so used to receiving fried chicken that’s like an inch thick, but what arrived was instead a thin chicken patty paired with condiments and a bun that reminded me of McDonald’s McChicken sandwiches (super nostalgic for me, so this isn’t a bad thing). The chicken breading itself wasn’t too spicy at all (in fact, I couldn’t even taste the spice? McChickens may be spicier), so don’t let the entree name mislead you. This is a very mayonnaise/cream-sauce-forward sandwich, and honestly, the flavor profile tastes very much like a McDonald’s McChicken sandwich too. To take this to a 10/10 for me, I would decrease the mayonnaise and increase the fried chicken experience. (rating: 7.5/10)
Pastrami Philly: it met all of my Philly Cheesesteak requirements and MORE (so much so, I may consider petitioning every cheesesteak place to offer pastrami!?). The pastrami was generously portioned & flavorful, and was speckled with little diced bits of peppers with melty provolone laced throughout. The hoagie bun was soft and hugged everything so satisfyingly. I would totally order this again. (rating: 11/10)
Currywurst Frites: I enjoyed this a lot because it was my first time tasting one of their house made bratwursts, and WOW that was flavorful. The dish as a whole could’ve used more curry ketchup (now I see why the ones in Germany douse the entire dish so the fries and wurst are swimming), and while steak fries are their signature here at The Good Wurst, I still prefer closer to the shoestring size. (rating: 6.5/10)
Reuben: “mild.” The sauerkraut isn’t very vinegar-y and the pastrami is tender and not over seasoned. Russian dressing was on the creamier end? Just overall not invasive to your taste buds, for better or for worse. (While I prefer my Reubens more invasive—like tangy, etc.—the pastrami was DANG good) (rating: 7/10)
Spicy Farm Burger: spicy, but didn’t have me downing gallons of water or anything. It was a super satisfying burger with the beautifully fried but runny egg, melty cheese (of your choice), and flavorful beef patty. The brioche bun is just stunning too, don’t you think? (rating: 8.5/10)
👉Cucumber Salad: oooh lala. This hit the mark! Refreshingly vinegar-y and pickled onion-y, and cuts through all of the fried & fatty main meal items you might’ve ordered. Only complaint is I could’ve had more! (rating: 10/10)
👉Potato Salad: on the milder side of potato salads. You can definitely taste the tang of mustard but there’s enough mayonnaise to mellow it out so that it’s more of an afterthought. I’m particular about my potato salad, so the lower rating is due to that bias. (rating: 6/10)
👉Coleslaw: super creamy, the shredded cabbage is tender, all the chunks are easy to bite and not super thick. Lower rating is only because I’m pretty indifferent to coleslaw. (rating: 6/10)
The Carolina Dog: first time having a Carolina-style hot dog, and was surprised with the combination of coleslaw and chili, but I was digging it (I love a chili hot dog though). I would prefer a little less coleslaw and a little more chili, because the coleslaw here can be a little too mayonnaise/creamy and mellow things out too much. (rating: 7.5/10)
The Chicago Dog: tangy, finally got to try a Chicago-style hot dog, and have to say it was decent! Would have another. (rating: 7/10)
Spicy Italian Sausage: goshhhh the flavor in this thing is amazing. Loved the char on the sausage and the pairing with sauteed bell peppers & onions. Just want a little more peppers & onions! (rating: 9.5/10)
the RÉSUMÉ
address // multiple locations (check their site), the post focuses on the original location at: 3001 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
operations // Monday - Saturday, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM; Sunday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
💔 their last day of operations: January 2025 (Plaza Midwood); October 2024 (South End); June 2024 (Riverbend Village)
logistics // free parking available in front of the building
amenities //
2 bathrooms, no changing table
table shuffleboard available to play
walk-up order window
rewards/loyalty program available through Toast Tab
plenty of indoor & outdoor seating options (pet-friendly!), for parties of all sizes (family-friendly!)
vibes // minimalist deli counter dive that gives off “casual neighborhood joint, sorta hole-in-the-wall” energy
menu // all goods produced from scratch; locally sourced when possible
beverages ($2.00 - $3.75): water, coffee, juices, teas, Dr Brown sodas, fountain drinks, mineral water
entrées:
breakfast sandwiches ($4.00 - $15.50): various combinations of: egg, cheese, bacon, sausage, pastrami, Taylor ham, smoked turkey, smoked Lox
⭐available on a Kaiser roll or a freshly-baked-in-a-wood-fired-oven Montreal-style bagel (sourdough base, slightly thinner in shape, denser in texture, sweeter in taste)
⭐bagel options ($2.50): plain, cinnamon sugar, asiago cheese, garlic, everything
other mains ($6.95 - $16.95): bratwursts** & hotdogs, burgers & chicken/turkey sandwiches & wraps; pastrami & corned beef** sandwiches; salads & bowls
**house made
⭐offer a 100% grass-fed, grain-finished, Little Mountain Farm & Cattle Co beef brat!
⭐”late nite” menu offered Thursday - Saturdays, 8:00 PM - 3:00 AM
sides ($3.95 - $8.49): potato pancake “Latkes”, Yukon Gold fries (thick-cut, double-cooked, super crispy), tater tots; kettle chips, sweet & spicy pickles, cole slaw, cucumber salad, potato salad, baked beans, chili, house made pretzel + beer cheese
⭐fries can be served: Belgian, Chili Cheese, Schnitzel, Reuben Style, Chimichurri, Currywurst
desserts ($1.99 - $4.00): chocolate chip cookie, brownie, coffee cake, NY cheesecake
recs //
sando/main: anything with their pastrami or corned beef is so flavorful and the tenderness makes me want to cry happy tears with every bite
side: loveee their cucumber salad. It’s light and refreshing (may be on the vinegar-y side for some, but not for me 😁)
site // The Good Wurst Company
Other Locations (that I’ve visited)
📍South End
💔 only street parking available
❤️ come early for the bagel sandwiches, they sell out!
I could honestly have five of those bagels just by themselves