Open Rice’s Bubble Waffles are made from a sweet batter, then stuffed with toppings and your choice of ice cream.

Open Rice’s Bubble Waffles are created from a candy batter, then full of toppings and your selection of ice cream.

Image this: It’s date night time and also you’ve gone out to dinner, however you don’t need the night time to finish. You’re not trying to hit up the Charlotte bar or brewery scene, both. The straightforward resolution: It’s time to exit for dessert.

It’s typically trickier than it sounds. Certain, you’ll be able to in all probability cease in at virtually any large chain restaurant and order one thing that may style simply tremendous. However that’s not your fashion, is it?

We’ve curated an inventory of a few of our favourite native and North Carolina-based chain eating places with nice desserts which can be open late-ish. You need to use this checklist of go-to date night time dessert spots to impress your companion with artistic choices for ice cream, chocolate creations and bakery treats with out spending lots of time searching down a second reservation.

10 of Charlotte’s finest locations to get dessert are:

Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe

Location: 136 E thirty sixth St, Charlotte, NC 28205

Location: 7715 Pineville-Matthews Rd #34b, Charlotte, NC 28226

Location: 157 E Most important St, Rock Hill, SC 29730

Location: 4321 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209

Menu

What to know: There’s wine and beer out there to pair together with your dessert, together with a wide range of espresso and tea choices. Hours differ by location, however the flagship NoDa spot is open till 10 p.m. on weeknights and midnight Saturdays and Sundays.

What to order: Amelie’s basic salted caramel brownie ($5.30) and a 16 ounce S’extra Latte ($5.20).

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Amelie’s salted caramel brownie. Wendy Yang

Crave

Location: 500 West fifth Avenue, Suite 120,Charlotte, NC 28202

Menu

What to know: You’ve received to be 21+ to enter to enter this upscale dessert and drinks bar — and there’s different meals, too. It’s open late nights (till midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on Saturdays), and don’t come wanting scruffy (no athletic put on, ball caps or excessively informal apparel). Open till midnight Sundays and Tuesdays via Thursdays, and till 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

What to order: The S’mores Platter, that includes Hershey’s milk chocolate, graham crackers, marshmallows and a mini fireplace pit ($16).

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Crave Dessert Bar’s S’Mores Platter. ROBERT LAHSER [email protected]

Day and Evening Cereal Bar

Location: 127 Brevard Court docket, Charlotte, NC 28202

Menu

What to know: Day and Evening Cereal Bar gives pre-made cereal bowls and shakes but additionally encourages clients to get artistic. (You may even be taught one thing new about your date.) It’s open till 10 p.m. Mondays via Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays.

What to order: A Mucha Lucha bowl, which is Cinnamon Toast Crunch and whipped cream, topped with churro cereal and buttery cinnamon roll sprinkle ($8, or $10 as a shake.)

Day and Night Exotic Cereal Bar
Day and Evening Unique Cereal Bar serves cereal bowls and cereal milkshakes. Supplied

Insomnia Cookies

Location: 210 E. Commerce Avenue, #B-224, Charlotte, NC, 28202

Location: 2116 Hawkins Avenue, Suite 103, Charlotte, NC, 28203

Location: 9211 N Tryon Avenue, Area 4, Charlotte, NC, 28262

Menu

What to know: Insomnia Cookies is constructed round the concept you’re going to desire a cookies-and-milk nightcap. It’s open at a number of places till midnight Sundays via Wednesdays and 1 a.m. Thursdays via Saturdays — and you’ll even get supply.

What to order: Simply go forward and select a dozen, with numerous flavors ($22).

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Insomnia Cookies. Insomnia Cookies

Krispy Kreme

Location: A number of places

Menu

What to know: In fact, you’ll discover Krispy Kreme’s basic doughnuts, however now you’ll additionally discover ice cream and shakes, too. Hours differ by location, however the South Finish location that’s residence to the Krispy Kreme Innovation Middle is open on a regular basis till 10 p.m.

What to order: A Cookies and Kreme shake ($4.99.)

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Krispy Kreme serves seven hand-spun shakes, together with Cookies and Kreme and Birthday Batter. Krispy Kreme

Open Rice

Location: 9882 Rea Street Suite F, Charlotte, NC, 28277

Menu

What to know: There’s a hefty number of boba drinks to fulfill your candy tooth at Open Rice, a fast-casual Asian restaurant that focuses on Hong Kong-style Chinese language meals. It’s open till 9 p.m. on weeknights and 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

What to order: The Bubble Waffle. Select your toppings, drizzles and one scoop of ice cream, with decisions together with chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream, and inexperienced tea (value varies, relying on toppings).

Open Rice Bubble Waffle.jpeg
Open Rice’s Bubble Waffles are created from a candy batter, then full of toppings and your selection of ice cream. Courtesy of Open Rice

Sip Co.

Location: 50 Branchview Drive NE, Harmony, NC 28025

Location: 9055 Carolina Lily Ln, Charlotte, NC 28262

Menu

What to know: Sip Co., a drink and snack spot the place you’ll be able to customise your drinks, is open till 10 p.m. Monday via Saturday.

What to order: A pink sugar cookie ($2.75) to pair with a create-your-own drink (costs begin at $1.50 for a 16 ounce and $2.50 for a 44 ounce drink).

Professional tip: There’s additionally a complete (not so) secret menu, with drinks creations such because the D’Amelio (Mountain Dew, mango puree and strawberry puree) and the aptly named Date Evening (Mountain Dew, raspberry, coconut, blackberry and vanilla cream).

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At Sip Co., you’ll be able to customise a drink to pair with chocolate protein bites or a pink sugar cookie for dessert. Sip Co.

The Social Cork

Location: 887 Gold Hill Rd, Fort Mill SC 29708

Menu

What to know: In case you’re trying to pair a glass of wine together with your dessert, The Social Cork may hit the spot. (And there’s different sharables on the menu, too, when you’re nonetheless hungry.) It’s open till 10 p.m. on weeknights, and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

What to order: Chocolate fondue for 2, with a wide range of gadgets for dipping, akin to marshmallows, recent fruit and Rice Krispie treats ($14).

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The Social Cork’s chocolate fondue for 2. The Social Cork

Trio Restaurant

Location: 10709 McMullen Creek Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28226

Menu

What to know: Trio incorporates a full checklist of after dinner coffees and specialty drinks, together with a lineup of basic desserts. It does shut up on the early aspect, nonetheless — 8:30 p.m. on weeknights and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday — so plan accordingly.

What to order: Baked Alaska. You gained’t discover this old-fashioned dessert on each menu on the town. This one options pound cake, vanilla bean ice cream with crumbled Heath bar, meringue, creme anglaise, chocolate and caramel sauces ($7).

Villani’s Bakery

Location: 901 Pecan Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

Menu

What to know: Villani’s Bakery moved from Harmony to “Chantizzlewood” (the place Chantilly, Elizabeth and Plaza Midwood intersect) in 2018, and it’s considered one of Charlotte’s worst-kept secrets and techniques. There’s typically a line out the door, and by chance for all of us, it stays open till 10 p.m. every night time (closed on Mondays).

What to order: In fact, you shouldn’t depart right here with out the monster-sized North Carolina’s Finest Chocolate Chip Cookie. It’s crisp on the skin, gentle within the center and sufficiently big to share together with your date — if you’d like. ($4)

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Monster chocolate chip cookies from Villani’s Bakery, proven above, have been ranked the most effective chocolate chip cookies in North Carolina in 2022 by Yelp. Melissa Oyler CharlotteFive

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Heidi Finley is a author and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Exterior of labor, you’ll more than likely discover her within the suburbs driving youngsters round, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits.