Contributor: Jamie Richardson
It’s a rainy Sunday morning and the Vortex Bottle Shop is filled with families, couples, and individuals seated at the bar and the high-top tables spread throughout the restaurant, everyone enjoying Sunday Brunch from the scratch kitchen and drinks from the bar.
Owner Matt Widerman, a resident of Harrisburg, opened Vortex Bottle Shop almost 5 years ago. The shop is a combination of food, music, beer, and wine that represent Matt’s personal vibe.
When he was younger, brewing beer was a hobby and at one time he considered starting a brewery but decided a bottle shop was a better idea.
Previously having lived in the Pacific Northwest, Matt liked the idea of a bottle shop, where you could shop from hundreds of beer and wine selections to drink while you dine in or take it with you. This was a new concept in Cabarrus County but has been well received.
🍻 Pouring Local. Every. Day.
The Vortex Bottle Shop has a Carolina Only Tapline where you can try out the best Craft Beers being offered in the Carolinas. The taps are constantly rotated between amazing local products. Every time a keg kicks, it’s replaced with something entirely different, so the experience changes every day.
- You can also drink in or carry out from the biggest selection of craft beer around, with over 200 package beers to choose from. There are also over 100 different types of wines by the bottle, perfect for pairing or sipping; on-premise or off.
Thinking Outside the Box During the Pandemic
🌮 🌯 📦 Restaurants were some of the hardest-hit businesses during the pandemic and Matt says they were not immune to the effects. But Vortex Bottle Shop came up with the creative idea to put together To-Go Party Boxes with themes like “Cinco De Mayo” that contained the ingredients for tacos, burritos, rice, and beans and “Mother’s Day” that had chicken salad and brownies.
A Winning Combination for Harrisburg
Customers have been raving about Vortex for years. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- “Great neighborhood feel with plenty of Carolina-brewed favorites! The food is fantastic at this Taproom and you can even get some items, such as wraps and pizza, gluten-free (lo-carb).”
😋 A Mouth-Watering Menu Awaits.
Speaking of dining in, the food from their scratch kitchen is amazing! Every meal is made to order with fresh ingredients prepared daily, served tapas-style. Want to warm up your salivary glands? Just log onto their Instagram page and browse through the pictures of all of their menu items.
Our Recommendations from our Sunday Brunch Visit?
🧀 House Made Pimento Cheese – Growing up on the west coast, I never had the pleasure of experiencing pimento cheese. Since moving to North Carolina, I now consider myself a little bit of a connoisseur, and I would put the Vortex Bottle Shop high on my list of favorites.
🐔 + 🧇 Bee Sting Chicken & Waffles – Crispy chicken breast, brown sugar black pepper bacon, hornet sauce, green onions, and maple syrup.
Chicken Artichoke Flatbread – Roasted chicken, garlic oil, artichoke hearts, olive tapenade, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and green onions.
I don’t normally do dessert, but today we tried the Sticky Toffee Pudding with homemade whipped cream. It was warm, gooey, and delicious and the whipped cream tasted like a sweet cloud in my mouth. A must-have!
🍾 No brunch is complete without Mimosas! The mimosa flight consisted of a Spicy Mango, Citrus Lavender, Cranberry Creamsicle & Jalapeno Passion Fruit.
Whether it’s for Sunday Brunch, Pint Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays, or Flight Thursdays, be sure and visit Vortex Bottle Shop, “Harrisburg’s best and only bottle shop, tap room, and eatery. Come discover Carolina craft beer and wine and the food that pairs best with it. Cheers!”
What to Work with a Great Local Establishment? Vortex Bottle Shop is Hiring Line Cooks. Apply online!
You can view their entire menu on their website, but follow them on their Facebook and Instagram accounts for updates.
Planning to visit? Tell ’em Cabarrus Weekly sent ya!
