Soul Gastrolounge is bringing back Sunday brunch this weekend, reviving a longtime Charlotte tradition with connections to the city’s LGBTQ+ nightlife community.
The brunch relaunch begins Sunday, May 31, at Soul’s Sugar Creek location and includes a full day of music, cocktails and evening drag and burlesque performances from The Flamingo Revue.
The original Plaza Midwood location became known for its brunches, DJs and party-like atmosphere. Soul first opened in 2009 at Central and Pecan avenues and later closed that location in 2022. The restaurant reopened in August 2025 at The Pass near Sugar Creek Station, Independent Picture House, Charlotte Art League and Black Box Theater.
Soul’s Sunday brunch was known for music, performance and unusual menu specials during its Plaza Midwood years.
“Sunday brunch at Soul was disco, drag queens on roller skates, wild specials like omelet fettuccine carbonara, scrambled egg and bologna pierogies, and monster hash, which is now back with pork belly,” Chef and owner Andy Kastanas said in a press release announcing the return of brunch service.
The return of brunch also highlights the longstanding relationship between Kastanas and Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ community. Kastanas has spent decades in Charlotte nightlife as a DJ, club owner and restaurateur.
Kastanas began DJing at Oleens during the 1980s before later becoming involved with several Charlotte clubs and restaurants. One of the most well-known was Mythos, the longtime Uptown nightclub that became a major LGBTQ+ nightlife destination in Charlotte. Kastanas still occasionally DJs today and remains active in Charlotte’s nightlife scene.
The relaunch weekend includes a full slate of music and entertainment. Brunch service runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature DJ Scott Weaver playing FM Gold ’70s yacht rock. After brunch, Stylus Soundlounge will host “Moments of Leisure” from 3 to 9 p.m., featuring cocktails and music from Kastanas and CaptNTracey.
The evening will close with Soul Cabaret at 8 p.m., featuring burlesque and drag performances by The Flamingo Revue. The cabaret event has no cover, and reservations are suggested but not required.
Soul Gastrolounge plans to host additional Pride-related events in the coming months, though details have not yet been publicly released.
The new brunch menu includes several returning favorites and new items, including stuffed French toast, Turkish eggs, guac stack Benedict, monster hash, steak and egg, and Tricky Chicken & Waffles, made with Southern-fried Hen of the Woods mushrooms over a vegan Belgian waffle.
For more details about Soul Gastrolounge, visit their website at https://soulgastrolounge.com.