Charlotte is finally getting a Ted’s Montana Grill this week

The small national chain will open a location at Waverly in south Charlotte this week. It’s North Carolina’s second location (there’s one in Durham).

Ted’s is an Atlanta chain, but there are strong Charlotte ties.

The “Ted” is Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and TBS. That’s why the Montana Grill has a lot of environmental touches, like the paper straws.

Turner tapped George McKerrow Jr., a veteran restaurateur, to be CEO of Ted’s Montana Grill back in the early 2000s.

McKerrow is a former business partner of Dennis Thompson, the Charlottean behind Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Viva Chicken, Bad Daddy’s, Smoke and Sea Level.

McKerrow also founded LongHorn Steakhouse and planted the locations in Charlotte in the 1980s.

They’re known for their bison.

Turner actually created the restaurant franchise as a way to incentivize ranchers to raise bison to preserve their numbers. The whole staff is super passionate about the health benefits of bison meat. They also stick an American flag into each cut of bison meat.

Bison nachos ($9)

Bison bacon cheeseburger ($16)

Bison filet ($34)

But don’t sleep on their pickles.

They call them “half sours” and you’ll get a dish full of them when you sit down.

Pretty sure I should be a hand model.

A couple other dishes worth noting:

Avalon beef burger (Gruyere, blue cheese, bacon carmelized onions, roasted garlic aioli, baby arugula). $14.

Jalapeno Huckleberry Margarita, $10

Cedar Plank Salmon, $18.

St. Phillip’s Island Crab Cakes, $27.

Grand opening is Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Waverly is at 11809 Providence Road.