We were out of town looking for somewhere to eat within a vicinity of us visiting Charlotte for my daughter's birthday. The penguin Drive showed up on our best rated places near me. They did not miss at all. The food was amazing. The fried pickles were greatly cooked and also crispy and flavorful my wife has never ordered a cheeseburger when going ou.t But the bartender suggestion she try it- and my wife was ecstatic when she took a bite. ( loved every bite, especially the fries ) The manager on duty, Jonathan was very helpful and was from my area which was an hour and a half away from Charlotte -Winston Salem/Clemmons area. The crew was super friendly- Loved the atmosphere and the chairs at the bar he suggested was super comfortable. My next visit to Charlotte I will be stopping by again, for sure!! read more

Penguin Drive In - Philly Cheesesteak w/Fries - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The music here was easily the highlight of the visit--Billy Joel, Otis Redding, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, and Sir Elton John had me grooving while waiting for my food! The servers were also very nice and friendly. However, a few things held the experience back: Atmosphere & Layout: First, don't let the name fool you--it's not actually a drive-in. Walking into the lobby, I was hit with a stale, dank, musty smell, which seemed to be coming from the restrooms located right at the front entrance. The waiting bench was cluttered with high piles of boxes, which didn't make the best first impression, and the hand towel dispenser in the ladies' room was out of order. The Food: I paid $11 for five skinny, dry wings paired with a watery blue cheese dressing. For "jumbo" wings, they were pretty mid. The menu overall feels like it could use an upgrade (Bad Daddy's Burgers right across the street sets a much better benchmark for this type of casual spot burger). The staff and the playlist were fun, but between the lacking atmosphere and disappointing food, it falls right in the middle for me. read more

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BEST FRIED PICKLES of my life!! With ranch on the side (chefs kiss) Server who took my order was incredible!! Burger was okay, kinda mid. I feel like I needed more on it. A little more flavor. Not bad but not the best. Do with that what you will. read more

We came here to check out some new comedians. Some of the comedians were really funny, while others still have a little room for improvement. The place itself has a really chill vibe. They also have an arcade room where all the games are completely free to play. No quarters needed! They serve food and alcoholic drinks as well. I had already eaten at another restaurant before coming, so I was too stuffed to try their food, but we did manage to grab a couple of beers to enjoy the comedy show. read more

Penguin Drive In - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Found this dive on Yelp and somehow I have never driven by it. We had lunch there and little did we know they were a part of restaurant week as well. I didn't do the restaurant week menu but I did get the penguin burger meal. It was a double patty smash burger with truffle fries. The meal was great and tasted delicious... as expected with the name. I like this little gem of a restaurant and would definitely go back for their burgers. The environment is pretty laid back and easy with kids. They have a free game room which was an added bonus. Overall I like the place and recommend if you are searching for a good smash burger. read more

Penguin Drive In - Penguin Smash Burger w/ Truffle Fries - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

"Neon winking like, "Yes, we knew you'd come," Penguin Drive-In out here flirting with my tum, Fried shrimp so crisp I almost fell to my knees-- But I could NOT say no to those donuts, omg, hot, fresh, vanilla-glazed please!" Let me first say... I was so surprised by the quality of this 'bar food' that I wished I had more time in Charlotte so I could share another meal at Penguin Drive In. Let me next say.... it's not a damn drive in. lol That was crazy but I didn't care because 1. it was cold and 2. the food was so good! Let me now say.... The food items we had in our private group of Queens U students consisted of: -Fried shrimp with some kinda mango salsa on top -Avocado boats w/manga salsa on top -Cheese burgers -Cheesesteaks -Salmon -Chocolate/Raspberry cake -Hot, fresh, mini donuts w/vanilla glaze I cannot tell you how impressed I was. The shrimp were fried perfectly and they were HUGE. So good! Didn't have the avocado boats b/c I'm from Florida and I'm eating avocados damn near everyday. Cheese burgers were so good I was shocked! Pickles and everything! Oh! They had fried pickles! How could I forget?! The mini cheesesteaks were phenomenal considering they weren't full sized. The salmon was acceptable - not over cooked and that goes a long way in my book. lol But them damn donuts!!!!! Talk about not being able to resist a food item!!!!!!!! (Yes all the exclamation points are necessary!) They were good I think about them at least three times a week now. They were kinda like the "donuts" you can get at some thai restaurants for desert that are really just fried biscuit dough. But these were round balls (more like donut holes) but they were so good I didn't feel right calling them donut holes. They were better than most places' whole donuts. So yes, I loved the food here. Service was great. Ambiance was nice and comfortable. Huge booths. Go there and eat well. Another review giving it to you straight no chaser from The Hungry Poet, Enjoy! -Lizz read more

Penguin Drive In - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I sat at the bar to grab a quick lunch right when Penguin opened. It was quiet and had an interesting layout. Overall prices are fair and the staff is friendly. Specifically I interacted with Vinny the bartender who was very friendly and attentive. I ordered the Philly cheesesteak. While this was delicious it was MESSY! The queso gets everywhere so keep that in mind when ordering. There aren't many vegetarian options here so I would avoid if you are. There were decent drink choices. I personally enjoyed their Kolsch on tap. read more

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I miss this spot so so so much We've moved from Charlotte, but this used to be my SPOT. Penguin is truly a Charlotte staple. Hands down one of the top burgers in the city--no question. The happy hour is amazing and actually goes into the evening (a rare win), plus they have specials every single day. You really can't go wrong. Their tenders are also great, but honestly... go for the burgers. And if you can, grab a seat at the bar--that's where it's at. The vibes, the food, the consistency... unmatched. Charlotte friends, don't ever take Penguin for granted. I'll be dreaming about it from afar read more

I have been on the hunt for the best burger in Charlotte. It's a tough job-really. This one is the closest I have found so far along with the great crunch of the fries. However, the drawback? $20 for this amount of food is robbery. Old school interior. read more

Penguin Drive In - The smallest portion in the world for $20 - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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It's good.... Is it what it used to be? Unfortunately not, but if day that's mainly because they lack sweet potato fries. This place is a solid lunch option for your weekends though. They make sure your drinks stay full and those fries are tasty even if they're not sweet potato! The aoli mixes are tasty (and spicy). The fried pickles are delicious but I wish they'd let them "drain" the grease a bit as they can come out soaked and super greasy. That is just a bit of a deal breaker for me, but my family couldn't have cared less.... They devoured them! Don't bother with the mozz.... It's good quality mozz but it comes out soggy - if you're looking for the uber crunchy mozz with a solid string pull, this is not it. The chicken sandwiches and brioche buns are delicious - do not think twice. We'll be back as it's a solid addition to the rotation. read more

This sandwich is HUGE and delicious. I asked for extra chipotle on the side 5/5. It's flavorful and spicy. The sandwich reheats really well. I didn't drink, but they had great specials. I would come back. It was fairly empty this night. read more

Service was good. Place was fine and health grade was good. Ordered a turkey club sub and it did the job but nothing spectacular. read more

Penguin Drive In - Turkey Turkey-Nueske Bacon-Avocado Club W/Fries - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I stopped by here on a Sunday evening and it was pretty empty. I love the fact that they have plenty of parking considering the location. We walked in and waited for quite a bit to be seated. We weren't greeted warmly by the hostess, and we were seated at a table that was too wobbly, so I opted to switch to the table right next to us which worked out fine. In my opinion this place needs a serious makeover! It gives dark and dingy. They have cute elements but more tacky with mix match chairs, wobbly tables, dark tight spaced bathrooms. IDK.. On the up side they have a free play arcade which I thoughts was cute, but a good bit of the games don't work, so again outdated and in need of upkeep. Our waitress Juliana was sweet as pie, she was very accommodating and hospitable. I ordered the smash burger, the kids meal cheeseburger, and the firecracker shrimp for an appetizer. Honestly, everything was just okay. The smash burger was cooked perfectly, but it was bland... I mentioned this to my waitress when she asked how our meal was and she was extremely apologetic and offered to bring out additional sauce, but I told her no worries after dipping the burger in ketchup it was much better, but I appreciated her willingness to help with my concern. The shrimp was actually better than my burger (tho not great either), I really enjoyed the pairing with the fresh Avocado and veggies, I do wish they had more of the sauce on the shrimp which I'm sure had I asked for that my waitress would have brought it out no problem. I just didn't think to ask for more of the sauce, that's on me. My son said he really enjoyed his burger and fries, but I'm starting to think he'd like any burger! Lol I also ordered the spicy margarita and it was watered down, I did not feel like brining this up tho because I hate to be that person and honestly was over it at this point, I wish I would have switched it out for something else. I don't think we'll be back, but I'm so happy that we got to give them a try. read more

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Honestly SHOCKING. Took my daughter Courtney for a "little treat" and it was anything but. Parking was a nightmare, portions were tiny, and the drink tasted like someone whispered "flavour" at it from another room. Courtney said it was "mid" (whatever that means but I know it's rude) and honestly she wasn't wrong. Called me "guys" as well. I am not "guys." I am a mother. One star only because Courtney got a cute pic for Instagram out of it. Do better x -Mummy Sharon xx read more

Penguin Drive In - Me Im looking for a husband, my ex husband just had a heart attack xx - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I have never been to the original Penguin Drive In I have only heard native Charlottoneans wax poetically about it. Therefore I cannot judge if this new iteration is as good as the original or if it faithfully pays homage. I can say that it is a killer location along East Blvd in the Dilworth neighborhood. Their menu is retro diner focused with burgers, shakes, and hot dogs on the menu, and their burgers seem to be what they are most known for. They have a nice indoor bar area but I think the best place to sit is on the patio out front if weather permits. I really enjoy the vibe here and the burgers are solid. Not sure I'd put the burgers in my top tier of Charlotte status but I haven't had a bad meal and they give you a good bang for your buck. I think this is a great place to go with a group of friends or coworkers to blow off some steam. They also have arcade games which is fun. Overall I'd definitely recommend checking this place out for yourself! read more

Penguin Drive In - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The Turkey club sandwich I bought to go was in a hoagie bun and just not good. If I would have been in the restaurant I would have sent it back. Customer service was excellent! read more

We arrived at 12:20 for a quick bite because we had an appointment 2 miles away in a little over an hour. We were shown to our seats and the bench was full of crumbs from the previous person that sat there. I used my purse to brush them away. The menu is limited in my opinion because I do not like chipotle or horseradish in my food and there was quite a lot of it on the menu. Our server was terrific and she is in no way responsible for the restaurants failure. I ended up with the chicken parm sandwich and my companion had the shrimp wrap. We were served at 1:06 and when the food came I asked for the check and two boxes since I knew we had to leave after we had a few bites to quiet our bellies. The server accommodated us right away. His was way over sauced and he said it overpowered the meal. Mine was over seasoned with black pepper, under sauced with very little sauce and little cheese, and the roll, though pressed was ciabatta. I had trouble getting some of it down because it was awful. In fact I had indigestion before we even left the restaurant, and it lasted for hours. With the dirty seat, the limited menus options for those that do not appreciate spicy heat, actual taste and satisfaction of the food I could only give this 1 star and the server earned 99% of it. We won't be back. Harris Teeter isn't far away and a sub would have been so much better tasting. read more

tried the Penguin Classic with au jus at The Penguin in Charlotte. The burger itself was solid -- a nice balance between the meat and the bun, though I personally would have liked it to lean a little more on the "meaty" side, as it felt a bit light in protein. The au jus was a pleasant surprise, pairing really well with the horseradish aioli and adding some depth of flavor. Fries on the side rounded it out nicely. Overall, a satisfying burger experience -- I'd give it 35 minutes of my time any day. read more

Penguin Drive In - Penguin Classic - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Great experience! Salad was fantastic, service was good. Plenty of parking as well. It's worth a try for sure! read more

Penguin Drive In - Shrimp and Avocado Salad - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Penguin Drive In Charlotte, NC Food: The Philly Cheese Stake was good however the aju was really special, truffle fries were delicious crispy on the outside and tender inside. The Spicy Shrimp could of had more bang, bang sauce however was a really tasty dish. Service: Exceptional customer service, from the greeting at the door to the friendly waitress we had the pleasure of having. Ambiance: A very clean and orderly establishment with fun decor and a spacious dining area, booth and table seating. read more

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I haven't had food from the Penguin in years... and it did not disappoint! I ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Wrap with truffle fries, and my husband ordered the fish sandwich and fries. Both were amazing. Loved the flavor and heat of the chicken. Will definitely be back for more. read more

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Where do I start. First this place looks nothing like it did back in the day. The ambiance has changed dramatically. And not in a good way. They are trying to be super upscale, and it's not working. When we got there, we waited to be seated for about 5-10 minutes. And the place was empty. That should have been our first sign. Then we were seated and no waitress in sight. The male that seated us ended up taking our drink order. I believe he was a manager of some kind. We got our drinks and looked over the menu. My wife came for the hot dog so she knew what she wanted. I needed time to look. I eventually went with the smash burger and fries. My wife got the hot dog and fries. When the food arrived it looked good, well sort of. Her hot dog did not look like the picture they advertised. Disappointment. She noticed it didn't have mustard on it, like she asked for. I'll start with mine first...I got burger with the smash sauce on the side. As I dipped the burger in the sauce it seemed like it was going to be good. But, it wasn't. The sauce had a weird taste to it but the burger was good. The fries were good. Mine was a 7 out 10 on taste. Value was 4 out of 10. Mine was over $15 for a burger. Now for her hot dog. It had chili on it and that's what she wanted. Very excited about it. When she ate it I could tell it wasn't hitting the right spot. Something was off. I asked and she said the chili was not good. The actual hot dog she said was good. As far as taste goes, I would say she gave it a 5 out of 10. Value was a 6 out of 10. Hers was almost $12. Now as I finish up my meal I have unfortunately finished my sweet tea. I was looking around for someone to fill it. Nobody. At one point the male seated us walked by and 100% looked at the glass and noticed it was empty...but never filled it up. The waitress walked by several times and never offered to fill it up. It was at the end when we both had been done for a while that she walked by and asked if I wanted more tea. I said no just the check. We were ready to go. We got the check and the total was $37 I paid and left a tip I thought was the value of our service and meal. $2 Final feeling...don't go here. It's different in so many ways. Food not great, value not great and service not great. Well that's all I got, until our next stop, EAT LIKE YOU LOVE IT! read more

Stopped by the penguin with my friend before we went to a Charlotte Carolina Panthers football game on a Sunday morning. I had a breakfast burrito with shaved steak in it with avocados on top and wonderfully prepared queso and it was delicious. My friend Dave had a Smashburger, but she's giving double thumbs up on him. This was a highly anticipated and well worth the effort. Breakfast extravaganza only probably had no cream for the coffee. read more

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Stopped by for lunch since I worked a block away. Today was really nice to sit in their patio area. The staffs were all nice and friendly. Lizzy was our waitress and she was great. However it's the food that got the 3 stars: Bang bang Shrimps was a 4/5. It was pretty good. Have a kick. The fish sandwich was a 2/5. It's supposed to have coleslaw. I'm just eating plain veggies cut like coleslaw. But nothing else too it. Fish was ok. Everything was sooo plain. I wasn't sure what I make of it.. I didn't finish the sandwich.. I asked for the potatoes salad as a side. Again this didn't like taste anything. It was a little off. You can see they may have add Mayo. But no celery. No seasoning etc. I had to sent it back and ask for just plain fries. Maybe I'll come back to say the drinks menu. But not anytime soon. read more

Penguin Drive In - Bang Bangin Shrimp - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The Penguin is a good spot for food and cocktails in Dilworth. They have super good food and a great patio for outdoor dining. Both times I have gone, it has been a bit slow service and I had a reservation and had to wait 45 minutes for a table outside. There is a great bar located inside with good cocktails. I will definitely be returning to the Penguin! read more

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The burger was excellent and the staff was very friendly. Very nice restaurant and they had a beautiful outside patio.

I had the Bangkok shrimp & Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich & both were outstanding! I was with a group of about 10 for a Wednesday lunch & everyone said their food was great! We also had excellent service from Meredith who is a real pro! read more

Penguin Drive In - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

May was our server. She was friendly and she got our orders correct. We came at lunch time and it wasn't too crowded. Friendly staff and good food. We were pleased with the service and the meals. read more

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nch with the work crew. Arrived around 1130ish and was not busy at all. They sat us towards the back of the restaurant to be able to accommodate us. Our server "May" was friendly and efficient & just overall very pleasant. I ordered the Nashville chicken wrap with fries. Unfortunately I didn't see anywhere that the chicken was spicy, so I was struggling eating it as it was very spicy and I don't do spicy well BUT it was so delicious that I trugged through it with my fries. Overall, it's so delicious, and I will be back to try other things on their menu. They do have a parking lot with plenty of parking spaces to choose from. read more

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The Penguin - 1531 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203 I ordered off of the expanded menu that they created. 5 bone in ribs with a side of fries. The ribs were slow cooked, which made them tender, but the meat can use some marinating. If it wasn't for the barbecue sauce the ribs would not have any flavor. The fries were hot, crispy and Lightly seasoned. Dunked those bad boys in some sauce. I ordered a Blackberry Ginger Smash (non- alcoholic) Blackberries, lemon juice, ginger, orange juice, and topped with ginger beer. This drink was so good I've tried to duplicate it at home. I also tried an onion ring from a tower that was ordered. The batter used for the onion rings needs some one to stock their foot in it. I would love to return to try other menu items. #GratuityAdded #charlottesgotalot #FreedomPark #Dilworth #ThePenguin #CLTBeerGarden #clteats #foodiesofclt #cltfoodies #MukbangCLT #followforafollow #exploreclt #eatdrinkclt #MyRib #charlottefood #ThePenguinClt #Eclipse24 #grabandgoCLT #seatedeatsCLT #cltfoodie #ThePenguin #OfflineCLT #keeppounding #charlotteeats #eatdrinkclt #charlottefoodscene #Charlottesgotalot #CLTGrads #charlottefoodies #cltagenda read more

Penguin Drive In - Blueberry Ginger Smash - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Get the pickles!! Seriously, even if you only think pickles are ok you will probably like these. Service is good and the food is also good and not crazy expensive like many other places. I prefer to sit in the bar area as it is cuter and more fun. The employees are super friendly and take good care of you. Plenty of parking too. read more

Just ok. Not terrible on any level...the menu is fine, service was fantastic. When I read reviews on this place I thought "OK...this is "The Place" you get banging ass diner food with a hip sexy wink ...but when I got there...that's not the vibe I got... read more

Sunday scaries go away with a meal like this. The French dip melted in my mouth and had me on cloud 9. The outdoor patio is a vibe with fans and TV's. Our server was on point with serving all the tables in her section. The burgers are dang good. I'd strongly recommend going. read more

Penguin Drive In - Bang bang shrimp - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Come hungry. Leave happy! Came here for lunch on a whim while running errands uptown, and we will certainly be back. The food, service, everything was great! We did their $14.99 lunch combo, which is a steal for everything you get (and the amount of food you get), and it was all delicious. My husband raved about his Nashville Hot Chicken and his potato salad. I got the Tommy Boy - it was messy, but flavorful and every bite was as delicious as the first. This was the first time having fried bacon, and it did not disappoint. Even writing this review, I'm ready to go back and order another one now! Great spot. Ample parking in the lot and just a great place with solid food. You won't be disappointed in this classic American menu with some twists! read more

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I've gone here a number of times with my partner and the service is always good as is the food. I really enjoy the espresso martini they have here read more

Much better location than the previous penguin drive in. Was hard to decide what to order but went with what they're known for (dinky winky dog, and fried pickles). Have zero complaints, the fried pickles were the best I've ever had, light and crispy. The hotdog was top 3 best hotdogs I've had, and I've probably eaten enough hotdogs to wrap around the world..There wasn't anything lacking with the hotdog. Usually a good hotdog place has good buns, good hotdog, good toppings, good prices, or a combination of two of those criteria. Very rarely does a place excel at all four. But they did. read more

Penguin Drive In - Winky dinky dog - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Stopped by this spot about 45 mins before they closed and it was pretty empty. We were greeted and seated immediately. Lovely folks work here and that's always appreciated! We came by on a Monday night so it was rightfully slow. We were just happy they were still open. I'd been wanting to check out this new location for a while and I'm so happy we did. I absolutely enjoyed our meal and time here. Parking was a breeze, located right next to the restaurant. We sat outside on their patio, which is very large, open and nicely appointed. Our server was great! I ordered the spicy margarita and omg....this drink! I don't even eat spicy anything but this drink was so fantastic! It packed a punch but was also extremely delish and fresh. It's hard to describe really, it I highly recommend it! My boyfriend ordered a different drink and he didn't like it, it was slightly watery and not good. Our server replaced it for him. He ended up with the spicy margarita too, it was that good! For my meal I ordered the "kick his ass seabass" smash burger and oh my gooooooooooosh....this burger was pure deliciousness for real. It's two smash patties, lettuce, pickles, cheese, smash sauce and caramelized onions!!!! Sooooo good. The flavors all melded together perfectly and it was cooked just right. It came with fries that were pretty good too. I gotta say, I'm a fan of this place. Prices weren't out of control and the food was really great! Definitely plan to come back often! read more

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We really enjoyed the shrimp salad--so much that we ordered it again! The Nashville hot chicken wasn't too spicy, just really flavorful. The staff was incredibly friendly and even brought out water for our dog, which we really appreciated. It's a very welcoming restaurant with a nice outdoor seating area. Highly recommend! read more

Penguin Drive In - Water bowl for our dog - Burgers Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This is honestly by far the worst experience I've had at a restaurant. I ordered a burger that comes with fries and when it arrived I took this video because I was so taken aback by the amount of fries on my plate. "In no way is this normal, someone had to have made a mistake" went through my head. Our server was very nice and tried to make it right. Apparently her manager told her "no, that's the normal amount". So she came back and just apologized that they couldn't fix it. I should have refused the meal right there (something I've never done before). Never see a manager about my complaint, nothing. Then upon paying, their card machine had issues and the manager tried to convince me to pay twice and that the first one would be refunded!!!! I awkwardly refused like 3-4 times before he said "it's fine, you can leave and I will sort it out". Absolutely mind blowing. First we have an issue with food, and no manager comes out to even check what the issue was? On a slow Sunday afternoon? Any restaurant aside from fast food will certainly at least address your complaint or come verify. This place? Nope. read more

This place has the BEST burger in Charlotte I've had in years. I'm salivating missing the classic smashburger! We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip and they gave us like 10 chips with a large bowl and then charged us $4 for a damn refill smh. It was good but for $4, I should be getting at least like 20 chips. Now I got the smashburger and my stepdaughter got the french dip burger. Both were tasty but the smashburger was way better. Her burger came with au ju? Like broth to dip the burgers in and it was great. 10/10. The mashed potatoes and truffled fries were delicious too! 10/10 My boyfriend got the philly steak and subbed with chicken and it was delicious too! Cute retro theme makes for a good date spot too! We were the only guests there for the evening and I could not believe it. Can't wait to come back. read more

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