Steak ’n Shake

I've already left a review but in light of the ground beef issues we've been seeing, as well as the…read morenew imports of meat I really want to highlight this restaurant as a standout burger joint that sources from LaFrieda Farms which sources domestically. I say support our farmers and know what's in your food. The food is great, the owner is awesome and the place is always a great dinner.

I'll start with the positives... Really nice girl who took my order. Explained the menu…read more Said fries were included with the burger, and then proceeded to add them on which added $2.50 to the total....okay.... Asked for it protein style (wrapped in lettuce - no bun) and saw when I got home how mildewy and old the lettuce was. Inedible. That + on top of just not having great flavor....is a miss for me. There are many other, better burger spots in the city.

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Chicken Club with Sweet potato fries

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Kids Chicken Nuggets

Harriet's Hamburgers

4.6(345 reviews)

9.4 mi•NoDa

I got "The Royale" which was a simple double patty smash burger, and it was great. The type of…read moreindulging burger that hits the spot and you can tell it's high quality. Everything about it was amazing. Keep in mind, the menu is small and simple, but they have perfected their craft. The lady who took my order was very kind and efficient, and my food was ready in no more than 3 minutes. I went at lunch time during the week. The food is on the more expensive end for sure, so keep that in mind. The food court in which Harriet's Hamburgers lies is a very modern, clean, upbeat area in Charlotte where everyone has a smile on their face is having a good time. Parking is free for 90 minutes and took 30 seconds to register, all super smooth. Overall, I can't wait to come back to Harriet's again!

The family wanted to visit here Optimist Hall for lunch and I decided on Harriet's…read more The line was long upon approaching, so I hoped this was a good sign! After scanning the menu, I decided on the OG Burger to keep it simple. I did take note that all items are sold separately if you want fries and drinks. The menu doesn't have a massive selection, which can be easier for me at times. Since I ordered the side of fries, I also grabbed the sauce bundle for a fry party! The sauces were ok, but I don't think I'd purchase them again. The burger patties had good flavor and paired nicely with the fresh onions on the burger. The cheese was melted and layered between the patties bringing it all together. To me, the fries weren't as fresh as I would have preferred, but overall did enjoy the burger from here. Seating can be difficult depending on when you visit but we were able to find a table to enjoy our meals together with no issue.

Kitchen where it goes down

The Royale

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Ace No 3 - Belmont Village

4.6(507 reviews)

9.1 mi•Belmont

As a West Coast transplant now living in Charlotte, I have very specific standards when it comes to…read moreburgers. For me, the gold standard isn't fancy -- it's balance. Think that perfect meat-cheese-bread ratio you get at an In-N-Out: not too big, not too messy, not dripping everywhere, but still juicy and satisfying. A burger you can actually pick up and enjoy without resorting to a knife and fork like George Costanza. That's why I appreciate Ace No. 3. Their menu is refreshingly simple -- burgers, fries, shakes -- and that simplicity tells me they know exactly what they do well. Everything is made to order, and the consistency shows. The Ace burger is my go-to, and it delivers every time. The shoestring fries are excellent, and the sweet potato tots are another favorite. I've also treated myself to a milkshake here and there, and they're worth it. Fun bonus: they offer "boozy shakes" for adults, which adds a playful twist -- just note they have to be enjoyed on site. They also keep a short, rotating list of beers, which I appreciate. It's curated, not overwhelming. One thing I noticed recently -- and as a fellow marketer, I have to applaud this -- is their milkshake happy hour from 2-4 PM. That's a smart strategy to drive traffic during slower hours between lunch and dinner. Simple, effective, and well executed. A few practical notes: Parking can be a little tight because the lot behind the restaurant is small, but if you go during off-peak hours or order ahead for pickup, it's manageable. The Belmont neighborhood location is easy to get in and out of, and while it's not a high-traffic pedestrian area, that can actually work in your favor. Bottom line: As someone who grew up with West Coast burger culture, this is the closest I've found in Charlotte to that classic, satisfying bite -- even if it costs a bit more than In-N-Out. The quality and execution make it worth it. Get out there, eat well, be curious -- and follow me as I continue eating my way through Charlotte.

The sauce and the meat are insanely good! I personally think it beats Five Guys to make a…read morecomparison. The fries are crispy like Rally's style almost. The onion rings are okay. I really enjoyed though. Staff does the functional, Harriet's Burgers the service is more exceptional. Lastly place was relatively clean.

8.8 mi•Uptown, Fourth Ward

Saturday

Ace's Burger. Onion Straws. Sweet Tea. Sycamore Mango Cider

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Order buzzer. Local craft can beer.

Cowbell Burger & Whiskey Bar

3.9(924 reviews)

We were in town to watch the 18 time world champion Boston Celtics. Great atmosphere, enjoyed the…read moretable of Duke Fans, guess how that ended for them. LOL!!! Grandma was talking ish...UConn with buzzer beater. Kayla was our waitress, she was great. Food was excellent and service was Eddie's to for as busy as they were. Kids got a cheeseburger and Chicken sand which.

Do not order the Jaws Blackened Fish Sandwich. It has completely changed and is no longer the same…read moresandwich it used to be. The fish was thin, small, and severely overcooked. It did not appear fresh and looked more like a precooked salmon patty with fake grill marks. In the past, the sandwich had real char from the grill, blackening seasoning, and a strong grilled aroma and flavor. This one had none of that. It was a sad, dry, completely inedible meal. I have ordered this sandwich regularly for the past couple of years, but I will not be purchasing it again. It is absolutely not worth the cost for what now appears to be a precooked, fake-grilled piece of fish. You have been warned.

The Ultimate Chzburger

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Boogan's Bacon Burger | Instagram @restaurant_aholic

Moo & Brew

4.0(541 reviews)

8.7 mi•Elizabeth

We went to Moo & Brew for lunch on our last day in Charlotte. The food was amazing- I got the…read moreBackyard Classic, my sister had the Black & Blue, and my daughter did a BYOBurger with tons of fries. The food was delicious! We sat on the patio and the weather was perfect. Bryan was our bartender/server and he's awesome!! Will definitely be back on my next visit to the city

I've been to Moo & Brew before but it's been a while. The weather was lovely to sit outside on the…read morepatio. They have a good outdoor space. The bartender was nice enough and let us sample 6 beers. I went with a flight. Both of our burgers were yummy. They were out of sweet potato fries which we really wanted, but their regular fries and the sun dried tomato ranch was delicious! A little pricey for $20 a burger. But I would come back again.

Patio

Moo & Brew Burger

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Moomosa

Pinky's Westside Grill

4.2(2k reviews)

8.6 mi

We are so grateful that Pinky's never lets us down ! Always a great option true and true …read more I've been going here for years and honestly have no notes or complaints . Affordable and savory no matter what you get . Best bartenders in Charlotte, you could close your eyes and pick anything off the menu and enjoy it .No matter how long the wait is it's worth every minute . I tried the Flounder special for the first time . Amazing . Pinky's always offers something you can't quite get anywhere else . For the flounder , it was the fresh dill in the batter, it gave it a certain tang that just sets it apart . Hearty portions ! Trust you won't leave still hungry . Pinky's please don't change !

When you start walking to a table you can feel the vibe in there! It's an awesome environment!…read more I enjoyed two yummy cocktails. We started with buffalo wings which were good. We both got the white trash burger, can't complain about a burger with fried pickles on it! Service was great! The ladies in there were amazing! They work as a team and help one another.

Interior

Nature Boy Veggie Burger #Pinkyswestsidegrill

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Triple "G" Westside w/ American Chz #pinkyswestsidegrill

Queen City Bites & Crafts

4.3(202 reviews)

8.5 mi•Uptown

What a great afternoon stop for a beer and snack! First, the little alley is super cute. Loved the…read morecomfortable outdoor seating with umbrellas. The chicken tenders and fries were the perfect snack (came out HOT!) and their beer selection is amazing (loved the draft cider!!) Heyyhey is awesome and helped us with decisions and is just all around fun and kind. Burgers and wings looked good too - will try next time!

Hubby wanted to go to a "pub" for a burger. So we came here before heading to the amusement park…read more He ordered the Kickstarter burger with bacon and egg and he said it was really good. It hit the spot for his burger craving. I had the chicken Parm sandwich and it too was pretty tasty.

Bar from the back

Amazing pimento cheese bacon burger

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View from the side of dining room

ACE No. 3 - Myers Park

4.2(160 reviews)

7.1 mi•Elizabeth

I had a delicious strawberry shake (my first if you can believe that - I'm a vanilla girl). The…read morestaff helped me with my order by making mine without the strawberry chunks and it was perfect. The shake was great, sweet and thick. I didn't live the paper straw but it held up while drinking. Taking a star away because the table hadn't been cleaned and had something sticky that I attacked on my own with hand sanitizer.

A burger place conveniently located less than 10 minutes from me so I decided to try it out. I have…read morealso heard people mention this was the best burger in Charlotte. I'm not sure if I would say this is the best burger I've had but it was good for inconvenient neighborhood smash burger. I love a good fresh cut fry and their fries weren't my favorite. Overall good experience and the restaurant wasn't crowded and pick up was easy and quick .

Very lovely set up!

Confetti cake milkshake

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Spacious!

Optimist Hall

4.5(771 reviews)

9.4 mi•NoDa

Pretty quick service for how popular and crowded it was…read more Pretty clean and everyone was respectful. We ordered a lot! - so many vegetarian options.

While visiting the Carolina's at the start of 2026, we decided to do a short day trip to Charolette…read moreand ended up at Optimist Hall. As a New Yorker we have our share of markets/food halls and OH fits the familiar script, with a slightly smaller footprint than what I've experienced. What never seems to change is that securing seating can be a challenge because all spots are "prime" real estate and the abundance of choices is an indecisive person's nightmare. Nonetheless, to all the foodies at heart those are just minor details for mere mortals... lol. We managed to grab a larger enough table and everyone circled until we made our individual choices and then returned to our central meeting spot to break bread and indulge in all of our finds. We enjoyed several of the eateries we experienced and I was particularly intrigued by the plant store (albeit kinda pricey). Returning is a no brainer especially for the places that were most memorable. Just A Note: Parking is not free, payment is required. Please note depending on the time of day it can be crowded so securing a spot will require patience.

Food options

A little bit of everything: left to right: miso ramen with soft egg, OG bao bun, maleficent fairy drink, chendu dumplings. Broth.

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Hallway

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar

3.8(804 reviews)

6.8 mi•Dilworth

Everything was spot on!! Service was impeccable. April was professional and affable! Food came out…read morefresh and hot and was delicious! I ordered the Bistro burger with a Turkey patty and added smashed avocado in place of the avocado crema. My patty was juicy and well seasoned. I loved the grilled onions and fresh arugula that came on it! I also loved that my tater tots were crispy but not over cooked! Everything was just delicious! My son did a create your own burger with 2 angus beef patties, fried mozzarella patty, garlic mayo, and pesto on a Brioche bun!! It was massive and he was in hamburger heaven!!! The parking lot is small but I'd pay for parking if I had to! The place is not big but they do have a nice size outdoor patio area! It is very casual and clean! It also wasn't too loud! All in all, I'm glad we visited!!!

My daughter and I were in the mood for burgers and we were close to Bad Daddy's, so why not stop?…read more The hostess was great. She was very kind and helpful. We sat outside. Two servers walked past us multiple times and never acknowledged us. We sat for 10 minutes without a drink, a hello, or a we'll be right with you. . We had enough time to review the menu and write our orders since we were doing the "Build Your Own" option. Another table sat in the area and one of the same servers who never acknowledged the two of us was at their table within 2 minutes and brought their drinks shortly after. At that point, we left. There was no reason to stay. We drove a few miles away and got great food and service at Pinky's. When in the mood for Bad Daddy's I'll be sure to go to the Birkdale location. I've never had poor service there.

Inside lobby

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Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

9 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Angry F.

3 months ago

I used to work back in 2024 and based on the reviews this place still hasn't changed. The burgers were separated in a dirty sink and then defrosted quickly over an oven in the back. So some of the burgers were partially cooked by the time they were fully defrosted. The floors were absolutely filthy because we used the same dirty mop water on the front and back. And the first time I ever mopped and threw the water out when it got dirty they told me that it was pointless and to keep using the same dirty mop water the entire night. The owner, super maga gun holding loser, went on vacation for months. The issue with this is that he was the only one who knew how to clean the shake machine. And even if wasn't on vacation, the first day I was there the machine said that it hadn't been cleaned in months! The milkshakes were rancid and numerous sent them back because they tasted weird. Still though the manager, the owner's step son, insisted that the customers were all lying even when I told him that the shakes actually tasted horrible. The bathrooms were filthy and we were not told to prioritize cleaning them. The manager was a pedophile who would ask the 16 year old there to hug him before she left and then he hug her deeply to tell her how much he loved her. There was also another pedophile who told her how mature she was for her age and how she totally looked way older than she was. Mind you, she looked YOUNGER than 16! Thankfully she was fired for "being late all the time" which was true but I suspect something else was the reason. Because the guy who told her she looked mature for her age would show up late and leave early all the time and got nothing but praises from the manager and owner. He would also threaten to beat me up and shoulder check me but both managers told me he was "just kidding around". The food was premade hours in advance and was constantly cold. The burgers were mad well in advance and put in a little container next to the grill. the fries were made hours ago, and the tenders... They would sometimes have the same tenders for the entire day sitting above the oil. I don't trust a single person who actually likes the food here. The manager, the stepson, was also extremely transphobic. One night he told me how me much he hated trans people. And that one time this girl yelled at him for his transphobia but that she was just acting irrationally. Because it's just "a political opinion" and that as a Republican it was normal. And that people should just accept his political views. So overall garbage place and horrible food and people. I don't know if the current owner is the same but in 2023 he and his stepson were horrible and they ran the store horribly. read more

Gary P.

7 years ago

Holy crap this place has gone downhill. Drive through clerk was clueless and impossible to understand - not through the speaker, but not even in person at the window. After eventually finding his way to the window to "serve" us, he had the order wrong, argued about the prices and disappeared again. If he isn't drunk, he is stupid. We wanted a refund, he REFUSED TO GIVE OUR MONEY BACK EVEN THOUGH HE HADN'T MADE THE ORDER YET. This review was posted on Google as it happened several weeks ago. I look forward to sharing it everywhere. What a nightmare this has been. FINALLY RECEIVES OUR ORDER, receipt says # 506357 9:23 PM. Screw this dump and their drugged out gangster thug employee. This place is the reason Steak 'n Shakes are closing down everywhere. The sooner they are run out of business, the better our town will be. read more

Joseph-Tina H.

2 years ago

I just had the most amazing experience at Steak n Shake! The service here was absolutely astounding and the restaurant was super clean. The staff were all so friendly and engaged- you could tell they took their roles seriously and worked hard to make us feel welcomed. Food was great, as expected, but WOW the team here!! Keep up the great hiring and give these folks a raise!! Well deserved. read more

Jsnet H.

10 years ago

I went to breakfast yesterday morning. The service is not the best, but the food is almost always good. I had to wait for a long time for my food. When my food finally arrived, I had to eat very fast because I had a medical appointment. It was getting latte. read more

Jayla S.

8 years ago

This Steak 'n Shake customer services is HORRIBLE. They all have attitudes. They take forever to seat you. And your food come out late. We have been waiting for 2 hours just for them to ask for what drinks we want. 1 ou of 10 wouldn't recommend. read more

Katerina S.

10 years ago

Gave us our menus and never came back. Just attended everyone that came in after us. Never coming back.

Ben S.

15 years ago

They are pretty good and for the price you cant beat them.

Susan C.

12 years ago

Awesome Specials, love the food.

Cindy H.

12 years ago

LOVE IT

Steak ’n Shake - burgers - Updated September 2026

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