Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Penguin

Well I decided to hit up the Penguin for a Monday night meal - hoping it would not be too crowded. When I arrived, I my name with the host and learned the wait was 30 minutes (30 minutes is not bad when people wait an hour + on the weekends). While waiting, I noted a beer special of Shock Top for $1.50/pint or $5/pitcher - so of course, I got a pint and the wait was soon over.

The menu is the typical 'diner' fare with sandwiches, hot dogs and vegetarian options... with their main item being the hamburger. They have three sizes of hamburgers - the single, double and the triple stack (or the 'Hemi') and you get add-ons such as pimento cheese and dressed all-the-way (lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, mustard, mayo) or Southern style (which has slaw, chili, and some all-the-way items).

The server came to the table immediately and took my order - fried pickles, a single burger with pimento cheese dressed all-the-way and sweet potato fries. The pickles came out hot and fast - so hot I had to blow on them to cool down. The pickles were nicely fried with a hint of grease and had the perfect salty dill flavor in each bite. The pickles also come with ranch dressing for dipping that allows for a yummy bite. The 'regular' size is big enough to share with others and a good appetizer until the main event comes. The burger and fries came - and again, the food was on fire! I could barely wait to gobble the burger down so I risked burning my mouth in order to take a bite and it was delicious! The burger was moist and the pimento cheese (made daily by the Penguin) added a great flavor. The burger was about 1/3 lbs in size and was very filling. It was so good though I could have made room for another. Lastly, for the sweet potato fries - I was a little disappointed. Yes, they were hot - but they were limp and soggy. I like my fries crispy! They were also very thin-cut and usually sweet potato fries are a little bit bigger sliced...

The burger is about ~$7, with the pickles and fries adding about $3-4 each to the total. Leaving the Penguin, I was still craving the salty taste of the fried pickles and the perfectly cooked burger and thinking nothing of the fries... I give the Charlotte drive-in 'gem' 4 ghosts.

The Penguin is located at 1921 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC in the Plaza-Midwood district. Get there early on the weekends or try it during the week for dinner - you won't be disappointed.

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