South 21

I have been quite busy so here is a long-awaited review.... South 21.

I went here after driving by it several times and seeing it on the Food Network. I know Guy (from Diner's Drive-ins and Dives) raved about it on his show - especially the onion rings. Well, here's my review of the place.

Upon entering, the place seemed clean and service was friendly. I ordered the Jumbo Cheeseburger (a Super Boy with Cheese) and onion rings. I waited about 5 minutes and bingo - my meal was ready. The burger on first glance looked pretty good as it was topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions. I did notice that the burger patty itself was thin - like a McDonald's hamburger patty. So - having the two patties seemed more like a 'normal sized' burger. I took a bite and the cheese was melted nicely and oozed out. The bun was nicely toasted but the taste of the burger confirmed my initial glance of the thin patties. I was able to eat the burger pretty quickly.

Next, the onion rings. They were thin thin thin - just like the burger patty. I bit into them hoping for a gush of flavor - but nothing, nada, zeltch. No flavor in the batter and barely an onion inside the fried ring. I was very disappointed due to all the hype placed upon this onion ring. The onion rings were also very dry. No moisture+no flavor makes CLT Food Ghost a dull ghost. I had to use ketchup to choke a few more down.

Maybe it was an off day, but overall I was not impressed. And concluded that either Guy's tastebuds are wacked or he's a very good liar.

The service was great but the food... well... I give South 21 2.5 ghosts (with service saving them).

I can get a better burger elsewhere - one place being my own grill. Sorry South 21.

South 21 has a Matthews location which is more sit-down and the drive-in location up on Independence on the way to Uptown.

http://www.south21drivein.com/

Big Daddy's Burger Bar

Ok – so here is the Big Daddy’s review (like I said – I have been swamped!). The spouse was craving a burger and fried pickles so we found our Sunday meal at Big Daddy’s. We were seated pretty prompt (surprisingly) and put our order in for the fried pickles. We debated on which burger to get as there are quite a few… between the basic burger, veggie burgers, Southern (with cheese, slaw and chili) and a blue cheese burger – just to name a few. We settled on splitting their other namesake restaurants – the Mama Ricotta burger (housemade mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto) and the 1511 Cantina burger (black bean patty, green chilies, avocados, cheese and chipotle ranch – I upgraded the black bean patty to the buffalo meat). The order was placed (both medium) and the pickles arrived… The fried pickles here are sliced long versus the ‘chips’ you can get at other places like the Penguin and the Counter and served with ranch dressing. From appearance, it looks like a lot of pickles – but when you bite into them, I tasted only a salted fried matter. One slice of the pickle can give you your sodium allowance for the week. I ate a few more to see if it was just that slice – but these badboys were saltier than the Dead Sea – at least the ranch dressing helped mask it. The pool of grease was not that appetizing either. I will note that these were saltier and greaser than what I have had at other places in the Queen City area.

Our burgers arrived about 10 minutes later nice and hot. We both halved our burgers and began to dig in. I started on the Mama Ricotta burger first. I noticed that the bottom of the bun was completely soggy – but oh well – I guess that means one nice, juicy burger. Wrong. This burger seemed over cooked and was very dry, the tomatoes were overripe and super mushy, and the pesto was not very flavorful (here is where an actual dash of salt and pepper would have worked). The housemade mozzarella was actually pretty good and helped the overall burger taste. I shutter to say that I could have gotten a better cooked burger at Five Guys. Next – to my main event – the 1511 Cantina burger with buffalo meat. This meat was super flavorful and moist… another reason to ‘upgrade’. The avocado and chilies also added to the flavor and was complimented by the chipotle ranch dressing. This was the burger I was wanting – a juicy dream with a slight kick. We both had the tater tots with the burgers – nice and crispy and hot!

The service was pretty good… much better than it has been in the past. For the overall experience, I will give Big Daddy’s 3 ghosts. The 1511 Cantina burger carried the rating due to the dry and unseasoned Mama Ricotta burger and the overly salty and greasy pickles. I know this is a Charlotte hot-spot… but a dry burger is like walking across the desert with no water. They also have grilled chicken and salads for healthier options. The overall price of the restaurant is up there ($11.50 for the Cantina burger with the buffalo). I plan to visit again in the future (for some more buffalo) but will have to save some coin.

Two locations - Dilworth and Ballantyne - http://www.bigdaddysburgerbar.com/Home/

The Counter

The Counter is a hip, Southpark burger bar (and a small nationwide chain). I went during lunch and it was actually pretty empty (I have been on weekends and you usually have to wait). I was seated promptly and ordered an unsweet tea. The waitress explained that you 'build your burger,' which is a trend now throughout the burger business (as well as Five Guys, Big Daddy's, Red Robin). From the looks of the menu I noticed two main things - 1) the price - pretty steep and 2) no fries or other sides offered - you have to get those separately. You basically build a burger with a choice of cheese and 4 toppings and a sauce and bread. Anything more costs extra.

I settled on a 1/3 lb beef burger with jalapeno cheese. This was topped with more jalapenos, tomatoes, pickles and grilled onions on a wheat bun and roasted garlic aioli sauce on the side. I also broke the bank and ordered the 50/50 basket of onion strings and fries. The burger came out and it was stacked high... I knew this was going to be messy. The garlic aioli sauce was on the side and I took a single taste prior to using on the burger - it was smooth and not overly garlicky. I then thinly spreaded this on the burger (saving some for the fries). The burger itself was pretty good - a little dry but the sauce and toppings helped. Oh the toppings - there were a lot - so much so they fell off the burger. The fries were McDonald's like with some seasoning (Lawry's maybe?) on them. The onion strings were thin slices of onions (surprise!). I did finish the burger though and was full the rest of the day. Overall, the burger was pretty good but a little dry and not as juicy as a burger can be.

I give the Counter 3 ghosts. This is because the burger was good but not great. The price is steep, esp when you have to order the sides separately. The waitress was good though - esp keeping my glass filled with tea. The meal with tax and tip was almost $18 (yes, for lunch).

Feel free to go build your burger and try it out - http://www.thecounterburger.com/charlotte/