We needed to check this out after the slow burn hype this establishment continued to receive in the Charlotte press and especially after being featured on Guy Fieri’s  Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  Two colleagues and myself decided to hit the Penguin for lunch on a mild mid-week late August day in Charlotte. 

The restaurant is situated in the middle of the Plaza Midwood neighborhood, a recently gentrified hip enclave of Charlotte with your usual mix of tattoo parlors, organic leaning restaurants and the odd used LP record store.  Our first glimpse was the vintage Penguin Drive-in sign which definitely lent an air of authenticity to this restaurant.  The Penguin originally opened as an ice cream parlor back in 1954 and the restaurant features the original pine paneled walls and cozy atmosphere.

Upon entering, we encountered several tattooed hipsters disguised as wait staff and were told that the current wait list was approximately 20 minutes.  Inside seating is pretty limited, I’d say an assortment of about 15 booths and of course the upfront diner/bar area with about 10 bar stools available.  We put our name on the list and were pleasantly surprised to be seated in a prime corner booth with minutes.

We were faced with a classic diner menu with some great burger and hot dog highlights.   We also noted the grilled Pimento cheese sandwich and also commented on the fried bologna sandwich.  In a word….we were torn.

Finally, we all opted for Big Block burgers, approx 1/2 lb burgers with double patties, cheese and sliced pickle garnish.  An option for ’southern style’ with slaw and chili was also available but we decided to go the purist route that afternoon.   We also ordered the justifiably famous onion rings and fried pickles to start.    The onion rings were served sliced very thin and lightly battered…simply fantastic while the fried pickle slices were dusted in a light cornmeal batter and served with a ranch style sauce on the side.  Also a huge hit!

Along with the burgers we ordered a Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich to split and were happy we did.  It was marvelous and left us wondering why we hadn’t ordered the tangy Pimento cheese on our burgers which would have benefited from an extra little kick even though they were delicious as served.

Finally, we had overheard a nearby table raving about the Dinky Dog, a chili dog served with Pimento Cheese and mustard.  We promptly ordered one to split and were happy we had splurged for it!  Outstanding flavor and goodness in about 3 quick bites!

I will be back.

The Penguin