American fare
$18 - pasta with marinara & water
Cheesecake Factory has some great good, but the options are a little over the top. My favorite thing on the menu is the Mexican Grilled Chicken Salad. It's made with avocado, grilled chicken, corn, black beans, pico plus other stuff served with bbq ranch and it is so good. (I recommend getting the dressing on the side as it can get a little soggy). With 50 pages in the menu, if you don't know what you want, it can be a difficult thing to figure out. The Chicken Marsala is one of the "favorites" and I hear it's pretty good. The pasta was good but I only ordered it because I was looking for something bland. If you're looking for good Italian, try someplace else. Otherwise, the main reason to come here is the cheesecake. With 50 different options, that can be overwhelming too. Somoe of my favorites include the Toblerone, Kahlua and Dulce de leche. I don't even like cheesecake but these desserts are awesome. It's actually more about the whipped cream which is worth ordering anything!! If you're with a group or with someone who is indecisive, CF can be a great place as they can please just about any taste. While you'll have to wait no matter what time you go, it's worth it. It's also a great place to put your name in, do some shopping (if you can afford it), and end up with a great meal. It's definitely a fun treat for birthdays too. They have a little dessert thing for the birthday person served in a shotglass-sized dish that is the perfect size. If you want to go somewhere for dessert, you can't lose here. It's definitely a good place!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Mert's - Uptown
Southern Comfort food
$12 @ lunch for honey glazed chicken breast with 2 sides and sweet tea
How can you not love Mert's?? It's all southern and great. The chicken was a special but they have great bbq, fried chicken, burgers, shrimp & grits and other southern specialties. The sides are fantastic and you can make a meal of three or four. I think I had sweet potatoes and collards but they have squash casserole, black eyed peas, okra, etc. The service is great and the atmosphere is a little plain but the food makes it all worthwhile. Parking is probably a pain so I'd go for lunch uptown or dinner after everyone is gone. Always a good choice.
$12 @ lunch for honey glazed chicken breast with 2 sides and sweet tea
How can you not love Mert's?? It's all southern and great. The chicken was a special but they have great bbq, fried chicken, burgers, shrimp & grits and other southern specialties. The sides are fantastic and you can make a meal of three or four. I think I had sweet potatoes and collards but they have squash casserole, black eyed peas, okra, etc. The service is great and the atmosphere is a little plain but the food makes it all worthwhile. Parking is probably a pain so I'd go for lunch uptown or dinner after everyone is gone. Always a good choice.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Roly Poly - Dilworth
Fast Casual - Rolled Sandwiches
$12.96 - 1 full wrap, 1 half wrap, 1 fountain drink & 1 water
Roly Poly is a good stand-by lunch place. They serve a bunch of different sandwiches wrapped in tortillas with beef, turkey, chicken and veggies. My favorite is the Sante Fe Chicken which is grilled chicken, ranch dressing, cheese, grilled onions and tomatoes served with a side of salsa. Their sandwiches can be hot or cold and whole or half sizes. The half is a good size for lunch unless you're really hungry (or have a big appetite). They serve Coke products (of course) and have lemon slices. There's one Uptown in Latta Arcade that is good too although the back room where people sit is either too hot or smells funny. Getting food to go is an easy option and what I've had has always been good. The one complaint I've heard is you can be hungry a couple hours later so it isn't lasting. An easy lunch place if you need one.
$12.96 - 1 full wrap, 1 half wrap, 1 fountain drink & 1 water
Roly Poly is a good stand-by lunch place. They serve a bunch of different sandwiches wrapped in tortillas with beef, turkey, chicken and veggies. My favorite is the Sante Fe Chicken which is grilled chicken, ranch dressing, cheese, grilled onions and tomatoes served with a side of salsa. Their sandwiches can be hot or cold and whole or half sizes. The half is a good size for lunch unless you're really hungry (or have a big appetite). They serve Coke products (of course) and have lemon slices. There's one Uptown in Latta Arcade that is good too although the back room where people sit is either too hot or smells funny. Getting food to go is an easy option and what I've had has always been good. The one complaint I've heard is you can be hungry a couple hours later so it isn't lasting. An easy lunch place if you need one.
Hawthorne Pizza - Midwood/Elizabeth
Pizza/Italian
$14 - Chopped Salad & 6 Garlic Knots
I love Hawthorne's. It feels like a neighborhood place where the food is really good and you can see a lot of the same people over and over again. Their pizza is pretty good, but it's the flat dough, slightly burned kind. One good thing is it's different enough from both Brixx and Mellow to draw people in. There are only two sizes of pizza, individual or huge but it's good. The salads are my favorite as each one I've tried has been great. The Tuscan salad is my absolute favorite and the Chopped is really good too. The lettuce is always fresh and the balsamic vinaigrette is a great dressing. The Tuscan comes with fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes and yellow peppers while the Chopped has green olives, tomatoes and red onions. I've heard the Spinach salad is pretty good, but I'm not a fan of spinach so I haven't tried it. My favorite pizza is the Elizabeth Special with pepperoni, sausage, onions and green peppers. The BBQ Chicken was a little sweet for me, and I haven't tried many others. I didn't like the calzone, preferring Mellow's calzones to these. They were too small, the crust too crunchy and too much ricotta for my taste. I've heard the pasta is pretty good but I haven't tried it. The garlic knots are a new discovery with bread knots coated in olive oil and roasted garlic served with a side of marinara. Yum!!! The beer is relatively cheap and I haven't tried any of the wines yet. It's a good place for dinner any night of the week or takeout if you're close by. In the summer, sitting outside is great but while it's cold, inside is pretty good too. There are a few flat screens with whatever game is on and a smoking section if you need one. It doesn't carry over too bad. If you have the Citipass book, I believe there's a coupon if you want to try it out. Otherwise, it's highly recommended by me.
$14 - Chopped Salad & 6 Garlic Knots
I love Hawthorne's. It feels like a neighborhood place where the food is really good and you can see a lot of the same people over and over again. Their pizza is pretty good, but it's the flat dough, slightly burned kind. One good thing is it's different enough from both Brixx and Mellow to draw people in. There are only two sizes of pizza, individual or huge but it's good. The salads are my favorite as each one I've tried has been great. The Tuscan salad is my absolute favorite and the Chopped is really good too. The lettuce is always fresh and the balsamic vinaigrette is a great dressing. The Tuscan comes with fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes and yellow peppers while the Chopped has green olives, tomatoes and red onions. I've heard the Spinach salad is pretty good, but I'm not a fan of spinach so I haven't tried it. My favorite pizza is the Elizabeth Special with pepperoni, sausage, onions and green peppers. The BBQ Chicken was a little sweet for me, and I haven't tried many others. I didn't like the calzone, preferring Mellow's calzones to these. They were too small, the crust too crunchy and too much ricotta for my taste. I've heard the pasta is pretty good but I haven't tried it. The garlic knots are a new discovery with bread knots coated in olive oil and roasted garlic served with a side of marinara. Yum!!! The beer is relatively cheap and I haven't tried any of the wines yet. It's a good place for dinner any night of the week or takeout if you're close by. In the summer, sitting outside is great but while it's cold, inside is pretty good too. There are a few flat screens with whatever game is on and a smoking section if you need one. It doesn't carry over too bad. If you have the Citipass book, I believe there's a coupon if you want to try it out. Otherwise, it's highly recommended by me.
Monday, November 20, 2006
California Pizza Kitchen - Airport B
Pizza
$13 for 5 cheese and tomato pizza, fountain drink and bottled water
This is one of the better places to eat at the airport. It's on concourse B and was actually made fresh to order. The salads looks pretty good as well. They don't have a full menu, really 6 or so pizza options and 4 salads but what they serve are the most popular at the regular CPK restaurants. If you have to eat at the airport, I'd recommend this. The seating is fairly small but turns over quickly as you'd expect at the airport. However, it's next to a smoking bar so that's a pain. However, if you get stuck there for a few hours, grab something here. It's a good choice.
$13 for 5 cheese and tomato pizza, fountain drink and bottled water
This is one of the better places to eat at the airport. It's on concourse B and was actually made fresh to order. The salads looks pretty good as well. They don't have a full menu, really 6 or so pizza options and 4 salads but what they serve are the most popular at the regular CPK restaurants. If you have to eat at the airport, I'd recommend this. The seating is fairly small but turns over quickly as you'd expect at the airport. However, it's next to a smoking bar so that's a pain. However, if you get stuck there for a few hours, grab something here. It's a good choice.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Einstein's - Uptown
Fast Casual/Bagel Shop
$7.37 - Tasty Turkey Sandwich & Fruit Salad
Einstein's set the standard for good bagel sandwiches in Charlotte. Brueggers was here first but they got a wake-up call with Einstein's rolled into town. Great bagels which you can toast, different sandwiches, whipped schmears, salads and soups. My only complaint is the smell. The Einstein's uptown always smells weird, like too many things have burned in the kitchen. They make things quickly, I love the tasty turkey on a Sundried Tomato bagel and they have Coke fountain drinks. I'm not a huge fan of the coffee though and they don't serve Raw Sugar to I'd rather not come for breakfast. Lunch however is good if you can get over the smell and take it to go. The Asian Chicken Salad is pretty good and I like their sesame vinagrette dressing. The fruit salad is a new option which I like, although it wasn't cold when I got it. Not sure what happened there. A good place to grab a quick lunch to go uptown.
$7.37 - Tasty Turkey Sandwich & Fruit Salad
Einstein's set the standard for good bagel sandwiches in Charlotte. Brueggers was here first but they got a wake-up call with Einstein's rolled into town. Great bagels which you can toast, different sandwiches, whipped schmears, salads and soups. My only complaint is the smell. The Einstein's uptown always smells weird, like too many things have burned in the kitchen. They make things quickly, I love the tasty turkey on a Sundried Tomato bagel and they have Coke fountain drinks. I'm not a huge fan of the coffee though and they don't serve Raw Sugar to I'd rather not come for breakfast. Lunch however is good if you can get over the smell and take it to go. The Asian Chicken Salad is pretty good and I like their sesame vinagrette dressing. The fruit salad is a new option which I like, although it wasn't cold when I got it. Not sure what happened there. A good place to grab a quick lunch to go uptown.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Just Fresh - Uptown
Fast Casual/Take out
$6.64 - Grilled Chicken Salad
Just Blah would be a better name for it. The food is fresh, but the flavors are bland and it's way overpriced for what you get. My salad was 96% lettuce, a small shred of carrots, 6 roma tomato slices and chicken that didn't look so good. I usually get their chili with a corn muffin which is great, but the salad was disappointing and way more than I expected. Next time I'll get one from Chick-fil-a.
$6.64 - Grilled Chicken Salad
Just Blah would be a better name for it. The food is fresh, but the flavors are bland and it's way overpriced for what you get. My salad was 96% lettuce, a small shred of carrots, 6 roma tomato slices and chicken that didn't look so good. I usually get their chili with a corn muffin which is great, but the salad was disappointing and way more than I expected. Next time I'll get one from Chick-fil-a.
A little more stuff...
So, I guess you need more info about me to figure out why you should read this. First of all, I eat out for lunch (and sometimes dinner) everyday, and I love trying new restaurants. It's not that I don't cook, but cooking for one stinks in my opinion so I'd rather meet people over a meal and catch up.
I'm a normal eater, meaning I don't like trying crazy food and flavors. I don't know about spices and the origins of food, but I do know good food when I find it. My favorite type of food is Mexican with Italian as a close second. I'm not a huge fan of Vietname or Thai, and I love almost anything fried. I only go to restaurants that serve Coke products, and fountain beverages are really important to me. On that note, Reid's has the best fountain drinks in town and they serve high quality lemons and limes with it (not the dried out ones). I'm thirsty just thinking about it.
I'm not going to tell you about everything on the menu, just about stuff I like to eat. This won't be a comprehensive restaurant review, just some suggestions on places to go it you're looking for ideas. I hope this helps.
I'm a normal eater, meaning I don't like trying crazy food and flavors. I don't know about spices and the origins of food, but I do know good food when I find it. My favorite type of food is Mexican with Italian as a close second. I'm not a huge fan of Vietname or Thai, and I love almost anything fried. I only go to restaurants that serve Coke products, and fountain beverages are really important to me. On that note, Reid's has the best fountain drinks in town and they serve high quality lemons and limes with it (not the dried out ones). I'm thirsty just thinking about it.
I'm not going to tell you about everything on the menu, just about stuff I like to eat. This won't be a comprehensive restaurant review, just some suggestions on places to go it you're looking for ideas. I hope this helps.
Qdoba - Park & Woodlawn
Fast Casual - Mexican
$7.63 for Grilled Chicken Salad & a drink
I love Qdoba! They have great chips, fresh food and great fountain beverages (including fresh lemons and limes). Their queso has a little kick and it's a lot better than Moe's & Salsaritas. I would definitely vote it the best restaurant in this genre. The chicken is grilled and rarely overcooked, the rest of the veggies are good and it's pretty consistent. The one downer is the fact that you have high school students who make the burritos, so the portions ebb and flow depending on who's serving. I like the chips better than the salad shell for the salad and the queso burrito is yummy. Definitely not good for me, but so good to eat! Enjoy.
$7.63 for Grilled Chicken Salad & a drink
I love Qdoba! They have great chips, fresh food and great fountain beverages (including fresh lemons and limes). Their queso has a little kick and it's a lot better than Moe's & Salsaritas. I would definitely vote it the best restaurant in this genre. The chicken is grilled and rarely overcooked, the rest of the veggies are good and it's pretty consistent. The one downer is the fact that you have high school students who make the burritos, so the portions ebb and flow depending on who's serving. I like the chips better than the salad shell for the salad and the queso burrito is yummy. Definitely not good for me, but so good to eat! Enjoy.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Mimosa Grill - Uptown
American
$32 for 2 for lunch - 2 cokes, 1 salad, 1 soup & salad, tax & tip
A nice corporate-feeling restaurant for lunch uptown that's better when you're on an expense account. Good food every time and sweet potato fries to boot. Choices include salads, wood-fired pizzas, burgers & sandwiches and various entrees including a daily changing meat & 3. The Asian Chicken Salad is one of the better salads. The soup & salad is what I usually get (house salad has goat cheese fritters and toasted pecans and the tortilla soup is awesome). The Southwestern Chicken Sandwich (it has another name) is great too with grilled chicken, some white cheese, grilled onions and avocado. Regular fries and sweet potato fries are two of the sides as are veggies and rice and beans. The sweet potato fries are really good (but not sweet so be forewarned). The caesar salad pizza is just that, a caesar salad on top of a cheese pizza. It's weird but good. Everything I've had has been good. The one thing that bugs me about Mimosa is that white cloth napkins always shed. A trivial thing but it still bothers me.
One thing to note, the menu is different (and much more expensive) at night so don't use this as a guide for dinner. Enjoy.
$32 for 2 for lunch - 2 cokes, 1 salad, 1 soup & salad, tax & tip
A nice corporate-feeling restaurant for lunch uptown that's better when you're on an expense account. Good food every time and sweet potato fries to boot. Choices include salads, wood-fired pizzas, burgers & sandwiches and various entrees including a daily changing meat & 3. The Asian Chicken Salad is one of the better salads. The soup & salad is what I usually get (house salad has goat cheese fritters and toasted pecans and the tortilla soup is awesome). The Southwestern Chicken Sandwich (it has another name) is great too with grilled chicken, some white cheese, grilled onions and avocado. Regular fries and sweet potato fries are two of the sides as are veggies and rice and beans. The sweet potato fries are really good (but not sweet so be forewarned). The caesar salad pizza is just that, a caesar salad on top of a cheese pizza. It's weird but good. Everything I've had has been good. The one thing that bugs me about Mimosa is that white cloth napkins always shed. A trivial thing but it still bothers me.
One thing to note, the menu is different (and much more expensive) at night so don't use this as a guide for dinner. Enjoy.
Cantina 1511 - Dilworth
New Mexican
2 people for dinner - $58 (Guac, 2 Enchiladas de Dennis, 3 drinks (Sangria & 2 beers), tax & tip)
Cantina is a great place to meet someone for drinks & apps after work. The guac is the best thing on the menu in my opinion. The rest of the food is good, but not great. The Enchiladas de Dennis (spinach & chicken) are my favorite. It's "authentic upscale" Mexican which means it isn't as good as Azteca but it's better than La Paz. Don't go if you're looking for cheap, yummy, bad for you Mexican, you'll be disappointed. Instead it's a high class mexican place, if there is such a thing. However, the margaritas are why 90% of the people eat here. There's 40+ tequilas if that means something to you. I'll stick with the Rojo Sangria. The beer is what you'd expect at a place like this, Mexican and slightly overpriced. The service has improved. My first two times were terrible, with a waiter who should never have been given the job. Last night our waitress was really nice and helpful. She was attentive without being annoying. It's also a great place to run into people you know (assuming you're a yuppie). I saw 3 people I knew which is always fun. All in all, I'll be back.
2 people for dinner - $58 (Guac, 2 Enchiladas de Dennis, 3 drinks (Sangria & 2 beers), tax & tip)
Cantina is a great place to meet someone for drinks & apps after work. The guac is the best thing on the menu in my opinion. The rest of the food is good, but not great. The Enchiladas de Dennis (spinach & chicken) are my favorite. It's "authentic upscale" Mexican which means it isn't as good as Azteca but it's better than La Paz. Don't go if you're looking for cheap, yummy, bad for you Mexican, you'll be disappointed. Instead it's a high class mexican place, if there is such a thing. However, the margaritas are why 90% of the people eat here. There's 40+ tequilas if that means something to you. I'll stick with the Rojo Sangria. The beer is what you'd expect at a place like this, Mexican and slightly overpriced. The service has improved. My first two times were terrible, with a waiter who should never have been given the job. Last night our waitress was really nice and helpful. She was attentive without being annoying. It's also a great place to run into people you know (assuming you're a yuppie). I saw 3 people I knew which is always fun. All in all, I'll be back.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Roasting Company - Park Rd & Woodlawn
Fast Casual
$6.50 for 1/4 White Rotiserie Chicken with 2 sides and water
I love Roasting Company. The food is great, the price is low and it's always consistent. Not much for atmosphere but who cares? It's a solid place to go with a variety of options and it's pretty healthy. Sides include Stir-fly, mashed sweet potatoes, side salad (it's pretty small), white beans au gratin and a few others I can't remember. They do have a few dishes where queso is poured over chicken or rice and beans. The queso is really good (it's white cheese, not yellow which I think is better) but probably loses the "good for you" rating. Some dishes get a little pricier but I don't think anything is over $10. Salads and wraps are good too. I definitely recommend it for cheap eats that seem relatively healthy.
$6.50 for 1/4 White Rotiserie Chicken with 2 sides and water
I love Roasting Company. The food is great, the price is low and it's always consistent. Not much for atmosphere but who cares? It's a solid place to go with a variety of options and it's pretty healthy. Sides include Stir-fly, mashed sweet potatoes, side salad (it's pretty small), white beans au gratin and a few others I can't remember. They do have a few dishes where queso is poured over chicken or rice and beans. The queso is really good (it's white cheese, not yellow which I think is better) but probably loses the "good for you" rating. Some dishes get a little pricier but I don't think anything is over $10. Salads and wraps are good too. I definitely recommend it for cheap eats that seem relatively healthy.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Fuze Box - Uptown
Thai/Sushi
My bill for lunch = $12 (2 sushi rolls, 4 pieces nigiri, water and tip included)
Second time I've eaten there and the experience was forgettable. Sushi was good, not great and the portion was pretty small. I tried eating there last week with a friend and after waiting 10 minutes and never being spoken to by any staff, we left. We have no time for that. My table today ranked it an average of 7 out of 10. I'd lean towards a 6. Probably won't be back.
My bill for lunch = $12 (2 sushi rolls, 4 pieces nigiri, water and tip included)
Second time I've eaten there and the experience was forgettable. Sushi was good, not great and the portion was pretty small. I tried eating there last week with a friend and after waiting 10 minutes and never being spoken to by any staff, we left. We have no time for that. My table today ranked it an average of 7 out of 10. I'd lean towards a 6. Probably won't be back.
Welcome to my Charlotte Food Review!
My first blog attempt, we'll see how it goes. I just got back from lunch with my coworkers and realized that I needed to start this blog. There are so many restaurants in Charlotte that are great and so many that aren't. With this in mind, I wanted to start a blog to let you know about them. I'd love your comments if you've eaten at any of these places and if you have any that I should try. I'm not a professional, but I love to eat out so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.
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