Penguin Drive-In

Almost as quickly as a new edition of Hamburger America was released, I was lucky enough to be out and tasting the newest findings. This time, it was the Penguin Drive-In in Charlotte, North Carolina. We walked in shortly before six on a Friday and didn't have any trouble getting a seat. Our server came over quickly, and she was pleasant during our whole visit. She offered us the house special appetizer, fried pickles, but I'm certainly at a loss for shy see are so popular. My hometown favorite, Memphis taproom, blows them out of the water.

The beer selection offered standard big brews from across the us and world, as well three craft beers on Draft. I drank a beer from Old Meck right in Charlotte and Widmer Pale ale. Fat Tire was also on tap. The temperature on these beers was a bit warm, and the pours were anything but generous. Still, when the bill came out and I saw they were $2 each, my complaints vanished.

I was dining with Mom, Charlie ,and Laura, and everyone went for burgers. I stuck with the name sake, which came with lettuce, onions, friend pickles, and smothered in pimento cheese. The cheese isn't bad, but is still a novelty. American would taste be better. George Motts wrote about huge 1/3 pound patties, but these are nowhere to be found. Instead, small, griddle cooked burgers were served. They had that distinctive char taste, and the only disappointment with the patty was that it didn't cover all of the bread. It was a good burger, but certainly doesn't deserve a write up in a book that chronicles the country's best burger joints.


The best burger was ordered by Mom: southern style. Essentially a chili cheeseburger, it was quite tasty. We also ordered a few sides, onion rings and sweet potato fries. The fires were covered in cinnamon and sugar, making them like a dessert and frankly, ruining them. The onion rings weren't terrible , but lacked any real flavor and crispiness.

The atmosphere here is fun. Seat yourself, and look at pictures from the business over the last sixty years. It's part bar, part family restaurant, but it works. There's even a Rockola jukebox in the corner with an impressively bad playlist offered.


The bottom line: it seems this place recently came under new management, and maybe not for the better. Still, the burger is good, the beer, like everything else, is pretty cheap. Worth a stop, but don't go out of your way.

One Shot Coffee

I've been to one shot a few times, and I have mixed feelings. I really believe that I should be able to order a cup of coffee for less than two dollars. I understand that they offer Stumptown, but the prices for drinks here still seem high. That being said, they do brew some delicious coffee, and I'd rather overpay for something I like then get a good deal on something that barely passes as coffee.

One Shot recently moved to a new location on George Street , and that whole place is beautiful. I met with my good friend Bryana and we sat outside and had coffee and breakfast. Charming 1940s music played inside and out, although Bryana told me this wasn't common. Whether inside or out, the atmosphere is great. Some people send hours in a coffee shop working on papers or other work, and one shot is the kind of place where you will almost enjoy yourself while typing away.

The food menu here is small and hit or miss, but there are a few items that really shine. Bryana ordered the bagel topped with creme cheese, crushed nuts, and drizzled with honey. One look brings on a doling mouth and a bit of envy. I ordered a weird sandwich: bacon egg and mac-n-cheese. This sounds odd, but makes the perfect meal, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sure, you quickly become a cheese gooey mess, but I don't remember the last time I had so much fun doing so. I believe that this sandwhich is their flagship food, and certainly should be enjoyed on the fluffy and buttery brioches roll. One shot also offers house made treats like biscotti, cookies, and such.

Bottom line: I think this is a love it or hate it place. Coffee is a bit pricey, while food is reasonable. Its a pretty place, and is certainly worth at least one visit. The mac-n-cheese sandwich is must try, if not for its taste then simply for the originality.

Slyfox Brewey

Sly Fox makes excellent beer. No doubt about that. Visiting the brewery, however, doesn't add much to their product. I do like the extensive tap list they offer, with some special brews that are rarely or never seen in the city.

Other than that, this place is miss-able. Tucked in a strip mall and with the charm of a Denny's, Slyfox fails to impress on several levels. Food is pretty average, although some specials, like $1 tacos on Sunday, are pretty good.

Bottom Line: Good beer, everything else needs improvement. If you plan ahead you can get a standard, but good brewery tour. It's hardly worth the trip outside of Philadelphia to visit Slyfox in person.
That is a good looking Black and Tan.

WMD Hot sauce

Did you know there's a store at 12th and South that sells almost exclusively hot sauce?

I like this place a lot. I simply like the idea of such a specialized store, and I happen to like hot sauce. To top it all off, Bobby the owner is willing to talk to anyone while offering his expertise and samples.

The prices here aren't discount, but basically all of the sauces here are gourmet. I really like the stuff that is made in house, especially the hot sauce made with carrots, resulting in a great spicy-sweet combination.

In terms of hot sauce selection, this place is great. There are also other related items, like dry rubs and hot peanuts. If you love spicy food and are looking for a new kick to add, you must stop by WMD.

JG Domestic

JG Domestic is one of Jose Garces' newest restaurants. It is in the Circa Center, the time crystal looking building attached to 30th Street Station. Set in the lobby of the building, the decor and absence of walls gives the restaurant the feel of a fancy, open air ranch. It's certainly the nicest and probably "best" place to eat if you are waiting at 30th Street Station. I picked up my wonderful mother at the station and we decided to visit while waiting for my sister to get into town.

As expected, JG Domestic offers good service. The beer list is small, but respectable. I ordered the house beer, a Victory brew that bears Garces' name. The style wasn't listed, but this bitter, amber ale is probably an ESB. Mom ordered a glass of house wine and wasn't impressed. Prices here are a bit above average, but within the normal bounds for this type of restaurant.

The lunch menu has a lot of choices, and I opted for the blue plate special. Wednesday's special, fish and chips, was exactly what I was craving. Sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. The amount of fish on my plate was laughable, close to half the normal serving size of a typical fish dish. The fish was breaded in small pieces, a la fish-sticks. These were set on a large bed of well seasoned fries - but fries should never constitute the main portion of a meal. Alongside my meal was a small ramekin of salad with a delicious green goddess dressing. My favorite part of the fish and chips plate was the condiment, a malt vinegar aoili that had the perfect taste and texture to compliment the fried fish.

Mom ordered the Cobb salad, which was topped with blue cheese, avocado, bacon, and grilled chicken. I was a bit jealous when her plate arrived; it looked fantastic and she really enjoyed her order.

Bottom Line: JG Domestic offers decent lunch specials and a good place to eat in a location that's relatively sparse otherwise. It's on par with Garces' other locations, but honestly, if I find myself stuck while waiting in 30^th Street Station again, I'd much rather check out the surprisingly extensive beer list at Bridgewater's.

Cafe Lift

Previously, I'd only been to Cafe Lift for lunch. In addition to the great paninis and sandwhiches they offer, Life has a solid breakfast lineup. I wasn't the first to figure this out; at 10am on a Sunday there were quite a few people waiting to get a table.

The menu, which offers a lot of good choices, is supplemented by a chalkboard boasting about 6 different daily specials. It took me a while to narrow down the choices. I love the open kitchen, because you can get a preview of nearly every dish as it is served up and delivered.

I was out with Carly, and I ordered the panchetta frittata. It was made with sweet onions, kale, gruyere. It was perfectly cooked, the saltiness of the panchetta and cheese complimented the eggs. It was served with multi-grain toast and breakfast potatoes.

Carly also ordered from the specials, granola pancakes. I don't usually enjoy sweet breakfast, but even I had to admit that this dish was delicious. The granola cakes were topped with bananas and raspberries. Local honey and house made whipped cream were served alongside and made for perfect toppings.


The service here is pretty good, not amazing. The coffee is decent and has free refills. The portions at lift are generous, and the ingredients are high qaulity.

Bottom Line: Philly has a lot of good brunch places, and this is certainly in the upper echelon. Lift won't blow you away, but the ever rotating specials and overall cool atmosphere will make Lift an ever popular brunch option.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack may have the best ground beef I've ever eaten. This is perfectly flavorful, juicy, griddle cooked beef that's ground fresh daily. Respectably, cheese is only offered as American, and the meat and cheese combine in a truly delicious fashion. If your lunch is like mine, a double shake burger will come out with lettuce, tomato, cheese, two patties, and "special" (thousand island) sauce on a squishy white bun, wrapped up in a wax paper sleeve.


This is all quite similar to an In-N-Out burger, but doesn't have the same quality of tomato and lettuce that the fantastic West Coast chain offers. In fact, the relative average quality of everything besides than the meat and cheese is what keeps the burger from being truly amazing.

While Corner Bistro still wins in my heart for favorite NYC burger, that's more because of the establishment as a whole. As I've said, the ground beef here is unbeatable.


I didn't partake in the name sake, but I'd like to try a shake at some point. The fries were average crinkle cut potatoes, nothing special. Be prepared for long wait here, or try and time your visit in between lunch and dinner on weekdays.

Bottom Line: These cows make my mouth water.