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2 hours ago, grodney said:

I'm currently having a pretty delicious sausage and egg on rye toast from Phil's Deli Express in Latta Arcade.  I had a reuben for lunch Wednesday (it was good, not change-my-life, but good) and they were crushed...and it was only 11:15.  I asked Phil this morning if they've had a good week, he sighed and said "oh my, yeah, too good.....I wasn't prepared....and I wish I had twice the space".  He asked where I worked and said he had 3 deliveries there yesterday.

If it's anything like the Phils food in Strawberry Hill....this place will DOMINATE! Hahaha.  But seriously, the Strawberry Hill location pumped out some huge delicious breakfasts for el cheapo prices. We lived in Strawberry Hill for 3 months while we were in between selling/buying our house and we ate there pretty much every weekend. Nothing fancy, just good food, good service, and great prices. 

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So, I've heard nothing but bad reviews of Hot Taco. So naturally, I decided to check it out for myself for lunch yesterday. OK, OK - I held off until a "Taco Tuesday" so I could get some cheap tacos - how bad could they be? Even if it's Americanized "On The Border" quality, $6 for three tacos is a good deal.

I was pleasantly surprised. I had a Baja Fish Taco, a spicy shrimp taco, and their signature Muy Caliente taco. You can choose your tortilla style, or a lettuce wrap. I have to say that they all were great - not your typical Americanized Mexican fare. The Muy Caliente taco was by far supreme - a heap of roasted pork, cilantro, and queso fresco on corn tortillas (that was my choice of shell) - the pork was tender and full of flavor. Free housemade tortilla chips and tasty salsa were included, and if the default salsa isn't for you, there is a salsa bar with about 6 salsa styles and 30 or so different hot sauces.

And I didn't mention the $2 margaritas on Tuesdays yet, which weren't amazing, but certainly not bad. Yes it was a work day, but no, I cannot refuse a $2 margarita (or two).

I struck up a conversation with a couple of folks beside me at the bar and they were frequenters of the place, I'm guessing probably living in one of the nearby apartments. They said that the kitchen staff has gone through three changes since they opened, all for the better. They agreed that when Hot Taco opened, it sucked, but said that the restaurant has changed a lot since the first kitchen staff was there and the food quality has turned around completely.

This was my first experience there, but I have to say I was impressed given the negative tone of what I've heard about the place. So for anyone whose written this off as another non-authentic Tex-Mex place, give it another shot. You may be surprised. I plan on making this a regular Tuesday spot for lunch.

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  • 4 weeks later...
46 minutes ago, Crown said:

Has anyone been to Stoke yet? Have heard great things, but am skeptical. 

I thought the bar was fantastic, A-, and the food was a solid B+. I still think Roosters is better, but my parents are friends with their Executive Chef, so we rarely eat off the menu.

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1 hour ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

I thought the bar was fantastic, A-, and the food was a solid B+. I still think Roosters is better, but my parents are friends with their Executive Chef, so we rarely eat off the menu.

Roosters is better value and more approachable for food no doubt. The bar vibes and cocktail quality at stoke blow roosters out of the water though

Edited by Jayvee
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I was really excited to try BonChon since I can't get enough of the wings at Seoul Food. Unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed last night when I visited. The wings weren't bad, but normal sized(Seoul's wings are gigantic) and they didn't have that same crispy shell that Seoul's have. For the same price as Seoul, I don't see any reason to go Bonchon for Korean Wings. 

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1 hour ago, hambone931 said:

I was really excited to try BonChon since I can't get enough of the wings at Seoul Food. Unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed last night when I visited. The wings weren't bad, but normal sized(Seoul's wings are gigantic) and they didn't have that same crispy shell that Seoul's have. For the same price as Seoul, I don't see any reason to go Bonchon for Korean Wings. 

I agree that their wings didn't blow my mind after all the hype, but I tried some of the rest of the more traditional Korean menu and it was all quite good. I'm happy to have an easy nearby option for some of those dishes, and can see myself ordering takeout frequently (they were still dine-in only when I went a couple weeks ago). 

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  • 2 weeks later...

My only issue with Seoul Food is that I haven't been able to try it yet since they aren't open for lunch! I work just a few blocks away and was really hoping they would modify their hours a few weeks after opening to accommodate the lunch crowd too. I even messaged them on FB and they said that lunch was coming in a few weeks, but that was months ago, and still no lunch hours. (I have a 2-year old, and this place probably isn't optimal for a family dinner outing with a toddler in tow...we need to find a babysitter).

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  • 2 weeks later...

As previously reported by Jayvee in the "Another one bites the dust" thread (with link to an agenda article), a new Mexican place will be in the old Mandrake space.  There are now banners up, with the name "Que Onda" (which is apparently spanish slang for "what's up").

In other "coming soon" news, the Potbelly sandwich place in Latta Arcade has up banner signs that say "Coming Soon-ish".

20161024_111155_zpsm5zilfxb.jpg

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3 hours ago, grodney said:

As previously reported by Jayvee in the "Another one bites the dust" thread (with link to an agenda article), a new Mexican place will be in the old Mandrake space.  There are now banners up, with the name "Que Onda" (which is apparently spanish slang for "what's up").

In other "coming soon" news, the Potbelly sandwich place in Latta Arcade has up banner signs that say "Coming Soon-ish".

20161024_111155_zpsm5zilfxb.jpg

Que Onda got its abc permits so they should be opening very soon. Potbelly is shooting for early December. Corkscrew wine opening next week as is ink n ivy.

Popbar in noda and grabbagreen in Epi got building permits  

Uhhh if I can think of any more openings soon I'll post. 

Edited by Jayvee
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I don't make it uptown too often anymore, but I did this week and there is a fantastic halal truck/cart at the northwestern corner of Trade/Tryon. Halal Express is the name...not sure if they are there every day, but damned if it wasn't better than any halal carts in the northeast that I've eaten at. They cook everything on demand, so it's not as quick as the "scoop and serve" locations in Philly or NYC, but it's better tasting IMHO. Chicken + lamb + rice + salad was $6. Killer deal and very filling.

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8 hours ago, ScottCLT said:

I don't make it uptown too often anymore, but I did this week and there is a fantastic halal truck/cart at the northwestern corner of Trade/Tryon. Halal Express is the name...not sure if they are there every day, but damned if it wasn't better than any halal carts in the northeast that I've eaten at. They cook everything on demand, so it's not as quick as the "scoop and serve" locations in Philly or NYC, but it's better tasting IMHO. Chicken + lamb + rice + salad was $6. Killer deal and very filling.

That truck frequently has a line 20+ people deep at lunch time, which is my way of saying I've never tried it but would like to.

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https://www.charlotteagenda.com/70853/italian-restaurant-coming-north-side-station/

 

Tavolo (Italian restaurant replacing Cosmos at 6th and Church) opens this weekend. The pizza is phenomenal and the place has great vibes. The wine loft is really cool as well. I hope they do well. 

There is also a new bar called the Imperial opening up there. Also awesome. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
4 minutes ago, grodney said:

Workers from Seoul Food were uptown Thursday, handing out 10% off coupons.  That's an "uh oh" in my book.....but their Yelp reviews look pretty good.  Huh. 

Yeah, I ate at Seoul on Sunday and they now offer you a $1 discount if you check in to Seoul on Facebook.  The waiter stood over me and watched as I pulled my phone out and checked in :tw_anguished:.  The place was more than half empty, however we had a late lunch (~2:00).  I will say, I think their food is quite good and will continue to eat there, but that certainly came off as a little desperate.

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^ I've been there a few times in the evening and there always seems to be a good crowd.  Food is good, but the menu is limited in terms of variety.  I know this isn't Seoul's aim, but why can't Charlotte have any legit Korean restaurants with the domed grill in the middle.  Is it NC laws or building codes or something?  Hibachi and hot pot restaurants get away with it somehow.  I know so many people who go to ATL just for Korean food.  If one were to ever open CLT, they would absolutely kill it.  KOREAN-BBQ-2_2.jpg

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