Good New Restaurants

[drumsy]

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/whats-in-store/article252897703.html

This says that A&W is making their NC debut in Charlotte, but I seem to remember going to an A&W on Independence Blvd as a young teenager.  Was I mistaken?

[Temeteron]

1 hour ago, drumsy said:

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/whats-in-store/article252897703.html

This says that A&W is making their NC debut in Charlotte, but I seem to remember going to an A&W on Independence Blvd as a young teenager.  Was I mistaken?

Yes we used to have them back in the day.  I think there was also one somewhere on N. tryon too

[kermit]

Bocado (the old Big Ben) is now open.

The Trolley Barn might (?) have been training staff.

Superica has discontinued take out due to a "staff shortage." The website makes me think it is chain wide.

[abttown]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

Bocado (the old Big Ben) is now open.

The Trolley Barn might (?) have been training staff.

Superica has discontinued take out due to a "staff shortage." The website makes me think it is chain wide.

We tried the new Big Ben location last weekend and we'd give it a B-.  The food was actually very good (if you like English food), the service was slow, but I think you can (hopefully) chalk that up to new staff/training.  Our waitress didn't know anything about the menu or what beers were on tap.  The beer selection was also pretty poor, but maybe they didn't have all the taps ready.  The bar is quite large and looks great (sorry no pics) and the location is great considering lots of folks will utilize this space with it's proximity to Memorial Stadium.

Speaking of Superica, the Strawberry Hill location is now only open for dinner, even during the weekend.  We tried to go there for lunch a few Saturday's back and were disappointed to see the place closed until 5:00pm.  This is surprising given how packed the place has been during weekend lunch, but I suppose they also have a staff shortage.

[videtur quam contuor]

I was at Ben last week. The space is spare with metal chairs and tables and concrete floors. It has lost the wood and warmth from Atherton. Menu was the same as before, a favorite of ours. Bar is feature of the place, front and center, and I hope they do well since there were few diners when we were there. Same Chef as before. No printed beer menu, a function of quick opening, I assume. The location is superb for a soccer focus restaurant so I assume the bar emphasis is part of that design. It needs more decor and sense of Englishness which it sadly lacks today. Too early for a grade from me. 

As we left a streetcar stopped at Customshop 50 feet away and inbound and another was outbound across the street. The two cars passing in front of Ben.

Edited July 21, 2021 by tarhoosier

[Temeteron]

2 hours ago, kermit said:

Bocado (the old Big Ben) is now open.

The Trolley Barn might (?) have been training staff.

Superica has discontinued take out due to a "staff shortage." The website makes me think it is chain wide.

Tried Bocado Thursday and it was a really bad experience.   Here is my Yelp review: 

“I was super excited to try this place out.  As I walked in, I noticed the huge transformation they had done from the previous tenant Big Ben that I was sad to see leave (even though they relocated).  I was seated and greeted by my server very quickly.  My friend came about 20 min later so I was taking my time with ordering.  By the time my friend joined me the kitchen was extremely backed up and every table around us was complaining at how long it was taking for their food.  I was told by someone that the chef was fired and then half the kitchen staff quit.  This made me feel bad for the servers but I couldn't understand why the hosts kept seating people if the kitchen couldn't handle more people? A bit unorganized to say the least. 

Food feedback:
*The ham and cheese with bechamel fritters were good
*The burgers were disappointing and seemed rather small for the price.  The beef was falling apart, there was something missing in the ingredients that kept it from sticking together. 
*Cocktail was ok

Overall I think they have potential but they need to work on staff issues and also their menu as it seems that they don't really have an identity. Also, they have weird hours. 3:30pm-10pm? Strange”

[KJHburg]

On 7/20/2021 at 7:48 PM, abttown said:

We tried the new Big Ben location last weekend and we'd give it a B-.  The food was actually very good (if you like English food), the service was slow, but I think you can (hopefully) chalk that up to new staff/training.  Our waitress didn't know anything about the menu or what beers were on tap.  The beer selection was also pretty poor, but maybe they didn't have all the taps ready.  The bar is quite large and looks great (sorry no pics) and the location is great considering lots of folks will utilize this space with it's proximity to Memorial Stadium.

Speaking of Superica, the Strawberry Hill location is now only open for dinner, even during the weekend.  We tried to go there for lunch a few Saturday's back and were disappointed to see the place closed until 5:00pm.  This is surprising given how packed the place has been during weekend lunch, but I suppose they also have a staff shortage.

Yes I know the manager at Superica Strawberry hill and they have such a staffing shortage they can not offer the brunch right now but I think southend is still doing it.  But at 5 pm when the doors open people flood in and I was one of them last week. 

[KJHburg]

JasonThomasCLT on Instagram is saying Velvet Taco is coming to Hawkins St across from the new Portman tower 

[rancenc]

Could the Queen City be the next foodie capital of the Southeast??

https://carolinas-eater-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/carolinas.eater.com/platform/amp/2021/9/15/22673541/charlotte-dining-destination?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a6&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From %1%24s&aoh=16320531802546&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fcarolinas.eater.com%2F2021%2F9%2F15%2F22673541%2Fcharlotte-dining-destination

[rancenc]

According to Foursquare the best pizza is........

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/charlottefive/c5-food-drink/article254582742.html

[tozmervo]

I had been wondering if Foursquare was still a thing - apparently it's only used in Mooresville anymore. 

[Temeteron]

31 minutes ago, rancenc said:

According to Foursquare the best pizza is........

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/charlottefive/c5-food-drink/article254582742.html

For a better pizza list check out my IG: @ouzoadventures  :)

[kermit]

/tangent from topic/

I recently got breakfast from a Bo’s in Northwest Alabama. It lended support to the hypothesis that Bo’s quality increases as you get further from S Tryon and West blvd.

[TheRealClayton]

3 minutes ago, kermit said:

/tangent from topic/

I recently got breakfast from a Bo’s in Northwest Alabama. It lended support to the hypothesis that Bo’s quality increases as you get further from S Tryon and West blvd.

Increases? I have experienced the opposite. The Bojangles around Columbia for instance, are awful.

Edited December 1, 2021 by TheRealClayton

[kermit]

4 minutes ago, TheRealClayton said:

Increases? I have experienced the opposite. 

Maybe I have been to #1 too many times, but it has always been disappointing for me (along with Woodlawn). Bo’s down in the Coastal Plain the other hand always have fresh biscuits, crisp bacon, and well seasoned fries!

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by kermit

[TheRealClayton]

28 minutes ago, kermit said:

Maybe I have been to #1 too many times, but it has always been disappointing for me (along with Woodlawn). Bo’s down in the Coastal Plain the other hand always have fresh biscuits, crisp bacon, and well seasoned fries!

 

I haven't been to #1 in years.

The Bo's I frequent:

• Steele Creek — Great food, horrible drive through and walk up  service, regularly take an extra 30 minutes to put together a catering order that you ordered 4 days ago
•  Tryon Hills — ok food, lightning fast service
•  The airport — The Bojangles Embassy, by far the best food in the brand
• Woodlawn — Haven't been there since I moved to the "North End" but I always found it pretty greasy, and the biscuits were often deflated.

[KJHburg]

Harrisburg Bojangles number 1 on Hwy 49 great and efficient.   Bojangles #2 on Rocky River not so good.

The best Bojangles I have been to is in    drumroll please........................ Pittsboro in Chatham County on Hwy 15/501 at US 64 bypass.  Friendly fast service and that is where I had their new chicken sandwich even my mom and nieces liked it.  Only 2 hours away. 

[kermit]

1 minute ago, KJHburg said:

Harrisburg Bojangles number 1 on Hwy 49 great and efficient.   Bojangles #2 on Rocky River not so good.

The best Bojangles I have been to is in    drumroll please........................ Pittsboro in Chatham County on Hwy 15/501 at US 64 bypass.  Friendly fast service and that is where I had their new chicken sandwich even my mom and nieces liked it.  Only 2 hours away. 

I agree, the Pittsboro Bo's is excellent. But don't skip the burgers from Johnsons in Siler City in order to go to Bo's.

[kermit]

The post-Agenda broke some interesting restaurant news:

The Supperland owners have purchased the Bonterra building in Dilworth. Bonterra will close just before x-mas. The new owners say it will not become another Supperland but will be a new concept (hopefully with cheaper shrimp)

https://charlotte.axios.com/281741/scoop-supperland-owners-to-buy-historic-dilworth-church-that-houses-bonterra/

Edited December 6, 2021 by kermit

[videtur quam contuor]

Before Bonterra it was a gift store with Marion Redd owner and lots of interesting and beautiful items and a big Christmas display. Marion Redd was a history buff and conducted tours of Elmwood and identified flowering and ornamental plants along with the plots of notable individuals and families. I participated in one. There was a mayor Marion Redd in the 1920's and I assume the family is the same. Before that it was one church congregation after another, Dilworth Methodist among them. Imagine the parking provided for a full congregation on the currently tiny parking area.

[kermit]

37 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

 Imagine the parking provided for a full congregation on the currently tiny parking area.

It wasn't that long ago that people generally walked to their church. Arguably it was the last activity that American's regularly walked to. Declining attendance meant all churches had to broaden their trade areas (which required parking).

Edited December 6, 2021 by kermit

[Vitamin_N]

14 hours ago, kermit said:

It wasn't that long ago that people generally walked to their church. Arguably it was the last activity that American's regularly walked to. Declining attendance meant all churches had to broaden their trade areas (which required parking).

We're getting extremely off topic here but I'd like to point to St Patrick's in Dilworth as an example of decent urban church land use. There's a small parking lot for the teachers at the elementary school, then there's a paved area behind the school and the church which does double duty as a playground during the week and a parking lot on Sundays. There's also on-street parking along Buchanan. So they can handle the cars but they're also integrated into the fabric of the neighborhood in a way that's not ugly and suburban-looking.

And as long as I'm being off-topic, the midtown Bo's on 3rd has fallen on hard times since the onset of covid. I'm a Bo's fan and I live a few hundred feet from there and I've stopped going... The dining room is usually closed; the one recent time I found it open it was still closed because they didn't have enough staff for the register. Which wouldn't be a huge deal except the drive-through line moves at a glacial pace so unless you get lucky you'll be waiting half an hour. And the last few times I've gone they were out of something. (I'm aware of the challenges involved with running a restaurant these days as well as the fact of the workers' low pay so I don't know what to say here other than thanks for the good years.) 

And finally, getting back on topic: once covid is done I wish we could see a full service flagship Bojangles uptown. That, my friends, would be a Good New Restaurant.

[tozmervo]

43 minutes ago, Vitamin_N said:

And as long as I'm being off-topic, the midtown Bo's on 3rd has fallen on hard times since the onset of covid. I'm a Bo's fan and I live a few hundred feet from there and I've stopped going... The dining room is usually closed; the one recent time I found it open it was still closed because they didn't have enough staff for the register. Which wouldn't be a huge deal except the drive-through line moves at a glacial pace so unless you get lucky you'll be waiting half an hour. And the last few times I've gone they were out of something. (I'm aware of the challenges involved with running a restaurant these days as well as the fact of the workers' low pay so I don't know what to say here other than thanks for the good years.) 

And finally, getting back on topic: once covid is done I wish we could see a full service flagship Bojangles uptown. That, my friends, would be a Good New Restaurant.

TBH I think Bojangles as a whole has dropped sharply in quality in the past couple of years. They seemed to be uniquely unprepared to compete for staff.

[davidclt]

2 hours ago, tozmervo said:

TBH I think Bojangles as a whole has dropped sharply in quality in the past couple of years. They seemed to be uniquely unprepared to compete for staff.

I Agree about Bojangles' quality and being unable to maintain staffing.

Wasn't there some observation about another homegrown, previously revered Charlotte business being ill equipped to attract staff?

Bojangles’ Sold for $593 Million, to be Taken Private | QSR magazine

Sycamore Partners Completes Acquisition Of Belk, Inc. - Dec 10, 2015

Is there a common thread here?

[KJHburg]

in the news from western NC chef Gordon Ramsay opening a food hall in Harrahs Cherokee.  I went to his restaurant there and it was good and full of interesting dishes.

Gordon Ramsay to open first food market concept in North Carolina | wcnc.com