Bad Daddy's Burger Bar

After reviewing all the new choices in Birkdale, I was left wondering, "What do I feel like eating?" There are just SOOOO many tasty options to try in Birkdale. So, I did what any destiny-defying, independent, alpha-male would do.

I asked my wife.

Surprisingly, she was in the mood for burgers. And off we went to Bad Daddy's.

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, just a few minutes after 12 p.m. The place was already packed and I figured that we'd have to wait. Fortunately, there was one table left and we grabbed a seat about half way back, along the window.

Continue reading for the summary, score and restaurant info:

Foodie Travels: In-N-Out Burger

Heaven. Pure Heaven.

This was the thought that went through my mind when I ended my In-N-Out Burger drought, and bit into my food in Petaluma, Calif. The meal consisted of a burger, fries and a chocolate shake. However, the burger and fries weren't your standard menu items. In fact, you won't even find the following terms on the menu -- but trust me, the "Animal Style" burger and "Well-Done" fries are just two items that can be found in the In-N-Out Hidden Menu. (This is a topic that is worthy of its own post.

The "Animal Style" burger has a beef patty that was cooked in a mustard sauce (trust me, it's delicious), grilled onions, ripe tomatoes, crisp lettuce, pickles, cheese and a thousand island sauce. The "Well Done" fries are fries that have been cooked extra-long so they are very crispy.

The "Animal Style" burger was slightly messy -- the Thousand Island sauce dripped onto my fingers. And the high-quality produce - crisp lettuce and ripe tomatoes -- was a nice contrast to the texture of the burger. In addition, the grilled onions added a hint of smokey sweetness to the burger. Simply delicious.

The "Well Done" fries were very good. They were very crispy -- not a soggy fry to be had. In addition, the potatoes were cut and fried in front of my eyes -- you just can't get a fresher french fry.

The chocolate shake was good. They claim it's a 100% ice cream milk shake. But it's more like the standard fast food soft-serve milkshake -- like a Wendy's frosty, but just a little more liquid. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious, but a far cry from a real milkshake.

After all was said and done, I finished the burger and shake but ate only about half of the fries -- there were a LOT. I love In-N-Out, and my allegiance has only grown since I moved to the east coast over a decade ago. Cookout and Five Guys are good -- but IMHO, this is better.

Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 12/15

Price: $
Kid Friendly: Yes

Conclusion: A great burger made only better with fresh produce and REALLY fresh fries, make this a delicious meal. If you're ever within a 30 minute drive of one, be sure to drive and try it. It's worth it.

Restaurant Info:
In-N-Out Burger
http://www.in-n-out.com/

Prestone's Cuisine (Trailer at Gilead and Statesville)

Recently, one of the local weekly papers ran an article on Prestone's Cuisine. It chronicled Executive Chef Kemalemir Preston Frashto and his latest creation -- the food trailer next to the BP gas station at Gilead and Statesville roads.

The food at Prestone's is promoted as Italian. (The website says: "a vision of creating Huntersville's finest Italian dining experience...") But I'd say it's more American cuisine with a hint of Italian and Bosnian flavors.

The menu has everything from Chicken Tenders and Cheeseburgers, to Italian Schnitzel and Funnel Cake. It took me a little while to decide,but I eventually placed my order for a Bosnian Traditional Burger and a Deep Fried Twinkie. Yes, that's right -- a DEEP FRIED TWINKIE! YUM!!!

It took a while for my order to get cooked -- almost 15 minutes. So this isn't the fastest meal. Also, it's a little disorganized. I had to give my order about 3 times. But the final product is good!

The Bosnian Burger was a combination of 20% lamb and 80% beef. The meat was seasoned with spices that gave it a mildly exotic flavor. It's not something that I don't usually taste so I honestly can't identify it. Though the meat was slightly more pink that I prefer, the actual burger patty was quite good.

The burger was topped with an interesting condiment. It tasted like a tomato paste with paprika and roasted red peppers. It was an interesting flavor. Again one that I'm not used to tasting. The fries appeared to be freshly cut and cooked. The fries were good, but they could have been a little crispier and there should have been a few more.

Then came the deep fried twinkie. I have one word. YUM!!! Yes, it's bad for me. Yes, I could actually feel my arteries hardening. Yes, it's the one food that would survive a nuclear winter. But I don't care. It was good, gooey, and creamy! It was served with whipped cream and a cherry (nice touch!). But in all honesty it woulda been just fine by itself.

Score:
Atmosphere: 0/5 (No Seating)
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 7/10

Price: $
Kid Friendly: The food is kid friendly, but you'll be eating at home.

Conclusion: Unique flavors and foods help to separate this place from the normal greasy spoon. Aside from the longer than expected wait time, and slight disorganization with the order, this is a place you should try. I really like the fact that most of the food is made there and not pre-prepared.

Restaurant Info:
Prestone's Cuisine
BP Gas Station at Gilead and Statesville Rd.
I-77 (exit 23)
Huntersville, NC
http://www.prestonescuisine.com/

The Penguin

Where do you find blue collar workers, white collar workers, preppy students, and bikers with LOTs of tatoos? Answer: The Penguin Drive-In.

The Penguin is no longer a drive in, but it does have some seriously good burgers. It wasn't until the final bites of my Small Block (1/3lb burger) that I realized I had not yet applied ketchup. And the thin-cut onion rings, were astounding. The veggies on the burger were fresh, and stirred some memories of In-& Out Burgers on the West Coast.

I sat at the bar, and was constantly attended to by the staff behind the counter. The sweet tea was delicious, and my glass was re-filled several times (leading to an extremely full bladder!).

Though the food is good, this place reminds me of some of the dive-bars I hit in my college days. Fortunately, Penguin seems to accept this and manages to be a dive, minus the feelings of concern for personal safety. It is not a good place to take a first date, but perfectly acceptable for hanging out with friends. In addition, there is a full-bar as well, so this place would be great to get drinks, and then follow-up with the necessary grease to minimize the hang-over.

Over-all, I recommend Penguin if you're in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood or if you want to people watch. The food is good, the staff friendly, and where else will you find such a mixed group of patrons?

Score:
Atmosphere: 2/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 9/15

Restaurant Info:
The Penguin
1921 Commonwealth Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-375-6959