The Digs:

The inside is pretty, and they have maximized the space nicely as it is a small restaurant. There is a bar that will seat approximately six people comfortably, but most don’t come here to sit at the bar …… so far anyway.

The Grub:

I ordered the Gumbo, which was fantastic.  You really need to try it. Very full of chunky goodness and delightfully tasty.

I also tried the Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs with candied bacon. That bacon is absolutely “knock your socks off” delicious and I’ve tried alot of bacon. I thought the eggs were fair, but my daughter loved them, and I loved the bacon, so we were both happy.

My daughter had the Chicken Alfredo. It was probably the best Alfredo I’ve ever eaten, (she even agreed). I had to keep stealing bites off her plate because it tasted so good. Highly recommend the Alfredo dishes here.

They currently have a small wine, beer, and cocktail list but I imagine it may grow over time.

Plan for a wait because this is not a large restaurant. If you want, you could walk next door to The Tomahawk Range and throw a few axes while you wait.

As of now, this is a very new restaurant in Albemarle. The good news is that they are constantly adding wonderful dishes to their menu.  Be sure to give them a try.

The Scratch (Per Person):  

$25+ per person without drinks

The Duds:

You can come as you are, but many do dress a little nicer for dinner at The Courthouse.

The Digs:

Cool spot for breakfast in the NoDa area of Charlotte. I got there right as they opened on Saturday, and it was fine. I arrived around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday and it was an hour’s wait. They seem to have a tiny kitchen and make each order as it comes in. So, just be prepared that there might be a wait.

It is an order-at-the-counter and seat-yourself type of restaurant however they do have some baked goods like muffins, bagels, and cookies.

The Grub:

Some of their foods have a bit of a Spanish influence.

I had the Spanish omelet on Saturday, day one. The omelet was pretty good, but the best part of the dish was the homemade hot sauce. It was delicious with just the right amount of tang and spice.

I also tried the (can’t remember name) potato and cabbage ball. It was also good, especially with the hot sauce. I snagged a cup of coffee but wasn’t impressed with the flavor.

On Sunday, day two, I got a biscuit with sausage gravy.  The gravy was very thick and gray with large chunks of sausage. It was pretty tasty…..but much better with hot sauce. LOL.  The biscuit did not taste very fresh.

I also tried some bacon but it was eh. I was expecting a place like this to have phenomenal bacon so that was a bit of a disappointment

The Scratch (Per Person):  

$12-$20

The Duds:

Casual

The Digs:

The inside is relatively small, especially if they aren’t seating people in the big room, but there is a large bar in the middle where you can also sit. Outside they have several tables on the patio which is lovely for a nice day. One single bathroom makes it interesting if things get busy. There is a second bathroom in the big room but they seem to keep that closed off for reservations.

The Grub: 

We started off with a cheese and charcuterie board to share. We let our server select the items. It was absolutely fantastic. There was a mustard cheese we all fought over but the star of the show was the goat cheese paired with bacon jam. We loved it so much that we all bought a jar of bacon jam before we left!  

I had the beet salad for lunch. All of the fruit in it was very good and the dressing was quite yummy. They did a great job pairing these flavors together to make this salad a win. 

I also had a couple of pieces of my husband’s Margherita pizza. The crust was delicious, the tomatoes were large and the balsamic drizzle was YUM! 

All in all, the board won 1st place today. I’ll get a board here every time I return.

The Service:

Service wasn’t top-notch, but it didn’t have to be because they have a self-pour wine station!  Whenever we wanted more wine, we went to the self-pour wine station and picked it out!  It was a lot of fun and gave us a chance to try some new wines.

The Scratch (Per Person):  

$16-$30

The Duds:

Casual! Grab a chair, relax and just have fun.

Take Note: 

This is located in a large shopping area. You’ll have to park and walk to the middle to access it.

See my review with pics on Google Maps!

The Digs:

The inside of Roy’s is nice with big windows looking out onto the street.  They do have a back patio area that could be fun, but it didn’t appear like it was used very often. It was a little chilly the night we went, so perhaps it wasn’t open due to that fact. It could be a fantastic area if they would spruce it up a bit though.

The Grub:

I tried the 1/2 rotisserie chicken with rice, beans, and plantains.  It was cooked nicely, had a lovely rub on it, and was overall, a delicious meal.  My only complaint was that I wanted a sauce, and they didn’t have any.  They did bring us something, but it wasn’t a good compliment to the dish.  I’d like to see them come up with a sauce that could be used to give the chicken that extra pop!

We had a Painkiller which was quite tropical and delicious.  I also tried the Margarita which I thought was a pretty good drink. They don’t have a huge liquor/wine menu so I wouldn’t expect anything over the top but the drinks I tried were very good. 

The Service:

The service was great.  Our server was super nice and attentive. They even brought the chef out to chat with us at one point.

I’d go back again and probably get the same food. Check it out. We were glad we did

The Scratch (Per Person):  

$15 +

The Duds

Casual

The Digs:

Has a very “ice cream shop” feel.  The inside area has a few tables and there are also a few tables outside on the sidewalk. One small bathroom in the very back.

The Grub: 

We got bottles of Frose to-go today in various flavors and we all tried them all. It’s Frose! I am not a big lover of the flavored, frozen wine, but for what it was it was okay. It’s fun to get the wine filled up in cute bottles and take it with you!

The Service:

The folks working the counter were super nice and fun. It’s a quick-serve counter-order experience.

The Scratch (Per Person):  

$10-$15

The Duds:

Casual!

Take Note: 

This is located in a large shopping area but there is a parking lot right next to it.

See my review with pics on Google Maps!

The Digs:

This is a bona fide speakeasy. You only know it’s there by the small writing above the door with their name over it. Once you walk in, the appearance is very “old school” with rich dark wood and funky decor. The bathrooms are decent. There is a back patio, but it isn’t that great.  You’re going to enjoy sitting inside more for this one.

The Grub: 

They have a huge book that lists all of their Bourbon.  If there were any specific ones you wanted to try, they would probably have it.  This place makes a killer Old-Fashioned.

The Service:

The bartenders have always been nice when I’ve been here.

The Scratch (Per Person): 

$10-$20 per drink 

The Duds:

Casual

The Digs:

The outdoor patio is wonderful!  I’ve never visited when they had live music, but the patio surrounds a large amphitheater where they have live music on Saturdays and Sundays from 2-5 p.m.  They also have a garden you can wander through which is cool because they actually use the food they grow.  You’ll find some cornhole boards near the back of the gardens as well. 

If you wander upstairs you can do a self-guided walking tour of the facility which is quite impressive. I had been coming here for years and just recently found the upstairs!  You can see all the rooms where they handle different stages of the beer-making process. My favorite is the canning/packaging room!  

The Grub:

The wings here are FANTASTIC. Small little lollipop wings and you get a lot- probably 20.  They are in a homemade torpedo sauce which I absolutely love…..so much so that I keep it on hand at my house.  Just keep in mind they do not have ranch dressing. It is a homemade blue cheese sauce that is not chunky. I like it but my husband loathes blue cheese, so he is always mad about it.   

I haven’t had anything here I didn’t like. Their flatbreads are cooked in a wood-fired oven and are wonderful. They have a large selection of beers, some wine, and even hard kombucha.

The Service:

Go on a weekend and plan for a wait.  The last time I was there was 12 pm on a Friday and there was a 1.5-hour wait.  Lots to do while you wait though.  Grab a beer, walk around, and enjoy the facility

The Scratch (Per Person):

$15 + (according to meal/appetizers and # of drinks)

The Duds:

Casual. Anything is acceptable.

Take Note:

If you wander upstairs you can do a self-guided walking tour of the facility, which is quite impressive. I had been coming here for years and just recently found the upstairs!  You can see all the rooms where they handle different stages of the beer-making process. My favorite is the canning/packaging room!  

The Digs:

A medium-sized restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner all day.  A coffee bar is in the front, and a small bar is in the middle with a couple of beer taps.  There is also a small front porch with a few tables for those that choose to sit outside.

The Grub:

Nothing to write home about here. Standard diner food. I felt like they could have made just a few small tweaks to make it great but it was missing some flair. Definitely, not terrible food, just nothing memorable. 

I had the standard 2 egg plate with bacon and potatoes. The potatoes are not fresh, more of the frozen/fried variety. The over-medium eggs were crispy on the edges, if you like that sort of thing, they do have a nice crisp. The bacon was pretty good but inconsistent. On one plate the bacon was cooked pretty well, another plate looked barely cooked. I got the wheat toast and it had a very strong wheat flavor which surprised me. It was good, but then I saw the sourdough, which looked like it was probably delicious.

The Service:

The most friendly staff you could ask for!  They were all SUPER nice and helpful.

The Scratch (Per Person):  

$16-$30

The Duds:

Casual.