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Real Retro
Classic mom & pop eateries thrive amid Charlotte's nouveau sophistication
By David A. Moore
Page 3 of 5
Gianikas isn't the only one with a long history at the westside drive-in. Regulars always recognize red-headed Martha Tarleton, who's taken orders over the vintage drive-in intercom system for 36 years, and 30-year veteran Michael Cureton, who's served in just about every job capacity the business has to offer. What keeps Gianikas' customers coming back over and over?
"Well, there's a lot that we serve that's popular. Seafood, the Poor Boy Sandwich -- but the Barbecue Sandwich is the most popular."
"Once you get the taste of Barbecue King in your mouth," he boasts, "it's hard to forget it!"
The Coffee Cup Grill
In all likelihood, The Coffee Cup Grill, 914 S. Clarkston Street, in Third Ward, is probably Charlotte's oldest restaurant. It's definitely Soul Food Central for the city. Originally opened by Mertice Heath in 1935, the small diner with the octagonal-shaped windows and distinctive deco signage (original, no less) passed through two other owners before Sylvia and Kevin David bought it from Christine Crowder in 1999.
Despite the ownership change, a lot has stayed the same at the little grill.
"We're still serving a lot of the same things they did years ago," says Sylvia David. "We're even still using some of the equipment that was used in 1935." That equipment includes a countertop used to make their own bread in-house, with the same recipe preferred by the original owners. The edibles that people like City Councilmember Pat Cannon and wrestler Ric Flair keep coming back for include such soul food delicacies as salmon and fatback biscuits, red-eye gravy, country-style steak with real mashed potatoes, and cut-with-a-fork pork chops and gravy. Lean cuisine it's not, but when you want a taste of what original, grassroots Southern cooking is all about, this is the place to go.
"People come here everyday from all over the place," says Sylvia's business partner and husband, Kevin David. "In fact, there are people who tell me they've been coming here for years and years."
The Copal Grill
If Thanksgiving is one of your favorite holidays, then you can celebrate the taste of the season year "round at The Copal Grill, 5923 Wilkinson Boulevard. Owner Kleomenis Balatsias sees to it that his customers can have turkey and dressing for lunch or dinner regardless of the time of year.
"It's one of our customers' favorite items," Balatsias explains. "People also love to come here for our breakfast and the steak and prime rib specials we have every Friday and Saturday."
The Copal is the very personification of the classic American roadside diner. Opened on Wilkinson Boulevard in 1948 by Mike Hunter and Gene Galenge, the twosome aimed their business at truck drivers traversing the route (prior to I-85) and customers from the nearby airport and suburban neighborhoods that had begun to crop up. Balatsias bought the business from the previous owners in 1966. Spiro Kalyvas came on board as his partner in 1973 and continues with the business today.
Although customers might dismiss the Copal's well-worn interior as well-loved, Balatsias seems to think the joint could do with a bit of a facelift.
"Things are looking a little tired around here," he says with a touch of sadness. "But we haven't done anything because we may have to move." Since 1982, the restaurant has been on alert that a proposed bridge to the airport may run directly through the restaurant's lot. For Copal regulars, the loss would be heartbreaking.
"It's like a family here," Balatsias explains. "I have employees that have been here 35 years, and customers that have been coming here everyday for as many years. Hopefully, if we ever have to, we can relocate."
The Cupboard
Billy Reid breaks out in a big infectious grin when he talks about his family-owned and operated restaurant The Cupboard, 3005 South Boulevard. "I'm the third generation in my family to be in the restaurant business," he boasts.
Reid's grandfather Theo Robertson sold sandwiches and snacks to Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II. In the 1950s, he would open Robertson's Drive-In Grill.
Reid's father, William, opened The Varsity Diner in 1960 in the same parking lot where The Cupboard, which he opened in 1967, stands today. Billy took over the biz 12 years ago, after his father passed away. Judging by the retro-styled interior (including aqua dining booths and 50s-influenced light fixtures), things look pretty much the same now as they did back then.
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Calendar
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Coach Conroy's All Sports Camp @ Chestnut Square Park
- Mon., June 16, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Tue., June 17, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Wed., June 18, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Thu., June 19, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Mon., July 7, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Tue., July 8, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Wed., July 9, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Thu., July 10, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Mon., July 21, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Tue., July 22, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Wed., July 23, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and Thu., July 24, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
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Coveted Luxury Watches
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AllMachines
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AllMachines - Raymond Forklift
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AllMachines - Forklifts
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