| rev:text
| - I've missed Big Ben's.
The old Big Ben's was one of our perennial favorites. We gazed sadly upon the charred timbers on Providence Road and wondered if we'd ever see the like in Charlotte again.
Well, the answer is yes and no.
I am happy to report that Big Ben's is alive and well at Atherton Mills.
Enter from Tremont and you won't miss it.
Enter from South Bl. and you won't find it.
The big 2000 above the door is misleading. B.B. is through the zig-zig corridor and out the other side of the building. And don't trip over the carpenters.
Meanwhile, back at Big Ben's.
Part of Big Ben's charm was the cozy atmosphere. Well, that's gone up in smoke.
Now, it's a cavernous room with a ceiling about three stories up. Cozy is no longer an apt descriptor.
Also missing is the fireplace. Instead is a fake fireplace with light show flames and coals, and an electric space heater, but the mantle is nice. I've seen it advertised on TV, lovingly hand-crafted by real Amish type workerpersons.
(*Sigh!*)
The menu is pretty much the same. I had a Pasty and my wife had her fave -- Liver and Onions.
Both were delicious as usual. I'm happy to report that the menu survived the fire. Rita's order arrived according to her exact specifications, so the kitchen staff is still on the ball. Our waiter was pleasant, attentive, and kept us happy by not hovering.
Over the years, we've ordered about everything on the menu, so if our visit this time in any indication, you can safely order anything they offer and reasonably expect to be well fed on their typical British fare.
For suggestions, I'd suggest you experiment with the menu offerings. But don't order the fries. Get the homemade potato chips instead. They're good enough to order extra to take home. Don't nuke 'em. Reheat then in the oven, instead. Yummy!
The steaks are really good, but you can get good steaks all over town. Instead get the Lord's Roast Lamb or Haddock and Chips. Save the steaks until you've tried the other menu items.
You can make a meal from the appetizers. Ploughman's Platter or Welsh Rarebit are good places to start.
Why only three stars? I miss the old place. If you've never been to the old Big Ben's on Providence Rd., go ahead and give it another star.
But I'd've put in a balcony or something to bring the ceiling down to give the place a more cozy atmosphere. And lose the fake fireplace.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)