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| - You know you've been waiting for it, so here it is. The long-awaited return trip to Bikinis is now in the books. The result? I have to give them a big thumbs up. In fact, the turnaround is nothing short of amazing. Why? Read on...
The very first original impression we had was one of smoke, and naturally they are the beneficiaries of the NC smoking ban on this one. If you can't smoke inside, then there isn't going to be much smoke, right?
But the change goes well beyond that. It's like the whole place has had a complete and total makeover. Rather than the dingy, poorly lit past-their-prime interior, there is an entirely different vibe. Though the pics that are on the business page appear to be from a different location than the Charlotte one, they aren't entirely off the mark, and will give you an idea of what they look like now.
Some 30 flat-screen sets surround the place - bar, seating area, everywhere. They are just all over. There is rock (probably fake, but it does the job) and wood, rather than what appeared to be frayed carpet on the last visit - really strange to see at a new restaurant! Even the staff seemed more upbeat rather than beaten down like they were the last time we stopped in.
The changes extend to the lowly menu, which also had a makeover. Instead of what appeared to be typewritten sheets in a binder, now there is a slick glossy two-pager with food that really whets the appetite (you can see this online if you want). It was actually difficult to decide what to order.
The staff was excellent. Naturally they were mostly made up of college-age women, and they were all in short shorts and bikini tops, but they were all friendly, rather than standoffish like they were before. Big improvement. Not your thing? Totally get it - but it's miles ahead of where they were.
On the food - monster steps above where they were. There are some weak spots, but also some huge gains. The tater tots were tasty, but mostly a gooey mess. The Buffalo Burger was solid, but a bit of a mess as well. Perhaps less sauce, or maybe the same amount, but a few seconds on the grill to get the taste without quite as much liquid in the basket, would have been a plus. The sliders were good, but not outstanding.
The real star of the show? The Heart Attack Burger. Fried egg, bacon, crispy onion straws, pimento cheese and chipotle mayo. all cooked to perfection and served on a kaiser bun. This may just be the best burger in the QC. Totally would not have expected it, but I'm glad that I found it, as now I know where to get it again.
If you're after a unique dessert, they also have a fried cheesecake. Think cheesecake wrapped up in an egg roll wrapper and deep fried to get an idea of what it's like. Tastes a bit like deep fried ice cream, or a cheesecake inside a churro, but you get to linger on the cheesecake because it gets a bit thick in the middle. The ice cream is actually better than the cheesecake however. Still excellent.
Next to the Heart Attack and the interior improvements, the service really stood out as being a big improvement. From Nick (manager) to Brittany (both of them) and all the rest, they really made for a much better experience this time around. We took our 15 year old and he had a blast - pics with the girls were the envy of his friends. And to Kevin - thanks for insisting that we give it another try!
Sweet Tea Report: Nice. Near the top of the heap, good sweetness and very drinkable. Refilled regularly, which is always a plus!
So, did Kevin buy a better review? Only in the sense that he actually seemed to listen to customers (myself and others). If more managers/owners did that, many things would be right with the world.
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