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| - Since I'm a NC native, I'm going to take a few liberties. Strike that. Since I'm a UNC grad, I'll take lots of liberties. For my fellow Tarheels, you'll know exactly what I mean.
Lupies is the He's Not Here of food in Charlotte. End of review.
Just kidding. I wouldn't respect myself in the morning if I let the metaphor slide by those of you not familiar with Chapel Hill.
He's Not Here is (or was- is it still there?) a watering hole familiar and dearly loved by undergraduates. The beer was cheap, the music was loud, and the crowd often raucous beyond belief. You'd go to He's Not Here to howl at the moon- or whatever. He's Not Here was not the most consistent place, sometimes your beer would be so hot-off-the-tap it would be... hot. The burgers and fries were good or not good- depending on the day, size of crowd or size of hangover the cook or you were nursing.
You'd go to He's Not Here for what it DID have- attitude, history, and a sense of place.
That's Lupie's in a nutshell. I've been to Lupie's and had a delicious burger. I've been to Lupie's and had a mediocre burger. The service, while not always stellar, has usually tended to the casual, if not pleasant. And yes, most times Lupie herself is somewhere near the register.
People like Lupie's because they know Lupie's. Not only that, they know Lupie, the owner who started this establishment over 20 years ago, when its location not only put it on the edge of the 'hood, it was IN the 'hood. Heck, by any standard, 20 years in the restaurant business is like being there at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
So it is with Lupies. Don't go expecting much, and if you leave pleasantly surprised, which you probably will, you'll come back.
Note: I once heard Lupie's squash casserole mentioned on Jane and Michael Stern's Road Food segment on NPR. It's sort of like having the Jack Kerouac stamp of approval.
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