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| - We were on our way to see a show at the Belk Theater and needed a place to grab a quick bite -- we were thinking appetizers. Nix was packed, but the new Queen City Diner next door was totally empty. We popped in and were quite surprised by the decor for a "diner." The Urban Outfitters-like decor, low-level lighting, and bar-like atmosphere from Feast and Fiji Sushi still remained. The employees were gathered around the bar in what looked like a shift change. Or perhaps a pep session just before opening for the night, but it was already 7:15 p.m., so... Anyway, since nobody greeted us, I walked toward the group and asked, "Are you open?" Someone nodded, so we grabbed a spot at the bar to hopefully get faster service since we were in a hurry.
The menu was pretty basic and not at all unique or appealing, especially for the ambiance of the restaurant interior. One side of the two-page menu was breakfast (which I ignored) and the other was sandwiches and just a few basic appetizers. Hmmm...chicken tenders or nachos? I ordered chicken tenders and a side of fries for us to split. As our server started to ring in our order, he was informed by someone (a manager? the cook?) that they were out of chicken tenders. And nachos. And onion rings. Basically, the entire selection of appetizers. Okaaaay...
I closed my eyes and picked the first thing that I saw when I opened them: turkey melt sandwich with chips. Our server went to place the order and then called over to us: what kind of cheese? Uh...I guess provolone. Not sure what you have. A couple of minutes later, "What kind of bread?" Geez. I didn't care at this point. I know our server was just trying to do his job and was probably new (he was very nice), but it seemed like the entire operation was out of synch with the world of restaurants.
The turkey melt came out and tasted hot and delicious, but it felt very odd eating a basic sandwich surrounded by such lavish decor. So much for date night dinner. At least the show was good afterwards.
I'm not sure what the Queen City Diner is trying to be, but whatever it currently is isn't working.
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