My boyfriend and I love the show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, so we were looking for some places to check out while we were in Charlotte. The Penguin wasn't too far of a drive from where we were staying, so we decided to head over there. It looks a bit like a hole-in-the-wall and the inside looks like an old-fashioned '50s diner, but that just added to the charm.
I'm a Pittsburgh native, so as soon as I saw a burger called "The Pittsburger" my mind was made up (though ALL the burgers sounded delicious). Since fries already come on the burger, I opted for fried mushrooms as my side. They were delicious! My boyfriend thought so, too. My burger was great as well -- perfectly seasoned and cooked.
Our waitress was very pleasant and attentive, though one of us didn't get quite what we ordered. The 7-year-old we were with ordered the Kids Minis (two mini burgers) but ended up with what looked like a regular-sized burger like mine and my boyfriend's. But the food was so tasty we didn't complain.
This also seems like a cool place to come later at night. I'd like to sit at the bar and have a few $2 PBR tallboys!