"The Big Block is two-thirds of a pound of velvet-centered, crisp-crusted, juice-dripping, full-flavored beef. This one is dressed 'Southern style,' with chili, slaw, mustard, onions, plus, of course, cheese."
Michael Stern
"'All the Way' on a Penguin hamburger means lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, onions, and pickle, or what some parts of the country know as California-style or simply Deluxe. Here you see the effulgent combo on what is known to regulars as a Big Pimp because it is a Big Block burger, which is a pair of 1/3 pound patties, topped with a mess of pimiento cheese."
Michael Stern
"When Lynne Rosetto Kasper told us she was going to order her sweet potato fries extra well done and crispy, we all scoffed, assuming that the Penguin was not the type of place that suffered special orders. But lo, they arrived really crunchy, as requested."
Michael Stern
"'Naner pudding, the classic Southern comfort-food dessert, is made well at the Penguin. It contains exactly the right balance of custard, banana slices, Cool Whip, and 'Nilla Wafers."
Michael Stern
"Most things served at the Penguin tend to be what I'd call two-fisted food. These elegant onion rings, on the other hand, are practically pinky-in-the-air fare. Talk about addictive!"
Michael Stern
"As the Diogenese of corn dogs, I was pretty darn happy with the Penguin's. Its corn coat is crisp and not too thick, just a little bit sweet. The wiener inside was too flabby for my taste; nonetheless, this is a corn dog that deserves kudos. "
Michael Stern
"I probably ought to recuse myself from passing judgement on the Penguin's chili cheese fries. It's a concept that rarely works for me, although my tablemates, who are chili cheese fry fans, declared these dandy."
Michael Stern
"The deep-fried dill pickle is a stroke of dipsomaniacal genius. These supersalty slices encased in a fine, brittle crust demand beer and plenty of it."
Michael Stern
"Charlotteans tell me the neighborhood around the Penguin used to be treacherous. It has since gone upscale, but the Penguin remains cheerfully declasse."
Michael Stern
Charlotte sources tell me that the Penguin Drive-In began as a place to drink beer (which it still, emphatically, is) and that food was gradually added to the menu in recent years as the neighborhood all around went from scary to chichi. But the meals served here transcend the idea of snacks to munch while drinking. Yes, the fried dill pickles are indeed the sort of dish that make you crave instant beer hydration; they also happen to be quite delicious even if you're drinking water. I dined in the company of esteemed Julia Child biographer Laura Shapiro, who ate her pickles along with a glass of Shiraz – perhaps the first time in history that the fried dill pickle was paired with any wine whatsoever!
