charlotte food blogger

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to a place that appeared on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, to Pinky’s Westside Grill in Charlotte.

Pinky's Westside Grill Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Not much parking in front, but ample spaces in a private lot a few steps away.

Dora here. Don’t be alarmed not to find a spot directly in front of the diner. Just at the end of the strip, you’ll find ample parking, a plus for any business near downtown.

Pinky's Westside Grill Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Ample parking a very short walk away

The inside was jammed for a Sunday lunch.

Pinky's Westside Grill Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Jammed for a Sunday lunch

For my lunch, I ordered the White Trash Burger, which includes provolone, fried pickles, and onion rings with a spicy ranch sauce and a side of onion rings (straws). For some reason, the burger that arrived had raw pickles and onions with mayonnaise. The burger was OK, a little over cooked for my taste, but served on a soft bun. Maybe if it would have been served as advertised on the menu, I would have been more impressed. The onion rings were good, but a little greasy.

Pinky's Westside Grill Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

White Trash Burger didn’t come out like the menu described.

Dora here. Check out the popcorn chicken, little nuggets of breaded and fried white meat, served atop waffle fries with a side of slaw. I’m a huge fan of chicken, fried or grilled, so when I saw this on the menu, I couldn’t convince myself to go with something more adventuresome. Like Pimp’n Fries (waffle fries topped with chili and melted pimento) or the Asian-inspired Ding Dong Chicken Sandwich, marinated chicken slathered with peanut butter, hot sauce and slaw. I probably should’ve worked up the courage because the chicken could’ve used less time in the fryer; the outside was a bit dry and brittle. Awesome waffle fries, though, light on the seasoning and not too-potatoey as some tend to be.

Pinky's Westside Grill Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Popcorn Chicken a bit dry and brittle, but the waffle fries were lightly seasoned and not too potatoey.

Dora here. Pinky’s tag-team friendly servers ensure that your cup never runs dry. And if the crowd hanging around outside on a Sunday afternoon and the awesome reviews are any indication, we might’ve caught them on an off day. 

We rate this restaurant 3 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving good food.

Pinky's Westside Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 12 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Carolina Ale House, a sports bar and grill that boasts over 50 TV’s located in the busy Concord Mills Mall area. This family friendly place has an extensive menu featuring wings, burgers, tacos, pizza and much more.

Carolina Ale House Excited about Eating Ernie & Dora Hiers

Dora here. When we first moved to this area, we were disappointed at the lack of sports pubs. That changed when Carolina Ale House came on scene, and we especially like that they offer tables and booths separate from the bar area, which makes it great for families.

Carolina Ale House Excited about Eating Ernie & Dora Hiers

We like that this restaurant has tables and booths separate from the bar area

For our appetizer, we chose the Beer-battered Cheese Curds served with a red pepper jalapeno jam dipping sauce. These curds were great with a soft smooth center and a light batter on the outside and when combined with the slightly sweet dipping sauce, just kept me coming back for more. Next time I would ask them to be a little crispier, the way I really like them. Dora here. The curds could’ve used an extra minute both in the fryer and the drying basket, since they were just a tad greasy. But that didn’t stop us from eating every last one of these little nuggets. Yum! And the sauce was a great dipper, tangy with a tinge of sweet.

Carolina Ale House Excited about Eating Ernie & Dora Hiers

Cheese Curds could’ve used an extra minute in the fryer and the drying basket, but that didn’t stop us from eating every last nugget!

For my meal, I chose the Crispy Ribs with onion strings. These ribs were slow-cooked, dropped into the fryer to crisp up the outside, and then tossed in a BBQ sauce. The ribs were great, fall off the bone tender and the crispiness added a completely different texture. Just a warning, that Thai chili dipping sauce was HOT, so try a little before dipping the entire rib into it.

Carolina Ale House Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Crispy Ribs, great! Fall-off-the-bone tender and the crispiness added a completely different texture. But the sauce is HOT!

Dora here. Hot? I think I heard Ernie’s taste buds sizzling. haha. The Chicken Dunkers are a promo that I hope end up on the regular menu. Coated in a beer batter, these plump little cluckers were crispy and golden and delicious! The pepper ranch dipping sauce soothed after the kick from the mango habanero, so I appreciated both. A bite of heat, a bite of cool. lol.  

Carolina Ale House Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Chicken Dunkers. Crispy and golden and delicious!

Quite a generous sized portion for less than $8, don’t you think? So, maybe fried chicken and fried cheese wasn’t the healthiest of lunches, but I did gnaw on those carrots, too. I’d order this same combo again.

Carolina Ale House Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Chicken Dunkers filled this entire plate! I’d definitely order this again.

What about you? What unhealthy choices do you splurge on?

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

Carolina Ale House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 11 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to The Cardinal, a place serving “classic American road food” in Boone. This neighborhood meeting spot boasts burgers made from different meats combined with fresh ingredients to excite the flavor buds in your mouth.

The Cardinal Excited about Eating Ernie & Dora Hiers

So excited this place is just up the road from our home-away-from-home!

Dora here. Aren’t you amazed that we actually went out for dinner? lol. What can I say? We prefer to dine out for lunch and stay in for dinner. The crowded restaurants might be one reason why. 

I chose the 50/50 burger, half Emu (an Australian bird) and half chorizo. It was slathered with housemade queso and packed with jalapeños (not after I got a hold of it), and onions, and served with fries.

The Cardinal Excited about Eating Ernie & Dora Hiers

50/50 Burger, full of flavor and packed with heat!

Now this burger was full of flavor, very juicy, and packed with heat! Spicy enough that they had to keep refilling my diet coke. The bun was very soft and worked perfectly with the burger and the fries, which were thin and crispy just like I prefer. This is definitely a place we will have to go back again.

Dora again. Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a great burger, right? At least, I am, and the Gringo Burger satisfied my craving. Bison topped with an avocado spread and wonderfully strong cheddar, sandwiched between two of the most amazingly soft buns I’ve ever tasted. While it was a bit heavy on the avocado, I would’ve liked more cheese. And I know Ernie adores those potato sticks, but I prefer thicker fries.

The Cardinal Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

The Gringo Burger satisfied my burger craving

Still Dora. I tend to be noise-adverse, and since we visited for dinner, it was a tad loud for my liking. Could be because we sat in a more confined section of the restaurant, where the ceiling was lower. Overall, we’re thrilled to find a great hamburger joint just up the road from our home-away-from-home and we’ll definitely be repeat customers. Although probably for lunch rather than dinner. lol.

What’s your go-to hamburger spot? What’s the most unusual burger you’ve tried?

We rate the restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family restaurant serving great food.