From the archives: Where were the best burgers in Charlotte in 1992?

In 1992, “Aladdin” and “The Bodyguard” were among the year’s box office hits, Bill Clinton won the presidential election, and “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men hit the charts (and played on repeat in my cassette player).

And hungry Charlotte diners were giving The Charlotte Observer’s restaurant writer and critic Helen Schwab a “bunful” of their favorite burger restaurants.

For a fun look down memory lane, we pulled Helen’s article from the archives. The below text is presented as it appeared at the time. Many of the restaurants mentioned have since closed — but not all of them! — and other details may no longer be current.

How many of these restaurants do you remember visiting? Email us at charlottefive@charlottefive.com and share your favorite ’90s burger memories!

HERE’S A BUNFUL ON FAVORITE BURGER JOINTS

By Helen Schwab, The Charlotte Observer

Published: 5/8/1992

The votes came in thick and fast and, perhaps not surprisingly, there was no clear winner. I asked where you’d send the TV tabloid “A Current Affair,” which plans a special for National Hamburger Week (beginning Sunday) and sought our area’s best, juicy, sloppy burgers. You were passionate, articulate and mouth-wateringly descriptive about your favorites.

Here’s the tally, with comments where compelling: Lupie’s (2718 Monroe Rd.) and Spoon’s (multiple locations) tied with five votes each and three folks called or wrote in for the Rebel Room (2416 Freedom Dr.), including one faxed letter claiming to represent five votes — so I guess you could say it got seven. But I won’t.

Of Lupie’s:

• “If you don’t send those people (there) you’d be sending ‘em to the wrong place. That’s probably the most unique restaurant in Charlotte, with great burgers!”

Of Spoon’s:

• “I’ve been living in Charlotte 23 years now - all my life - and those are definitely the best.”
• “They give you fresh meat, not the ready- made patties . . . then you can add your own items to the sandwich from a bar.”

Recommended at the Rebel Room is the Rebel Cheeseburger with chili, onions, mustard and slaw.

• “Theirs is no pre-pattied fast food burger but a thick juicy home cooked old-fashioned burger that is out of this world!”
• “The best burger in town is definitely (here). It gets five votes from our dealership!!”

Next was a group getting three votes apiece:

• The Sandwich House (400 Mallory St. off North Davidson; “the best hamburgers you will ever eat” and ”absolutely the best ever”),
• Back Yard Burgers (1815 Sardis Rd. N.; “you can’t get a better burger for the $2.50 or $3 or whatever it is they charge”),
• Cherryville’s Shake Shop (”best chili cheeseburgers in the world”)
• and the place producing the single best quote - South 21 (the one at 3101 E. Independence Blvd.): “I’ve been a vegetarian for 10 years and I still dream about those cheeseburgers.”

Getting two votes each were:

• Zack’s (4009 South Blvd.; “a phenomenal place”);
• the Lantana (in the Bradley Motel, 4200 South I-85; “the best hamburger in the world without a shadow of a doubt”);
• Five Steps Down (116 Middleton Dr.);
• Providence Road Sundries (1522 Providence Rd.);
• Belle Acres Golf and Country Club (3033 South Blvd.; “I eat a lot of hamburgers and that is the best in Charlotte”);
• Charlie & Barney’s (One Independence Center; “yum! yum!”);
• the Charlotte Country Club (2465 Mecklenburg Ave.; “the Jeanburger’ in the golf course snack shop” — made by Jean, of course);
• and What-A-Burger (multiple locations including Concord, Kannapolis and more; “(they’ve) been making the same delicious hamburgers the same delicious way since I was a little girl”).

And a whole bunful of places got a single vote. In Charlotte:

• Arthur’s (several locations),
• Bar-B-Q King (2900 Wilkinson Blvd.; “order a po’ boy”),
• The Chateau (800 E. Morehead St.; “my father moved to Kentucky 2-1/2 years ago and every time he comes into town, if he can possibly work it out, he goes to the Chateau”),
• the Circle G (4818 Rozzelle’s Ferry Rd.; “not real pretty, but . . . “),
• Hayden’s (several locations),
• the Landmark (4429 Central Ave.; “the Twin Beefburgers Deluxe is very sloppy”),
• Nickyo’s (731 Providence Rd.),
• the Press Box (1627 Montford Dr.),
• the Rainbow Grill (700 Atando Ave. off Sugar Creek; “they like slap the hamburger patties on the grill without even measuring ‘em out and they’re just wonderful”),
• Rock-Ola Cafe (the one at 6023 Albemarle Rd.),
• Scoops (911 N. Wendover Rd.),
• Spring Garden (201 E. Independence Blvd.),
• and Ted’s (8611 Monroe Rd.; the cheeseburger deluxe).*

More good burgers N.C. spots outside Charlotte:

• In Belmont, the Catawba Pharmacy (a large cheeseburger all the way);
• in Cherryville, Blackwood’s and Black’s Grill;
• in Cornelius, Beauregard’s;
• in Monroe, Duke’s (”for the best cheeseburger/hamburger going”);
• in Mount Mourne, the Buttery and Beanery;
• in Raleigh, the Char-Grill;
• and between Taylorsville and Newton, the Starlight Cafe.

And for South Carolina:

• In Aynor, Ned’s Sandwich Shop just off S.C. 501 about 30 miles from Myrtle Beach (”the bun is a standard-size bun and there’s more burger off the bun than inside. ... It’s a greasy spoon, it’s Americana, it’s the kind of thing (’A Current Affair’ is) looking for”);
• in Lancaster, S.C., the Crossroads Texaco;
• and in Rock Hill, Red’s Grill and the Friendly Grill (an “old-fashioned, sloppy, juicy hamburger that I’d travel down there for anytime”). Happy slopping.*

Best bites of ‘89

Just for cross-reference, here are the 10 places picked by cheeseburger aficionado and Observer writer Tony Brown three years ago:

1. Johnson’s Restaurant, U.S. 64 East, Siler City
2. The Char-Grill, 618 Hillsborough St., Raleigh
3. The Dutch Mill, 2147 Cherry Rd., Rock Hill
4. The Beacon Restaurant, 255 Reidville Rd., Spartanburg
5. A mystery burger from south Gastonia, not specified because the restaurant owner preferred it that way
6. Luigi’s Super Subs, 7101 South Blvd., Charlotte
7. Wads Soda Shop, 1608 East Blvd., Charlotte
8. Lupie’s, 2718 Monroe Rd., Charlotte
9. What-A-Burger No. 2, 34 Church St. N.E., Concord
10. Lantana Restaurant, 4200 S. I-85 (at Little Rock Road), Charlotte

Melissa Oyler

The Charlotte Observer

Melissa Oyler is the editor of CharlotteFive. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find her running, practicing hot yoga, weightlifting or snuggling with her rescue dogs, X and Charlie. Find her on Instagram or X: @melissaoyler. Support my work with a digital subscription