Char-Grill

I’ve eaten here under the influence of alcohol so many times. I’ve been involved in and watched many a’ fights outside in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings. I also choose to dine here when sober, which says something about the place.
would be 5 stars if it weren’t so $$. But you get good quality food, so can’t complain (but still am)

Really cool place to get food. They have hamburgers hotdogs drinks fries and blt. Its cool because you walk up, write out your own order slip and slide it down a shute. Sit on a picnic table outside and eat. The food was really good too!

It seems like every restaurant has burgers – if there is ever a time when I don’t see anything special I like on a menu, I’ll order a burger just to get something I know can’t be messed up. The Char Grill puts every other burger to shame. After my first visit to Char Grill, I returned 3 times in the next 3 weeks. Their burgers live up to their name – you can really taste the grilled taste in the burger.
Note that there is no inside seating, so in the cooler weather be ready to bundle up and eat outside, or to eat in the car.
Pro tip: I’d highly recommend going for the ½ pound rather than the ¼ pound – it comes out in a rectangle shape instead of the classic patty.

Whether it’s late night or lunch time, Char-​Grill always hits the spot. This is the original Char-​Grill location, and it opened way back in 1959.
You can order online or in-​person. When you order in-​person, you will fill out a paper slip with a golf pencil. You can customize your burger, sandwich, or hot dog just the way you like it. When you’re done, slide your slip down the chute!
Just a few minutes after you order, your name will be called and you’ll pay at the window. Remember to ask for ketchup packets if they don’t offer them.
There’s only a couple picnic tables, so you may want to be prepared to find another spot or just eat in your car.
All burgers are cooked well-​done, but they still come out nice and juicy. The fries are fine but nothing I really crave. If I had the choice, I’d pair all my burgers with the seasoned fries from the Snoopy’s a block away.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been on a low carb diet.
Maybe it’s because I hadn’t eaten much all day.
Maybe it’s because of the company I was with.
Or maybe it’s just darn good.
5 stars. I had the ½ pound burger.
*Per usual, feel free to judge away. I can handle it. I have lost 8.5 lbs this month, and I think I earned a treat today.
Also, I had fries.
I finished the entire thing.
And some beer.
And that’s the truth.
Pblbblblblblblb.

I highly recommend the steak burgers. The food at Char Grill is cooked quickly yet the smells coming from the restaurant will still keep you so eager! Great spot for a quick juicy burger!

Alt-​modische Bugreladen mit Retro Gefuehl
Ehrlich gesagt die Burgers sind nicht sooo besonderes. Pommes Frites aber sehr gut. Hauptsache hier ist der absolut Retro Burger Drive-​in gefuehl und das ist genial. Kompliziertes Bestellsystem ist ein Teil von der Gag.
3.5 Sterne. Bessere und teuere Burgers gibt’s ueberall. Mann kommt hier fuer die 50er Retroeffekt.

This place is amazing. The burgers are juicy and delicious. It really it the spot as a first impression to Raleigh.

Thank god for this place and bless the heart of every poor soul who has to work here and deal with drunkies on the late shift. I stick to the basics for my order: burger and fries. Char-​Grill has the absolute best fries! This food really hits the spot and is the perfect place to stop on your way out of downtown Raleigh after partying it up.

I ordered the ¼lb burger and didn’t realize it was just a ½lb pattie cut in half and served on a sub roll. Still, it was good, but the fries were my favorite part of the meal.

Their food is delicious, even though it is not as healthy for you, i still go there pretty often. The prices are good they are not expensive. The food preparation is quick and delicious. I would recommend this place because it is very delicious and healthier than McDonalds, or Chick-​fil-​A, etc.

Yesterday we found ourselves in the sad position of having to say goodbye to our beloved 14 yo Jack Russell Buster. We were on our way to meet the vet and wanted something special for Buster’s last meal. We stopped at Chargrill and all 3 of us had a cheeseburger.
Buster enjoyed his burger and fries. We were happy to see him so happy. Our food was as good as it could be in the given situation. I even had a few spoons full of the chocolate milkshake. If I hadn’t been so sad, it would have had more of an impact. But, it was really delicious.
I’ve been to the other locations and the food is just as tasty. But, there’s something sweet about going to the original location. Call me nostalgic.

Well, hey y’all. Jamie Dubya and I finally arrived in Raleigh from the Left Coast pert near midnight, and we was starvin’ ’cause all we had was a squeeze tube of hummus and a few crackers on the plane ride over. Sho’nuff, pickin’s were awfully slim for us after we checked into our room at the Red Roof. Even the night clerk there was catching some winks while he was checkin’ us in. I found word about Char-​Grill not on Unilocal but on
where they identify all the greasy spoons you may want to stop at as you travel the highways and byways in this great land of ours, the good olé U.S. of A. It didn’t take us more than fifteen minutes to get there, and what we saw was a very retro-​lookin’ drive-​in, completely empty of customers like something out of «The Twilight Zone».
I mean the original, black-​and-​white Rod Serling version where the gremlin was chewing on William Shatner’s airplane wing. It turns out Char-​Grill was born in 1960 at this very location, so I wasn’t that far off. The current owners, Mahlon Aycock and Ryon Wilder, have had it since 1975, and you can tell they don’t mess around with a formula that works for them. It’s quite an eccentric albeit self-​protective ordering system out here. You take one of their long forms, check off what you want and slip it through a window slot and down a chute where the cook takes it and starts making your order. I ordered their classic, the $ 7.99 ½-​lb. Hamburger Steak Burger with Cheese that comes with Fries and a Medium Drink. Flames were shooting up to the ceiling as he was grilling my order (photo:
).
Jamie got all domestic on me and ordered a two-​fer — the $ 2.89 Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich served on a hamburger bun and the $ 2.09 Grilled Cheese on an English muffin bun (photo:
). Both were homespun good for fast-​food options. Mine hit the spot at the midnight hour. Certainly meaty enough and not overly greasy since there are ridges on their grill to let the fat flow out. It was slathered big time in mayo which acted like glue for the mounds of lettuce epoxied to the sesame seed bun (photo:
). Oh I get it, that was the slaw. Nothing like a $ 1.39 Deep-​Fried Apple Pie to finish the meal (photo:
). We were eating at one of the red picnic tables when it started to rain in a torrential downpour. We waited for it to lighten up as they were fixin’ to close the place for the night. Welcome to North Carolina, y’all!
FOOD — 4 stars… it’s all in the grillin’…burger is like a deluxe version of a Whopper
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… well, it’s a drive-​in so it depends on your own nostalgia… mine included A&W drive-​ins so I was at home
SERVICE — 4 stars… actually quite friendly through the window
TOTAL — 4 stars… not sure if this is the best burger in those parts but for a midnight craving, it works in a pinch

Sometimes, you find yourself in a food mecca and starved at a weird hour. These times are fortuitous. Other times, you find yourself in Raleigh. After deciding that I’ve had enough MSG for a lifetime at Shanghai Express, I decided to look elsewhere to answer the call of the beast. Unilocal suggested Char-​Grill, so Char-​Grill it was.
Similar to places like Which Wich, place your order by checking the items that you want on slips of paper that feature all of their menu selections. I ordered a half pound hamburger steak with all the toppings, fries, and a drink. I was satisfied with what I thought would be a moderate price until I noticed the fact that every single topping is an upcharge.
I’m not surprised that things like cheese and bacon cost extra, but lettuce also? Are you kidding me? They feature these ghost upcharges on the opposite side of the menu where you’re almost certain to not look. This is frankly only a step above not advertising these upcharges at all. They should also list these upcharges on the order slips, but that would be too honest of a practice.
Fortunately, the burger was very good. Even with the limited and decidedly non-​premium nature of the toppings, I enjoyed the taste of my burger. The fries didn’t quite measure up to the burger. While the portion is very good, the taste was not. I must be psychic because I requested salt and pepper before tasting a fry. Sadly, the cashier disregarded my request. I thought something that simple would be easily obliged, so I didn’t double check that she put it in the bag. Sucks to suck.
3.25 stars — had the cashier not ignored my request, I would’ve likely given this place 4 stars. I am not happy about their somewhat deceptive menu, but I’ve experienced worse. Char-​Grill features a great burger, sub par fries, and average service. It is a great choice for late night, and a passable choice otherwise.

Cookout, In and Out, east coast, west coast. Char Grill beats them both and many more. It may not look like much but char grill has amazing burgers, fries, and hot dogs that can be custom ordered. I usually get 2 carolina red hot dogs with chili, mustard, and onions with a side of fries. The employees are always friendly and they are open late.

Solid burger spot that appears to be something of a Raleigh institution. Also have good hot dogs, grilled cheese, and other fast food type items. My only complaint concerns the way they bundle their food — if you’re looking to purchase a burger only, you’re basically out of luck, as it comes with fries and a drink. It is possible to remove these from the order, but it saves you something comical like $ 0.20. It’s an annoyance, but doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t be back.

Char-Grill’s a solid late dining option. It opens until 2 AM and it serves burgers, hot dogs, fries, milk shakes, etc.
Hot Dogs & Char-Burgers’re only 2+ bucks a pop. Everything’s made fresh right in front of you & they’re quite tasty for a fast food joint. It reminds me of Checkers, where a lot of people mostly get the food to go but they also have limited seating if you choose to dine in. I highly suggest getting onion & chilli for the optional toppings; Their chilli’s delicious! However, their fries aren’t very good since they’re very salty… Overall — 3 ½ stars

I graduated from NC State so I am familiar with a number of the restaurants on Hillsborough street. Char Grill for me and my friends is an institution. Char-​Grill has hands down some the best burgers in North Carolina. I love that they are still doing things the same way they have since I was going there for a late night nosh back in my college days. One thing that is a must try is their apple pies. They remind me of getting a Coke made with cane sugar. They are not baked, they aren’t made with splenda, they are deep fried in oil in all of their horrifically bad for you glory. One other thing they have that I always loved is the crushed ice in the drinks. Again very old school.
Atmosphere 6 — Okay it is 50+ years old and there is no indoor seating and you have to get a key to use the unisex bathroom but that is what I love about it. It really has a 60’s hamburger stand feel. It feel like it has the gravitas of a place that was able to not change for half a century. If you need to eat your burger inside there is ample parking.
Service 5 — Well there isn’t really a ton of service. You slide a piece of paper down a slot and wait for your number to be called. The number is on the paper you send down the chute. That being said the counter guys are consistently friendly and happy to see you.
Cost 5 — The price is not bad at all for what you get. You can get a ½ pound burger, fries, and a drink for around $ 7. That is on a par with what you would spend at McDonald’s for pink sludge burgers.
Food 6 — I love the food! I saw one of my college buddies a grown man who lives in Charlotte now have a full blown meltdown when he thought he was getting skrewed out of his Char-​Grill. To be cruel I will on occasion send him pictures of me eating there.

Went last night after drinking in raleigh and it was definitely a great late night munchies spot:) got the ¼ hamburger and it was the perfect size! Everyone was super nice too. The employees and fellow customers outside :)

Char-​Grill has been open at this location since 1959. And it is by far the best location (I’ve tried several). It still has the original walk-​up ordering system. No interior, limited outdoor seating.
I don’t eat beef, so I usually stick to french fries. And the french fries are perfect. Neither thin-​cut nor thick-​cut, they are perfectly crispy on the outside, but you can still tell that actual potato is on the inside. Plus, quite often you can elect to wait for the next batch, which will come out piping hot. A small is a solid serving, and everything there is also really inexpensive.

I had my first Char-​Grill experience this week, coming home from a concert. We pulled in about 15 minutes before closing time, but the fries were tasty and piping hot, the burgers delicious and the service friendly. I was super impressed and will definitely re-​visit this iconic burger place again when in Raleigh! My five-​star review is in comparison to similar type dive-​y places. Although, I have to say the experience this Char-​Grill provides (from the quirky ordering process to the last delicious bite) is really one of a kind!