Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to
The Our State Great Debate: smashburger or thick burger? Char-Grill Part of a chain with about a dozen locations mostly around Raleigh, this spot specializes in charcoal-grilled burgers made to
The Our State Great Debate: smashburger or thick burger? Char-Grill Part of a chain with about a dozen locations mostly around Raleigh, this spot specializes in charcoal-grilled burgers made to
For 40 years or more, these restaurants have been fulfilling our burger cravings with smashburgers and thick burgers alike. Take a tasty trip through time with us, won’t you?
Part of a chain with about a dozen locations mostly around Raleigh, this spot specializes in charcoal-grilled burgers made to order. You have to walk up to the window to place your order, and the original location still looks the same as it did when it opened in 1959.
Editor’s Note: El’s Drive-In is currently closed for renovations. Check here for updates!
Established in 1959, the sign out front at El’s boasts of their signature Superburgers, which are served “all the way” with chili, slaw, and onions, of course! And don’t worry — if you’re resisting the pull of the Superburger and craving a taste of the coast, El’s serves up a Super Shrimpburger, too.
From the Pizza Burger to the Five Points Burger — a patty piled high with barbecue sauce, mushrooms, Cheddar cheese, and bacon — Five Points Restaurant has been serving up comforting classics in Asheville for nearly 50 years.
We know: John’s Drive-In is known for its Dolphin Boat Sandwich — and we don’t mean to distract you from the menu item that’s been their signature for more than 43 years! We just want you to know that John’s also makes a pretty mean burger. Want to try it for yourself? Take a trip to Kitty Hawk and order the triple cheeseburger (yes, we said triple!).
At Johnson’s Drive-In, customers can go all the way and enjoy burgers topped with Velveeta, slaw, mustard, onions, and chili. Or they can keep it simple, with just lettuce and tomato. Like the buns and meat, all of it is bought fresh that morning. photograph by Taylor Mathis
For more than 75 years, this Siler City mainstay has been topping burgers with thick slices of Velveeta, and every other topping you can think of. It’s not fancy or complicated, but it sure is delicious.
Miller’s Restaurant no longer has the only pimento cheese burger around, but the faithful will tell you it’s still the best. photograph by Revival Creatives
Everybody knows a cheeseburger without the cheese is, well, just a burger. But in Mocksville, where a former truck stop has evolved into arguably Davie County’s best-known culinary institution, it’s not the slice of cheese that makes the burger special — it’s the slather. More specifically, a slather of pimento cheese. More than 60 years ago in Davie County, hamburger met pimento cheese … and the rest is history.
The Shake Shop has been serving its signature Lottaburgers for more than 50 years. What’s a Lottaburger, you ask? “Lotta” means a style unique to the Shake Shop, and to Cherryville: slaw, tomato, and pickle. The origins of the Lottaburger name are in some dispute, but there’s no question about what it is: two burgers cooked on a flattop grill and served inside a hoagie-type bun.
Interpreting the menu at a North Carolina What-A-Burger sometimes takes help from a local: The What-A-Cheeseburger is larger than the regular cheeseburger, and comes with pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mustard. photograph by Joshua Vasko
The 1960s architecture, croaking call boxes, and carhops toting plastic trays stacked with steaming burgers, fries, and frosty shakes: What-A-Burger — the beloved North Carolina chain, not the popular Texas franchise — is a living remnant from a time when cars were king. (Not all locations are owned by the same family, so there may be variations in the curb-service style and the menus.)
When it comes to matches made in the kitchen, North Carolinians believe in soulmates. From breakfast to dessert, dig into a few of our favorite pairings.
In Edgecombe County, the country’s second-oldest remaining town common is the gateway to its sprawling historic district. Travel these acres and blocks on a reflective trip through time.