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    Char-Grill

    3.9 (56 reviews)
    InexpensiveBurgers, Hot Dogs
    Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Char-Grill Photos

    CHAR-GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Hamburger steak Jr, fries, drink at the picnic table in the shade
    Charlie F.

    Wow - my last review for here was 2010! It's 2021, and I am pleased to report the Char-Grill experience is as good as ever! For those that have never been to Char-Grill (and if you live in Raleigh - get on over there) it is a simple and unique experience. You write your order on a paper form and send it down a metal chute to the kitchen, then go around to the window and wait for your order. Want to eat at the restaurant? There are a few picnic tables around. On this day, I was able to enjoy my meal at the picnic table under the shade of a tree. My meal is the Hamburger Steak Jr, with chili, mustard, pickles. It comes with fires (Raleigh's best). And today it was as good as it always is. Take a break from the national chains and enjoy this Raleigh original!

    Walk up to the window to pay
    Allan A.

    Old style burger place. Walk up to the counter, fill in a paper slip what you want and deposit it into a slot then wait for your name to be called. All food is cooked to order. Burgers are char grilled (thus the name of the place) and have a nice taste to them. $21 for two burgers, fries, drinks and a chocolate shake. The burgers were nicely cooked, juicy and full of taste. The shake was not worth ordering. It was not creamy but icy, was not something that they tasted like a shake. Medium sized drinks were plenty large. No reason to order a large drink.

    Very retro

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Good old fashioned burger stand, purposely weird ordering system. Regional fave. No more to say.

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great burgers and FF. Never had an issue at all locations. Thank you for having a beautiful burgers

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    8 years ago

    I love the food and great specials for Sunday and Monday. I love great service and the burgers and hotdogs are delicious and yummy.

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    11 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Best hot dogs around but the prices are way too high I mean it's good. Let me find out some racist ish going down here and .......

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    14 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Char-Grill

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    Review Highlights - Char-Grill

    If you're ever in Raleigh and craving a good burger or hot dog, do yourself a favor and stop by Char-Grill.

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    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - Two hot dogs with mustard. Glass Bottled Sodas. Chili and slaw on the side.

    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners

    4.2(184 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $

    I have always wanted to try The Roast. I had my opportunity today. Very nice waitress. Really tight…read morequarters and lots of trinkets on the shelves near the cook area. The hot dog nor the chili were for me. My dog had an almost burnt flavor and the chili had an overly liquidity density without a lot of flavor. I loved the glass bottle cokes. Very reasonably priced but remember it is cash only. Cheers to the longevity and history of this place. It just wasn't for me.

    This place has been in the hot dog business since 1940 when Greek immigrants open the small…read morerestaurant. There are about 12 or 13 seats in this spot, and while the building is over 100 years old, it seems fairly well maintained. Parking here can be a real issue. The grill is currently operated by George Poniros, grandson of the folks who originally opened the grill. The building is owned by George's uncle. This is a very non-eclectic operation, narrow menu and simple processes. They offer hot dogs with house made chili, tough chopped slaw (rather dry), onions, and mustard - as a long standing rule, they do not offer ketchup, ever! They closed for about a year during Covid, began a Go Fund Me campaign, resulting in some family tension. They are still open and serving hot dogs, just be aware that the opening hours are closer to an estimate than a fact! These are pretty good hot dogs, made so by the chili and soft buns. I do not consider the hot dogs here to be the best in the Triangle area.

    Photos
    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - Incredible inside

    Incredible inside

    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - 2 mustard, chili, & onions

    2 mustard, chili, & onions

    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - Coke in the bottle, cool

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    Coke in the bottle, cool

    Cloos' Coney Island - Bacon Cheeseburger

    Cloos' Coney Island

    4.1(232 reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $$

    A friend suggested that I try Cloos', and what great advice that turned out to be. Cloos' brings…read morethe feel of Northern short-order stands, grills, and diners to the NC State area. I had lunch there on Thursday--and liked it so much that I went back again on Friday. Two days in a row. One word of caution: this is a true short-order grill. Everything is freshly made to order, and they are often very busy. You will not get your food as quickly as you would at a fast-food place like McDonald's or Wendy's. If you are in a big hurry, head west on Western Boulevard to McDonald's, Bojangles, Wendy's, or Cook Out--all places I patronize--but they are not the same type of venue. Cloos' Coney Island is a hot dog and classic American comfort food restaurant that has been operating in Raleigh since 1988, with strong ties to the NC State student community and local residents. According to their own signage and social pages, they proudly market themselves as "An Original Detroit Hot Dog Stand, Est. 1988." The restaurant is decorated like a classic diner or luncheonette. White tile gives a clean, bright feel, paired with black checkerboard accents. The décor is reminiscent of original White Castle, White Diamond, and Waffle House locations. There's even a Sopranos-themed pinball machine. Seating includes a lunch counter with round revolving stools and 1950s-style dinette tables and chairs. On Thursday, I ordered a Coney Dog and French fries. With the exception of the Chicago Dog, their hot dogs are 90 percent beef, with the remainder pork products. The Coney Dog is their specialty, served on a steamed bun with chili, mustard, and onions--try it; you'll love it. The fries are excellent--thin, string-style fries like McDonald's used to make years ago. My friend had the Chicago Dog, a Vienna all-beef frank customized with Carolina flair, adding slaw atop their Coney Dog toppings. They have a soda fountain with Coke products, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and both sweet and unsweet tea. As a fun detail, there's a Coca-Cola CLASSIC sign near the fountain--perfectly fitting for a place established in the late '80s. Because they offer both tea and lemonade, they list Arnold Palmers (sweet or unsweet) on the menu. They also offer bottled water and a selection of domestic and premium bottled beers. On Friday, I went alone, sat at the counter, and ordered the Philly Cheesesteak--listed on their menu as one of their signature items, and now I know why. I chose steak with green peppers and onions and added mushrooms for a small extra charge. I don't care for mustard (a Midwest thing) or mayonnaise (a Southern thing) on my cheesesteaks. When I worked in Philadelphia and ate at Pat's and the street carts, I always had ketchup on the bun. At Cloos', I dipped both my cheesesteak and fries into genuine Heinz ketchup from glass bottles--outstanding. I liked the fries so much the day before that I ordered another small order. Growing up in New Jersey, a root beer with a cheesesteak just felt right--even though I rarely drink soda. Some pairings are simply meant to be. The staff are great--nice, patient, and constantly engaging with customers. There's an ongoing conversation about everything, and you can tell they genuinely enjoy their work, their coworkers, and their customers. If you're expecting service with a deep Southern accent, this might not be the place--but the warmth and authenticity more than make up for it. Needless to say, I plan to go back. Two five-star experiences, back-to-back.

    This spot has been open since 1988, and I've been coming, off and on, since the early 90's. This…read morearea, close to part of the NC State campus is home to several venerable hot dog "stands" - Roast Grill (opened in 1940), Char-Grill (opened in 1959), and Snoopy's (opened in 1978). Went to all 4 on this trip! Like the other 3, this spot is showing its age and the service tends to be a bit out of the "fast food" range, but they still put out some solid burgers, hot dogs, and FFs. My favorites are the Chicago Dog, the Carolina Cheeseburger, the Kraut Dog, and their Fries! I also like that you can get a beer.

    Photos
    Cloos' Coney Island - Inside - Behind the counter

    Inside - Behind the counter

    Cloos' Coney Island - Cheese fries

    Cheese fries

    Cloos' Coney Island - Great staff!

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    Great staff!

    Jim's Ole Time

    Jim's Ole Time

    4.5(25 reviews)
    10.0 mi
    $

    Great taste, but too messy. Loved the flavors, but the toppings kept falling off. Still, one of the…read morebetter hot dogs I've had!

    if one is as into seeking great hot dogs as I am, one goes where ever the trail leads - even to the…read morefront of a Lowe's Home Improvements store in Cary, and this trip was definitely worthwhile.. There Jim Rivers has been setting up his steel hot dog stand for nearly 14 years now, and is there almost everyday beginning at 11:30 - he misses some days because he also sets up at the North Carolina State Fair each year. He steams his weiners - Red Hots (neon red Southern weiner)for $1,50, Nathans All Beef for $2.00, Jalapeno (with the pepper already in the weiner) for $2.50, and a Sausage dog, also for $2.50. His toppings(whatever you want at no additional charge) include mustard, ketchup (ugh!), chili, onions, slaw, mayo (double ugh!), cheese, sauerraut, red onion (foo foo), and relish (we get visitors from the far north). The Red Hot is your basic Southern Chili dog with a weiner of questionable parentage, chile, onions and/or slaw, on a nice, soft bun. This is a very good hot dog. The chili is not home made since the All Knowing, All Seeing Wake County government has decided that only brick and mortar restaurants can prepare such items in their duly and regularly inspected kitchens - this apparently is true even if the rating is not particularly good. Jim uses Patterson's Grand Slam All Beef Chili, which is available in 5 pound tubs or #10 cans. This is very good commercially prepared chili, right up there with Matinee brand used by Allen & Son in Chapel Hill. The Nathan's All Beef hot dog with chili, mustard, and Jim's slaw is an outstanding slaw dog - one of the best I've tried, and I've tried more than a few. The quality of the weiner reals comes thru, and is very well showcased by the soft bun, tasty chili, and not too sweet mayo based slaw. On my next visit, I'll try the Jalapeno dog and the Sausage dog instead of the All Beef - well, probably in addition too it. Jim is friendly and personable, the service is quick, the pricing reasonable - there is no seating available, but sitting in an airconditioned auto munching several dogs ain't at all bad.

    Photos
    Jim's Ole Time - Jim's Truck and Trailer in the lot. Nice advertising.

    Jim's Truck and Trailer in the lot. Nice advertising.

    Jim's Ole Time - Red dog with mustard , chili and onion.

    Red dog with mustard , chili and onion.

    Jim's Ole Time

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    Char-Grill - burgers - Updated May 2026

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