Now this is my kinda place! Came in recently with a buddy after finishing up a round of golf. We were starving and this place came highly recommended online so we popped on over. Classic family diner that apparently has been owned and operated by the same family for three generations now which is great to see. We came at an irregular lunch hour so it wasn't too busy which is lucky because I've heard this place can bring a crowd. It's not hard to see why! The two workers were super friendly and sweet and we enjoyed chatting with them. I elected to go with a cheeseburger and a chili cheese hot dog. Both were exactly what I needed especially the hot dog, I'm still thinking about that chili. Our meal was incomplete though. It still needed desert. I haven't had a milkshake in a long time but being in here made me nostalgic so I had to grab one to go! I got a Reese's shake just like I used to get as a kid and boy did I not realize how much I missed them. That's the kind of place this is. It has a wholesome and timeless quality to it that takes you back to a simpler time. It's not fancy or dressed up, just quality food made by quality people. I wish I lived closer but I know I will make it back. read more

Duke's Grill - New American Near Me - Monroe, North Carolina

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Duke's has been in Monroe forever and stays busy. They have wonderful staff great burgers and alway Luke warm fries. Like the Bible says in Revelation 3:15~16 Luke warm fries. They do such a great job in every area with that one exception. The fries are never ever hot and crisp but I go anyway. My friend won't let me say anything. Too bad. read more

Duke's has great food and great service... Being run by the third generation. From breakfast sandwiches to burgers this is your go to. read more

Duke's Grill - Cool table supporting local businesses! - New American Near Me - Monroe, North Carolina

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food was ok. just ok. the price for 3 burgers, sides, 2 drinks and 3 shakes was nearly $70. worst of all was inside the restaurant were these red signs everywhere to not talk on your cell phone or to take your cell phone outside. the restaurant was not that crowded and I saw no young people in the restaurant. these posted red signs made me feel like I was in a prison. I will never go back. and I tell all who ask to avoid this place with the demeaning signs. read more

While I love Duke's, make sure you check to go orders before you leave. I drove 20 minutes home and realized my chili cheese dogs with mustard had no chili, no cheese, and were bathed in ketchup.. I did call and they said they would make it right next time I was by. While I was looking forward to one (3) of their incredible chili dogs, I'll have to wait until next time. read more

Duke's Grill - Chili cheese dog with mustard? - New American Near Me - Monroe, North Carolina

Took my husband here for the first time for their great hamburgers. I haven't been in a while, their hamburger patties are great! This local hamburger place is still the best! read more

Love the burgers here. I wish I liked the chili more for my ATW, but many like it, so it's a me thing. Service is always good and love the old school burger joint. read more

I have died and gone to Hamburger Heaven! The rest of this review will be written by my ghost. Thanks for reading! e [Taken from snippets of a FB Messenger just prior to the OP's peaceful passing] "This cheeseburger weighs 15 lb, and I'm loving it." "It's like a Roman orgy but with coleslaw and pickles." "I'm two-thirds the way through this cheeseburger. If It hadn't come wrapped in thick butcher paper, I would need a FULL IMMERSION BATH!) [To the 911 operator] "Please ask my charming and attentive waitress to bury me out back and just pour a little bit of that hamburger juice on my grave, okay?" Legendary. Epic. Herculean! Stick a fork in me! Ded & lovin' it! read more

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I ordered from this place via doordash and they left out half of what I ordered. I was told that it was a mistake and that I could go to the store and buy my hashbrowns and mayo. I will never order from this place again. Bottom level ownership and customer service. read more

Best old school burger in Union County. Breakfast sandwiches are delicious too! A must visit if you are in the area.

It's a cute little hole in the wall joint with exactly what you'd hope for out of a place like this. The burgers are made to order and are a thick patty that taste fresh from the grill. The meat is still juicy, and putting mayo on it will make you need a napkin or two! It's probably the best burger in Monroe if I had to choose. I also loved the onion rings! They maintain their shape when you bite into them and have a sweetness to them. I wasn't impressed with the fries though, they seemed a bit soggy and had no flavor or seasoning, not even salt. Skip the fries and get an extra order of onion rings, and you'll wanna stop here again. read more

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Yummy burger! After my colonoscopy, the nurses asked what I wanted to eat, I said a burger, and they recommended Duke's. It did not disappoint. The onion rings and wait staff were awesome too. I'm sure lots of folks like thick crinkle fries but they weren't my thing. Regardless, I'm going back, colonoscopy or not. read more

I went here yesterday with my daughter I've been won't to go back for awhile. But I'll never go back now!! The food was horrible!!!! I had a hamburger with bacon and order of fries, the burger was burnt crisp on the edges but raw in the middle Thus place has went downhill!! Then while at Juds I heard to guys talking about how bad Dukes is now. I was stunned knowing the experience I just had... read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch while in the area. I really enjoy local mom and pop type places and Duke's is just that. My burger was delicious and the onion rings were a huge portion. I ate a few and then asked the sweet older couple seated nearby if they would like to have the rest. They gladly accepted. I will definitely be back for another burger. One of the best I have had in a long time. And the service was top notch. Sweet ladies working super hard to make sure every table in a very busy, small place was completely taken care of. read more

Duke's Grill - Cheeseburger and onion rings - New American Near Me - Monroe, North Carolina

Best burgers and onion rings, don't care for their fries. Good that they are staying open later than 2:00p.m.

It's an older building with an updated exterior. The inside still has the original flooring and walls but kept very clean. Bathrooms are outside. And they have some rules. If you're parked here, you better be eating here. They'll tow you. Don't talk on your phones and don't let them ring. Make sure you sit at the right table for your party size. Staff greets you immediately and they are ATTENTIVE! refilled drinks after every sip kind of attentive. The first waitress said lunch wouldn't start until 10:15. We got in at 10. Our son ordered the pancake thinking he's wait -5 minutes and get a burger. The next waitress said lunch wouldn't start until 11. Everything is good. There is no niche. It's all store bought products and basically they're just cooking so you don't have to. Plain white bread for toast. Quaker quick grits. You get the idea. I listed their attentiveness. Which is the best. But there are a lot of rules and they're not very patient. They ask you what you want. If you've got questions, you need more time to decide. read more

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Quite the disappointing experience for my first and last visit to this place. I had heard about how good the burgers were for a few years now. So, I decided to make the trek from CLT to indulge. NEVER AGAIN. First, the positives; staff were pleasant and welcoming. Seems to be a small place known mostly to just locals. Still has stuff like liver-mush a bologna sandwiches on the menu (IYKYK), which harkins back to yesteryear. Now the not so positive; I was immediately put-off by the fact that they were overtly trying to capitalize on Charile Kirk's death by selling "FREEDOM" knockoff shirts with their Duke's Grill logo on the back. Very bad and in poor taste, IMO. The burgers were good. The fries and onion rings were room temp. Had to be sent back. Hotdog came with ketchup, not the requested chili. It was bad even before the order screw-up, but I didn't send it back. Now the sticker shock: $43+ for two bacon cheeseburgers, one fry (cold), one onion ring (cold), one hotdog and two drinks! The same exact order at Five Guys or Wayback Burgers is $34. Save your money. Go somewhere else. ANYWHERE else. Even BK or Mickey D's. read more

I think John Wayne would have loved this place, especially the name. This is one of the favorite diners that the locals flock to for good southern comfort food. We came here with our new dear friends that recommended this place to us. Boy were they right. Our better halves both chose the BLT sandwiches and us big guys took on the bacon cheeseburgers with onion rings. The burgers are classic and home aid. Giant onion rings cooked to perfection.if I must critique anything I would say our friend asked for ranch dressing to dip her fries in and they gave her a very small container of it and charged her for that. I'm sorry that should've been free. What is there a ranch dressing shortage that I'm not aware of lol. Come on. I gave them five stars anyway because the food was awesome but our company was even better. God bless all my fellow foodies Always. read more

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Food excellent really cooked from not frozen meats! Delicious and filling. Small inside but big with flavors, service and certainly great foods. Recommend for sure. LF read more

If you're a person or color this isn't the place for you. As a child I remember hearing stories about this place. In fact, my grandfather told me that when he was as a child he remembers a sign saying "NO COLOREDS ALLOWED". So me being from a new era. thinking things have changed. And for the fact there are new owners. And from what I KNOW the owner's wife has ties to UCPS as a former teacher. I decided that I would take my husband there while visiting family. Needless and sad to say that nothing has changed. The atmosphere was very unwelcoming. In fact very much uncomfortable. So much so we left without ordering. My husband is from the West Coast and was out done. He's never experienced anything like this. He's heard stories about the south. And was familiar with Monroe, NC because of the plight of the late great Robert F. Williams for equality. It's 2024 and sadly nothing has changed. I would like to ask the owners of Duke's Grill if their racism is ingrained? Or have they personally had a hurtful encounter with person of color? Because it's very sad that in 2024 people still have that mindset. read more

Will reevaluate my rating after I taste the food. ...have you ever walked into an establishment and everybody turns around and this feeling overcomes you (raises eyebrows). I still ordered because I want to give em a chance. Maybe my spidey senses are off. I even placed a 2nd separate order and there may have been a hint of resentment of not knowing what I want to order. I'll update later. Stay tuned. read more

I love a good old fashioned diner! They're usually the best spots and Dukes is no exception. Excellent burgers and hot dogs! The onion rings are my side of choice and the service is always very friendly and attentive. The decor/building might not be everyone's cup of tea, but those who know where to find the hidden southern gems knows this building screams "our food is good!" You won't be disappointed eating here! read more

Very overrated and overpriced!!! Staff needs to take a customer service class. Need not to use food lion products to resale as homemade read more

This place is incredible. Great food. Great atmosphere. Very attentive servers. You can't go wrong with Duke's Grill! A+++++++ read more

It's far too loud inside to enjoy your meal. I've been several times with others and it's always the same experience.

Great little hole-in-the-wall joint with AMAZING burgers and the best onion rings! There aren't many tables in the place, but the place is always packed full and service is always served with a smile. It's a great local gem that's even been recognized by Travel Channel. Eaters beware: you will have to spend time with whoever you bring, so bring someone you like. Duke's Grill has a no cell phone policy. While I have never seen anyone get kicked out for using their phone, I wouldn't risk it. You know...just in case. read more

Best burger I've ever had in my life and so in expensive. The fries and the cheeseburger the way they make it is amazing highly recommend!

The servers were so kind, always kept our water filled. The food was delicious! The burger was huge and cooked perfectly. We will definitely be back! read more

The food is great but the staff are rude. You have to have a freaking rule book to actually eat there. The employees are rude. You can't sit in certain places. The woman told a man to sit outside to wait on his Togo order bc that's what the sign said. read more

Duke's Grill - Make sure you know the rules before you enter - New American Near Me - Monroe, North Carolina

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Best burgers in town! Onion rings are great to. Fries are frozen versus fresh cut otherwise I'd of given 5 stars.

Great food Staff is very unfriendly and come across as Rude to customers I hate to see a local favorite employ wait staff with zero personality I won't be back Glad another breakfast place went in at Jb's read more

Since moving to Charlotte in 2013 I've heard about Duke's and how fantastic their hamburgers are. Maybe that has something to do with my poor review. My expectations were pretty high. Now don't get me wrong, it's a cute little place, it's been there for 70 years, it's family owned and operated and it's good for what it is. But when people review these burgers talking about how fantastic they are I expect a juicy and flavorful burger. It was just an average burger. I expected the size to be small, but I expected it to have a lot more juicy melt in your moth flavor. And my crinkle fries were lukewarm and not even close to crispy. Come on man, crinkle fries should be crispy and crunchy. If you want to go for the ambience do so, but get your expectations in check. These are just your average burgers. read more

I have been going here for 60+ years and have never, ever heard you can only get it the way the menu has it. I normally get the chuckwagon as I have never had one this good anywhere else. I get it with slaw and onions with a small fry. The fries are the big kringle kind and are cooked perfectly. Some employees are still wearing masks but most do not. They encourage social distancing. The place is very clean. Everyone is friendly. You can't go wrong with what ever you get at Duke's.Dukes Cheeseburger read more

Duke's Grill - Duke's history. - New American Near Me - Monroe, North Carolina

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I've been eating there for many years and the food had always been good, with reasonable price for reasonable portions. I ate there recently and what a surprise!!!! the meat/buns on the burgers were almost half the size of what they used to be with outrageous prices!! I know everything's gone up, but his portions gone way down and prices way up. 2 hamburgers, a large fry and 2 waters for pennies less than $17!!!! Come on!!!!!! I don't mind paying for good food and good portions but this is outrageous !! It's really sad but he lost a long time customer read more

I am sad. Why am I sad? I am sad because my phone decided to go on the fritz as I parked at Duke's. I knew that I would not be able to share with you the glory that is the Duke's "double cheeseburger all the way" or their fab onion rings. I guess I'll need to come back here one day and have it again. Yes, the double cheeseburger is an amazing work of culinary art. Two large beef patties, flattened and grilled, topped with slices of American cheese. And with all the way, it included onions, cole slaw, ketchup, pickles, lettuce, tomato and more. Quite messy and you'll want to grab a fork so that you can pick up the slaw that falls off as you dig through this monster. Skip the fries. They're boring crinkle cuts and while they're cooked just fine, you can have these anywhere. You want the onion rings, which are thin, crispy and perfect because they're obviously hand cut and hand battered and hand fried. And one order is really enough for three people, or two if one of you can drive the AED. Yes, I saw it on a list of "best burger in your state" and bookmarked it for the next time I was in Monroe. http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/the-best-burger-in-every-state/ss-AA8whNI?fullscreen=true#image=35 read more

So Business Insider said that Duke's has the best Burger in NC so I went to check it out on a day trip to Charlotte. With the GPS, the place was easy to find but I'd say if you're visiting Monroe for the first time you could easily drive past it. It was lunchtime on a Saturday and I was worried about a crowd but luckily we snagged the last available booth. Let's be honest, the place isn't big on the frills but who needs that stuff any way? As was recommended on here, I went with the Cheeseburger ATW (all the way) and onion rings. A Cheerwine was the perfect accompaniment. The servers were quick and friendly. I probably got 5 partial refills on Cheerwine over the 20 minutes I was there. Food came out and I couldn't wait to dig in. The smell coming off of the burger was intoxicating. With the first bite I knew this was something awesome. There was this great flavor combo between the chili and the slaw and beef. It was darn near perfect. The onion rings were crispy and well seasoned. Just how I like them. Duke's is certainly out of the way for me but that just means I need to make it "in the way" more often. I look forward to returning and taking others with me. read more

Don't do business here. We purchased entire meals for five of us and they wanted to charge us for water. Seriously? We had even left them a $5 gratuity but then they wanted to charge us $0.45 for a cup of water. Asked for forks and were told they gave plenty, only to get to our picnic area and have only one. Staff not wearing face covering either for COVID-19 protections. Just wow. And as for the food...maybe the lousiest burger I've ever eaten and barely any beef. This place probably only stays in business because it's a local place folks know, but it pretty much sucks. And really...charging for water? Floored. That's the cost of doing business. Sorry I can't give this place lower than one star rating. read more

Since a kid, I've been going here. In my opinion, the food is fresh, prepared quickly, prepared with care, good structured environment, it's small but has loads of space, and even during lunch hours if it full, the speed of service and the food coming out, you won't wait long. The staff is nice, courteous, and knowledgeable on everything. Dennis takes pride in his food, prep work and the best ingredients is always a forethought. He has the best burgers hands down, fixed just about any way you want them. The fries are cooked perfectly, as are the onion rings. And of course he has way more than burgers.... Duke's is a center of the community, either for food, local happenings, meet up place , or just to grab a jumbo tea with the GOOD ice. I like the quiet sound of people talking, cell phone calls are to be taken outside, phones don't have to be turned off, just silenced when you walk in. The original owner Dewey Parker (Duke) , would be proud. Find time to stop by and grab a bite, and a slice of history mounted on the walls from years gone by. read more

I had heard so many good things about this place and was really looking forward to it. And for me for the most part the food was good but nothing special. The food is prepared exactly the way the menu states, NO deviations. If you don't like mayonnaise, to bad. Meal comes that way. You want to add onion or cheese to something, again to bad for is prepared as per menu. Even though they have onion or cheese (because it's on other menu items) you can not get your food to your liking. There are a lot of locals that love this place and apparently they are doing something right but for me when I go to a business and am paying for something I have the expectation of getting what I like/enjoy not what the business will only prepare. I hope everyone else enjoys, it's just not for me. read more

Best burger I've ever eaten anywhere in the world. I LOVE the No Cell Phone policy. I wish more places, especially restaurants had the guts to implement similar policies. I really don't want to eat with someone at the next table or booth hollering into their phone the whole time. Service is always good and food has always been GREAT. Long drive from where I live and local construction makes it challenging to drive straight to it, but it has always been worth the trip. read more