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    Emma Keys

    3.9 (423 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican, Burgers, Hot Dogs
    Closed 4:00 pm - 8:00 PM

    Order Emma Keys Takeout or Delivery

    Emma Keys Photos

    Business Info

    EMMA KEYS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Emma Keys

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    Reviews With Photos

    Natika G.

    Parking sucks ass but the food is really good! Everything is cooked to order so be prepared to wait. It's really small and charming inside but they have plenty of seating outside! The staff is nice and their menu isn't overwhelming. They have burgers, sammies and hotdogs. We tried their burgers, fries and hotdogs. Everything was tasty just wish they offered combos but you have to purchase everything separately

    Joel K.

    First time visiting Emma Keys since the new ownership. I love the vibe and options for food. I still miss the breakfast they used to have on the menu. But everything else is great! I love the selection of homemade sauces. I ordered the Korean burger and seasoned fries. Both were amazing! I will definitely be back!

    Greg V.

    This place was very cool. Love the cool picnic table vibes and when we went there was live music. I did not give full stars because their burgers are not as big as they used to be and it took quite a long time to get our food and even order. But it was still a fun experience I would go back for sure. I ultimately was only able to snap a picture, not of my burger but of their pulled pork sandwich with homemade Mac and cheese, that was outstanding!!! Hot, and melt in your mouth good!

    Cheeseburger
    Gary F.

    Heck, I really wanted to like Emma Keys but simply cannot. The employees were GREAT and would be a 5 star crew. However, the food was simply not good. The burgers lacked flavor, the chili did not have any discernible meat flavor, the onion rings were too heavily breaded and, as a result, held a great deal of grease. Also, the restaurant seems tired and looks as if it suffers from deferred maintenance. There was an odd smell that was prevalent and strong inside the restaurant and the outside needed a good clean up. It is a great location, wonderful concept and should be great...but it isn't. I will not be going back.

    Doggy Dog
    Kaicey W.

    Found this place late at night after a concert nearby and couldn't be happier with the experience! Even months later, we still talk about how good the food was and how hardworking the staff were that night. I even considered contacting their management to let them know how outstanding their employees were that night, but I didn't catch their names. So I hope this gets back to them somehow. This would've been September 20th, if I'm remembering correctly. Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised to find a place open so late. And very grateful to have something other than the typical chains to eat at that hour. It's a small place with only two people running the show that night but they put in work! Not long after we arrived a larger group showed up and they were slammed. But the two workers kept grinding and turned out some really great food. The guy on the grill really put together some magic. I had probably one of the best hot dogs of my life and I'm not even a big fan of hot dogs. Something about hearing mac and cheese and potato chips on one really caught my eye though. I blame it being nearly 2 am lol. My husband ordered something with BBQ on it but they were out and offered to make him a chopped cheese in the style of the item he ordered. It was phenomenal! They really should put it on the menu. The fries were also cooked to perfection. All in all, it was better than we could ever imagine. I wish we had a place like this near us! We were sad to find out the late hours are only on weekends when our last few Greensboro concerts have been during the week. But you best believe the next time we're in town and they're open, we'll be there!

    Great burgers, fries and onion rings
    Jamie S.

    Really good burgers, fries, and onion rings! Loved that they toasted both sides of the burger buns, too! The place is very small, but plenty of tables to eat outside. It's very cute, and service was friendly. We will be back!

    El Diablo Burger
    Roben B.

    Food: A small establishment that does burgers with big flavor! The only disclaimer is that the burgers are cooked medium well by default. I really enjoyed the El Diablo Burger and Sweet Potato Fries. I had my burger cooked at medium and they hit it right on the nail. The patty was seasoned well and the remaining burger components were very fresh. The sweet potato fries came out very crispy and were also seasoned perfectly. Service: Bare bones service where they take your order and call your number, but that is expected. Ambiance: the place is very small and almost dive like with the small casual interior and outdoor seating. Parking is a little tough, but I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a good burger in the area.

    BYOB
    Janaal O.

    I seriously love Emma Key's. This is probably my favorite burger spot and it never disappoints. The burgers are always so flavorful and filling, and you can really tell everything is made fresh. I've been here multiple times and the food has consistently been good every single time. The atmosphere is also really laid back and the staff has always been friendly. Definitely one of those places I'm always craving!

    That was delicious!!
    Mitchel S.

    When I was growing up, we ate meat all the time, and in all kinds of varieties. I remember many meals of kosher roast beef and pot roast made by my grandma. Mom made a great meatloaf with a hard boiled egg in the middle that me and my brothers fought over! We had spaghetti and meatballs, cold cuts like salami and bologna, and when things got a little better at home, lots of steak! I don't know why I have gravitated away from beef as an adult. Not sure if it's because I had so much of it as a child, learning that it's high in calories and fat or that it's very expensive. But, for whatever reason, I rarely have it anymore. So, when Sally and I decided to have lunch, and I wanted to try a new restaurant, and I know how much she loves hamburgers, I suggested Emma Keys and she was ready to go! The place is very close to UNCG so I know the area well. I quite often go to that spot for Fishbones, so it was fun to try something else. There was no available on-site parking, but we easily parked a block away. We burned off at least 10 calories walking over which justified what I was about to eat! LOL The place is very cute and simple and has an old fashioned feel to it, as if it hasn't been renovated in years and years. But I mean that in a charming way. Lots of outdoor seating, and if it wasn't so hot that would have been fun, but we chose to eat indoors. The menu was not overwhelming which I appreciated. I immediately zoomed in on the hamburger with swiss cheese and mushrooms and Sally immediately gravitated towards what we call the Carolina Burger. She ordered fries and I ordered a large onion ring! We both worked out that morning and we didn't care about calories! They have a fountain for your drinking pleasure and I must say, that lunch was delicious. Rings was massive and the hamburger was extremely flavorful and chock full of good stuff. As much as I love onion rings, I could not finish that full portion and took the rest home. Sally seemed to enjoy her hamburger too. The crowd kept coming in while we were eating and lots of takeout as well. I liked this place. Brought back memories of graduate school. It had a nice neighborhood feel to it, and the food was reasonably priced and really, really good. I would highly recommend Emma Keys for a burger and onion rings. You can choose one of their specialty burgers which I did or you can build your own, and with the list of add-ons, that might be fun to try the next time I'm coming back... And I will!

    Brooke P.

    I've been dying to try Emma Keys for some time now and when my birthday rolled around, I knew where I wanted my friends and I to meet. I never got to try Emma Keys under the old ownership but no worries whatsoever, these guys who've owned the place for a year now are doing things RIGHT! This is a fast casual spot meaning you order at the counter, they give you a number, and you either sit at the few tables inside or at a picnic table outside on their patio and they bring your food to you. The new outdoor space is so nice, that's where we ended up sitting on a beautiful day. The food was everything I thought it would be and more. The pimento cheese burger on Texas toast was drippy, buttery goodness. There is no lack of toppings on this monster of a burger. I also tried their hot dog with chili and cheese. I love that their chili has chunks of meat in it making it hearty. For sides I got sweet potato fries with honey mustard for dipping and Mac and cheese. Both perfect sides to go with a burger. I can't wait to come back and try more of their menu, I'm already recruiting family members to come with!

    El Diablo Burger
    Alyssa T.

    A good local spot for burgers. It's a fairly small location so there is some indoor and some outdoor seating available, but it is limited. We were able to order our food very quickly at the counter and find a seat inside. The kitchen is open so you can watch them make all the food while you wait. They're very friendly and were able to take orders/move the line very quickly. We opted to order one of the burgers from the menu rather than building our own. We were informed that the burgers are served medium well unless otherwise requested. The El Diablo was not as spicy as expected based off of the name, but was still packed with flavor. The burger was cooked perfectly to the requested medium and they were very generous with the toppings that they put on the burger. We also ordered a side of sweet potato fries with the burger. They were freshly fried and perfectly crispy.

    Outside patio
    Amber J.

    Came here recently and it was so good that I had to come back! And I got the same thing. It was just so good! And just as good the second time around. Came here with family for Father's Day weekend and we sat outside on the patio. The food was amazing and the staff were friendly and helpful! The only downside is finding parking but it's so worth it

    Mike B.

    We were in the area and wanted to grab something to eat. My wife did her usual searching on Yelp and Emma Keys has been on our list of places to try for quite some time. Located in a neighborhood area with other restaurants, bars, coffee and grocery, parking can be a bit tricky depending on the time of day since it is primarily street parking only. It is very close to the Lindley Park and Brice Street areas of Greensboro. It is less than 10 blocks from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. The building itself is a charming retro building with a large outdoor space. The building used to be a barbershop in the 50's. With a little research, we learned the name comes from the memory of the owner's Mississippi grandmother, a great cook named Emma and the "Keys" part comes from it's past history as Keys Barber Shop. There are a few tables inside but a majority of the seating is outside. There are tables with umbrellas to accommodate most weather conditions. We were immediately greeted upon walking in the door and provided a menu to look over before ordering at the counter. Menu options range from hotdogs, salads, burgers, sandwiches and various sides such as regular and sweet potato fries. The prices were very reasonable and we were given a number to place on our table. A short while later a young man brought our orders to us and they looked delicious! We both really enjoyed our meals and recommend to others, we will be back!

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    Ask the Community - Emma Keys

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    We have been here before a few times and it had been a while so we decided to come back to give it…read moreanother shot. I'll start with the good- the server/bartender was great! She was so friendly and a trooper serving us outside in the heat. We started with the philly cheesesteak egg roll promo offer we received. The egg rolls had great flavor but were really greasy. They could've been set on a rack to drain excess grease off after the fryer, but the flavor was great. I also ordered the spicy asian chicken wings and the sweet potato fries and they were really good! Now for the bad- we also ordered the chicken quesadilla- NOT good. It was so greasy that the grease was oozing out when he would take a bite and was pooled on the plate. We also found it very odd that it was just served with what we think was a side of spicy ranch. No lettuce, no pico, no salsa, & no sour cream- not our idea of a good quesadilla at all.... Overall, the service was great but the food- not so much. This is a place I would swing in to grab a beer and maybe an appetizer on the patio if nearby, but would not go out of my way to go for food.

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    Emma Keys - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

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