Old time diner. They have a drive-thru as well as a call in order section of the restaurant. You are also able to eat inside or on their outside patio as well. Got their chicken tender plate with coleslaw and fries. It was pretty good. Tenders were a bit soggy though. Not my favorite. Their coleslaw was VERY vinegar-y and NOT my favorite at all. Their burger was very tasty though and so were their onion rings. I would return just to get that but I wouldn't go out of my way either. read more

See all

Came here the other night ant got the big boy with fries and onion rings. My mom got the fish platter. Everything was so good. My burger was so feeling and the fries came out hot and perfect with ranch and hot sauce. The onion rings were so good with hot sauce and ranch. read more

Love this place! Friendly service and great food at an affordable price. Great burgers and onion rings. Chicken salad sandwich is also excellent. Like to review more but I always get the above items. read more

The service was fast and friendly. I just ordered a salad with grilled chicken on top, it was excellent plenty of dressing. First time here, I will definitely be back. read more

Yes, this place was on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives- you can see (and taste why). I balked when I saw an order of onion rings cost $5- only to get something truly homemade (this is one of their most celebrated items). According to one staffer there, each batch of onion rings takes roughly 1-2 days to make because they are 'cured' (for lack of a better term) overnight. Burgers were great but my 2nd one got a little soggy- the buns were toasted too. Yum. We got our order to go but opted to dine-in when we saw the comfy interior. Ambiance was cute- 50s style place complete with music from that era playing. (I think this is what Highway 55 chain was trying to do...!) They have a nice little patio off to the side for folks to dine in. You could tell this is a popular place across many different types of people. read more

See all

Fast food type of restaurant but definitely a lot better than the chain restaurants. I eat here once or twice a week and have never been unhappy. read more

We eat here often. Today, the food was subpar. The chicken breast was inedible. It was like it was old and had been frozen for a year. Full of black and gray stuff.. The skin and breading was tough and hard.. The coleslaw was nothing but cut cabbage and carrots with plain vinegar poured over it.. Unfortunately, we ordered hotdogs with slaw' in which the dumped vinger on to the hotdogs and soaked into the bun.. I went back to the counter, and as I was speaking with a very nice lady, another woman butted in, cut us off, and rudely told me that's just how the food is... Hopefully, the ones in charge will see this and fix it.. we have been eating at South 21 and never has the food been inedible... At least the fries were good.. read more

See all

Outstanding flavorful juicy burgers, crisp hot fries, and truly the best onion rings anywhere. And Cheerwine (!) Honestly, this is so good, I've not tried anything else here- but it all look great. read more

First time visiting this restaurant. Everything was smooth and delicious. You order at the counter and they call your number and you pick it up. Simple and efficient. It was lunch time so sort of busy, but ordering was simple and our food came out pretty quick. The food was fresh and hot! The staff friendly and knowledgeable. Great 1st visit. read more

South 21 Matthews - Hamburger in lettuce wrap. - Burgers Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

See all

They just don't add any condiments to the actual burgers. And it need more seasoning to the food. But its good to just pick up and go

South 21 Drive In in Mathews has been serving burgers in Charlotte since 1955. A regular listing on Charlotte's best burger blogs, this old school dinner style burger didn't disappoint. I went for the triple paddy special. Smashed style meat was well done and tasty, good bread to meat ratio for a traditional burger bun, cheese felt lacking a bit. I enjoyed the mustard, lettuce and pickle. Not too greasy or sloppy for a triple decker sandwich. I give it a solid 30 min rating. read more

Great hot dogs and fries.... Good burgers fun environment and nice service. Easy Parking is available.

Southern comfort food to the max! Guy Fieri from Dinners, driven and dives gave this place a thumbs up. I give this place two thumbs up. I did my homework and read my Awesome fellow Yelpers had to say and then I proceeded to order the trout plate and man I'm very happy I did. My Awesome wife ordered the chicken sandwich and said it was good but chic- filet has nothing to worry about. My buddies recommended South 21 Onion rings and they were right. awesome. Their fries are Ok, vanilla shake was good. Pickled Cole slaw came with the delicious trout plate and was the best I have ever had bar none.this was our first time here but I guaranty we will be coming back soon to explore more of this awesome menu. Let me tell you that the place was packed and that means the locals love this place. Boom there you have it. May God bless all my fellow foodies Always. read more

See all

South 21 is my go to when I want a good diner style burger. I love the music, atmosphere, and vibe of this restaurant. Their prices have remained reasonable throughout a time when restaurants are doing the best they can. I really like this location for a weekend family lunch. read more

South 21 Matthews - Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

See all

While we were eating our dinner and there was a strong odor of chlorine from restroom where an employee was cleaning, we can barely eat. Now I have a bad headache on my way home. . She knew better not to use chlorine while cleaning when ppl eat!!! read more

South 21 is a Charlotte area staple. Each time I go, I have a hard time deciding between the fried trout and the burgers, because both are delicious. The restaurant also has a neat 50s diner feel. You order at the front and pick up your food when your order is called out. It tends to be fairly busy during peak times, so finding a seat is sometimes hard. read more

See all

Truly a quintessential throwback in time landmark, South 21 is just a sure bet for great fast food. With a menu of burgers, chicken, hotdogs and fish everyone in your party should find something they like. Personally we love the onion rings but the fries are also tasty. The staff is always friendly and the food comes out hot and fresh. If I have one negative comment it's that they switched from Coke to Pepsi. I've never been a Pepsi fan and I never will. I ordered a tea. If you live in the Charlotte area and have never been to any of the South 21 locations....what are you waiting for? read more

See all

Better than the one on Independence, this spot has a diner vibe. Very fresh ingredients, and friendly people. I will say that my 4 stars come from the place, and the people, but the food is only 3.5. Diner environment, very cool. Sundrop...cool. 4.5 stars Hot, friendly, and fresh, even if not amazing food...The dogs and the double burger are solid. I will be back because of the feel, and I will enjoy the food because it's hot and solid. read more

Amazing sandwiches and top.ranked chili dog. Ribeye steak sandwich is my favorite and my wife loves the chicken salad sandwich. read more

South 21 Matthews - Burgers Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

See all

Southern comfort food to the max! Guy Fieri from Dinners, driven and dives gave this place a thumbs up. I give this place two thumbs up. I did my homework and read my Awesome fellow Yelpers had to say and then I proceeded to order the trout plate and man I'm very happy I did. My Awesome wife ordered the chicken sandwich and said it was good but chic- filet has nothing to worry about. My buddies recommended South 21 Onion rings and they were right. awesome. Their fries are Ok, vanilla shake was good. Pickled Cole slaw came with the delicious trout plate and was the best I have ever had bar none.this was our first time here but I guaranty we will be coming back soon to explore more of this awesome menu. Let me tell you that the place was packed and that means the locals love this place. Boom there you have it. May God bless all my fellow foodies Always read more

Get there! Run! Don't walk! I'm living here 18 years and I tried this place for the first time a few days ago? Now I'm mad I didn't try it sooner! We had a burger with fries and a fish sandwich with onion rings. What a great lunch! The burger was hot and generous. The bun was fresh and the toppings were not sliding all over the place. The fish sandwich was not oily, the tartar sauce was pretty good and there wasn't too much breading on the fish. An ample serving of fries and THE BEST onion rings I have ever had rounded off the meal. It was all ready quickly and we sat at a booth to eat. The place has retro 50s decor and ITS CLEAN AS A WHISTLE. The best part is we paid less than if we went to a traditional fast food place. They have a drive through but it's really just a pick up window. You call in your order and pay at pick up. My doctor won't be thrilled this is going to be a regular stop of mine, but it's too good and you only live once! Don't be a dummie like me and wait 18 years to try one of the best places for a quick meal around! Go now! read more

Always fast friendly service. Inside and outside seating. Good pricing for better than fast food. read more

South 21 Matthews - Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Very friendly atmosphere with a funny staff! Great food and good portions...had the cheeseburger last time, next time I'll try the fish!

Try this place for the 1st time yesterday. We ordered the 2 patty burger and the Cod fish sandwich. The patty bottom bun was soggy probably should have added lettuce. The fries were good even the next day in foil in the airfryer. The fish sandwich was good. We will definitely be back to try more items. read more

Always hot and fast! Good "50's vibe" fast food joint. We always like the burgers here.

This is the best place I ever been I highly recommend the trout plat or the fried chicken I had a wonderful experience everyone is so nice

This place is good not bad not the best the chicken needs some more seasoning. Average place for fast food.

I have lived in Charlotte for 35+ years, and I have long enjoyed South 21. I was unfortunately very disappointed recently. I no longer live where any South 21 location is in my regular "orbit", but a couple weeks ago I went to the Matthews location on a Friday night and ordered the Fried Trout Plate (Cod Filet) with onion rings. After the order arrived at my table and I started eating, I slowly realized that something was "off", although I couldn't put my finger on it. After I left the restaurant it eventually occurred to me that the fish and the onion rings tasted like the oil in the fryer had not been changed in months. Or years. (I'm sure years is an exaggeration.) I wish I had realized that while I was there to raise the issue. C'est la vie. I guess the moral of the story is to trust your senses and speak up when something is "off", whether you are at South 21 or any other restaurant. read more

I have been going to the South 21 Restaurants as long as they have been in business. My favorite is the Independence Blvd location but we now live in Matthew's so the Matthew's location is good but hard to beat the Charlotte location! read more

First off, I was looking forward to finally trying this local diner as every time I pass it there's people waiting outside! Even during this crazy time of Covid, we were able to walk up, order and sit inside. The process are super reasonable, I ordered the cheeseburger, onion rings and a slice of pie. It was maybe $14 but the order of onions rings was a shareable size. Everything was made fresh to order so that was nice. The wait wasn't long from when we sat to when our order was called. The food was pretty good. Definitely go back to try other favorites. read more

South 21 Matthews - Pecan pie, cheeseburger and onion rings - Burgers Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Great good and atmosphere!! Def check it out. Reasonably priced and very nice. Would recommend!

Togo order- Service is ok, very hot and cold attitude from both employees I interacted with over the phone and at pickup window. Food has gone downhill, burgers were very thin and dry. Onion rings were hard. Very upset with price vs quality, won't be back to this location. read more

This place was directly across the street from my hotel and had decent reviews so I decided to give it a try. When you first walk in you immediately see that it definitely has an old school burger joint vibe. There's a large menu board on the wall and they specialize in burgers, hot sandwiches and fries and onion rings. I went with the single cheese burger and onion rings. I wasn't impressed nor was I disappointed which is why the rating is 3 . There wasn't anything that would be memorable about either of them....The best part was how affordable everything is and they also have daily specials. read more

See all

Good burgers (Super Boy), excellent fried chicken sandwich. Love that you can call Olin an order and go through the drive through

Always great food, Superboys, onion rings, great fries .. Fried Chicken.... This is an absolutely great place to eat. I recommend the trout dinner plate It's delicious no matter what you get read more

South 21 an old school burger drive-in and icon on Independence Blvd for over 60 years was always a place that I wanted to go to but due to time and distance seemed like a pipe dream. However, since opening the Matthews location I knew that I would one day have to go. And I have to say, that the wait was worth it. As soon as you arrive, you get the iconic 60's diner feel. The red and white pleather seats, the glassy walls, the table tops, and the single seating's looking out toward Independence Blvd completes the diner feel. An overall nostalgic indeed. The ordering staff was friendly and patiently waited as I was looking over the menu. The cleaning staff was quick in busing tables as well as providing a new ketchup squeeze bottle when they noticed that mine was out. I ordered the Jumbo Cheeseburger with fries, a side order of Onion Rings and a hot dog all the way (chili, onion, mustard). I was not disappointed. The burger patties were thin and had a nice griddle char which made the burger have that delicious crunchy edge. The bun was soft and easily dissipated in my mouth. The lettuce, tomato, and onions were fresh and provided the texture needed to complete the burger. As I bit into the burger, I could feel the juices rush out to meet my teeth. The crunch of the vegetables and burgers, the softness of the bun and the feel of burger juices dribbling down my chin makes this burger one of my favorites. The hot dog was delicious. A New York style chili, which was a saucy meat chili and had no beans. The onion was diced thin and sautéed to the point of translucency. A soft bun, and the with the yellow mustard completed the taste sensation that I love about the chili dog. I usually add ketchup to add a little sweetness to the dog, but to add it on the hot dog would have definitely been over the top. A definite must try if you ever had that chili dog need. The onion rings were definitely a diner classic and it proved itself there today. The onion ring was thickly sliced onion that was thin but still provided the good onion taste. A crunchy thin coating over the thick cut onions with no oiliness taste. As soon as you hear that crunch and taste the onion, I had to re-examine my thoughts about the onion ring. I have always enjoyed those thinly sliced onion ring with a thinly seasoned batter, but now, I still can't stop thinking about those onion rings. Overall an extremely delicious meal and one that I will go back for when I am in the area. read more

See all

Should have went with the burger. The fried chicken portion was big but batter was tasteless and hard, unappealing. Onion rings the same. Dry and disappointing. The slaw was tangy and almost translucent. I prefer sweeter with mayo base. Just me. They have solid history and fan base but this meal left me disappointed ($16) read more

Burgers are great, the fries are great, but the onion rings were literally flavorless. No idea how that happened but they tasted like cardboard. I have been back since and just didn't get the onion rings. I will keep coming back for sure and if the onion rings recipe ever changes I will give em another shot. read more

Good food at a great price with quick, friendly service. When I'm in the mood for a solid cheeseburger or some good fried chicken, this place is one of my go-to's. read more

I was here on business and wanted a good burger. The staff was friendly and full of recommendations. I love the food as I was starved from driving from 2 states away and then working 8 hours and not eating at all. This was just what I needed! read more

South 21 Matthews - Burgers Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina