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    The Old Sharkey's Grill

    4.5 (53 reviews)
    Closed • 5:00 am - 2:00 pm

    The Old Sharkey's Grill Photos

    Business Info

    THE OLD SHARKEY'S GRILL ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Outside
    Bo W.

    Burger was good. I would go back just for the burger! Chili cheese fries... not so good. Neither the chili, cheese, nor fries were good. Fries are previously frozen bagged fries. The cheese seemed low quality, and didn't go well on the dish. By the time is was served, the cheese was hardened. The chili was flavorless, greasy, and disappointing. The breakfast was standard diner fare. Nothing fancy or special, unless you count the daily specials. The biscuit was soft, and tasty. Sausage was dry and flavorless. The cleanliness left much to be desired. Some things were done well, some things were not, leaving this restaurant at a solid 3 stars.

    Add it as a Side
    Guy W.

    Well now Folks, this place has been a local Standard for Years!!! Stop by and You will find out why. Breakfast is served with a Smile and some good ole Country Cooking. Now the Biscuits are a little different from the standard ones but just wait till you have one. Yes, indeed Yummy for the Tummy!!! Service is Spot On and the Food is very Tasty.

    Great Southern style Chili Dogs!
    Fred B.

    Still rocking along! We had a hankering this week for a great hot dog and some equally great onion rings - so Old Sharky's it was! We went with a couple of hot dogs (mustard, chili, and onions, of course), a cheeseburger, and an order of those great onion rings. Food was out quickly, and everything was as good as ever. We'll be back soon for some of that great fried chicken - it is as good as any in the Triad! Great people here, they are friendly, attentive, and engaging.

    Karl K.

    If a hole in the wall is your kind of place, then you will love The Old Sharkey's Grill. If excellent grill food and homemade vittles are your cup of tea, then you will love The Old Sharkey's Grill. If you have an affinity for friendly local folk and their chit chat, often directed at others across the room, then you will love The Old Sharkey's Grill. This place is an absolute gem. I opted for the double cheeseburger, but the single would have been enough. The patty had an excellent outer crisp and a very good flavor. It was made fresh and was thus hot and delicious. The toppings were perfect. The hot dogs all the way were among the best I've had. The dog itself had an excellent flavor wherein all the traditional hot dog spices are boldly present but not overbearing. The slaw tasted great and had a perfect texture (but leaned slightly wet). The chili, too, was one of the best I've had, sporting spot-on chili spice and wonderful texture. I wanted to sample one of their homemade items, so I asked for a sample of chicken salad, which was cheerfully provided. It was delicious. Excellent mix of tasty chicken, seasonings, creamy base, and celery bits. The cooks here are serious about their craft, and it shows. You can see it in their focused countenance and industrious movements. Another example is the burger. A lot of places make burgers ahead of time, then plop them on the grill or *gasp!* steam them for a minute to warm them. Not here. They make them fresh with every order. When you come here, you may notice that the part of the sign that says "The Old" appears as if it was added on. It was. It seems that back in the day this place was a restaurant and billiard hall with quite a reputation for all the incidents traditionally associated with such establishments. Certainly the clientele for such activity is very much nearby. Indeed, I would not advise joyriding into some of the surrounding neighborhoods without an armed escort. Anyway, the previous owner had some tax issues, and an IRS tax lien remains on the name Sharkey's Grill. So the current owners, who've had it for about six years, added "The Old" to make it "The Old Sharkey's Grill" to avoid dealing with that lien. Tax law is an unbelievable thing. Just a little backstory for you. Whatever the case with you and your tax situation, The Old Sharkey's Grill is a must stop if you are near Burlington.

    Fried chicken with black eyed peas and fried corn
    Kevin L.

    One thing I always do when traveling in the South is look for a non chain joint that have fried chicken. I happened to be in Burlington area for work and this place got really good reviews on Yelp. I decided to swing by to check it out. I came here before checking into my hotel to pick up lunch. I did miss it a few times but eventually found it. When you see a gravel lot, that's the place. It's hard to spot the place when you're driving alone, even with GPS. I ordered some chicken with fried corn and black eyed peas. This lunch is totally worth driving a bit out of the way. The chicken was seasoned right but the meat is still moist. The sides were delicious as well. It could be a little intimidating for some people because it's in the run down part of the town. I didn't feel unsafe but did feel a bit out of place. Probably because I was the only Asian in the area at that time

    Menu cover - love the name & logo!
    Chris K.

    Came here cos I follow Fred on Yelp and his review on the onion rings sold me. Those rings are really excellent! Thin, crispy, oniony. What more could you ask for?? More, please! Also had a cheeseburger - it's huge! Cooked on a flat top and grilled with a crispy hard crust. I was told the burger meat comes from a meat market up the street and actually saw the place as I was driving back onto Maple. My dining partner had the BLT, which she really loved. It looks like the bread is thicker than normal size, so maybe Texas toast. She got a side of the potato salad and really enjoyed it too. Saw beer on tap and I think they sell wine too. Can't wait to come back and try more of the many items on the menu. Their prices are sooo reasonable too!! Really friendly staff and lots of regulars they chatted with, but made us feel right at home too. Thanks for a fantastic meal and excellent service!

    Menu!
    Iman M.

    WOOHOO! As good as it gets! Well minus the macaroni and cheese but based on EVERYTHING else...YES LAWD! I legit was trying to get one of everything that sounded good because I was so excited! SHHHH....don't tell anyone but it was supposed to be my fast day however my sister and I were on a "field trip" so good eats are required! Anywho, I settled on the one meat-two veggies lunch special that came with drink and a hot dog with chili, mustard and onions (I added ketchup) as my appetizer! Cuz.....you know, it was fast day until I discovered The Old Sharkey's Grill on Yelp as we were driving! LOL! My hot dog came right away and it looked so delicious my sister had to have a bite as well. The hot dog was cooked just right although I apparently am no longer a fan of the pink hot dogs (I grew up on Luters Hot Dogs) and the chili was DELISH! In another review, they mentioned soggy buns but it is literally just a warm, steamed bun that you come to appreciate after you've had a few cold, hard buns which have clearly seen their better, softer days yet still want to get chose to land on a plate or tray and in your belly! For my main plate, I ordered the fried chicken (white meat), loaded baked beans (my curiosity wouldn't let me pass 'em up) and macaroni and cheese (It is a natural plus one to baked beans in my book). The chicken was seasoned well and cooked to a perfect crisp! It was so, so, SO delectable! After I hit it with a few shakes of Texas Pete....My Inner Foodie's Happy Place! I can see why the loaded baked beans are a favorite. They were loaded with finely chopped onions and peppers with ground beef added! They had just the right amount of sweet and salty to deliver a rich and filling flavor. I really don't know how to describe the mac and cheese other than saying one word....underwhelming. It was very loose, although it appeared cheesy, it didn't taste cheesy. But I wasn't necessarily disappointed by it because everything else was so good! Oh and btw, their sweet tea....Amazing! Trust me...this will NOT be our last visit here! CON: Parking could probably get a little crazy during high traffic time because it is on a corner with limited in lot parking.

    David M.

    This place served me the best breakfast I had at a restaurant during our vacation to Burlington. I had the fried pork chop with gravy, eggs, and cheesy grits and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire meal. The counter staff was very attentive as well. I wanted to have one more breakfast here on the day before we left but sadly they had to close for personal reasons. Do NOT judge this place by the exterior! I actually could not find it at first since it is a converted house, but trust me it is well worth a visit!!

    Hot Dog with Chili on it!!
    Candace S.

    Food here is awesome. Prices are reasonable... Mon-Fri Hours: 5am - 2pm Saturday Hours: 5am - 11am New owner... Food is still good.

    Front of menu
    Nate H.

    I stopped in the small diner on my way through Burlington. It is kind of tucked away in a noncommercial area and what seems to be a run down part of town. It is a small brick building set off from the road a little bit. There is a small parking lot, but, if that is full, a lot of people just parked on the street. I had read some stellar reviews on Yelp and had bookmarked this place a while back with plans to try it. I'm not sure what the situation is with the ownership, but according to some reviews the long time owners just recently left. This would make sense because the quality that I got did not compare to what was described in previous reviews. The server was a bit slow in taking our order as we walked in and one of my first impressions of the place was that the sweet tea was horrendous. I think it may have been some of the worst I've ever had. I ordered a burger with a side of onion rings. My dining partner ordered the hot dog. My burger and onion rings came out and the server said that the hot dog would be out right behind it. We assumed that the server just didn't have enough hands to carry it and would be right back. It was over five minutes before she came back with the hot dog. This puts everyone in a bad situation. You don't want to be rude and eat before another person gets their food, but you also don't want your food to get cold. The burger was okay. It was not nearly as impressive as described in other reviews. I was just underwhelmed by the food in general. The best part of the meal was by far the onion rings. They were very thick and crispy and the portions are huge. You will be fine to share these between two people. There are some places that are old and run down hidden gems that you put up with and say that it adds character because the food is just continuously good. I don't think that is the case here at Sharkey's. I was never at the Sharkey's before it changed hands, but I would have to imagine, based upon past reviews, that it has gone down hill. This is average diner food at best.

    Cheeseburger on Texas toast with tater tots

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    7 months ago

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    chuck s.

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    2 years ago

    Outstanding food n service. Never had a bad meal here The best hidden treasure in Burlington

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    4 years ago

    Great local spot hidden away. Friendly down home feel. Big portions. Excellent anytime of the day. Support the small business.

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    4 years ago

    Not gonna waste either of our time, trust me avoid this place if you value your health and sanity.

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    3 years ago

    Kind folks. Good food, Best fried chicken sandwich. Great staff, very sharp! The cooks are working hard. Real community heroes!

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    Unbelievably good! Wish it was bigger and had more parking and was opened for supper!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Old Sharkey's Grill

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    This is the first time I've been here and I love this place. I was running errands getting ready…read morefor our granddaughter's birthday so I needed to come here and go to the oven by Lyn (see my review). I stopped here because I was hungry and wanted to take a break from all the running around. Plus I could have a cheeseburger and a beer, but of course that had nothing to do with it. There were two gentlemen working at the time both very polite. Asked if I could have chili on a double cheeseburger and I was told I absolutely could and asked what else I wanted. So I got my cheeseburger with fries and a beer. I was the only person in there but it was also a weekday in the middle of the day. They brought my food to me and I got to sit down and enjoy it while watching the Addams family on television. It was pretty relaxing actually. The place is spotless, brightly lit, and the tables have lots of space between them which is really nice. The classic TV was also nice. I'm really glad they didn't have news or sports on. Lurch and Thing are a lot more entertaining. Anytime I'm in this area I'm going to look for a reason to stop here. I highly recommend this place.

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