This is a delicious dive located only minutes from the highway. The staff was so welcoming and the food was great! read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Fried Bologna - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

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Two ate breakfast for $23 before tip. Love this place! Now open on Saturday mornings!!! Old school diner - sweet staff and lots of nice folks! Food is consistently great. read more

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Listen, and I don't normally do reviews but I read them. Found this hidden gem and when I say EVERYTHING was great!! The customer service was by far the best, I normally have to send some parts of my food back because I am a food critic. Nothing to send back but an empty plate, definitely coming back and my waitress (s) Dawn and Brittany the best!!! professional at it's best, some of these big food chains need Dawn and Brittany to train their staff and I promise you the world would be a better place. read more

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. read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Add it as a Side - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

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

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 read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Fried chicken with black eyed peas and fried corn - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

Hole in the wall. Greasy spoon kinda place. Very blue collar. The staff is super friendly though. Type of place where they call you babe and honey. Food is solid. Nothing fancy but you won't leave hungry. Prices are very reasonable. The coffee was surprisingly good. read more

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

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

I absolutely love this place and the people in it. I drive out of my way just to get this good food. If you want some great home cooking this is the place to go! read more

Food came out in under five minutes. Clean Friendly Staff Good food Big portions Why is there a minimum on the number of characters in a review. I just want to say a few good things. read more

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! read more

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

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. read more

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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!! read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

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

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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. read more

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Soggy hotdog buns are just gross. The onion rings are made with cornmeal so they are a tad hard. The hamburger is good and the service quick. I'd eat here again, but I would not go out of my way. read more

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

If you're looking to find something worth clogging your arteries for, you've come to the right place! The food is SO greasy but SO good! I came here with a classmate for lunch and we both usually eat healthy. So, we both felt quite sick the rest of the day. I ordered a cheeseburger with grilled onions on Texas toast (my rendition of a party melt) A-MAZ-ING! Reasonable prices. It gets pretty busy at lunch time so come early! friendly service.. When I say greasy, I mean DRIPPING grease! read more

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I was really surprised to find such great breakfast foods at a reasonable price in a little neighborhood diner !! I love the place and the service is excellent ! read more

I can't say enough about Old Sharkey's Grill, it is a simple place, and the super friendly atmosphere is a great feeling, even for a stranger. The Onion rings are fantastic, my favorite for breakfast is the Philly Cheesesteak Omelet and lunch it would have to be the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. Both loaded and make sure you ask them to add Jalapeños, that will take it OVER-THE-TOP. The cooking grill shuts down about 3pm but the place stays open for beers and socializing, so plan accordingly. The fried fish, burgers, pork chops, ribs are all very good. This is not a health food restaurant, it is just delicious. read more

Glad I listened to the stellar reviews of this place! This little hole in the wall has amazing food at a reasonable price. Having had the chili dog and onion rings on my past visit (also delicious) I opted today for one of the daily specials. We were able to look on their Facebook earlier in the day to see what the specials were, which I appreciated.I had the fried chicken (dark meat) which was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned green beans, creamy mac and cheese, and lovely redskin potato salad. The place is small but service is quick and food is fantastic! read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Fried chicken with redskin potato salad, green beans, mac and cheese, and dinner roll - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

WOW WOW WOW- what a hidden gem. We almost missed the opportunity to stop, we turned around (on I-85) and drove back 5 miles to try this place. It was worth the time. It is a small well utlized space. In the dining area there was also a desk set-up for working. I tried the fried pork chop lunch plate with two sides: mac and cheese and loaded baked beans (which means they have ground beef and peppers) and texas toast. The sweet tea is phenominal, just right on sweetness. Our tea glasses stayed full. The pork chop was cooked when ordered, it came out fresh, hot, and tender. The mac and cheese was tasty but a bit loose for my liking. The loaded baked beans where delicious, with just enough green pepper flavor not to over power the other flavors, not to sweet, just right! We didn't try any desserts but there was an impressive list of options on the chalk board. We got there around 11:30 a.m. and when we were leaving around noon you could tell it is a local HOT SPOT. The prices are great, the portions are great, and the they accept cash ans cards. The staff was GREAT, all were happy, attentive and informative. Now I know why they draw smiley faces on everything..... they are HAPPY! read more

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Best onion rings we have ever eaten. Great Q. Perfect "dive" "hole-in-the-wall" atmosphere. Excellent service. We are BBQ snobs and this place is the real deal! Don't miss out on a great feed. Two sandwiches, enough rings for three and a soda - $12. Can't beat that! read more

All-American grill! Great tasty, juicy burgers with crinkle-cut fries. Reasonable prices and very friendly staff. It's your classic "dive" joint with lots of local flavor. Cone here to experience a "shark-nado" of deliciousness! read more

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Our drive from Raleigh/Durham airport to Greensboro led us to search Yelp for a great lunch place. We were so happy we checked and found Old Sharkey's Grill instead of stopping at a run-of-the-mill food chain. This place is the definition of a local neighborhood restaurant. The staff is extremely friendly and I think they enjoyed having us northerners stop in for a visit. You can tell they definitely have regulars, as they should. We had the pulled pork sandwiches with fries and the Chuckwagon with onion rings. Add the limitless supply of sweet tea and we were sold! The food is delicious and really cheap. If you are ever staying or passing through the area, don't let the outside deter you from going in. Definitely give this place a try! read more

Great place for breakfast. Haven't really had anything other than that. My girlfriend and I go to this place pretty regularly. One of the waitresses isn't that awesome at her job. However the owner knows what she's doing and is very polite and professional. Prices are cheap compared to some of the big chains. It's been a place that after a couple of times going it has grown on us. The only negative side to our experiences, the cook brought out some coffee (Which he was clearly struggling with) and actually spilled it all over the table and my girlfriend. (No comps for the incident) read more

Complete dive and worth the drive off the highway! The BBQ was superb and some of the better BbQ that I have eaten. Staff is super friendly and sweet! Small place and you will drive right past it but turn around park and enjoy! It's worth it! read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Local, nice staff and good comfort food! - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

When I'm looking for good breakfast places in the southeast, The ones in North Carolina seem to be the best! During my travels to South Carolina, most places idea of breakfast is McDonalds or Chick-fil-a. Georgia seems be be mostly Waffle House, but North Carolina has the really good ones all over the state! Old Sharkey's Grill is this little hole-in-the-wall in downtown Burlington. It is well worth a drive off the interstate. I was driving to the restaurant and when I saw it, passed it and then had to go around the block and enter the parking lot. Walked inside and it was this neat little dining room. Looked at the menu and got a couple of eggs and grilled tenderloin to go. Everything I had was great! The restaurant staff was very friendly and I was in and out fairly quick! If you're passing through and looking for a good breakfast, just point your car over to Old Sharkey's Grill! You won't be disappointed! read more

The Old Sharkey's Grill - Outside the restaurant - Southern Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

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I love little hole in the wall joints like this - I search them out, actually. So, I was super excited when I saw this place pop up in Yelp one day and I bookmarked it immediately. I had a burger and fries, which were pretty awesome. Large portions and the burger was pretty flavorful. Our waitress was very friendly and joked around with us. I'd defiantly go back. Their menu is rather large, so I'd like to try something different next time. They also have beer which is a little uncommon for this type of place, but definitely a plus! Don't let the outside fool you (it doesn't seem to be in the most desirable area). Highly recommended if you like diners and little breakfast/lunch spots. read more

Great restaurant. The pulled pork sandwich is incredible. I would also suggest the onion rings and battered fries. read more

Let me begin by saying we have eaten here several times and have lots of friends who do so as well. It is a hole in the wall but the food is good and the service is usually good. But today they really disappointed us. We checked the website for the hours which said they close at 2:00 we arrived at exactly 1:25 only to have someone step outside and say they are closing at 1:30-right now. Well that is fine but update your website and it wasn't 1:30 yet either! Already disappointed, then owner walked outside and we told her that she needed to update the website if she was going to change the hours and all we got was shrugged shoulders. Please correct your website or at least don't turn people away if they arrive before 1:30. But on the bright side Graham Soda Shop did not disappoint! read more

True home cooked southern food made from scratch. Amazing breakfast and biscuits, fresh cut fries, burgers that will knock your socks off. I can't stress enough the quality of the food. If you are looking for a real treat ask for the big boy menu. read more

The art of real, Southern cooking has about gone by the wayside. Paula Deen's cooking is NOT representative of what the South, and its food, is all about. For the authentic Southern experience, you have to go to Old Sharkey's Grill. When you enter, the smell of fresh pork chops, chicken or whatever daily special happens to be will start your stomach rumbling. The lunch counter seating and menu on the wall is really the only 'decor' and anything else would be pretentious. Owners Chuck and Diana are down to earth and some of the nicest people I ever met. Take all I've mentioned and add the perfect pork chop lunch plate I had there yesterday, along with scalloped potatoes, pintos with onion and sweet tea and you have a piece of Heaven on Earth! read more

We were staying in the Burlington area and discovered our hotel did not serve breakfast. I looked on yelp and we decided to try this place. It's definitely one of those little hidden diamonds in the rough. Clearly a local destination, we felt slightly out of place in a place where everyone seems to know everyone's name. But, the server was so friendly, the service was pretty quick, and the food was good. It's your typical diner breakfast- nothing spectacular, but exactly what you need sometimes! The price was right, too. Eggs made to order, toast or a biscuit, bacon or sausage, hashbrowns or home fries... read more

Love a breakfast at Sharkey's. My favorite is the corn beef hash 3 egg omelet. The first omelette I got was as big as a hubcap from a Nash Rambler. I told Chucks wife Diane I only wanted one that's how big it was. All of the pictures of the hamburgers don't do them justice. They are much better in person and in your mouth can't be compared with any other hamburgers. Not just hamburgers and hotdogs at Sharkey's he also has a daily special entrée. Great place to meet friends and make friends ...Rock on Chuck and Diana. Marty R. read more