Dragon Fly Cuisine

Restaurant: Dragon Fly Cuisine
Location: 5110 Park Road, Unit 1G, Charlotte, NC 28209
Click here for Google Maps (simply fill in your address)
Website: n/a
Telephone:704.527.3868
Food Selection: Chinese Food / Take-Out
Health Score; Didn't see it
Dress Code: Wear what you want
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm


The Initial Walk-In:

I had just finished having some pants tailored (waist taken in, not out!) and saw this place and thought why not? I need to keep my followerss abreast of places in Charlotte. Dragon Fly is tucked away in this Park Road shopping center (near the smaller Harris Teeter store) next to 1900 Mexican Grill (review here). Inside, there is a very small bar right when you walk in and then the rest of the restaurant is the standard table set up with a outdoor patio.

Course of Meals:

Shortly after Lunch Time: Seat yourself (on a Saturday)

Appetizers: They provide, what I assume to be, Chinese bread sticks with both a sweet and sour sauce and a hot mustard sauce. It was a nice little combination. The spicy sauce, while spicy, did taste watered-down, but it could have been because it was supposed to be light and not heavy. It was not heavy enough for me, even though it was an appetizer.

Main Meal: Four Happiness (one of the Chef Specialties)

This is a tasty dish. It consists of broccoli, red bell peppers, shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, baby corn, water chestnuts, green beans, and a spicy brown sauce. Served with a side of white rice.

When it comes to Chinese food, I thought this dish was nicely prepared. It was not too salty, it was smooth, and it had a variety of meats. The broccoli, red bell peppers, corn, and green beans were all very fresh, light, and crisp to eat. The pork dissolved in my mouth and was easy to chew. It was not at all rubbery or gristly, which was a major plus. The chef's special sauce was not at all over saturated with sodium as so many dishes typically are. My only mild complaint was the shrimp was not as fresh as I would have liked. Compared to everything else it was not crisp nor fresh as the other ingredients. Other than that, I had no qualms. It was a filling dish that allowed me to have left overs and enjoy them for dinner.

Atmosphere/Ambiance:

Dragon Fly's atmosphere is simple. Of course they have a Chinese-theme to the restaurant, but it is not overdone. They keep it very straight forward. I did find the music selection odd. At times they had Johnny Mathis playing, then some weird stuff, then some classic jazz. Very "interesting" fluctuations to say the least. Aside from the music, it has a calm vibe to it. I would take a date here, not on a first date, but I would take one here. As it is right next to 1900 Mexican Grill, it does have a patio as well.

Server/Staff:
My server was okay. He got the job done, but he really did not want engage in any conversations with me. There were only two other people in the place so I know he was not busy. Even when I was complimenting the food he did not seem all to interested. Regardless, he kept my water full and served me my food.

My Complaints:

*Music selection
*The floor was a little dirty in places

What's Special about Dragon Fly Cuisine:

*Not "cheap" Chinese food -- pretty good quality food
*Fresh ingredients
*Nicer than typically take-out/sit down Chinese restaurants I have been to

Closing Everything Out:

My total bill, including tip was $14.95 and I had some left overs. However, I did not have any alcohol nor anything else. I found my dish to be good, crisp, fresh, and filling. Aside from being distracted sometimes by the music and the somewhat non-talkative server, I was happy with the overall dining experience. It was nice to go to a Chinese restaurant that had a nice sit-down area to enjoy their food.

~the RESTAURANT GUY