1900 Mexican Grill

Restaurant: 1900 Mexican Grill
Location: 5110 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Click here for Google Maps (simply fill in your address)
Website: n/a
Telephone: 704.523.1554
Food Selection: Mexican

I decided to venture away from my go-to-place in Charlotte when it comes to Mexican food to see what else is out there. My peers and I went to the 1900 Mexican Grill on Park Road.

The Initial Walk-In:

We walked into the restaurant on a Friday night and were immediately seated. We were also met by an unpleasant odor inside the restaurant. As we were led to our table, I noticed that the lay-out is compact and tight. Given that 1900 is in a little complex of shops, the tight fit is understandable.

The Seating:

We chose to sit outside where they have a patio over looking Park Road. There are a couple fountains going and the tables/chair are the standard iron. Since I did not sit inside, I cannot give an accurate feel of the inside.

Course of Meals:

Chips/Salsa: Right as we sat down, the typical chips and salsa were immediately placed in front of us. The salsa is not as watered down as some other restaurants, but it was nothing out of this world. I did notice that these chips and salsa are rather filling.

Drinks: The special on Friday night was Bud Light and Dos Equis for $2.00/glass. I went with the margarita first and really wish I had not. I thought I was drinking sweet and sour water. If there was any alcohol in the drink, they had me fooled. I proceeded to have a Dos Equis after the flavored water.

Main Meal: I had the combo #1. It consisted of a beef enchilada, guacamole, sour cream, refried beans, and rice. There were other options as well. (Such as hard/soft tacos).

My companions had quesadillas and tacos.

The enchilada was pretty good. However, as I reflected on my experience, nothing really stood out to me.

Atmosphere/Ambiance:

Very relaxing. Sitting outside is very nice as the complex area is fairly upscale and it is not too loud. As a result, my party and I could carry on our conversations without shouting. The one bad thing I must say, and it is not 1900's fault, is the sewer smell in the area due to the waste treatment plant a half-mile down the road really hurt the environment. Hopefully that will be rectified in the upcoming months.

Server/Staff:
Our server was fairly prompt.

My Complaints:

*The margaritas. Well, really, flavored water called a margarita.
*The odor in the air due to the sewage treament plant, which isn't 1900's fault.

What's Special about 1900:

*The outside patio.
*Location/area (near South Park).
*Being outside and hearing fountains running.

Closing Everything Out:

It was a very inexpensive night. I enjoyed the company of friends and lounging outside, but for the restaurant itself, nothing really excited me. Especially since the margaritas had no alcohol.

I spent a total of $17. My combo #1, 1/3 of a Margarita pitcher, 1 Dos Equis. All in all, an inexpensive meal. In my opinion, this is the kind of restaurant you go to when you want to hang out with friends. Thus, I will only go back if I'm with a group of friends. I would most certainly not take a date here.

~the RESTAURANT GUY

The Palm Restaurant / Charlotte

Restaurant: The Palm
Location: 6705-B Phillips Place Court, Charlotte, NC 28210 (28 locations total)
Click here for Google Maps (simply fill in your address)
Website: www.thepalm.com
Telephone: 704.552.7256
Fax: 704.552.9313

Food Selection: Steak, Seafood/Fish, Pastas, Veggies, Salads
Wine: Lots of them.

Well, for my first review, I spared no expense. I won't be eating for the rest of the week. First of all, steak is one of my favorite entrees. It is a delicacy that can make or break a restaurant who dares to call itself a steak-house. However, the Palm is not just a steak house, but also seafood, chicken, and pastas dishes.

The Initial Walk In:

The Palm is located in South Park at Phillip's Place which is a high-end area with a collection of cute small shops and restaurants. It is a little suffocating when you walk-in the restaurant. If there is ever a wait, it must be cramped and most likely you'll want to stand outside. I called ahead and made a reservation, but as it was the 4th of July weekend, it was not too crowded. There was no wait at all, which was, of course, nice.

As we walked to our table the restaurant is broken down into the bar area which is separated by glass windows. Then, there are two main rooms (from what I saw) for dining.

The Seating:

Our table was by a window and the table's location gave a decent amount of space between tables. When other parties sat down at the surrounding tables, we were not on top of each other. More importantly, other people's conversations did not intrude into my own.

Course of Meals:

Bread: A couple selections, which range from simple white bread to a mixed nut-based bread. My particular favorite was the apple/cinnamon/raisin bread.

Appetizer: I selected my personal favorite, the Caesar Salad. The salad was very crisp and the dressing was flavorful, yet light. Thus, taking nothing away from dinner.

Drink of Choice: An Old Fashioned (my favorite drink). A bartender's skill hinges on this drink. It's old school, bold, and delivers a flavorful punch. The bartender did very well. It had a kick and the flavor was right on. There was not a sign of skimping on the ingredients.

Dinner: Prime Aged Bone-In Rib Eye Steak. $42. A la carte. I ordered the three cheese potatoes ($8) to accompany my meal. I selected Trapiche, a red Argentinian wine ($13) to enhance the meal.

The first bite: I thought I was going to have a serious problem, as it had a slight burnt crust and charred taste. However, luckily, it was just that one section. (Weird right?) I ordered my steak medium-rare. The flavoring was decent. It had a buttery-sensation. For a medium-rare steak, it could have been more tender. The Argentinian wine was a great addition.

The three-cheese potatoes had a macaroni taste, but were still tasty and filling. No complaints there.

I decided to forgo dessert as we decided to go to an ice cream parlor.

Overall, the meal was nice.

Atmosphere/Ambiance:

The walls are covered with painted head shots of famous people. I will say, right when I walked in and saw Gary Bussey's face, I contemplated turning around. Nevertheless, it had a laid back feel, despite charging a hefty-penny.

There was a subtle odor that did not particularly sit well for me. I hate to say this, but it triggered a feeling of "cheap" in my mind. The smell of refined food was not present (ie spices, wines, etc).

Server/Staff:
Our server, Mark, was extremely friendly. At times he would sit down with us and talk to us. Since I was not in a rush, I welcomed the company. Our water glasses were never half-full. Always re-filled promptly. I am not a wine aficionado so when I asked for a recommendation I was disappointed to receive no answer. I'm pretty sure if I went the bottle route the service would have been better in that regard.

My Complaints:

Dress Code. They need one. Unacceptable. My date and I were dressed in business class clothing. For the price we paid, I would expect people to want to dress better. The teenager that walked-in shortly after we did was in MESH SHORTS and a t-shirt. C'mon! Then, the family to the other side of us had one person in jeans, the father in a suit with a ball cap (a new combo trend?), and another person with a huge gold chain and ragged polo shirt. In my opinion, it took away from the overall experience.

What's Special about The Palm:

They have developed close relationships with meat suppliers and have aged USDA prime steaks. If location is what you care about, then you're in luck. It's located in South Park, which is very high-end.

Closing Everything Out:

I had: Old Fashioned, Glass of Wine, Salad, Steak, Three Cheese Potatoes, and decaf coffee
My date: Summer Mojito, Salad, Two Glasses of Wine, Chicken, Three Cheese Potatoes

The Damage (including a slightly high tip): Right over $200.

To take the entire experience in, I will have to say it was not entirely worth it. There were some great aspects to the restaurant, but the fellow customers did not add to the experience. If I want to see mesh shorts and t-shirts, I'll go to Outback "Steak-House" or a burger-joint. I've had better steaks in my life at half the price, so that hurt Palm's stock value. My date's chicken was fantastic though.

So, I'll be starving the rest of the week, but it was still good. I have no real drive to come back here unless someone else is paying. I may go back sometime to try some other dishes...I may even see someone else in a tie when I go.

Hours:
Serving Dinner Nightly
3:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. (Monday - Thursday)
3:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m (Friday)
5:00 p.m - 11:00 p.m. (Saturday)
4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. (Sunday)

From the Site:

Carry-Out Available
Complimentary Valet Parking
Private Dining Rooms Available
Reservations Recommended (cool system to make reservations)

~the Restaurant Guy

Charlotte, NC Restaurant Reviews

Another Reviewer on the Block

I am not the Zagat Guide, nor any reviewer from any well-establish or well respected magazine/newspaper. I am a young male who enjoys dining out (when I can afford it) and have decided to lend my input to fellow restaurant go-ers. In time, I hope I earn your respect.

Hopefully, as my experience grows, (as well as my wallet), this site will develop into an interaction of Charlotte people who suggest restaurants, present their own reviews, and build an "underground" community of information about where-to-go in Charlotte for meals.

I will break down each restaurant by:

Location:
Type:
Meals Served:
Dress Code:
Hours of Operation:
Price Category:
Food Selection:
Ambiance:
Service:
Meal Selected:
Thoughts:

As time progresses and I sample different meals from the same restaurant, I will continue to post about each restaurant.

Finally, I hope my site will be simple and straight-forward. Forget the cluttering of senseless ads (only relevant ads) and hard-to-find information. This site is for the people!

I am no virtuoso when it comes to food..... yet. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure most people are in a similar situation and need guidance.

~the Restaurant Guy