Roadside Grill

Holy Moses, this place has the best burgers and fries. They only accept cash and I keep a little in my car for the purpose of stopping here from time to time. Burgers are always juicy and seasoned with some sort of heavenly flavor. The patties are thick and as big as my hand. So good! The fries are soft inside, crispy on the outside and salted to perfection. It’s a hidden gem!

The Roadside Grill is located on Springs Road, just past Caveman ‘Q. Drive a little bit further and you are out in the countryside northeast of Hickory.
The other reviews were spot on. This is a small, unassuming, diner serving quality sandwiches.
The interior of the restaurant was barely larger than a single car garage.
It appeared to be very clean and tastefully decorated.
The two televisions in the restaurant were tuned to the Food Channel, which was a good indicator to my way of thinking. People who love food, aka foodies, try harder, are more creative, and produce better tasting «everything.»
The restaurant is operated by a small group of women, who were smiling, friendly, and energetic. Contrast this against some restaurants where the waitresses have an «I want to be anywhere but here,» demeanor.
I considered ordering a Road King combo, but I didn’t want to eat that much, and I didn’t want to spend almost $ 12 for lunch. Instead, I chose a basic ATW Carolina Classic cheeseburger and a Sundrop for $ 6.25.
The food took a good fifteen minutes to arrive, which was a tad disappointing considering that I was the only diner at the time. I did notice that they were busy with drive-​thru and call in orders, and I was in no hurry to be anywhere, so it’s all good on a lazy Saturday.
Offsetting the wait, the sandwich itself was good and worth the wait. (I took a photo, but somewhere between Hickory and the interwebs… it went AWOL.)
The Carolina Classic burger arrived on a sesame seed bun. It contained the hamburger patty, mustard, onions, chili, and coleslaw. The taste exceeded my expectations, which is always a pleasant and welcome surprise.
The current sanitation rating is 95.5%. It fluctuates between 94.5% and 97.0%. The deductions are of the «need to replace and repair» variety, which is common in restaurants situated in older buildings.
There is a moped shop right next door and within thirty feet of the front door. Some «alcohol /​meth /​slightly insane» person shouted at me both coming and going from the restaurant. He wanted to discuss preseason football on the way in, and he wanted to «blah, blah, blah, blah, blah… something,» on the way out. I just kept walking. Crazy people are everywhere.
I told the lady at the restaurant that the food exceeded my expectations, and that seemed to please her. I would come here again for a sandwich, but it will be very hard for my car NOT to make the right turn into Caveman ‘Q’s parking lot. That car really loves to drive to BBQ restaurants. I hope that Toyota fixes that in their next recall. ;o)
All this to say, I went, I had a cheeseburger, it was good. Long winded review… over.

The Roadside Grill isn’t much to look at, but don’t let that fool you. The massive Road King burger is my go to, two huge patties sandwiched between three slices of perfectly toasted bread. This classic burger will fill you up and won’t disappoint.

Longtime fan of Roadside. They’ve been one of the best kept secrets in town for a while. The menu is loaded with great options but we tend to stick with three classics — cheeseburger, barbeque, and patty melt. The cheeseburger is a ¹⁄₃ pound patty made any way you want it. Throw in fries and a drink for $ 7 and it’s one the best meal deals in town.
Frank cooks his own BBQ and makes his own sauce. The sandwiches are huge. The trays and plates are ridiculous. We either get sandwiches or just order a pound to go.
The patty melt is even bigger than the cheeseburger and pairs well with the onion rings.
No credit cards. No debit cards. Bring cash. If you’re short on paper green, there’s an ATM next door at Propst’s.