Pinky's Westside Grill: Southern and International Favorites with a Twist

Pinky’s Westside Grill has quickly made a name for itself as one of the best casual restaurants in Charlotte. Pinky’s Westside Grill received a lot of pre-opening hype due to the chef’s former affiliation with The Penguin Drive-In — he was the chef when the restaurant appeared on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” television show — along with the media's coverage of a local effort to keep the painted 1966 Volkswagen Beetle on top of Pinky’s roof.

Pinky’s opened in November of 2010, and has far exceeded the hype. The restaurant, which inhabits the former home of Triple G Automotive, is located at 1600 West Morehead Street. Even though the establishment once housed a mechanic’s garage — the restaurant rolls up the garage doors on nice days — the interior is brand new with large wooden booths and a full-service bar.

The food is the real star of Pinky’s, which serves southern traditions with a slight twist as well as a number of international favorites. Visitors to Charlotte will want to try an appetizer like Greg’s Pickles, which are fried dill pickle chips; Crab Puppies, crabmeat-filled hush puppies; or some Pimp’n Fries, waffle-fries covered in homemade pimento cheese.

Pinky’s has a number of salads, including a Buffalo Shrimp Salad and a Tahini Salad with falafel cakes, as well as a handful of “baskets” with popcorn chicken or “corn dog shrimp.” Many of Pinky’s regulars come for items on the restaurant’s two sections known as “Championship Burgers” and “Wiener Wonderland.” Burgers can be ordered with one, two, or three patties – the latter known as the Triple G. These burgers can be ordered with “Everything,” which comes with mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles; “Westside,” which is covered in mustard, chili, slaw and onion; or “Ding Dong Style,” which is a mixture of crunchy peanut butter, honey-cilantro slaw and hot sriracha sauce. Pinky’s also has patty melts, a pinto bean and chickpea burger, and turkey burger options.

“Wiener Wonderland” has a number of hot dogs, including a vegetarian corn dog, a hot dog covered in pimento cheese and chili, and a Reuben Dog topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.

Pinky’s serves nearly a dozen sandwiches as well, including a quarter-pound bologna sandwich and a tuna melt with wasabi-mayonnaise.

HelloCharlotte Tip: The parking lot for Pinky’s Westside Grill is very small. Additional parking can be found across West Morehead Street where signs are posted noting this.

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