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Hi
y'all at South 21 Drive-in.
Did you see this article.
Just click on the following:
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South 21 Drive-In, Charlotte NC
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The Best IS Sometimes The Oldest ESTABLISHED Eats
By VikhrT on 07/25/2008
I have eaten at the South 21 since I was a child and over 50 years later, it is STILL the BEST Drive-In in North Carolina.
There is NOTHING on the menu that isn't 1st rate and I have never had a less than perfect meal.
The box meals are A-1 (fried chicken and fish) and I crave their onion rings!!!! I live in Greensboro, NC now
and whenever I am in Charlotte it is a given I eat at least one meal at South 21!!!
The "hops" take you back to a more relaxed time, and just driving up and having a "window meal" in the car is a great family experience.
Don't skip out on this one-of -a-kind dining experience before it goes the way of the drive-in movies!!!
South 21 is the best
By CANNGOODWIN on 07/25/2008
South 21 has the best menu you will ever have to choose from. I use to eat at the South 21 on South Blvd. before it closed.
Its always delicious. Its no very expensive to eat there either. You get alot of food. Best vanilla shakes ever.
CLICK ON
SNEAKY
SUNDAY
The
BEST! 02/08/2008
I've being going to
South 21 since I was
a kid! My parents
were going back in
the day when they
were dating and my
grandparents even
before then! This
place is the best!
If I lived closer I
would be absolutely
broke because I
would eat every meal
possible here! The
Jumbo Cheeseburger
is my favorite and
is by far the best
burger in the world!
The staff is super
friendly and how
could any southerner
not appreciate some
good 'ol southern
food!?!
Old
Fashioned
Goodness 08/19/2007
My
husband and I love
South 21's Burgers
and Fish Sandwiches.
We are so glad we
have one nearby
(Independence)....The
staff has always
been very
courteous...
What
Happened! 03/19/2007
My
husband and I went
to South 21 in
Matthews and we
thought they were
rude. We placed our
order and ask for
onion rings instead
of fries and was not
told that we would
only receive 5 onion
rings. I think we
should have been
told that in order
to receive a full
order of onion rings
we would need to pay
more. When we
inquired about it
they acted like we
should have known.
They were very rude!
The burgers were
fair with too much
mustard and the
trout dinner was
greasy. The mens
bathroom had no
paper towels to dry
your hands. I have
been very happy with
the service and the
attitude of Showmars.
Their burgers and
flounder are always
great and hot. You
receive a full order
of onion rings and I
am not sure if you
pay more or not...
(that is not the
issue). I have lived
in Charlotte all my
life and have always
loved South 21. I am
very sorry to have
this life long dream
come to a end.
Neat place to eat,
but hard to believe
the burgers were
rated 1st in
Charlotte. It must
be all about the
"drive-in" effect.
My
memories at
South
21 02/11/2007
I
was brought up on
fresh onion rings
and Jumbo
Cheeseburgers ever
since I can
remember. My family
always went there
every Friday night.
Once I was old
enough to work, I
got a job there
working up front. I
worked there for
many years while
going to college and
continued even after
I got a job working
in a hospital. I
enjoyed working and
making sure I took
everyone's order
down correctly. Good
food and good
service always
begins with a smile.
Not only is the food
fresh and fantastic,
so are the many
people who work
there.... and they
work hard to make
sure that everything
they prepare for you
is exactly as you
want it. Enjoy!
South 21
The Best
Food in
Town 02/03/2007
When I first started
coming to South 21
with my family , it
was open on Sundays.
We would go to
church and then go
to South 21 for
lunch. It hasn't
opened on Sundays
for a number of
years ,but me and my
wife and children go
to South 21 at lease
once. We are South
21 lovers from
Indian Trail N.C. .
Best of
Charlotte &
Matthews 01/12/2007
The big dilemma -
Jumbo cheeseburger
or 1/4 fried chicken
dinner ! Best
burgers and fried
chicken I have ever
eaten. Been going to
Indep. location
since about 1960, at
least once a week.
Great to have a new
Matthews location
closer to home, the
quality and taste
are the same. Best
onion rings in the
USA !
~South 21
Memories~ 01/03/2007
Since I was old
enough to walk... My
parents would cart
my Twin sis and I
from deep in union
county... up Hwy 74
to South 21!!! I
remember sitting in
the back with my sis
waiting on the
Lemonade with the
Cherry in the
bottom... We LOVED
IT!!! and still do!
!!! Thats been
nearly 40 yrs ago...
We lost our Father
in 98 and my Mother
moved to live with
me in the Dilworth
Community... Well,
needless to say...
Its a wonderful
place to venture to
(Atleast once a
week) to take a
moment to enjoy some
Rock-N-Food and
stroll down memory
lane with the ones
you love!!!! If you
love a good old
fashion
Cheeseburger... Then
you MUST order the
Jumbo Cheeseburger
w/Onions,Mustard and
Chili!!!! Slap on an
order of Onion rings
and wash it all down
with a nice cold
shake or soda... Now
thats the Ticket!
Make sure to tip
your Server... They
"Take" Good care of
you!!! :) "Shorty"
(South Blvd
Location) is one of
the Best!!!! The
Pritchard family
Dilworth
South 21
on
Brookshire 10/03/2006
We
recently moved into
the Mountain Island
Area and found out
there was a South 21
Family Restuarant on
Brookshire Blvd.
(Highway 16) The
food was VERY fresh
and delicious. There
was fast service and
the woman behind the
counter was a
sweetheart. My
family and I will
definately be going
back to the
Brookshire Blvd
Location. It's right
next door to the
Auto Auction and a
few buildings down
from the DMV. Highly
suggest it..
I
remember going to
South 21, as a
child, and marveling
at the menu board
that talked. Now, as
an adult, I take my
children there as
well, oh and my
husband! The
superboy is
something that can
never be mocked.
It's awesome in it's
own right.
Pure nostalgia and fresh food 07/24/2006
We stopped in South21 last weekend. The parking lot had lots of cars. It was like a slice of the 1950's. The food was really good. We had fresh burgers, crinkle fries, good chili on our hot dogs and friendly service. Everything came fresh cooked and it was far better than any window food in Charlotte. Everybody and anybody can show up here, so be prepared for people watching. We will return...again and again for this great food and a half hour in this time machine.
Best fried chicken in the area...reasonably priced
I've been going their for 19 years almost 20. So have my grandparents. They have been takin me their since i have been born. i always get the flounder dinner. You can't go wrong with anything you order. The food always stays the same and that is the best part.
Living in Germany now, one of the many things I miss is the guaranteed great food from South 21. The hot fried foods can't be beat, but the cold pork roast sandwich on a bun is fabulous also. I can't wait until I can be there again!!!!!
Best Jumbo cheese burger in Charlotte
I've eaten here since 1963 and it has always been excellent! You must try the trout dinner with onion rings instead of fries - and extra tarter sauce, which is the best around. The slaw is great too! I remember when a fried chicken dinner was 77 cent! Wash it down with a cherry-lemon-sprite with finely crushed ice. YUM!!!!!!!!!
They opened in '55, I was born in '56, and am a lifelong customer. Nothing beats their Superboy with onion rings and a side of that wonderfully unique coleslaw. Don't ever change!
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From:
Eddie Williams
Sent: Saturday, January 26,
2008 11:17 AM
To:
jerry@jarrial.com
Subject: Hello
Are you still open? We heard that
all South 21's had closed - heard it
on talk radio.
If you are still open, which
locations are still there?
We want to get our favorite today -
trout plates.
We love South 21 - grew up eating
there. My parents dated there a lot
in the late '50's and early 60's.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Hi Vonda.
Can you tell me the name of the Talk
Show radio station?
I need to get them to clear that up.
South 21 on South Boulevard is
close, BUT
SOUTH 21 DRIVE IN ON INDEPENDENCE IS
OPEN
AND BEEN OPEN SINCE THE 50’s.
Visit their website at
www.South21DriveIn.com.
I will be posting your email on
their website.
Jerry Stokes,
Webmaster
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REPLY:
It has been a few months
ago but I heard John
Hancock mention it on
his show - he was
talking about how sad it
was that the South 21's
were closing and someone
should really do
something to keep that
from happening. He was
very complimentary about
your restaurants and the
little piece he did was
lamenting the closing of
a landmark.
I am going to call my
parents and tell them
the good news. They
live at Holden Beach now
but everytime they were
anywhere near Charlotte,
they always stopped at
South 21 - and brought
us plates too.
My husband and I are
coming to visit your
drive-in today - my
mouth is watering just
thinking about the
tartar sauce.
Thank you for your
response.
Vonda
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January
4, 2008
I grew up in Charlotte where South
21 was our regular Friday night
dinner. And I mean every Friday
night.
Even
when I got my drivers license in
1975 it was the first place I
drove. My husband and I dated there
about every weekend...
Then
came the kids who insisted on South
21 every weekend possible. I
remember my daughter getting braces
and her mouth was so sore she
couldn't eat anything. We were at
South 21 trying to chop up burgers
and onion rings....LoL
They have grown up and we now live
in China Grove, NC. Guess what?
I still make those trips all the way
to Independence Blvd. with my girls
and now grand kids for a special
treat for a Saturday lunch.
There is absolutely no place in the
world like South 21 Independence.
The onion rings, chicken and fish.
Once
you get it on your mind you
absolutely have to have it.
Guess
I will make the long drive tomorrow.
Debbie
Deese Basinger
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My friend just
emailed me the article on Charlotte.com about
the possibility that you might close.
How can this
be, it just breaks my heart.
South 21 is one of the landmarks that I thought
would be around forever.
I have been
going there since 1963 when I moved to
Charlotte. We used to sit in my convertible
and have lunch and then come back for dinner and
dessert.
Those were
the days when young kids cruised but we always
bought food there
when we parked and hung out.
I
recommended South 21 to many friends and said
"try it, you will love it."
I think that
this restaurant has built its reputation on
being friendly, having good food
and having a great management staff. I could
not believe that one of their runners worked
there some 40+ years, that says a lot about the
kind of people who were running the business.
I am a big
supporter of South 21 and even though the road
put a damper on a direct route to the
restaurant, I still managed to drive out of my
way to get that trout or hamburger steak dinner.
On one
occasion when I was picking up some food, I left
my mother in the car with the air running
but it was very hot that day. George saw my
mother sitting out there and gave me a "free"
tea for her.
I really
appreciated his kindness as we had just found
out that she had cancer and that was so special
to me.
My mom could
not believe someone would do that these days. I
want to come by and give everyone
a hug and if you close want to be there for the
festivities.
I wish
you well and best of luck in the future.
==========================================================================
SOUTH
21 ON INDEPENDENCE IS NOT CLOSING!
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April 13, 2007
Moving down here from NY, I was dying
to try this place and stopped by for
lunch today.
Burgers are top-notch, wonderful
service and kindly staff.
Keep it going, this is a great place
near my work!
y'all
are welcome...
Thank
ya for the kind words. |
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March 2007
Springtime is
here and going to South 21 Drive-in is a special
treat in good weather.
I live here in
Charlotte, and I read all these emails from out
of town people makes me feel
like I belong to the family, and when I get my
family together and we go to South 21, it is
like going to a family reunion.
I have been going
to South 21 since they opened and go at least
once a week, if not more.
Lot of times, my office is nearby and I call in
my order for me and others in the office, and
it's ready when I get there. WOW.
There just ain't
no where in Charlotte that has a burger and
fried onion rings like South 21.
All I can say is,
if you ain't been there, you don't know what
you're missing.
If you've been there, nothing is needed to be
said.
Jack Foard
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FEBRUARY 23, 2007.
I live in Oakdale,
California.
I went to Charlotte and
stopped by your restaurant and had the best
trout dinner ever.
I wish you had a south
21 out here, your tarter sauce was the best
I ever tasted.
I sure would like to
know what you put in it, can you give me a
hint?
Please email me back.
hnkiss12@yahoo.com.
If you can't tell me
what's in it, how would I go about getting
some sent to me. lol
Thank you,
Neil Kissiah
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12-12-06
I am 32 years old
and a native to the Charlotte area.
To be exact I am from Monroe.
I have been to South 21 many times
and have enjoyed every time that I
have made a stop in there to grab a
bite.
I am in the Navy
and stationed at NAS Oceana in
Virginia Beach.
I make the trip back to Charlotte
only a couple of times a year to
visit family and friends
and I always make time during my
visit to make a stop to South 21.
I absolutely love the place.
I always tell my friends up here
about the place and how good the
food is.
You guys are really unique in
this day and time.
Don't ever change.
I hold a
special place in my heart for South
21.
Thanks for all the
good food and good times I have had
there.
=======================
Belmont, NC - September 23, 2006
Hey!
We
saw your
place
on
“Feasting on Asphalt” on the Food
Network recently,
and had to give you guys a try.
I’m
born and raised in Charlotte, my wife’s
from Ohio.
Neither of
we
had ever been to your place (that we can
remember),
so
here
are our impressions:
Jumbo Cheeseburger
–
WOW!
I’d all but forgotten what REAL burgers
tasted like!
French Fries
–
A
throwaway side item at so many outfits,
these were actually worth eating.
Onion Rings
–
People, everything you’ve heard
is true: light, crispy, not greasy at
all, and they went oh so fast.
Milkshakes
–
WHO-in-the-Box? And cherry- that HAS to
be unique.
Pricing
– VERY reasonable. How do you guys do
it?
Bottom line: you guys are our new
favorite place for
“date night” We’ll be back!
Roger A. Wyatt
Belmont, NC - September 23, 2006
"If a boring person finds something
boring, that is probably proof that it
is interesting."
-Akira Kurosawa |
Rock Hill, South Carolina -
September 21, 2006
I am originally (and still)
from Rock Hill, South Carolina
just south of Charlotte, NC.
I can remember as a child the
highlight
of any trip we had to make to Charlotte was a
guaranteed
stop at South 21.
To this day, If I'm ever there with my
Father, he is guaranteed to recall how,
when he was a child,
they would go to South 21 and his father
would always get
the Baked Trout.
I may be one of the few people
who enjoy
South 21 regularly and has never had one of
their famous
Cheeseburgers, though.
From the onset of my childhood visits, I was
taught that
South 21's BBQ Sandwich was the best around and
that hasn't
changed for me in the 25+ years that I've been
visiting
South 21.
Another pleasant surprise, if I may get off on a
bit of a
tangent to set up the ending....
We (myself and my fiancee) are avid watchers of
the Food
network and are particularly fond of Alton
Brown. He
recently filmed a 4 episode piece entitled
"Feasting on
Asphalt" in which he (and his crew of fellow
motorcycle
riders) started in Isle of palms, SC and rode
west stopping
at various roadside and little known
restaurants. Much to my
surprise, before leaving GA they took a detour
to follow up
on a tip about onion rings in Charlotte, NC. Lo
and Behold
they ended up at South 21.
I was recently (FINALLY) able to take my
Fiancee, a Florida
Transplant, for her first visit. Upon Mr.
Brown's
recommendation she tried the Onion Rings. Loved
Them.
They were even a hit with her 8 year old
daughter.
Please feel free to post any or all of this on
the site.
Pardon me if my rambling is a little random but
it's hard to
think about South 21 without getting a little
too excited to
write coherently.
Thanks again to South 21
for many years of great food and fine service.
Cory Threatt (3rd Generation patron)
Rock Hill, SC
P.S. Do you have any history on the South Blvd.
Location?
Was it the original or ws Independence Blvd.?
Rock Hill, South Carolina -
September 21, 2006 |
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St Louis,
USA - Thursday, July 13, 2006
St Louis,
Missouri
When
I was a kid back in the 1970's,
one of my favorite things in the world was going to
South 21.
My
sister and I would sit in the back of our station wagon
and eat as fast as we could
because if we finished all our food
we were allowed to feed the cats
that were always on the edge of the parking lot.
Now
as an adult
who has been and lived all over the world (thanks to the
USAF),
I still look forward to bringing my kids to South 21
whenever I am in Charlotte
so they can share in the same experience.
I
get a kick out of seeing my daughter's face light up
as she feeds the cats in the parking lot just like her
aunt and I used to do.
Christi
St Louis, USA - Thursday, July 13, 2006
Clyde, NC USA - Sunday, June 25, 2006
Clyde, North Carolina
Thanks to Jerry and George
for this opportunity to be the first to sign in.
I hope this takes off like a
rocket.
South 21 and I are the same age
so I guess I can say we grew up together.
I can't remember the very first
time I ever ate there
but I can tell you that as long as the doors are open,
I will be there as much as possible.
Besides the food and terrific
atmosphere, South 21 is the ONLY drive in restaurant
that I know of where memories and friends were and still
are made.
I cannot possibly find the time and
space here
to relate all of the good times and experiences I have
had there.
From watching the hot rods of the
sixties and seventies
parade around the parking lot
showing off to knowing that you could always meet up
with someone you knew if you hung out long enough.
Sitting out on the front line
watching the cruisers showing off
on Independence Boulevard
to watching the original Charlotte
Police helicopter land in the vacant lot next door
just so they could enjoy the great food
also meant that there was always something exciting
happening at the "21".
Now that I live in the mountains
which is almost three hours away,
My wife Sheila and I never miss an opportunity
to snag a Trout Plate or a Jumbo Cheeseburger ever time
we visit Charlotte.
We even sometimes kid about making
a special trip on Saturdays
just to eat there and come right back home.
To George and the crew of the
Independence South 21
we thank you for all of your years
of hard work and dedication to the citizens of
Charlotte.
The food and service has always
been a solid five star event.
There is and never will be drive-in
cuisine (especially the onion rings)
that will equal or come close to that which is prepared
at South 21.
I had hoped that somehow South 21
would become a nationally known
name like some others but at the same time
I'm glad it has stayed unique
and kept it's original charm as well.
To the continued success and never
changing quality.
Thanks for the fun and great food
and I hope to see lots of others sign in soon.
Rick & Sheila Haywood 65 Creekmont
Dr. Xlyde, NC 28721 haywoodrick@hotmail.com
Rick Haywood < haywoodrick@hotmail.com>
Clyde, NC USA - Sunday, June 25, 2006
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-----
Original Message -----
From:
Rick Haywood
To:
jerry@jerrystokes.com (Webmaster)
Sent:
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 12:09 AM
Subject:
South 21 Drive-in Website
Hi
George,
I
just wanted to say that I was very surprised to find that
South 21 Drive In
had a web site by doing a Google search
but I was glad to see it was there.
Good
job on the site, but I wish there were more pictures of the
good ole' days.
The main reason for writing though is to suggest that the
web site
would benefit from having a guest book for the loyal patrons
to write of their experiences at South 21.
Even better
would be the ability to upload old photos
of those patrons taken over the years of the drive in.
Sort of a way to build a scrapbook of memories for all to
share.
I am
originally from Charlotte but I moved away in 1994 on a job
transfer.
South 21 and
I are the same age and I was able to get a chance to enjoy
a meal there last weekend while I was in town for
a family visit.
It is and
always will be my favorite place to eat in Charlotte.
I wish we had one up here in the mountains.
Thanks for
taking the time to read this and please consider my
suggestion
as I am sure it would be a hit after the loyal fans of
South 21 found out about it.
I would like
to hear your thoughts and from other Loyal Fans of South 21
about this as well.
Best Regards,
Rick Haywood
Clyde, NC
(Haywood
County)
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As webmaster
for South 21 Drivein,
I was asked
to install a Guest Book
by several customers of South 21 Drivein.
I look
forward to many old timers of South 21 Drive-in signing in.
SBA Services. Charlotte, North
Carolina
Jerry Stokes
Charlotte, NC USA - Saturday, June 24, 2006 at 13:10:50
(EDT) [71.68.72.95] |
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