Folks, this isn't the same restaurant you've seen on Food Network and Travel Channel. In a nutshell, The Penguin was opened in 1954 by a man I'll call \"Mr B\". Around 10 years ago, two guys - Brian and Jimmy - took over the restaurant from Mr B, who has since died. Brian and Jimmy hired Greg to be head chef, and the \"new\" Penguin was a smash hit. However, when Brian and Jimmy's lease was up for renewal, Mr B's family decided to kick them out and hire Martin Sprock to turn it into a franchise.\n\nBut how's the food? Sadly, a shadow of its former self. The fried pickles, once the star of the show, are greasy and soggy, and not nearly as good as before. I ordered the \"Freak Flag Fly\", a burger with queso, bacon and slaw, and was bitterly disappointed. The meat was dry and overdone, and flavor was... lacking. My fries were way too cool (almost cold) and lacked salt. My GF's onion rings were entirely too \"bready\", not like the delicious ones I remember from before. For the record, the new menu is actually larger than the previous menu. But one wonders why they should have a bigger menu if they can't even get basics like fries and rings right. And I also wonder why it took so long to get our food when there were only three other occupied tables at 7PM on a Thursday night.\n\nWhat's worse is that the ambiance is totally gone. It's still the same building, but the servers lack tattoos. The jukebox, once one of the most eclectic in Charlotte, is now Top 40. They even sell souvenirs now! It's like a Disney-fied version of the restaurant I once knew and loved! \n\nIf you want to have the same food that made the Penguin such a success in the first place, try The Diamond next door (Brian and Jimmy's new place) or Pinky's Westside (Greg's new place). Both are delicious and authentic. The \"new\" Penguin is neither.