The Old Sharkey’s Grill

Reviews

• Iman M.

  star star star star star 3 June 2026

  WOOHOO! As good as it gets! Well minus the macaroni and cheese but based on EVERYTHING else...YES LAWD! I legit was trying to get one of everything that sounded good because I was so excited! SHHHH....don't tell anyone but it was supposed to be my fast day however my sister and I were on a "field trip" so good eats are required! Anywho, I settled on the one meat-two veggies lunch special that came with drink and a hot dog with chili, mustard and onions (I added ketchup) as my appetizer! Cuz.....you know, it was fast day until I discovered The Old Sharkey's Grill on Yelp as we were driving! LOL! My hot dog came right away and it looked so delicious my sister had to have a bite as well. The hot dog was cooked just right although I apparently am no longer a fan of the pink hot dogs (I grew up on Luters Hot Dogs) and the chili was DELISH! In another review, they mentioned soggy buns but it is literally just a warm, steamed bun that you come to appreciate after you've had a few cold, hard buns which have clearly seen their better, softer days yet still want to get chose to land on a plate or tray and in your belly! For my main plate, I ordered the fried chicken (white meat), loaded baked beans (my curiosity wouldn't let me pass 'em up) and macaroni and cheese (It is a natural plus one to baked beans in my book). The chicken was seasoned well and cooked to a perfect crisp! It was so, so, SO delectable! After I hit it with a few shakes of Texas Pete....My Inner Foodie's Happy Place! I can see why the loaded baked beans are a favorite. They were loaded with finely chopped onions and peppers with ground beef added! They had just the right amount of sweet and salty to deliver a rich and filling flavor. I really don't know how to describe the mac and cheese other than saying one word....underwhelming. It was very loose, although it appeared cheesy, it didn't taste cheesy. But I wasn't necessarily disappointed by it because everything else was so good! Oh and btw, their sweet tea....Amazing! Trust me...this will NOT be our last visit here!
  
  CON: Parking could probably get a little crazy during high traffic time because it is on a corner with limited in lot parking.

• Kevin L.

  star star star star star 25 May 2026

  One thing I always do when traveling in the South is look for a non chain joint that have fried chicken. I happened to be in Burlington area for work and this place got really good reviews on Yelp. I decided to swing by to check it out.
  
  I came here before checking into my hotel to pick up lunch. I did miss it a few times but eventually found it. When you see a gravel lot, that's the place. It's hard to spot the place when you're driving alone, even with GPS.
  
  I ordered some chicken with fried corn and black eyed peas. This lunch is totally worth driving a bit out of the way. The chicken was seasoned right but the meat is still moist. The sides were delicious as well.
  
  It could be a little intimidating for some people because it's in the run down part of the town. I didn't feel unsafe but did feel a bit out of place. Probably because I was the only Asian in the area at that time

• Irma R.

  star star star star star 24 May 2026

  WOW WOW WOW- what a hidden gem. We almost missed the opportunity to stop, we turned around (on I-85) and drove back 5 miles to try this place. It was worth the time. It is a small well utlized space. In the dining area there was also a desk set-up for working. I tried the fried pork chop lunch plate with two sides: mac and cheese and loaded baked beans (which means they have ground beef and peppers)  and texas toast. The sweet tea is phenominal, just right on sweetness. Our tea glasses stayed full. The pork chop was cooked when ordered, it came out fresh, hot, and tender. The mac and cheese was tasty but a bit loose for my liking. The loaded baked beans where delicious, with just enough green pepper flavor not to over power the other flavors, not to sweet, just right!  We didn't try any desserts but there was an impressive list of options on the chalk board. We got there around 11:30 a.m. and when we were leaving around noon you could tell it is a local HOT SPOT. The prices are great, the portions are great, and the they accept cash ans cards. The staff was GREAT, all were happy, attentive and informative. Now I know why they draw smiley faces on everything..... they are HAPPY!

• Fred B.

  star star star star star 20 May 2026

  Still rocking along! We had a hankering this week for a great hot dog and some equally great onion rings - so Old Sharky's it was! We went with a couple of hot dogs (mustard, chili, and onions, of course), a cheeseburger, and an order of those great onion rings.
  
  Food was out quickly, and everything was as good as ever.  We'll be back soon for some of that great fried chicken - it is as good as any in the Triad!  Great people here, they are friendly, attentive, and engaging.

• Gail C.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 19 May 2026

  Soggy hotdog buns are just gross. The onion rings are made with cornmeal so they are a tad hard. The hamburger is good and the service quick. I'd eat here again, but I would not go out of my way.