Staley's Charcoal Steak House

Mid-60's interior shot

1978 menu

1975 ad

Above matchbooks courtesy of Robert McEwen

In the 1960's, Charlotte's hottest restaurant trend was charcoal steakhouses. Most of them were located in a one mile radius along West Morehead St and Wilkinson Blvd. Steak was in demand and charcoal-cooking was the preferred method.

One of the best of all of the charcoal steakhouses was Staley's on Wilkinson Blvd. It opened in the early-60's and ran until the mid-80's. They featured a "charcoal room" where the steaks were cooked, had nightly entertainment, and offered a dining room which featured red leather seating (the steakhouse look of the time). Staley's was so popular, they eventually opened a second, more formal (less steak-oriented) restaurant/lounge on Clanton Rd.

By the late-70's, these steakhouses were waning in popularity and most were all gone by the early-80's. Today, only two still exist in Charlotte.

Press Box **CLOSED**

The famous exterior-awning--removed during the last renovaton

1979 menu

1970's matchbook (courtesy of Robert McEwen)

Charlotte's longest-running sports bar has closed. Opened for over thirty years on Montford Dr, the Press Box closed its doors for good at the end of January 2009. Nestled in the heart of a street filled with a large assortment of restaurants and bars, the Press Box was always a popular destination and had developed a loyal following. It was one of the first area bars to feature an outdoor patio and its "Camel Rider" sandwich was an area favorite (hot ham & cheese on a pita with homemade Italian dressing). Between its outdoor patio and red leather booth interior, the Press Box quickly became a Charlotte institution. Throughout the '80's and early '90's, the Press box also had a second restaurant called the Coach's Corner at Carmel Commons Shopping Center (same menu/same interior). 

New plans call for the restaurant to be completely gutted by the new owner and transformed into a "gastro pub" (a pub that offers high-end food versus standard pub-fare of wings and burgers). Throughout the years, the Press Box had become a favorite of many. It will be greatly missed.

Amber House **HALL OF FAME EATERY**

Above nine photos show the original interior pre-Mid-90's renovation

Early-'60's postcard

Mid-70's postcard

James Gardner & Dick Smothers enjoying the Amber House - 1969

Original 1957 menu from opening day

Late-80's menu

1979 menu

Cover of the current menu

The Amber House opened on N Tryon St in 1957. At the time, this area was mostly farm land--the Speedway was two years away and (now) nearby UNCC was eight years away from opening.

The Amber House was one of the first area restaurants to specialize in charcoal-cooked steaks and today, it was one of the last that features this style of cooking. Other than a major interior renovation in the mid-90's, the Amber House has stayed about the same as when it originally opened. It offers a wide menu (several items have been on the menu since the restaurant first opened) and it can boast a loyal clientele that has spanned several generations.

While the North side of town has undergone major changes throughout the years, it is reassuring that the Amber House continues to thrive today much like it did 52 years ago.

Revision - 10-16-11

1966 photo

1969 photo

Merry Christmas!!!

1989

1979

Alexander Michael's

Late-80's shot

1994 picture

1983 picture

1985 exterior shot

1990 ad

1990 ad

Original Mac Mac's matchbook (courtesy of Robert McEwen) 

Located in Charlotte's Fourth Ward neighborhood sits Alexander Michael's--a popular tavern that, for over 25 years, had developed a loyal and dedicated following.

Alexander Michael's was opened in April 1983 by A. Michael Troiano and Alexander ("Zan") Copeland. They picked the weekend of Charlotte's annual downtown "Springfest" festival to open betting that with few downtown dining options, the crowds would show up at their front door (they were correct).  Copeland had previously helped establish the very successful Proposition XLV on Providence Rd several years earlier. With a building and an interior steeped in Charlotte history (the bar and back bar came from solid oak doors that were once in the Independence Building and the beer cooler is from the 1920's and was originally from a Charlotte grocery store), the two owners created a restaurant that was not only popular for its creative menu but also in part to the building's history and location.

The building itself was home to various grocery stores that served the neighborhood from 1897 until 1960. The building has become known as the Crowell-Berryhill building for its original first two owners--Wilson Crowell (who ran the Star Mill grocery here beginning in  1897) and Ernest Berryhill (who ran the Berryhill Grocery beginning in October 1907). Members of the Berryhill family would operate the grocery store until 1960 when they converted it into a laundromat. The laundromat would close in 1973. Between the closing of the laundromat and the opening of Alexander Michael's, the building was home to Mac Mac's Deli--a successful combination pub and deli.

When Alexander Michael's opened in 1983, the entire Fourth Ward neighborhood was at the tail-end of a massive revitalization. An influx of new urban-oriented young professionals had transformed the run-down area to its former glory. Alexander Michael's served as one of the final chapters in this makeover process. Just like the grocery stores that were there previously, Alexander Michael's serves as the neighborhood's centerpiece.