Pimento Cheese Burger Heaven! Northgate Soda Shop

Hats off to George Motz's book Hamburger America for hepping me to this hidden gem of a lunch spot - The Northgate Soda Shop in Greenville, SC. Up until we walked in the door I was curious if we had the right place, as it's the corner anchor of a nondescript strip of storefronts tucked into residential Greenville, SC. But once we entered and saw that it was indeed a real soda shop with all the vintage trimmings we knew we had made it to the right place.

Originally opened in 1947, the soda shop look was preserved by long time owner Jim DeYoung who bought the place in 1965 . He owned it up until 5 years ago when current owner Catherine Christophillis took over and was smart enough to keep the decor and menu unchanged. You have your choice of sitting at the vintage counter, or at one of the tables in the 2 small dining areas. We opted for a table in the corner - my fave place to sit, so I could take in the decor.

The shelves on the walls are laden with local photos and historic ephemera, and the Northgate is said to have one of the largest collections of historic Greenville photos around.

Decor-schmecor I bet I hear some of you saying - what about that heavenly burger? Well yes, I knew what I was going to order before we even left Pennsylvania, as the Northgate is famous for their pimento cheese burger. I lift a perfect passage from George's book (which is a great resource and the updated version of Hamburger America comes out soon, so buy it!) in which the pimento burger is described thusly:

"The pimento cheese for their sandwiches and burgers is a tangy mix of mayo, cheddar, and diced pimentos. "We make it right here, fresh every day," veteran waitress Maudie told me of the over forty year-old recipe. The beef is also fresh, picked up daily from a butcher just up Main Street (this fact is also proudly announced in their menu, complete with the butcher’s name and address)."

Now I will admit I was a wee bit trepadacious (?) because my only experience with pimento cheese (a southern staple I'm told) has been out of one of those Kraft "swanky swigs" jars when I've made a retro-party-worthy cheese ball. RetroRoadhusband did not want to be nearly as adventurous as I and ordered a tuna sandwich.

Well let me tell you- once I saw this burger I knew I made the right decision- in fact every time I look at this photo I begin to crave a pimento cheese burger. Just look at the way that cheese melts and oozes onto the grilled bun,, that bright green lettuce and red tomato, and the tasty burger patty peeking out underneath it all.

(nom nom, drool, mmmm)

The pimento cheese flavor was mild yet tangy, the burger was moist, and the juice and cheese combined to make a lovely seasoning absorbed by the grilled bun. I could not help but feel bad for RRH when he got his tuna sandwich. He loved it and all, and did not care for his bite of my burger, but why order tuna when you could have one of these burgers, at the place that is famous for them. Ah, to each his or her own.

Here's a photo of his tuna sandwich and fries - crinkle cut- my favorite kind. And it was cute to see many of the places at the tables and counter had been claimed by regulars, with a commemorative brass plaque. Thanks for sharing your table with us Essie Arnold!

A family of six sat next to us and some of them later left riding a golf cart up the hill, much to the delight of the younger boy along for the ride. From our perch in the corner I could take close up shots of the ephemera, and also notice when a couple - probably feeling as out of place as we did when we first walked in - tentatively sat at the counter to order their food.

I was glad that we only ordered one side of the fries, as the sandwiches were delicious and filling, but the only bummer being, once again, that there was no room for dessert from their assortment of baked goods and ice cream treats.

As I stood near the art deco dessert counter I inquired about a delicious looking multi-layered cake under the dome and was told by the waitress that it was a, "carmel cake, or caramel cake, however you want to pronounce it". I did not want to pronounce it, I wanted to eat it all up! But then I was reminded, at the door, that might not be a good idea.

Whatevs, scale - I still fit into my clothes, AND into the RetroRoadmobile that we hopped into and reluctantly headed to Atlanta in. I wish we had more time to explore the Greenville area and many other places in SC, but am SO glad we took the advice of George "Hamburger America" Motz and ventured into the Northgate Soda Shop!

Northgate Soda Shop