I discovered this gem of a local restaurant last spring while biking for the first time on the Granite City Greenway. If you park in Big Lots and get on the bike trial, right is a longer, flatter northern leg and left is a shorter,...slightly more hilly southern leg.
At the speed I was going, it took about 38 minutes to get back to the start at Big Lots and about 17 minutes to go left from the Big Lots starting point and reach the end of the Southern loop. That trek takes you right by Chase & Charli Restaurant by the River (Ararat River), which comes up on the left on the first quarter or so of your ride.
The restaurant is conveniently perched right above one of the bridges you bike over and there's a bike rack right by the trail on the path to go up to the business. In addition to the tables and bar inside, the restaurant has two seasonal outdoor dining areas which get a lot of use. The one in back offers the best view of the bike trail and river where, in addition to folks biking and walking the trail, you'll frequently see anglers in the waters of the river just below.
The first day I stopped at Chase & Charli, it was bright, sunny and warm and as there were several diners and great smells wafting over the trail I decided to stop on the way back -- parking and locking my bike on the bike rack.
Since it was warm, I sat out back and enjoyed a delicious grilled chicken salad w/onion petals and homemade raspberry vinaigrette and a Diet DP. I've been back twice, ordering the salad with steak and, this past Saturday on a ride, a hamburger and homemade chips.
It was around 4 and the restaurant was already filling up with a variety of folks including two families with small children (they have a kids menu), a middle-aged couple clearly on a date, and some folks like me.
The food is fresh and tasty and the service has always been good and friendly (including Emma, who told me Saturday she was new). Great job!
Although I've gone because of biking trips on the Greenway, many local folks clearly go because of the food and not because of the nearby fishing or hiking. I'd drive from here near Kernersville to go just for the food myself sometime, it's that good and the menu has plenty of variety.
Because of diet, I can't eat many sweets now but, if I could, I'd try the homemade cakes and pies like the orange cake (like a cake version of an orangesicle) I saw someone order.
While I've never met them, I understand that Chase and Charli of the restaurant name are real people and brother and sister. In addition to the food, it's always a great feeling to support a family-owned and operated business.More
