Where: Fran’s Filling Station
Who Recommended: Charlotte Magazine’s Take a Bite
For What: Thanksgiving Every Day (Rated 10/10)
Other Items:
Cold Meatloaf Sandwich: 7/10
Croque Monsieur: 5/10
Warm Potato Salad: 9/10
Fran’s Filling Station is another restaurant resting in a strip mall, but what a little gem it is! They have a handful of tables outside, but the view is of the parking lot, so I elected to sit inside with my party. The eclectic art hanging on the walls and the funky furniture made me glad I did. I will note that the handicapped access is pretty poor here. It is to the right of the front door, and people park right up on the ramp. Also, as you can see, the tables are crammed onto the narrow sidewalk, so good luck getting a wheelchair through there without asking diners to move.
We visited for lunch and was it ever crowded! Of course, we were there on a Friday at noon, so that can’t be that unusual or unexpected. Our waiter was a bit overwhelmed and not as attentive as I’d have liked, but the other staff members were pleasant and perky.
Behold the reason for our visit! The Thanksgiving Everyday is possibly the best turkey sandwich I’ve ever come across. This overstuffed sammie is full of goodness: house roasted turkey (not from the deli!), cranberry, stuffing, and sage mayonnaise on house-made bread. Just look at this house-made bread; nutty and substantial. Nothing is escaping, not one scrap of turkey. That darn thing was so big it was held together not by toothpicks, but by dowels. It was heaven. I have to rate it 10/10. No way to make it better. Yep, it’s that good. If you’ll have a look at the tiny cup of potato salad, you will see hunks of potatoes mixed with creamy, perfectly seasoned mayo. It was wonderful, and I’m not even a potato salad fan. I give it 9 out of 10 stars.
I got the worst of our sandwiches, the real Croque Monsieur. I make my own, so maybe I’m a snob, but the bechamel sauce tasted like wallpaper paste. It was terrible, and fraught with nutmeg. The ham and Gruyere were perfectly fine, and I should have just asked them to leave the bechamel off, which I would surely do next time. I got mine with chips. Out of 10 stars, I’m going to give it a 5. And that is being nice.
My sister got the Cold Meatloaf sandwich. It comes with marinated onions, russian dressing, lettuce & tomato. Now, if you like cold meatloaf, this is the best cold meatloaf sandwich I’ve had. The dressing and onions make it sloppy and delicious, and give it an unexpected tang. This was served with homemade potato chips that were crispy and salty.
barenakedchefsaidso.com 