Emma Keys — Restaurant in Greensboro

Emma has lost the Keys to our hearts😩. Sadly, after a years long delicious relationship, we are breaking up. This most recent visit 07312024 will likely be our last😭.

We day trip to Gboro from Raleigh every once in a while and would always make this a must stop, even though it is out of our way. The food was unique and delicious.

We love what they did with improving the outside of the place - more tables/chairs, umbrellas, turf and a little cleaner. Still bees and flies buzzing around, but it is outside. There is an ice cream shack open on the same property and had a steady stream of customers. Items looked good but we did not try any.

Parking. 😫 UGH; It has never been easy to park near here, but now it is even worse!! We were 3 blocks away in a neighborhood before we found a spot - so be prepared, FYI.

The staff at the counter were friendly and helpful. Kudos there! One of the people at the grill had only a ball cap over long fluffy hair. It might be a good idea for this person to either wear a hairnet, tie their hair up somehow (bun?) or simply stuff or under the hat. Working at a grill, this would probably be cooler too.

We had a small order to take away, simple items. It took over 20minutes to wait for it. Now, they have never been quick with service in all the years we have known them and we have accepted that as just how it is & worth the wait for good food.....

But.... It was subpar. A lot has changed - new menu, favorites no longer there, maybe new owner or new management? The big disappointment was the loss of our beloved palmetto cheese fries that had pickles, bacon and drizzled with ranch. Big sad! We first had them here & found them no where else. Other favorites that we regularly ordered were not there or not the same. However, we had gone out of our way to stop here so we chose a few things to try.

Doggy Dog was ordered without mayo and is listed as bacon wrapped hot dog with Mac& cheese and crushed potato chips. That sounded good, especially the crushed chips on it. Well, there were no crushed chips and barely any bacon ... It was paper thing around dog, barely noticable and could not taste it, plus the dog was not plump and juicy, but rather looked as if it had been sitting in a warming tray for a while. Plus, it had Mayo! So, hold the mayo somehow became no chips?? We think if made properly with fresh ingredients it would be good.

The Down South was ordered and billed as pulled pork, slaw, Mac&cheese, sweet baby rays BBQ sauce on a hoagie roll. They used to have a sandwich very close to this, thus the choice. The slaw is very large cut chunks and a little pepoery. White cheddar is an interesting choice, but okay - we are just used to mild or sharp cheddar flavors on our Mac& chs. The sauce did not taste like sweet baby rays BBQ sauce, unless it's a new hot spicy variety & we say that because we are SBR regulars and are well accustomed to the flavor profile. The sauce was spicy and had too much bite for this Sammie. It would have been better with original SBR BBQ sauce to compliment the other flavors. This sauce just stamped it out, unfortunately.

We share this as feedback to hopefully make improvements, perhaps in areas they were not aware of. We...

• UPDATE* We’ve kept coming and coming and it has gotten a little better each time. It’s really nice to see some of the improvements that they’ve done - the turf outside, keeping everything looking a little more organized and clean, and the music playing has been FIREE. Keep those playlists. They’ve absolutely been accommodating when I’ve explained the allergy and making substitutions, etc. I think at this point the only issue is the menu changes. Those soggy fries ain’t it. The others have grown on us.

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We have been coming once a week since 2017. I’ve gotten the same couple of things every single time. The place has seen its ups and downs, but it has always been what it is - a charming little greasy spoon hole in the wall you go when you want a good, simple burger and fries.

I have a gluten allergy, so the options they’ve had and willingness to accommodate has been massive. Cassidy is A+ 5 stars as far as taking care of that and being accommodating. She remembers our order and always makes sure it’s right.

I’m assuming the new owner has some grandiose vision of making it some fine dining crossover burger restaurant because as soon as he came in, he changed the menu. For example, the cheese fries are now covered in sloppy, wet, state fair style nacho cheese sauce rather than the melted shredded cheese that has always been on them. The burger I’ve gotten for years, the El Diablo, he’s completely changed up, removing the spicy ketchup, adding avocado, and frying the jalapeños which now makes it not gluten free. Not to mention the name is literally El Diablo. It’s supposed to be spicy, which now isn’t. They switched to pre-packaged gluten free buns which sounds good, but the bun itself is awful. It’s crumbly and falls apart after one bite. Trader Joe’s buns are amazing and a pack is $3. My wife has ordered a few different staples since the change and also had a similar sentiment. Don’t mess with a good thing. I’ve turned so many people on to this place over the years, but I really can’t say that I feel good about that now.

To whomever the owner is: Please don’t ruin this place by trying to put your stamp on it or try to make it some elevated fine dining esque thing. Nobody comes there for that. They come for a sloppy, good old fashioned burger and fries. If efficiency is the issue and those changes are supposed to cut down on the wait, then I’d suggest not ruining an established menu in an attempt to address it. Good food is worth the wait, as it’s always been at this place. It’s been a favorite for years, but unfortunately the new owner coming in with something to prove has removed the soul from of a...

6-19-22

Been years since I have been here--well before Covid. The indoor dining room has been closed for several years now and outdoor seating only. There are maybe 7 tables available outside with umbrellas. Dog friendly area with leash tie-up thingies and water bowls. Sidewalk chalk for the kiddos (or adults) to draw/write. The outdoor area is cute. All food is ordered from a pickup window. Dine in (outside) the food is brought to your table. Service is quick.

I did the Pimento Cheese Patty Melt (9.75). Comes with rye bread, pimento cheese, onions, and bacon. Cooked perfectly--juicy and flavorful. The rye is slightly toasted and the concoction of aforementioned stuff makes for a great burger. Definite reorder. You can customize all burgers with extras with upcharges. Didn't need it for my taste.

Got a large fry order to split ($4) and this was more than enough for two. Could be shared with 3 folks. Cut nicely with skin on. Salted. Flavorful. Good side and another reorder.

EK does burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, desserts, and even has a decently broad breakfast menu. I've never done breakfast here and this caught my attention. Will add that the few tables outside do fill quick and pickup/takeaway orders were hopping. EK is still rolling like it has been for years.

The qualm and issue is and always has been parking. It's mostly on the street on Walker or Elam. There are signs telling folks to NOT park at Sticks & Stones. Not sure if you can park at Lindley Park Filling Station but that might be an option. Frankly, the Elam/Walker block of businesses is limited for parking in general. Might be worth asking an employee at EK where to park to get clarification. We found a spot on Elam however with less than a couple minutes walk. Expect to deal with parking issues in some way.

EK has been around for quite some time and there is a reason....