harward,david_charlie
Brothers David (left) and Charlie Harward can't help but smile at the success of their Rock Hill eatery.
This summer, Charlie and David Harward are expanding their burger menu in a big way.
Make that a big ol’ way.
The co-owners of Grumpy Brothers Grill and Bakery in Rock Hill are doubling the selection of their signature “Big Ol’ Burgers” to 20, Charlie Harward says. Choices on the menu will now run from classics to the mildly exotic to the just plain crazy. Among the new offerings: South of the Burger (basically a taco on a bun), a Swiss cheese and sauerkraut burger (served on pretzel-dough bun), a barbecue burger (this is South Carolina, after all), and an Elvis Burger (featuring peanut butter and bacon, thankyouverymuch).
“Burgers are one of the things we do best,” says David Harward.
The new options are meant to complement the original slate of hand-made classics, many of which reflect the culinary traditions of the Carolinas. These include the Carolina Slaw Burger, the Endy Burger (originating from their uncle Otha Morgan, who ran a restaurant for decades in Albemarle, N.C.) and the Piedmont Patty Melt. Both old and new burgers were conceived “to provide a broad mix of flavors, appeal to all tastes,” Charlie Harward says.
The brothers emphasize that the added quantity won’t come at the expense of quality—especially when it comes to ingredients.
“The quality of the ingredients is the absolute key to everything,” says Charlie, who has been cooking in the region for two decades. “You can’t shortcut on the quality. Especially on something like a burger, it really stands out if you use something inferior. The fresher the better, and that quality has to go from the meat to the condiments to the bun.”
At Grumpy Brothers, special ingredients and local ingredients are often synonymous.
“On our pimento cheeseburger, we make our own pimento cheese,” Charlie says. In fact, practically everything served—including salads, salad dressings, chili, slaw and soups— is prepared from family recipes.
David and Charlie are especially proud of their Adluh stone-ground grits from Columbia in the Shem Creek shrimp ’n’ grits. Even the coffee is a regional specialty—Iron Brew, from the gourmet coffee roasters in Blythewood. David says the down-home flavor works from both a community and product standpoint.
Whether it’s a burger or another menu item, “We don’t have just good food; we have great food,” he says.
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Grumpy Brothers Brill and Bakery
295 Herlong Ave., Suite 401, Rock Hill. Phone: (803) EAT-BACON (328-2226). Online: eatatgrumpys.com
Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Sundays.
Show your Co-op Connection card for 10 percent off your order.
SWISS AND SAUERKRAUT BURGER
1 pretzel burger bun
½ pound 75/25 ground beef
Salt
Black pepper
Paprika
2 slices Swiss cheese
Spicy brown mustard
Sauerkraut
Sliced dill pickles
Form ground beef into a patty and place an indentation in middle so it will not swell when cooked. Season both sides of patty with salt, pepper and paprika before pan frying at medium-high heat (about 400 degrees). Let burger cook at least halfway before you flip it. Flip just once and do not mash! Butter inside of the top and bottom bun and put into another pan on medium-high heat. Put 1/2 cup sauerkraut into pan. When the patty is cooked to your desired temperature, put hot sauerkraut on burger and top with Swiss cheese. Put a lid over pan for a few moments until cheese is melted. Assemble your burger with spicy mustard on bottom bun.
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CAJUN SHRIMP TACOS WITH WASABI COLESLAW
40 small to medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons butter
Cajun seasoning
8 six-inch flour tortillas
Melt butter in small skillet, add shrimp and saute until pink, no longer than about 3 minutes. Add cajun seasoning toward the end of cooking the shrimp, remove from heat. Put shrimp into tortillas. Top with Wasabi Coleslaw.
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WASABI COLESLAW
2 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
2–3 tablespoons prepared coleslaw dressing
1–2 teaspoons wasabi cream (found near horseradish and mayonnaise in the grocery store)*
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
*Prepared horseradish may be substituted if wasabi isn’t available. Season to taste.