Ace No. 3
The Ace Burger: two beef patties, American cheese, onions, pickles, and comeback sauce on a toasted potato bun.
I’m a sucker for a good burger. So when I kept hearing great things about a burger joint in the Belmont Village neighborhood of Charlotte that’s owned by the same people as The Waterman and Sea Level, I had to try it. Please note, this review is only for the original Belmont Village location; I speak directly about the Myers Park location in the update.
Community-driven feel
Ace No. 3 is a tiny restaurant that features communal seating — barstools lining the walls and long tables to share — and outside, there’s a patio with picnic table and string lights. I dig the vibe.
Famous from the signature “Ace Burger”
When you enter, you walk up to the counter to order and wait to be called to pick up your meal. The signature burger consists of two thin patties, American cheese, onions, pickles, and homemade “comeback” sauce on a toasted potato bun. If you like thin, flat-top burgers (think In-N-Out or Shake Shack style) — you’ve got to try the Ace. At $8.49, it seems reasonably priced. If you like to customize your sandwich, you can build your own burger with a single, double, triple, or veggie patty and add bacon, egg, or a gluten-free bun (each is $1 extra).
Double trouble
I couldn’t help myself — I ordered a double cheeseburger with everything on it: lettuce, tomato, onion, house-made pickles, pickled jalapenos, comeback sauce, garlic mayo (free) and then added bacon ($1). From what I’d been told, this is a “Top 10” burger in all of Charlotte — and it delivered. Honestly, I might venture to say it’s the best burger in Charlotte — certainly; it makes the top 5.
Cooked to perfection
My burger was perfectly cooked. For some, it might be a little on the greasy side, but only because you could tell the bun was oiled before being toasted. It was not oozing grease. It was incredibly satisfying — and didn’t sit like a brick in my stomach — which is typical with most flat-top burgers. I’d say it was more or less perfection in my book. (And that’s saying a LOT.)
Addictive sides, to boot
What accompanies the perfect burger? Perfect fries. Again — Ace No. 3 delivered! The side options include French fries for $2.79, or shoestring onion rings with garlic mayo ($3.49). I opted for fries, …and they were ADDICTIVELY good. Think McDonald’s fries, but up a notch because they were cooked well and seasoned deliciously. I’m craving them as I write this… thank god Ace No. 3 is only 20 minutes from my apartment.
Fried bologna — say what?
It was a surprise to me to see a fried bologna sandwich on the menu. I’ve never seen this at a restaurant before…it reminded me of childhood…so of course I had to try it! It was made with all-beef bologna, swiss cheese, dijonnaise, house-made pickles, and crispy onion rings. It might have been a grease bomb — but that’s to be expected and almost required of fried bologna — but it’s DEFINITELY worth trying. Soooo filling. And it puts the burger to shame. I couldn’t eat this sandwich regularly; my waistline wouldn’t allow it. However, I would order it again if I’m looking to change it up a bit.
All in all — 10/10 — I’m going back. Soon.
Update:
I have been back to the Belmont Village location several times, with the most recent being last week. Ace No. 3 continues to knock my socks off. They have phenomenal food at very reasonable prices. After trying so many burgers in Charlotte, I can confidently say it remains my favorite in the city.
Something else to note - do not sleep on the milkshakes. It took me 4 or 5 visits before I finally tried one, and it was a huge miss on my part. They are excellent! I’m a sucker for chocolate shakes, and now I crave this one on the regular.
The Myers Park location, I do not recommend. Avoid it and drive 10 extra minutes to the original location. I have tried the Myers Park location 3 times, always hoping the next burger will be like the original; it never is. While service at the Myers Park location is fine, it is not quite as friendly, nor does it have the community feel. More importantly though, the food is not the same quality. On every occasion that I have been, the burgers are overcooked.
The first time I tried the Myers Park location, my burger (as well as my friend’s burger) was overcooked. It was dried out, as well as cold, when I received it. They had just opened though, and were SLAMMED, so I chalked it up to a one time thing. The second time I went back, while the burger was hot, it far far overcooked and again very dry. My friend threw more than half of hers in the trash. And to add salt to the injury, the ice machine was broken, so you couldn’t even wash it down with a cold beverage. The third time I went sealed the deal - I even asked the guy behind the counter to see if the burger could be cooked less, given every burger had been dried out. No luck - another dry burger.
While I LOVE the original Belmont Village location, avoid the Myers Park location. In this case, the OG is definitely the best, and worth the extra 10 minutes in the car.
