Mike "wayne diesel" P.'s Profile

Stopped by Common Grounds a few times while I was in Denver, CO visiting some friends, and I was very impressed.

The atmosphere was bubbling with people from all walks of life: college kids Facebooking, err I mean studying social history, young professionals crowd, doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs!  OK I made up that last part after the young professional crowd, but you get idea.  It's the kind of place you would want to to meet up with friends, catch up on some work, or read a nice book.

The coffee was strong with a bold taste and mellow finish, but didn't taste burnt like Starbucks or taste like it had been sitting for hours.

The breakfast burritos made my brain hurt they were so good! After having one burrito with a big cup of the Ethiopian blend, I had to go back for another, and another cup of coffee.

Stayed in town 3 days and went there every morning to get things started, and I would highly recommend this to anyone.

Remember to hydrate, caffeinate, and then inebriate!

Came here for lunch with a co-worker after much hype and anticipation.  Although the name may sound sort of dive-barish, it is far from it.  The Pit has a warm and inviting atmosphere.  It's the type of place you could take a date for dinner/drinks , the type of place you could pound some beers with your friends at, or the type of place for a family gathering.

I had the cheesesteak brisket sandwich.  When I saw that on the menu at first I was all like:

('0_o)  and then after I ate it, I was all like:

(^_^)

I would recommend trying this place to anyone.  Safe to say that this place does not let you down!

First off, this is not a women's clothing store.  Whoever listed it as this was wrong.  This is a men's clothing store only.  This is a long standing establishment in Raleigh with a very good reputation and rich history. They have always carried great quality products, and have always been knows as a fine men's clothing store in the Triangle area.  I went to purchase some new slacks and button down shirts for work. With that being said, my experience here was less than stellar.

Having done this very frequently, and having the good luck of not fluctuating in size too often over the years, I knew my neck/sleeve/waist measurements quite well.  I gave the sales person my measurements and he insisted that I was wrong.  Not a good way to start things off.  I finally had to tell them sales person that I would not even entertain looking at any other size than what I wanted.  Their tone quickly changed and they finally began helping me out.  Strike 1.

The next part of my experience there, the part where I pickup my clothes, was also less than stellar. They gave me no communication regarding when my clothes would be ready.  I had to order my clothes to the store due to the size I needed, but I was not contacted once regarding when they would arrive.  For 4 weeks I received the run around about when they would arrive and I always got the same answer "It'll be a few weeks."  Does that mean they are on back order?  Have you even ordered them yet?  What aren't you telling me? Strike 2.

The following week I decide to drop by the store randomly on a Friday to check on the shirts.  I was given the answer "They were promised Saturday."  I'm sorry, but who did you promise that to?  You sure as heck didn't call me with this information.  Why would I stop by on the Friday before the Saturday they were promised on?  Strike 3.

So I stop back by a few days later to pick up my shirts...or so I thought.  The salesman tells me that my "shirt" is ready...not the plural of shirt.  We're on the 5th week here, mind you.  I said "what about the other shirt?" and I got the same tired response "It'll be a few weeks."  So now I have 1 out of the 4 shirts that I ordered and am, needless to say, very unhappy.  I ask about one of the outstanding shirts (4 shirts total, 2 shirts were one brand, and the other 2 were custom made).  The salesman assures me that I only purchased 3 shirts, instead of 4.  I go home to check the receipt and find that I was not, in fact, crazy and I did purchase 4 shirts.  Strike 4, 5, and 6 for good measure.

I really wanted to like this place, and I gave it longer than I should have.  I was tired of the vague answers and poor communication so I ended up going back and asking for a refund for the clothes that never showed up.   Sadly, this was the most pleasant part about the whole interaction.

When I first arrived I noticed the place was decorated in a very modern fashion and had the traditional "techno" music that now plays in every sushi bar in every city every where. Not that this is a bad thing, but just letting you know what you're getting into.

The service noticeably slower than it should have been given the amount of patrons at that time.

I had only sushi during my visit but they have entrees as well.  The prices on the menu were cheaper than I expected, but I soon realized why that was.  The rolls are smaller than the average of what you would find at a grocery store and not prepared well. Now it makes sense. The sushi was marginally acceptable at best.  

It would be very unlikely that I try this place again with there being a good amount of other sushi places in Charlotte that are much better.  Perhaps I went on an off day, something that can easily happen any where, but a friend I went with had the same opinion I did about it.

It has a very inviting atmosphere, and feels like a place where you could walk in the door and "everybody knows your name."

24 craft beers on tap, and a good selection of bottled beers.  Hands down the best brunch offered in...dare I say it...all of Charlotte.  Don't get me wrong, there are other good places, but this place tops them all.

The only downfall is that it can get quite packed and very loud at time downstairs.  The upstairs part is a lot more spacious with higher ceilings so it doesn't get nearly as loud.  It's usually a starter place for a lot of people so if you come for a night cap or in the middle of the night you could miss a lot of the crowd.

This is the first place I came to in Charlotte for my work attire. After moving here right out of college for a job, I needed a lot of clothes for work.  My only issue was that I had both big and tall measurements and had an extremely difficult time finding clothing that would fit.  After doing some research on big and tall stores in the area, I found this place turned out to be my saving grace.  The store offers business professional attire to workout clothes and everything in between.

The thing I like most  about this store is the attentiveness and knowledge of the staff who work there.  (Ask for Mike, he will get you set up right.)  The staff know how to take your measurements and make you look the best you can.  I rated the Price Range as 3 $ signs, but honestly it can range from the $$ - $$$$.  You can get just about as expensive as you want here.

One other great thing I like is the tailor they use.  Having both big and tall measurements, many of my shirts and pants have to be taken apart at the seams, altered, and then sewn back together.  This is a daunting tasks for many other big and tall shops, and most chain stores won't even offer anything aside from an inch or two off the sides.  My clothes always fit great from here and they look great so I keep coming back.

If you're big and tall and need to get your wardrobe looking its best, send them here and they will not be disappointed.

Best Thai food I've had in any city thus far. The server made great recommendations: Tom Kha soup and chicken Thai spicy. They were both phenomenal, would recommend to anyone in the area who was a fan of Thai food and even to those who were not.

I end up going to this place at least 1 time per week as I am a big fan of Thai food.  This place is my favorite Thai place in Charlotte.

Notable items from the menu:
- Fresh Basil Rolls
- Tom Yum Kung soup (hot and sour shrimp soup)
- Pad Kee Mow
- Red/Green Curry
- Pad Thai (obviously)

I have had nothing but good service and good experiences from there, and I typically go for dinner. It is always packed for the lunch crowd as well.

Fantastic food, great service, friendly staff. One of my favorite lunch spots in Charlotte. Try the Spicy Udon Noodle Soup and you will not be disappointed.

Madison's is a pretty cool place overall, I just have a few beefs with it that make me not want to go there all the time.

The place has unusually low lighting and the floor layout is pretty bad.  It makes getting to the only bar in the place quite difficult at time when it is crowded.  There is such a bottleneck that people are sometimes 4-5 deep waiting in a line of sorts to get to the bar.  They also sell and allow cigars to be smoked inside so sometimes the smoke can be a little overpowering and thick.

The main positive about the place is that they show all the main fighting events (boxing and ufc) so that makes it a good place to start out.  If you want to see a fight there that starts at 11 then I suggest getting there around 10 to claim a decent spot to watch things unfold.  After the fights the place mostly clears out and makes things a little more manageable.