In the next two weeks, Charlie D's Catfish & Chicken will be doing the unthinkable: opening a Southern-style cooking spot just down the street from the legendary Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe in downtown Phoenix.
Sacrilege!
The mini-chain currently has two other locations (called Charlie's Catfish & Grill) at Mesa's Fiesta Mall and Phoenix's Metrocenter Mall. Charlie's newest location will be at 1153 East Jefferson Street, at the corner of Jefferson and 12th Streets in the former home of 12 East Cafe.
Here's what diners can expect.
If the new downtown Charlie's is anything like its current restaurants, the experience, unlike Mrs. White's, will be a quick-service one -- with a limited, wallet-friendly menu of Southern-inspired items such as catfish, red beans and rice, potato salad, green beans, and fried chicken (in the form of chicken tenders).
An employee at the Metrocenter Mall location told me that although a few items might be different, most of the dishes at the new Charlie D's will be similar to the other two restaurants.