Is The Penguin Still Open? Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Update
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 1 Charlotte, North Carolina
Current status
As of October 2026, The Penguin is listed open on thepenguindrivein.com, reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026; not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.
What the source shows: The business's own website, checked 2026-09-07, returned HTTP 200 with a 2026 copyright notice, an active reservation/ordering feature, and text noting a weekly Wednesday trivia night. How we decide a status →
- Episode Season 1, Episode 3
- Aired
- Address 1531 East Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28203
- Website thepenguindrivein.com
- Show map
© OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO
What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 1, Episode 3 Aired
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' third episode, 'Blue Plate Special' (aired 2007-05-07), featured The Penguin, a drive-in restaurant on East Boulevard in Charlotte, North Carolina, that the business's own website says has served the neighborhood since 1954. The Penguin's website, checked on 2026-09-07, returned an active page with a 2026 copyright notice, working reservation and menu-viewing features, and current promotions including a standing Wednesday trivia night. Listed hours on the same check were Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. The combination of current-year copyright, active booking tools, and specific weekly programming indicates the restaurant was operating under its original name at its original East Boulevard address as of the check.
Man v. Food, Season 4, Episode 26 Aired
The Penguin is a classic drive-in diner in Charlotte's Dilworth/South End area, serving Southern comfort food such as burgers, fried bologna sandwiches, and pimento cheese in a retro roadside setting the business's own website says has served Charlotte since 1954. The Penguin Drive-In's own website, thepenguindrivein.com, was live and current as of a 2026-09-08 check, listing 2026 hours and a working online reservation system.
The episodes
Also in Season 1
Season 1: 21 of 37 still open · 5 renamed, moved or under new owners
- Open
-
Ep 2Hullabaloo Diner
Open -
Ep 2Pizza Palace
Open -
Ep 3Frosted Mug
Closed - Closed
-
Ep 4Franks Diner
New owners - Closed
-
Ep 4The Coffee Cup
Open
Nearest restaurants
-
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Closed -
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Open -
Man v. Food
Closed -
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Open -
Man v. Food
Open -
Man v. Food
Closed
Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources we checked
- thepenguindrivein.com https://thepenguindrivein.com/
We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.
Record ddd-0009 · checked by Cal Marchetti.