text: Friends always push me to go to the Dish. I always ask myself, why are you so fond of their \"Southern homestyle cooking?\" It's a part of that whole Central Ave corridor of restaurants like Penguin and The Diamond. We'll call it great just because of their location. Absolutely not. \n\nEvery time I walk into the place, I laugh. I literally laugh out loud because of how tacky it feels. I know you're on Central Ave and want to get that artsy and we've character unlike everyone else. Please, there isn't a hint of character in the place. You're probably saying, who cares it's an unpretentious place, it's the food you go for and the price. Keep telling yourself that.\n\nThe servers on the other hand are great. I have no complaints with them. They helped us as soon as we started looking at the menu and we received our drinks in a timely manner. The place was probably three-quarters filled and on a holiday. The menu is fairly standard and has your staple southern dishes hinted throughout the appetizers to the entrees. Nothing special. And I almost feel that for the location, the price for the appetizers would be a little more reasonable. What do I know though? \n\nWe all ordered our food and I decided to go for something different this time. I got the Chicken & Dumplings the last time I was here, so I went for the meatloaf hoping for something more enticing than flour and cream of chicken. That's what the C&Ds taste like if you were wondering. Bland and tasteless. Apparently a lot of people like them, but if I had the choice I'd take the Swanson C&Ds. THAT good, my friends. \n\nBack to my meatloaf. This is how it was prepared; mash a bunch of ground beef, add no seasoning, cook in oven, dip and cover in tomato sauce, plop it on a scoop of mashed potatoes, and add a dash of cilantro on top. The meatloaf wasn't at all what I had expected. I was expecting more flavor for them to actually call it Cajun. There was no cajun seasoning, onion, celery, garlic, or cayenne peppers. I'm not even sure if I tasted the essential Worcestershire sauce. Mashed potatoes were decent I'll admit. Potato salad, eh. Deviled egg, eh too. Biscuit I enjoyed, but maybe because my mind hoped it could enjoy something from the meal. I didn't enjoy the price that went along with the food either. \n\nI know this place is locally owned and operated and is a part of Charlotte history and culture. It just feels that they are taking advantage of that and laugh quietly to themselves for each hungry customer that comes in. I honestly expect better because of that history. They are there for a reason, but not for their food lately. Customers need to wake up and realize that the Dish has greater potential.