The Tavern on Park has only been open for a short while, but those visiting the Park Towne Village Shopping Center are already taking notice. Housed in the former Bertucci's location, The Tavern on Park offers an expansive menu selection, from flatbreads and sandwiches to steaks and grouper. This is owner Brian Snediker's first venture in Charlotte; he previously founded a successful restaurant in Roanoke, Va. At The Tavern on Park, you'll find good food in a casual atmosphere with great service.

THE SCENE: The large open dining room is filled with booths and two- and four-person tables. The high ceiling is supported by large, exposed wooden beams; the walls are painted a calming taupe color. It's dimly lit and quiet, except for some light music coming from the overhead speakers. The bar is separated from the main dining room and opens to a small patio area.

THE MENU: The menu has a mix of inexpensive and fancy dishes and includes a little bit of everything – pizzas, burgers, seafood, sandwiches and salads. The entree side of the menu offers some big hitters, including a whopping 22-once cowboy steak and a free-raised veal scallopini dish. Our waitress recommended I try one of the flatbreads, so I sampled the barbecue chicken flatbread, complete with caramelized onions. My dining partner tried the chicken Dakota (honey chicken, crisp fried onions and honey mustard on sourdough bread). Our were wiped clean in a matter of minutes.

THE CROWD: It's so new that many people don't even know the restaurant is open yet, so the crowd was a little sparse. Only a few tables were filled during my visit, and most were occupied by older couples.

WHAT THEY'RE KNOWN FOR: A large beer and wine list and a menu large enough to satisfy a picky eater. This could be a good place for a business lunch. The service makes it easy to get in and out in less than an hour.

THE CHECK: The pizzas, burgers, flatbreads and sandwiches are very affordable – most are less than $10. Entrees can get super expensive. The 22-ounce cowboy steaks goes for $44 and the salmon is $24. Don't let the few expensive entrées scare you away. You can dine here on a dime.

CASH OR CHECK: Cash, Visa, MasterCard and American Express

VEGETARIAN ENTREES: The veggie pita (hummus spread, garden vegetables and roasted red peppers) looks like a great option. There's also a veggie burger and a margharita pizza.

KID-FRIENDLY: You won't see kids running around in the dining room, but the restaurant feels family friendly.

FOR HERE OR TO GO? Menu items like pizza and burgers are often popular to-go orders. There are also to-go menus available on the hostess stand.

SMOKING, SMOKE-FREE? It's smoke-free.