Eric S.
Yelp
SOUTHERN COMFORTS
There's plenty of soul food and food for the soul at this chic restaurant.
After seeing massive Sunday crowds at Madison Park Kitchen, Blue Max Coffee, Delia's, and Original Pancake House, my girl and I had to find a backup to our 3rd backup plan. Wouldn't you know it, serendipity stepped in and we found ourselves here.
You'd have no idea from driving past, but the inside is actually super legit. From the ornate hanging light fixtures to the alligator skin booths (!!!!) the ambiance was way nicer than I was expecting. It felt like a rich person's living room, and I dug it.
One of the great things about food is that it's colorblind; a tasty meal doesn't care if you're black or white or just really really tan. Nichole C and I are definitely not their target clientele base (I was the only white dude in the packed restaurant - this was unmistakable) but at the end of the day we're still paying customers.
NC got the 'Aunt Joyce' ($16) which was a 1/4 fried chicken with grits, two eggs, and a waffle. Better still, it was on special when we visited, which meant $1 off. She enjoyed the succulent fried chicken and the grits were tasty, though we were divided on the waffle.
We both expected a big, fluffy Belgian-style waffle. What she got was a flat, slightly soggy waffle that was eerily reminiscent of my days eating Eggos while running late for the school bus. It was almost IDENTICAL in taste and texture to an Eggo; quirky but not exactly desirable.
My gold coast skillet ($14) was loaded with delicious fried homestyle potatoes, two eggs sunny-side up, spinach, bell peppers, onions, cheddar cheese, and chicken sausage. It came with toast, although the skillet itself was so filling -- and amazingly tasty -- I barely had room for bread. They were also kind enough to hold the mushrooms, which I was very appreciative of.
Bread = 4.5
Circuses = 4
Interestingly enough, coffee was free (wooo!) but even simple drinks were expensive ($2 for pop, $3 for sweet tea) and even more alarming, no free refills! When I saw that on the menu, I decided to stick with water, since a few sweet teas would've run me upwards of $5. Yikes!
Our server was attentive without being overbearing, waters refilled in a timely manner. Everyone seemed to receive warm greetings and "thank you's!" on their way out except for us. Hmmmm. Hopefully it had nothing to do with the whole 'misfit diner' thing, cuz my pale white ass enjoyed eating here just as much as the rest of the crowd.
Recommended!