2 /5 Jamala Haines: My family has been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened, and we finally decided to give it a try tonight. We were genuinely excited, as we live near Exit 29 and there aren’t many places nearby where you can sit down and enjoy a nice dinner.
When we arrived, we were seated promptly. Our server took a little while to get to us, which was understandable since the restaurant was busy. An older woman—who seemed like she might be the owner or part of the ownership—came by with our silverware and spoke with us. She was incredibly kind and honestly the highlight of our visit.
That said, it’s difficult not to mention some disappointments with the food and overall experience. My wife and I both ordered the 12 oz ribeye, mine medium, hers medium rare. The steaks were cooked to the correct temperature and had good flavor, but a significant portion—roughly 4–5 oz—was very fatty and rubbery, which made it hard to enjoy the full cut.
For sides, I ordered fried okra and Brussels sprouts. The okra was dry, and the Brussels sprouts never came out (which I didn’t mention towards the end after the server forgot, because i honestly figured i wasnt going to enjoy that either). My wife had mac and cheese, which tasted very similar to a frozen product, and the collard greens special, which were dry and seemed canned rather than freshly prepared.
Our daughter ordered the kids’ fried shrimp and fries. Unfortunately, the shrimp had very little breading, the fries were unseasoned and dry, and neither was hot when served. We also started with the fried pickles, which were small pickle spears. There were only five for $10, and they were not hot either.
Service overall was just okay. Our server wasn’t unfriendly, but not very engaging either. Combined with the food issues, the experience didn’t quite meet our expectations—especially considering the bill was close to $90 for our family.
I understand as a chef myself that kitchens can have off nights, whether due to prep or volume. I truly wanted to love this place and hope this feedback can be helpful, because the location and potential are there. I just expected a bit more for the price and was left disappointed overall.
