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| - This is the quintessential small town, Southern diner, though it may be a bit brighter, a bit cleaner, and a little less worn looking than most. Throw in that it has a cool retro 50's & 60's automobile theme, great Southern food, and was a favorite of the late, great Dale Earnhardt Sr, and you just know this is a place you need to visit.
We survived the the trek off of the road construction mess that is I-85 South in this area, through the road construction and traffic that is that part of Concord to arrive safely, if a bit fraseled, for a lunch visit here. We were nicely greeted, quickly seated, and drink and food orders followed shortly after that.
Alice selected the Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy, Fried Okra, and Mashed Potatoes with even more white Gravy. My order was Fried Chicken, Pintos, and Fried Squash. We also picked a piece of Cornbread and a Dinner Roll to go with our meals.
The food was out in good order, and EVERYTHING was exceptional, EVERYTHING! The Chicken Fried Steak was prepared from a nice quality beef, nicely bread and cooked to a perfect outside crust, and then smothered in a delicious white, pepper gravy - perhaps the best version we've had outside the Southwest. The Mashed Potatoes were perhaps not freshly made (more of a puree than a mash) but with more of the white gravy on top, it became a moo point (as Joey would say). The Fried Okra was very well done, as well, also with a nice exterior crust.
The Fried Chicken could have come from by grandmother's kitchen - a thin crust, perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked. The Pinto's were as well seasoned as any you'll find, and the Fried Squash gave no quarter. The bread choices were nice, but not at the same level of quality as the other dishes.
The food was exactly what you want from a diner, the service was very nice, and the pricing was more than reasonable. Can't wait to return, they have a huge seafood platter I've gotta try. Might even try Dale's favorite - a sliced tomato sandwich with Miracle Whip, salt & pepper, on regular sliced, white bread.
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