Basis for my starred ratings (which skews heavily to the food or drink):
1 star: Never again.
2 stars: Poor food, poor experience, extraordinary measures in order for me to come back.
3 stars: Average, nothing really special, nothing particularly bad.
4 stars: Very good, would definitely return.
5 stars: A favorite, one of the best.
Main point of comparison here is to Southern Rail here in the Valley, and I could compare it to some other Southern joints in the South on a dish-bu-dish comparison. Both here and Southern Rail are 4 stars, but I give Okra the slight edge.
My wife and I love the food of Chef Cullen Campbell. When we heard that Crudo would have a sister restaurant, it made total sense that he would go Southern. (I can wax philosophically on the intersection of Southern, Italian, and Korean food for a while but I'll spare you.)
The bar program at Crudo is great, it's no less great here. Especially if you are looking for whiskey and bourbon based cocktails. (Secret which i don't really want to share - they have Pappy.)
We've ordered a fair amount of dishes off the menu, so here's a quick rundown:
'Nduja dates - Salty/sweet combo in a small sticky package, it is fine.
Fried head cheese - We're gettin' truly Southern here, and I would recommend you get this.
Calabrian pork bites and greens - A little heavy-handed as an app, it's rich and filling.
Fried chicken skins - These are tasty little treats. Reminds me of the skins at Husk in Charleston.
Fried dilly beans - THIS IS THE ONE. So, so great. Comeback sauce, awesome.
Smoked chicken wings - Quite tasty. Not crispy at all, but the smoke on these suckers is great.
Bone marrow biscuits - We love marrow but this, too, was a little heavy-handed. Very rich.
Pimento cheese burger - A sloppy mess but a decent burger. Pimento could be a little stronger.
Tennessee hot chicken - Falls short of Nashville, but the chicken was not dry and it was spicy enough.
Chicken and dumplings - one of the best entrees here. Chicken is flavorful as is the broth.
Smoked ham hock - Heavy and satisfying. Don't think I cold eat it in the summer, but it is well smoked and the black eyed peas and greens round out a good Southern meal.
So yeah, generally we like all the food, with some truly outstanding dishes there in the mix. Mix in a couple cocktails and the meal will ring true to Southerners and Southerners at heart.