Cornbread comes with the plate. One hot water or “flat” (buttermilk) cornbread is included with each meal. Extra upon request for $1.
Friday on Locklayer Street
Friday has an atmosphere the other weekdays do not. The lunch line runs long, the room is loud, and a good number of people are ordering a second plate to take home for the weekend, because we are closed on Saturday.
Pig feet are the Friday dish. Cooked slowly until everything turns silky, they are eaten as much with the fingers as with a fork, and there is no polite way to do it. Ox tails return to the board as well, with a gravy dark enough to eat over rice on its own.
Turkey and dressing gives Friday its Sunday-adjacent option, and greens with flat bread is the plate to order if you want to taste why pot liquor has its own name.
Come early if you want any of it. Friday sells through faster than any other weekday.
Questions about the menu
Do the specials change every week?
The weekly rotation is steady, so the meats and vegetables listed for friday are what you can expect on a friday. That said, this is a small kitchen cooking to what looks good and what sells, so an item is occasionally swapped or sells out early. The everyday meats and sides are on the line all week.
Why are there no prices listed?
Plate pricing depends on how many meats and sides you take, and costs move with what we pay for ingredients. Rather than post numbers that go stale, we quote at the counter. We are a genuinely inexpensive restaurant, and portions are large enough that people regularly leave with a second meal in a box.
What does the asterisk next to some dishes mean?
An asterisk means the dish is cooked when you order it rather than held on the steam table — catfish, whiting, and salmon croquettes among them. It is worth the few minutes’ wait, but if you are on a tight lunch break, say so when you order.
Is there anything for vegetarians?
You can build a vegetable plate from the sides, and it is a popular order. Be aware that in a traditional Southern kitchen several vegetables — greens, beans and cabbage in particular — are seasoned with smoked pork. Ask at the counter and we will tell you honestly what is cooked with meat that day.
Can I call an order in ahead?
Yes. Ring 615-780-9900 and we will have it boxed and ready. For anything larger than a few plates, see the catering page.