(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
It was Sunday lunch, and I wanted to go to grandma’s. Or, as close as I could come to it.
Several friends had already mentioned McNeely’s Place, Southern cooking in an lovely old house on North Augusta’s Georgia Avenue. It’s important to note that the restaurant is not open on Saturdays as they dedicate that day to catering.
That Sunday, the restaurant was full, but my friend Amanda and I had just a moment to admire the desserts in the glass cases at the front before we managed to get the next available table in the dining room, which features three seating areas, plus dining outside on the porch. The menu changes daily, but that day’s entrees included slow-cooked beef tips over rice, shrimp and grits, chicken smothered in mushroom and onion gravy, sausage and cream gravy biscuits with grit, croissant French toast with sausage or bacon and crustless quiche with grits. Plus, there was an array of salads and sandwiches for those looking for lighter fare.
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I knew I wanted an entrée—even more when I read the sides. There were the usuals: green beans, collards, rice and gravy, mac and cheese, black-eyed peas. But McNeely’s also offers sides that wouldn’t look out of place in a 1960s cookbook: like Southern grape salad, sour cream cucumber salad, strawberries and cream and pear salad. Plus, each entrée comes with your choice of jalapeño cheddar corn muffin, Hawaiian roll or pineapple banana nut bread.
We enjoyed chatting at our charming table covered in gingham with fresh flowers, then our entrees quickly arrived. My first bite was the pineapple banana nut bread. It was super moist from the pineapple—perhaps a little too moist—but I loved how it was loaded with pecans and crunchy brown sugar and great banana flavor.
After my impromptu starter, I dived into my beef tips over rice. They had a rich meaty flavor and were incredibly tender, in a tangy gravy. The green beans were a little bland for my taste, but I couldn’t stop eating the grape salad, even though it was smothered in mayonnaise and brown sugar—in fact, that’s probably what made them addictive.
Amanda let me try a bite of her smothered chicken, which was fall off the bone tender and full of flavor from the onions and mushrooms. Her collards had been properly cooked in bacon and warmed the back of my throat with just a bit of spice.
Our glimpse of the dessert cases made us eager to try those too. I enjoyed my dense almond cake with its white chocolate icing and raspberry filling and accents, but it was pretty sweet. I would have traded it, if offered, for Amanda’s German chocolate cake—it was a light cake with a crumbly texture and a lovely milk chocolate flavor, accented with coconut and pecan.
I had the chance to try McNeely’s again with my friend Travis a few weeks later, this time for a weekday lunch. I tried the chicken salad sandwich, which was simple—just white shredded chicken, paprika, mayo, celery, pickle and a few grapes to tease the palate—but so good. I paired it with the broccoli rice casserole, which satisfied with its cracker topping and rich, creamy, cheesy filling.
It was busy again, but I could see why. McNeely’s joins other local Southern dining like Honey From the Rock and Goolsby’s in challenging chains like S&S by offering a great atmosphere, easy location and dishes to rival (shh!) even Grandma’s.
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Make Your Reservation
McNeely’s Place Restaurant and Catering
301 Georgia Ave., North Augusta
facebook.com/mcneelysplace
Entrée cost: $8.95 to $13.95
Danielle Wong Moores is a local freelance writer who’ll never turn down a shrimp cocktail, sushi or cheese dip. Her greatest food influences are her mom and writers MFK Fisher and Amanda Hesser. Her Dine and Dish column runs the second and fourth Fridays in The Augusta Press.
