This week, we at The Herald have been taking a closer look at the smaller restaurants on the outskirts of Sanford proper that usually buzz with activity at lunchtime. So far, the response to the series has been tremendous.
The impetus for the series was two-fold, actually. One, Gordon Anderson and I came up with the idea for one story on the various restaurants the other week when I was scrounging for a business story. Then during our weekly meeting, our boss Billy Liggett decided he wanted a series on them for the front page, stealing, as he often does, my business feature for the week. Which is why you got a story on dogs at work on your Sunday business section.
But when Gordon threw the idea out at me before the meeting, I also thought of the restaurants I grew up on as a child. I grew up in Westmoore, a suburb of Robbins, N.C., and all we had was little country restaurants. And as a wee boy, my dad would take me and my cousin Kyle to lunch with him every day to one of them.
It all starts with Sam’s, ran by Sam Allred, an icon in Westmoore, who made the best milkshakes in the world. Coincidentally, his grill was the starting point for many a drag race for my dad growing up. And according to Daddy, who told us these stories every time we went to Sam’s, his 1966 Chevelle was unbeatable.
But Sam, who was one of my good friend’s grandpa, died when I was young and the grill closed. We were forced to branch out, eating at places as diverse as Seagrove Family Restaurant, which put pickles on top of the hamburger bun, the Dairy Breeze, which put god-awful vinegar-based slaw on cheeseburgers, Shirley’s Fried Chicken, which had a picture of Shirley the owner dressed in Colonel Sanders attire hanging behind the register, and of course, the Chicken Hut, which I ate at almost daily in high school as it was the hot afterschool hangout spot.
But today in Robbins, as it has been all along for the grown-ups, I think, there are two kings of all little country restaurant. First there is Little Village Restaurant, located in Robbins proper. This is the quintessential tiny diner, with only about 10-15 booths and tables to sit in, the regular hamburger and hot dog plates as well as specials and desserts to die for. But what makes it unique is that it is THE place to be seen in Robbins. Everyone eats there at one point or another during the day. It is so popular that John Edwards, Robbins’ favored son (or unfavored son, depending on who you ask), filmed a couple of his presidential campaign commercials there in both 2004 and 2008.
But if you are looking for a little more upscale experience, you have to go to Westmoore Family Restaurant in downtown Westmoore. Actually, this place IS downtown Westmoore, much as the Fastop Grill is in Lemon Springs. Owned by Tommy and Shirley Kennedy, this is one of the cleanest, nicest restaurants any small town in America offers. And their broiled flounder is off the chain.
The best part about going back to Robbins is that I am not Jonathan Owens, reporter. I am still Boyd and Carolyn’s little boy, and anytime I go in to either of these I am almost guaranteed a free meal from one of Daddy’s friends. You can’t beat it.
When I went away to college, I so longed for the tiny restaurant atmosphere. Luckily there was Sutton’s on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, where a small-town country boy like myself could rub elbows with basketball players while enjoying a cheeseburger, as well as the Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen, which still has the best chicken biscuit I have ever tasted.
And I am so lucky to have made my way to Sanford, where I have found many a hidden gem to dine at daily. I will take a little country restaurant over a big chain Applebee’s or fast food joint anyday, and I am happy that we endeavored onto this series to give them the credit they deserve.