Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
Home-style History at J&J Cafeteria
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J&J Cafeteria is at 1303 Fourth Ave. in Conway, at the corner of Beatty Street, and the number is 248-6281. Hours are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 5 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sundays.
Setting the Table
J&J Cafeteria near downtown Conway was for years known as The Sandwich Shop. It was previously a Greyhound Bus station before Jeff Edwards and his brother, Joe Edwards, bought it in 1951. They also owned the nearby Austin Charles Hotel and Star Cab.
Now Bobby Edwards and Ernest Edwards are the third generation to own J&J's. Their dad, Ernie Edwards, ran it before them, and his face is still a familiar one dishing up platefuls of food behind the buffet line.
The restaurant was closed for three months starting in May for an extensive renovation, and it reopened with a sunny new décor and more room. When you go in the front door there is a seating area and a brick-fronted counter with chrome stools where you can place orders. A new buffet is in the restaurant's middle, and beyond that is a new large dining area.
Tables, booths and chairs are light ash blonde, and the floor is a handsome large-square tawny tile. Windows ring all the areas, providing plenty of light and a nice view of the traffic on Fourth Avenue.
A nostalgic décor featuring 1950s-era cars and old radios reminds customers of the building's history. In this pleasant setting are families, working men in gimme caps and boots, retired couples and business people.
Down the Hatch
You can get three square meals a day here. Most of the breakfast items are less than $5 - including eggs, meats, pancakes, omelets and French toast - but you can really blow it out for $6.40 with Steak & Eggs that includes a 6-ounce ribeye, two eggs, grits and hash browns. If you're in a hurry there are several portable breakfast choices, from biscuit with sausage gravy to a ham and egg sandwich.
For lunch you can choose from a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps and salads, but the most popular option is the lunchtime meat and three buffet, where you can select one meat and three sides to be dished up for $7.70, which includes tax and a beverage. If you'd like a buffet meal with smaller servings (ask for the light portions), that's $1 less. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays the buffet price is $10.95. All buffet meals come with iced tea or coffee (with real half-and-half), rolls and butter (trans fat-free whipped spread).
The Friday I visited, the lunch buffet included fried flounder, collards, rice, gravy, purple top turnips, sweet potato soufflé, fried squash, fried okra, corn, black-eyed peas, lima beans in gravy, peas, Salisbury steak, mac and cheese and fried chicken.
The Edwards never tire of reminding customers their produce is as fresh as possible, and frequently mention "Those collards were picked this morning," or "The turnips just came out of the field."
The fish was cooked to light and crispy brilliance, and chopped collards were flavorful and tender; not cooked to mush or over-seasoned. The rice was perfectly firm with separate grains, and most people moving through the line asked for rice and brown gravy.
In the evening, all entrees come with fries or baked potato, and house or Caesar salad. You can substitute sweet potato fries for an extra $1.
There are nightly specials like a recent one with two fresh spots, grits or rice, sweet potatoes or fries, cole slaw and hush puppies for $7.95. Steak and seafood are served every night, and a weekend dinner special is an oyster roast of local (McClellanville) select clusters for $18.95.
Check Please
Every buffet meal comes with dessert.
A typical day would include a choice of banana pudding, peach cobbler or Key Lime pie topped with a mile of fluffy fresh meringue.
Speaking of sweets, this is the sort of place you need to expect to be called sugar, honey or darlin', and you can sling the endearments right back and feel at home doing it.
Becky Billingsley serves daily restaurant news at www.MyrtleBeachRestaurantNews.com.
