Corrugated pink, quonset shape--an intriguing exterior with an interior that's got no frills and some good food. Sally's offers a nice solid menu and daily specials, all at reasonable prices. Examples: the grilled ham and cheese is stacked with ham between nicely crisped bread--at $3.69, it's quite a deal. The shrimp platter comes with 8 tail-ons (grilled or fried) plus 2 sides and rolls, cornbread, or hush puppies. The hush puppies come fried at perfect temperature--no greasiness, just great flavor. Same with the corn nuggets. The greens come piping hot and delicious.
While we were there, Sally's had a constant stream of patrons, one cook and one server, but we were eating within a decent amount of time.
A well-run eatery.
Get off I-10 and try this spot. Lunch special was excellent "Blue Plate". Hamburger steak grilled onions, mashed potatoes and home made brown gravy. No mixes here. I would swear my Grandmother was in the kitchen. Â Perfect southern tea. Topped off with warn lemon bread pudding. A little tart and not to sweet. Well worth the hunt.
Review Source:The good: The restaurant is homey and quiet. You can tell it is a complete Mom & Pop place with traditional southern/diner fare. Service was friendly and reasonably quick and they were able to keep my drink filled at almost all times (I typically drink 6 glasses+ of unsweetened tea). The food was filling and I walked away stuffed leaving about half of my sides on the plate.
The bad: All of the food was meh quality at best. The food was under seasoned at best and downright bad in other places.
Hamburger steak w/gravy & onions: Under seasoned, but adding some salt and pepper went a long way.
Mashed potatoes: Awful. Boxed mash potatoes that were too dry and weren't prepared well enough to cover up that they weren't fresh.
Cabbage: Tasted like saurkraut.
Fried Mushrooms: Had a weird tang to them as if the mushrooms had been frozen and then deep fried.
Stuffed Jalepeno peppers: Probably the best thing I had. They did a great job de-veining and seeding them so even my spicy adverse sibling was able to enjoy them.
Fried catfish: This was okay. Battered in cornmeal instead of flour which was a plus.
Pricing: You're looking at $10.00 to $15.00 a plate on average with appetizers in the $5.00 to $8.00 range.
Overall: I wouldn't go back. I loved the environment of the restaurant because it was like stepping back fifty years, but none of the food that I tasted was any good.
Don't let appearances fool you... This is a gem of a find in a small town. Â The restaurant itself will scare you from the outside. Â It looks run down and you might see a rooster or ducks walking around and it looks like it's in moderate disrepair BUT the food is fantastic!!
You will be greeted at the door with strange jewelry in old plastic cases to your right and probably see the main older lady chef in the kitchen working diligently to fulfill orders. The decor is over the top pink (pink shirts, pink walls, pink tinted water cups) but it works. It smeels like my great grandmothers house but the food makes it all worth it. Â
I ordered more than you should for 2 people - fried mushrooms appetizer (home cooked & piping HOT), a bacon cheese hamburger, a normal hamburger (only $3.50), a BLT (most bacon I've had on one and the fresh bread & ingredients made it one of the best I have EVER had), curly fries (yummy), and a philly cheese sandwich.
Before you judge me.... I didn't eat ALL of these in one sitting. Â The prices were so reasonable I wanted to try a bunch off their menu so I could write up a review of the different popular items. Â I ended up eating half off each plate and then had leftovers over the next 2 days.
Every thing I had I would love to eat again. Â If I lived here I would be a regular and have to double up on my CrossFit workouts to make up for it. Â This is not a HEALTHY place remotely, but good home southern cooked food prepared by an older lady that had been doing it for decades.
You must try to place if you are ever in the area, it's worth it to drive out of the way too!!
The outside of Sally's is warm, pink, and inviting. Â Kitschy pink decor is everywhere: from the pink walls to the plastic pink cups. Â The Victorian dolls in the curio cabinet next to the giant bear plaque are an eclectic touch.
Listening to the locals tell their alligator stories added to the mom and pop vibe of the joint (definitely something we don't get to experience as Yankees). Â Even the waitstaff stopped what they were doing to join in the conversation (putting cooking and cleaning temporarily on hold, I might add).
The place could be cleaner. Â Half the tables had dirty plates left on them waiting to be bussed, and my flip-flops stuck to the floor as I walked. Â Bathroom walls needed a good scrub-down. Â Note to greasy spoon restaurant owners: If you're going to decorate with ceiling fans, chandeliers, and artificial flowers-- make sure they're not dusty. Â Customers like me notice when they are, even if you do not.
All of our four meals arrived at different times. Â Two of us were done before the fourth meal was brought to the table. Â Apparently Sally can only cook one thing at a time. ;)
The food was good, tasty and cheap. Â Grits were creamy, bacon was crisp. Â It's definitely a no-frills place. Â You're not going to find eggs benedict or rye bread on the breakfast menu, but if you're looking for a good value with local color, this is your spot.
I go to Vortex Springs at least once a month and after a day of scuba diving, I must stop by Sally's for a big meal.
Yes, it is the only restaurant in the area but it doesn't stop them from serving great food. Â I love the humongous bacon cheeseburgers and the onion rings are beer-battered and made fresh to order. Â Sometimes I deviate and get the BLT and sweet potato fries instead. Â
Great country-type restaurant, everything is pink and you will be greeted by a surly black cat and a flock of chickens and ducks out front.