LOOKING FOR AMAZING SOUTHERN COOKING?

Pam’s Farmhouse

By David McCreary
5111 Western Blvd., Raleigh • (919) 859-9990

Beloved by white- and blue-collar patrons far and wide, Pam’s Farmhouse restaurant in Raleigh serves up spot-on Southern comfort food, including sweet tea served in Ball Mason jars. Where else do you find bottles of blackstrap molasses on the table? Sit there for just a few minutes, and you’ll also find a basketful of scratch-made biscuits and hushpuppies.

It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Well, actually it does. Once you order the jalapeño-infused barbecue chicken, then you’ve entered otherworldly culinary terrain. Just be sure to ask for white meat (well worth the 50-cent upcharge) as well as an extra side of sauce for dipping.

Other items worth consideration are the pork chops and country-style steak with rice and gravy. At any given time, fresh veggies will include squash and onions, collard greens, steamed cabbage, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Creamy deviled eggs are also first-rate.

The barbecue chicken at Pam’s Farmhouse is so good people drive from Durham and beyond to savor it.

“We usually have a line out the door,” said owner Pam Medlin, who hails from Henderson and honed her culinary skills at the Farmer’s Market Restaurant years ago. Her mother sits behind the cash register and makes sure gracious interaction accompanies each guest’s final transaction.

Breakfast anyone? Pam’s features the requisite offerings such as omelets, hotcakes and French toast plus authentic country-style selections such as brains and eggs.

Not surprisingly, service is fast and friendly. A veteran all-female waitstaff is eager to please and calls patrons “shug” and “honey.” Consider it the epitome of Southern hospitality.

When it comes to décor, Formica tables and vinyl-padded chairs fill the modest dining room. A row of mirrored walls makes the already sizable space look even more expansive.

Menu prices are a good value — a meat plate with two vegetables costs less than $7. Keep in mind, though, that Pam’s Farmhouse takes cash and checks only. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch and serves breakfast only on Saturdays.

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