Food for the Soul - OJ's Diner

My love of soul food started early in life. I remember attending a pot luck dinner in the 4th grade and one of the mom's brought collard greens that totally rocked my little world. The balance of the salt to sugar was perfect and she had used pork belly to give the greens an amazing depth of flavor.

Later in life a boss introduced me to the concept of a "meat and three". If you aren't familiar with that concept it is a type of restaurant that is usually cafeteria style where you choose one meat and either 2 or three different sides. In Greenville the gold standard for meat and three restaurants is OJ's Diner.

When you pull up to the restaurant there are entrances on both sides. Use the right side entrance because that is where the line forms. If you happen to arrive on a busy day the line can reach out the door! But don't worry, service is fast and the line moves fairly quickly. I usually yell hello to Kiki who will take care of you once you have your food and sit down. When you get close to the food grab one of the trays stacked under the counter. The people working behind the counter will usually ask you if you are eating in the restaurant or getting it to go. Then you can tell them what you would like to eat or point it out through the glass. The main meats tend to be at the front of the line and the sides further down but the layout changes regularly so take a second to look over everything before you tell them what you want. You don't have to select three sides, you can choose any number or none at all! Or if multiple meats are calling your name then get two meats. There is no wrong way to order. After they load your plate with your selections they will ask you if you want any bread. During breakfast this will be a biscuit (amazing) and for lunch either a roll or cornbread. Once you all the food is on the plate they will hand it to you. Place it on the tray and keep moving down the line. Your last stop will be getting a drink and paying. They have sweet tea and a few types of juices, sodas or water. If you aren't used to southern sweet tea the just a heads up, it has a lot of sugar in it but is quite tasty. When paying you have the option to leave a tip. You can also leave cash on the table which the staff greatly appreciate. Once you have paid you can go sit anywhere you like in the dining room. One of the ladies who work the room will bring you silverware and ask if you want anything else. Some people like hot sauce or tarter sauce depending on what you order. Kiki and the other ladies are happy to help so ask if there is something you need. They will also come around and refill your drinks if you ordered sweet tea or water. When you are finished leave your tray on the table and they will clean it up!

OJs has perfected the formula for tasty soul food over the years. My personal favorites are their fried flounder fillets. The breading is amazing and they have the fry process down so that the fish is crunchy on the outside while still moist and flaky on the inside. Their mac and cheese it hard to beat as well. Mac and cheese is one of those dishes that people play with a bit too much and tend to get wrong. OJ's hits all the right spots and keeps this classic simple and tasty. Green beans are another item that OJs has dialed in. It is rare that I find green beans that are better than what you will find at OJs. This is just a small sample of what they server everyday. You will certainly enjoy the process of trying and finding your own favorite menu items.

OJs is strictly a breakfast and lunch place and is open from 7am until 5pm. They switch from breakfast to lunch at 11am and lunch isn't in full swing until around 11:30am. They do have a drive through if you are on the go but for the best experience I recommend you dine in. The ladies who run the dining room are excellent and will make sure you have everything you need for a delicious meal. There is a location in Easley but I haven't visited this one personally so this review only applies to the Pendleton location. 907 Pendleton St

Greenville, SC 29601 Phone: (864) 235-2539 http://www.ojsdiner.com