Comfort Food Restaurants in Irmo, SC

“This ain't no Pepperidge Farm commercial, but I remember Sunday supper at the cafe in the town where my Momma was born and raised in the Carolina pines. I done gone to Texas nigh bout 40 years ago.

tldr; flounder, chicken fried steak, banana pudding, collards.

Eating at the Lizard's Thicket tonight brought back all the memories. Kimmie was sweeter than the tea, which coincidentally was the best I've had in years. The fried flounder was so good and crisp and crunchy, I skipped the knife and fork. THEY HAVE REAL COLLARDS!! The black eyed peas were perfect.

Momma hasn't been eating as much but she cleared the plate of chicken fried steak and rice and gravy. Y'all ... the white pepper gravy was not from a mix. Cornbread was just right and not sweet. The tea, by the way, was so good. It tasted different from what I'm used to in Texas - stronger, but not dark or bitter.

The staff were wonderful. Learned a little about the history and the family that started it, so be sure to ask about the decorative plates. There's a family story in those decorations. Everyone was so nice and helpful; it really was a family atmosphere.

I'll have to update this once I eat the blackberry cobbler. Was too full to eat it there. Mom also got a banana pudding to go.

(Update: the blackberry cobbler was great, but the banana pudding was awesome! We went back several times and tried different desserts... but I would recommend the banana pudding over everything else. The pecan pie was great too but I'll miss the 'naner pudding the most.)

We will be back and will make this a regular stop on our trip to Columbia.

It's not a happy trip for us, as we're making some difficult decisions, but thanks to Kimmie and Lizard's Thicket, Momma and I shared memories of home and remembered what real Southern cooking should be.

Thanks for making this a better trip for all of us. ?

Wheelchair accessibility: Ramp and marked curbs; easy for my Mom to navigate with a walker.“