by Violet Rebecca Jones
As you may have figured out by now, I like to look for inexpensive things to do, places to go, and restaurants that serve a good meal for a reasonable price. I have found that the restaurants that look the most forlorn and unattractive often serve the best food. If I see a place that has a lot of cars in the parking lot, I figure there must be a reason, so I am willing to try it out. I saw just such a place,Paw's Diner, on my way back from physical therapy for my injured knee and decided it would be as good a place as any to have lunch.
Located between Seneca and Clemson, South Carolina, the outside of the restaurant looks like an old store, or possibly a roadside tavern, but the parking lot was so full I had to drive around twice waiting for someone to leave just to find a place to park. When I got inside, there were no available tables. I had to wait until someone left and the waitress cleared away the dishes before I could sit down. There were a few tables and chairs, but most of the seating was in the form of hard, wooden booths like one would find in old, fast food burger places. There was one tall table with bar chairs where a few people tried to sit, but all of them left it as soon as another table opened up. They said it felt like the table was going to turn over. Most of clientele were blue collar working men who obviously only had a short time for lunch; however, there was a table of medical office workers, a few business women in suits, several elderly couples, and a mother and daughter duo. Most appeared to be regulars since the waitress asked the mother and daughter if they would mind if she waited on a table of men first since they had to be back at work in a few minutes.
The menu was simply a few typed pages that listed the day's special and standard fare such as burgers and sandwiches. Most of the patrons ordered from the daily special menu, as I did. I had the chicken livers ( I happen to love chicken livers for some strange reason), fried squash, greens, and potato salad, along with a mix of cornbread and rolls. Since it was one of the items on the daily special menu, it did not take long for it to be served. At $6.25, it was one of the most reasonably meals I have found. One could get a meat and one vegetable for $5.00. The food was good although I found the chicken livers and squash to be somewhat greasy. They should have been drained on paper to absorb some of the oil before serving, but with the huge crowd, time might have been a factor. The greens were delicious. The potato salad was average, or possibly slightly above average, but needed a few extra flavorings or additions to rank it at number one. The food was served hot, the utensils were clean, and even though there was a large crowd, the service was fast, the place was kept clean, and the waitresses were extremely friendly.
Paw's Diner is a good place for locals to eat a southern style meal, especially for lunch when time is short. I think the restaurant is open at night as well, but I am not sure if the menu changes. While you would probably not choose to go there for an important date night, it is a good place to stop on your way somewhere. I will probably stop again sometime.
As you may have figured out by now, I like to look for inexpensive things to do, places to go, and restaurants that serve a good meal for a reasonable price. I have found that the restaurants that look the most forlorn and unattractive often serve the best food. If I see a place that has a lot of cars in the parking lot, I figure there must be a reason, so I am willing to try it out. I saw just such a place,Paw's Diner, on my way back from physical therapy for my injured knee and decided it would be as good a place as any to have lunch.
Located between Seneca and Clemson, South Carolina, the outside of the restaurant looks like an old store, or possibly a roadside tavern, but the parking lot was so full I had to drive around twice waiting for someone to leave just to find a place to park. When I got inside, there were no available tables. I had to wait until someone left and the waitress cleared away the dishes before I could sit down. There were a few tables and chairs, but most of the seating was in the form of hard, wooden booths like one would find in old, fast food burger places. There was one tall table with bar chairs where a few people tried to sit, but all of them left it as soon as another table opened up. They said it felt like the table was going to turn over. Most of clientele were blue collar working men who obviously only had a short time for lunch; however, there was a table of medical office workers, a few business women in suits, several elderly couples, and a mother and daughter duo. Most appeared to be regulars since the waitress asked the mother and daughter if they would mind if she waited on a table of men first since they had to be back at work in a few minutes.
The menu was simply a few typed pages that listed the day's special and standard fare such as burgers and sandwiches. Most of the patrons ordered from the daily special menu, as I did. I had the chicken livers ( I happen to love chicken livers for some strange reason), fried squash, greens, and potato salad, along with a mix of cornbread and rolls. Since it was one of the items on the daily special menu, it did not take long for it to be served. At $6.25, it was one of the most reasonably meals I have found. One could get a meat and one vegetable for $5.00. The food was good although I found the chicken livers and squash to be somewhat greasy. They should have been drained on paper to absorb some of the oil before serving, but with the huge crowd, time might have been a factor. The greens were delicious. The potato salad was average, or possibly slightly above average, but needed a few extra flavorings or additions to rank it at number one. The food was served hot, the utensils were clean, and even though there was a large crowd, the service was fast, the place was kept clean, and the waitresses were extremely friendly.
Paw's Diner is a good place for locals to eat a southern style meal, especially for lunch when time is short. I think the restaurant is open at night as well, but I am not sure if the menu changes. While you would probably not choose to go there for an important date night, it is a good place to stop on your way somewhere. I will probably stop again sometime.
 |
| The parking lot had thinned out somewhat by the time I left. (click picture to enlarge) |
Just simple, homestyle southern food.
 |
| Apparently they sell bags of ice as well as food. |
Copyright 2014 Violet Rebecca Jones
No comments:
Post a Comment