Growing up in Salem, Opelika’s southerly neighbor, homecooked meals were a way of life in the Bryce household.
My family’s cooking incorporates a lot of vegetables and produce grown on our farm, so fresh, authentic-tasting meals are something I am more than accustomed to. Ask my wife and she would tell you: I am one of those guys that brags to everyone that my momma cooks this better than anybody, or you have not lived until you have tried my grandma Peggy’s fill-in-the-blank casserole.
Last Wednesday, I felt like I had gone home to Salem to have some lunch after eating my first meal at Opelika’s newest meat-and-three restaurant, Susie K’s.
The daily special was meatloaf, and sides offered were Southern staples like turnips, cabbage, creamed corn, black-eyed peas and more.
I chose cabbage and a double portion of black-eyed peas for my sides and cornbread for the bread portion of my meal.
From the first to last bite, I would have sworn I was eating a Sunday meal at my grandma’s house. It looked and tasted like it was fresh and made from scratch, and possessed a soulfulness you would find in the voices of singers like B.B. King or my personal favorite, Gregg Allman.
Costing only $8.71 excluding the tip, the meal very affordable, something hard to find in many quality restaurants these days. The service was friendly and efficient, and wait time was minimal.
I would rate my experience at Susie K’s a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Whenever I have the urge to eat genuine, down-home Southern cooking (which is frequent), you’ll find me chowing down at Susie K’s.
For more information and a full menu, call (334) 737-6065. The restaurant is located at 1801 W. Second Ave. in Opelika. The business’s normal operating hours are 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and will host a grand opening celebration Friday, starting at 10 a.m.
