Southland Restaurant and Catering — Restaurant in Contiguous United States

Since our first visit several years ago this restaurant has become a favorite for my wife and me. In our experience the restaurant has been very consistent in providing great tasting food and good service, we've never had a bad meal or been disappointed here.

Parking is never a problem here as the private lot shared with the rest of the Southland complex has proven adequate at even the busiest times. The restaurant is popular and they don't take reservations so there may occasionally be a short wait for seating. The wait is not usually lengthy, I think the longest we've ever waited is about ten minutes or so.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is menu service but most people order the buffet at lunch or dinner times. The buffet provides great comfort foods at very reasonable prices. Featured buffet items vary according to the day of the week but every buffet has their really amazing fried chicken and very nice North Carolina style pork barbecue. The fried chicken is outstanding so tender, juicy and flavorful with a wonderful crispy breading. The taste is close to the fried chicken I grew up with in northeastern Ohio so every bite brings back wonderful memories from my childhood. It's some of the best fried chicken I've ever eaten. I also really enjoy the pork barbecue. Add a little of the hot vinegar sauce and some delicious creamy coleslaw from the salad bar and the flavors will dance in your mouth. Sometimes I'll pile it on a dinner roll to make a sandwich.

Our favorite buffet here is on Fridays when they feature fish and seafood. They have a very nice boil with shrimp, clams, mussels, corn, potatoes and sausage. It's really, really delicious. My wife just cant get enough of those mussels which are always tender and full of flavor. The shrimp is always really good too and the clams are also quite enjoyable. Other items on the Friday buffet includes a couple different kinds of fried fish and some baked fish as well. I really love the fried fish, it's just so very scrumptious. I am generally not much of a hushpuppy person but I just can't get enough of those hot fresh puppies served on the buffet.

As I mentioned, there are different items featured on the buffet on different nights but the quality and taste is always spot on. Entrees are always delicious and they keep replenishing the bins with fresh product. Some of the vegetables can be a little mediocre but you can always find something to enjoy. There is a nice salad bar as well, it isn't very big but everything appears fresh and tasty. There are two soups on the buffet as well, they're always delicious, the Hatteras Clam Chowder is a favorite of mine. Desserts are limited but nice with various puddings and cakes, the bread pudding is always my favorite. The bread pudding varies as well but no matter what fruit is in it (apple, pineapple, strawberry, etc...) it's always delicious and a great way to end my meal.

The staff is always friendly and personable and efficient. Dirty dishes are always removed promptly and drinks are kept filled. The restaurant is always very clean and comfortable, even the restrooms are very clean and properly stocked with supplies. Oh, one more thing. Did I mention I love the...

April 2021 - 3 stars This has been our go-to after church for several years. Since covid-19, things have changed and not for the better. Not sure if the cook is different, but things are coming out of the kitchen with less pride. They've gotten rid of some staples like their breakfast casserole which was better than cracker barrel. They no longer have things like mushrooms or spinach for your omelet, even though you can buy mushrooms that will last forever in a $0.50 can and work great in omelets. Today was kind of the last straw. We've had trouble getting decent fried potatoes the last few visits. Today, my wife was served raw potatoes. They were cold in the center. We told them we wanted them fried and asked for a new order. I've attached a picture what they brought. It was the same thing thrown in a microwave. You used to be able to get crispy potatoes and they were always well seasoned. It's a true shame, because this is super convenient and the staff are as good as you will find anywhere. The cook has to go and the management needs to rethink the menu.

It's a delicate balance between keeping the popular menu items and pre covid pricing, given costs are up and good people are near impossible to find with the government paying folks to stay home. Your choices are to be average and lose customers or be great and adjust prices. Don't be afraid! Nobody ever went bust being great.

April 2019 - 5 stars If you're looking for hometown food, cooked exactly the way your mom used to, this is the place. The waitresses are fast, caring and they remember you from...

Great food and service! This is our meeting point to pick up/drop off our Grandchildren so we stop here about four times a month.

We've only had lunch and dinner here, everything is delicious, portions are large and the prices are good. We always have leftovers.

We've enjoyed everything we tried on the menu. Their fried chicken & tenders are the best! Their cheeseburger are super tasty and juicy. Catfish is delicious, fried to perfection. Club sandwich, meatloaf, bbq plate or sandwich again delicious. They offer chicken & dumplings and have different specials every day. The bbq is southern and the sauce is vinegar based. Don't forget to look at the desserts on the way in.

The restaurant is clean and the staff have always been pleasant and orders have been right the first time.

I highly recommend stopping here for lunch or dinner.

Next door there is a gift shop, convenience foods (chips, sodas, etc.), discount cigarettes, packaged bbq, rolls, coleslaw, salads, bbq sauce and homemade fudge. Ample parking and self service gas station as well.

They also have a snack bar & ice cream, but the restaurant has much better food than the snack bar.

Highly recommend...