Skillet Southern Bistro — Restaurant in Cramerton

“A bomb of pure, wondrous flavor in my mouth” -A satisfied customer

TLDR: Delicious food with perfect proportions Great staff Will recommend and return

It was late in the evening when my two companions and I tossed around the idea of visiting the new restaurant on the corner. Upon reviewing the menu’s unique offerings, we decided “Why not?”, and ventured into the night.

We ordered the Veggie Pasta, the Shrimp Po’Boy Tacos with a side of street corn, and Tilly’s Messy Burger with a side of fries. Our two servers, Tyler and Taylen, brightened our table every time they stopped by to check on our dining experience, to which we consistently replied “great”, “amazing”, and “so good”.

Pasta: The noodles, perfectly al dente; the sauce, creamy and truffle forward; and the vegetables, wonderfully cooked.

Tacos: The two tacos, neatly arranged on one blue corn tortilla each, were not only delicious, but sturdy—no crumbling or tearing in sight. The seasoned sauce, draping the corn-topped shrimp, was exciting to the tastebuds, but not spicy. And the street corn! Such an explosion of flavor as it cleanly fell from the cob. Very good, to say the least.

Burger: From across the room, I saw the burger and fries, sitting on the window, and wondered, “Why are the two servers not delivering it yet?” Then, I watched, as the toasted top bun was delicately leaned against the layered tower that is Tilly’s Messy Burger. My eyes widened at the carefully constructed tower now before me—the fried tomato and its blanket of lettuce, supporting the weight of a juicy patty, slathered with pimento cheese, topped by bacon, hugged by a perfectly fried egg, and sprinkled with crisp, fried onion. So, like the ways of a boa constrictor, I unhinged my jaw and gobbled a heaping bite of succulence. Before I could even chew it however, I had to open my mouth and fan my face, because of the heat still trapped within the exceptional ingredients. When I finally chewed through the monstrous bite, I knew that the upcoming dinner would be one for the history books. The flavors rushed together, yet still withheld individuality. I could place every taste within each bite, yet enjoyed the symphony the burger created. The fries, crisp like the onions and as seasoned as the tacos, acted as the burger’s loyal companions, satisfying my hunger when breaking from tackling the beast that is the burger.

After we finished our meal, and upon our inquiry of who Tilly was, the chef, Casey McElwaine, posted himself at our table and told us of how Tilly’s burger came to be; he quoted his Grandma Tilly: “If a burger’s not messy, it’s not worth eating.” And let me tell you, Grandma Tilly would be proud, and we will be back.

Thank you,...

Update: We decided to go back to the Skillet Southern Bistro because we want local places to thrive and succeed, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of all (4) dishes we ordered…(note the pictures and 5 stars for food). Unfortunately, the acoustic’s are still just as bad and is very difficult to carry on a conversation. We met the owner and executive chef, explained how good the food was but how the sound was so bad, he said he’s got some changes in the making to help with the sound as he recognizes the problem, he just didn’t allocate funds for acoustics when he built his place. We will go back one more time in hopes the sound issue has been rectified….if not, it’s just too difficult to spend the amount of money going out costs only to have to struggle to hear the people you are with, it’s just not enjoyable. Again, the food was terrific!

I rarely give poor reviews, but, I think the owner needs to hear some of my comments…from walking up, there are two front doors, made no sense (especially since it was cold outside), the place was so loud…it sounded like a cafeteria…it needs an acoustics overhaul, the layout of the restaurant made no sense…employees were on top of each other getting food…resulting in cold food being delivered…the bartender was so busy he couldn’t really serve drinks to the restaurant and offer service to those at the bar…the food (hamburger) was way under cooked…the soup was bland at best, it took a long time to get pepper , when we got it, it was a grinder (good thing)…but, it was broken and only peppercorn balls came out. The couple sitting next to us ordered a hamburger too…it was so raw it was dripping blood..they sent it back. On the good note…the bone in pork chop and liver mush was good…but, as important as food is (which you fell short) it’s everything else put together that makes a good restaurant…this restaurant has an opportunity to be good, but, it needs to be reimagined and make some...

There are restaurants and then there are dining experiences. Skillet Southern Bistro is the quintessential definition of the comprehensive dining experience. Nestled in the quaint town of Cramerton, a town owing its history to the union of textiles and the river, Skillet has assumed its rightful place as a cornerstone of the Main Street Movement revitalizing similar cities and towns across the nation.

The ambiance is undeniably welcoming. Immediately you’re welcomed by a presentation both aesthetically pleasing and well balanced. There is enough in the way of design that honors the present while equally paying homage to the building’s past. A visit during the week will likely afford you the best opportunity to take it all in, while also giving you the opportunity to connect with the excellent staff from tables that give you the best view of beautiful downtown Cramerton and the river.

All of this is meaningless if the food doesn’t measure up. Guess what? It totally does. The Cajun pasta was absolutely delicious with the chicken and sausage both done to perfection. The Tilly burger is not to be approached lightly. It boasts some of the best pimento cheese, onion straws, and fried green tomatoes you’ll ever taste. The collard greens are some of tenderest savory greens you’ll get outside of your granny’s kitchen. The remainder of the menu is exercise in meal planning as you will find yourself thinking heavily about what you’re going to order on your next visit. With a great lunch and dinner menu you will be meal planning for a while.

Do yourself a favor and experience this Gaston County dining gem as soon as you can. Weekends already favor making reservation. It won’t be long before weekdays...