Lovick's Cafe — Restaurant in Kinston

I just want to set the tone to my review of Lovick's Cafe for anyone looking to understand the significance of what my meal there meant to me:

The city of Kinston, North Carolina is a place that takes you back to simpler times, a small town feel where everyone knew each other. You can tell that Lovick's was (and still is), a big part of this town where people got together every day to break bread and enjoy a great meal. There was just one thing - people like me might not have been able to enjoy a meal there in the 40's, 50's and 60's because of the times being what they were.

Fast forward to today. As I was seated in the middle of the dining room area with just my 16 year old son and I, the magnitude of the moment hit me - I was able to enjoy a meal (an amazing meal, so stay tuned) with my son in a restaurant where my mother and grandparents who were from the South, would not have been allowed to go into. My heart was beating out of my chest as I was trying to hold back the tears that were coming from a place of emotion that I didn't think I was capable of. Even my teenage son understood how significant this moment was. These tears were tears of sadness and joy, which is hard to explain.

The warm hospitality and graciousness that my son and I received from this 3rd generation (think about that) family-owned restaurant is something that I never thought I would experience in the South, coming from New York City. The Lovick's staff were very attentive and accommodating throughout our whole meal.

I say all of this to let you know that my experience at Lovick's was beyond the meal. Yes, the meal was outstanding (please make it your PRIORITY to get those sweet potato pancakes, as they are the best pancakes that you will ever have, anywhere!) - but this was so much more than that. This was a testament to the Lovick's family to be a family of inclusion, where people from all walks of life can come into their restaurant and enjoy a great meal and have a great experience.

I want to thank the town of Kinston for the hospitality that I experienced there - but I especially want to thank the Lovick's family for the time that I spent at their restaurant. I will be...

My boyfriend and I stopped in for breakfast. We placed our order and got our food in a timely manner. However, the Spanish omelette I ordered tasted like trash. I also got pancakes and coffee, which were good, and my boyfriend got a sandwich that was good. I asked our waitress if she could take the omelette off the bill and she went and got the manager. The manager comes over and asks what the problem is. I tell her something was off with the omelette and we wanted it taken off the bill since I didn’t get to eat it. She then begins to argue with me and she tells me that there can’t be anything wrong with it because it’s made with fresh ingredients, and then tells me that Spanish omelettes have a lot of things in them to include jalapeños. I know this, that’s why I ordered it. She said there wasn’t anything wrong, but told me I just didn’t like the food. I said are you seriously arguing with me?! Then she tells me she’ll take off the whole bill because she wants us to come back. Clearly she didn’t think about that before giving me an attitude. I told her I didn’t mind paying for the food we ate and insisted on it, and that I also wanted to tip our server. She said it was fine and she would give her sever some money and then yells across the restaurant that she owed our waitress $5. So now I’m not allowed to be right that the food was bad, and I’m also not allowed to be a decent person and tip the worker that brought things to us. We asked the waitress if she would ring up a separate bill for us without the omelette so we could pay for our food and tip her. She got yelled at by her manage but she did. This was our first experience and we will...

If you've ever had your grandma's breakfast and thought, "This is as good as it gets," think again. Lovick’s Cafe has completely redefined my breakfast standards, and honestly, my grandma might need to step up her game.

First off, the pancakes at Lovick’s? Not just fluffy. Cloud-like. They make you feel like you’ve just bitten into a piece of heaven. The eggs? Perfectly over easy , not like the mysterious, half-scrambled lumps Grandma used to make. She tried, bless her heart, but Lovick’s eggs? They should be classified as a national treasure.

Lovick’s bacon is on another level—it's like they raised it in a spa, pampered it, and then cooked it to perfection.

Honestly, I think Lovick’s breakfast may be the key to world peace. Forget about global diplomacy—just serve everyone a plate of their warehouse breakfast, and watch enemies become lifelong friends.

So, thanks, Lovick’s Cafe, for making me realize that not all breakfasts are created equal. Sorry, Grandma, but you’ve...