Michael's Showside Grill — Restaurant in Spring Hope

Michael's Showside Grill - A Hidden Gem

The phrase 'hidden gem' is used far too often in my opinion, but it is the perfect label for Showside. This somewhat quirky downtown Spring Hope restaurant is often overlooked, but it happens to serve up a lot of really good eats. Its multifarious decor is a veritable mini-museum of bygone artifacts. The menu is wide-ranging and includes a surprisingly large variety of apps, salads, sandwiches, burgers, entrees and deserts (all homemade and scrumptious). Portions are moderate (no monstrous mounds of fries or coleslaw here), but sufficient.

Some of our favorite items include:

Pecan Encrusted Sea Scallops ($26) - The four very large fried Scallops were juicy and luscious - definitely the star of the show. The accompanying Coleslaw was fresh and the lightly sautéed Zucchini and Crookneck Squash done to perfection.

The Daily Special Sammy ($17) - A lightly fried jumbo soft-shelled crab, topped with a house-made 'crabby sauce' on grilled Texas toast (includes one side - we chose sweet potato fries - very good).

Hamburger Steak ($15) - The half-pound of Angus beef taste a lot like real steak and was lightly covered with a rich pepper, onion and mushroom gravy. The Hoop Cheese Grits were flavorful, but a little runny, and I would have liked a bigger serving. Crunchy coleslaw and hushpuppies rounded out the meal.

Pumpkin Pecan Mousse Pie ($8.75) - An unbelievably luscious concoction that literally melts in your mouth . I'm not big on deserts, but will gladly make an exception for this one.

We also tried the Sweet N Spicy Pork Riblets ($17) - The Honey Mustard drizzle was spicy and distinctive and the fried Brussel Sprouts crispy and well-cooked. The Riblets were tender, but somewhat dry, and lacked that succulent goodness I was expecting (perhaps my expectations were a little too high). Overall a good dish, but I recommend trying some of the other offerings first.

The Cigar Box Old Vine Pinot Noir ($23) went well with both the Riblets and Scallops.

Some of the intriguing dishes we look forward to trying on future visits include: Honey Pecan Catfish ($21), B's "Key West" Cuban Sandwich ($14), Ghost Pepper Burger ($13) and Lump Crab and Pit Ham (*) Pasta ($23)

(*) Whole ham that has been cut apart and the bone and some of the fat trimmed away from the inside...

This is our favorite go-to place for date night, even now that we have to drive from Raleigh to get here. AMAZING FOOD! They have a regular menu with fantastic dishes like ribeyes, the best catfish you'll find outside of Mississippi, and top of the line shrimp and grits, as well as pasta, salads, and burgers (try the chicken and strawberry pasta for a summer explosion in your mouth!). They also carry a hearty and delicious shrimp and grits on the menu that includes hoop cheese...and y'all know that I know what delicious means when it comes to shrimp and grits. Then they have a special menu every night with a salad, appetizer, pasta, burger, sandwich, and main dish option using some fresh, local, or unique ingredient....like tonight's jumbo shrimp and scallops pasta with spinach, mushrooms, and tomato in a PEACH HONEY CREAM SAUCE! OMG! KNOCKOUT! I also discovered the wonders of grilled watermelon through one of their special creations last summer. Don't overlook the variety of sides available...the roasted brussel sprouts are my pick to avoid carbs...an absolute necessity because there is NO WAY to turn down one or their homemade dessert creations, which also change nightly. The decor is fun and fascinating as well, and the staff is friendly. It is out of the way and a total surprise when you find it, but if you haven't been here yet, throw on some tunes and take a roadtrip. You will never regret it. THIS is what local exploration...

We booked MICHAEL months ago to caterer our wedding. We talked throughout the months to verify add/subtract everything.  The day before the wedding  he informed me that we would be there the day of the wedding. The day of the wedding at approximately 12:00am he CANCELED on us and told us he would not be catering our wedding or issuing the refund. How can he cancel on us and not issue our money back?? How can he just cancel the DAY OF THE WEDDING. We already paid him in full months prior. We thought finding Michael was a blessing but he DESTROYED our whole WEDDING. We lost so much money!  Please be smarter than me and find a better caterer. God Bless!!

We also spoke to Michael about a month or so prior about changing the base count from 100 guests to about 75 and refunding the difference. Michael stated that he would send out the check within a week of the wedding. It has been almost 3 months and we still have not received our refund. This type of customer service should not be tolerated, especially the owner. I am such...