Editor’s Note:
Our regular lunch reviewer, Wes Hennings, is taking a few weeks of paternity leave. While we assume he is still eating something, somewhere, he won’t be writing about it while he’s off duty. Meanwhile, ABD editor, Gary Kauffman will pinch-hit with the reviews of his lunches with a colleague, as a way to advise our business community on the good, the bad, and the tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let the restaurant know where he is going; his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review.”
Food Quality: 4
Service: 5
Business Meeting: 3
Value: 5
Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5
Just across the 13th Street bridge in North Augusta, tucked behind trees and shrubbery, is a quaint restaurant called McNeely’s Place. It opened on March 25 in a 107-year-old house that formerly had been the location of another favorite restaurant, Davenport’s, that closed about 12 years ago.
McNeely’s Place promises to deliver food like my grandmother used to make, and I liked my grandmother’s food, so it seemed like a good spot to meet a colleague from North Augusta. The first part of any journey to McNeely’s is being able to find it – as mentioned, it’s camouflaged quite well from the road, necessitating a quick turn off Georgia Avenue onto Clifton Road, where you’ll find ample parking.
The building is charming, although seating is limited, so it’s best to arrive soon after they open at 11 or try for a later lunch. There are two rooms with various-sized tables for dining, plus a few smaller tables on the front porch. Despite it being an open space, the noise level was less distracting than I expected. It would be appropriate for a casual business meeting or a lunch with co-workers. (I didn’t notice any business-type meetings at the other tables – the patrons appeared more likely to be discussing Medicare benefits than business.)
The menu at McNeely’s changes almost daily, usually with three entrees and sides, plus some sandwiches and additional side options. On the day we arrived, our very grandmotherly options were smothered chicken and dressing, beef tips over rice and gravy, and cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole.
I chose the smothered chicken and dressing with sides of mac and cheese and strawberries and cream, while my dining partner opted for the cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole with sides of sweet peas and a cucumber-tomato salad. We both added the jalapeno bacon cheddar muffin, definitely not something my grandmother would have made.
Although it’s not fast food, the service was speedy. A limited menu allows for the swift delivery of food from kitchen to table. Our waitress was attentive and immediately after setting our dishes in front of us, she returned with additional napkins, which proved timely since I’d just dropped my phone into my gravy. She kept our water glasses filled and checked on us frequently.
My chicken, a thigh-and-leg portion, was fall-off-the-bone tender and juicy. The dressing was good, although in my biased opinion, not as good as my grandmother’s. The gravy was plentiful, even after my phone fiasco, and the mac and cheese and strawberries were tasty. The jalapeno bacon cheddar muffin was more like cornbread than a muffin and had a slight kick to it.
My companion rated the casserole and the sides as “good,” but one bite of their muffin was enough to have it replaced by a Hawaiian roll. My companion noted that the portions were just right for lunch – big enough to be satisfying, but small enough to not stuff you and leave you half-comatose when you return to work.
Although the desserts looked tempting – banana pudding, old-fashioned lemon bars, and cakes – we passed.
Because of the swift service, we completed our meal in a half-hour, making lunch there worthwhile, even if you have to drive a bit extra to get there. Overall, it makes a nice change-of-pace lunch spot for a casual lunch.
