Editor’s Note:
Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad and the tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and 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: 5
Service: 4
Business Meeting: 3
Value: 4
Average Score: 4.0 of 5
Today’s dining establishment seems to be polarizing among those I invite to eat there. Some love it. Some would rather not. But if you’re the type to whom homestyle country cooking appeals, then Goolsby’s in Evans is one of the area’s great tastes.
Goolsby’s is the literal definition of country come to town. The late founder Richard Goolsby started by barbecuing behind the family’s country store, and more than a decade ago opened one of the most hoppin’ spots in the city for weekday lunch. The cafeteria style menu still heavily features barbecue, along with some incredible fried entrees, and a score of country sides. The barbecue looks awesome, and must be with all the people having it dished onto their plates, but I can never seem to stray from the fried pork loin with gravy. It’s one of those foods I find myself craving.
My longtime friend and dining companion for the day opted for the barbecue pork, and wasn’t disappointed. The roast potatoes are always a treat, and the cabbage that has so much goodness added in it probably no longer counts as a vegetable. Many folks opt for their potatoes mashed, and of course there’s the kind of mac and cheese usually reserved for holiday tables. Your final option will be bread, and while the rolls look great, I prefer the cornbread in the shape of a pancake, perfectly textured with a hint of sweetness.
I won’t pretend like Goolsby’s is the perfect spot for a business lunch. While I find I usually have great conversations when here, it’s open and noisy with roaming servers clearing tables and refilling drinks. The cable news stations also feature prominently in the decor. This is one of those locales with a more blue-collar feel, but that is definitely part of the charm.
The only rub for me is that with country cooking, I often associate it with the cheaper end of the lunch menu. Goolsby’s will definitely run you around $15 a head, with ten bucks for the meat and veggies, then bread and a drink added on extra. But is it worth it? As my Arkansas relative would say, “Sho is.”
Goolsby’s
4460 Washington Rd # 9
Evans
www.goolsbys.com
