The women behind the counter at Fat Man's Cafe take orders during the lunch rush. Southern soul food dominates the menu of this establishment, but salads are available, too. (Jonathan Ernst/Staff)
Soul food is easy on the wallet
This is the type of meal you can expect from Fat Man's Cafe on Laney-Walker Boulevard - a ton of food for a very small price.
I chose the grilled chicken plate, and I had a hard time choosing from the list of home-cooked vegetables that included steamed cabbage, squash casserole, macaroni and cheese, turnip greens, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, potato salad, candied yams and field peas.
Other entree choices included barbecue pork, fish filet, ham steak, hamburger steak, fried chicken, smothered chicken with gravy, and chuck wagon steak with gravy.
If you're not in the mood for soul food, the restaurant also serves "Almost World Famous Salads," such as the tuna salad cold plate, chicken salad cold plate, chef salad with ham, turkey, grilled chicken or tuna, taco salad, chef supreme or taco salad supreme.
The menu also features sandwiches with potato chips, cafe combos, chicken combos and barbecue served by the pound or quart. An assortment of desserts includes brownies, banana pudding, cookies, and German chocolate, red velvet, carrot, chocolate marble, lemon and lemon pound cakes.
The only items you'll see on the walls are little chalkboards with menu choices scribbled in white chalk, but Fat Man's has no need for an arrangement of eclectic art or background music: The establishment is interested only in serving good, Southern food - plain and simple. The down-home food fits the down-home decor.
Stop by Fat Man's on your lunch break. For $6 (which includes tax), you'll get more than you bargained for, and it's reminiscent of sitting at the dinner table eating your grandma's food on a Sunday afternoon. There's nothing better than that.
FOOD FOR THE SOUL
The Eatery: Fat Man's Cafe, 1717 Laney-Walker Blvd. (map)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Ambiance: Fast-paced and casual
Cost: 25 cents to $13.95
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Phone: 733-1740
