Gather

If I could give this place ten stars, I would. You will have a wait when you get there, and you…read morewill wait no matter how long it takes. You cannot find a better place for a meal, or more kind folks running the place from top to bottom. And if your plate is too big to finish, feel free to take it home, because you'll want to save room for dessert. Magnolia 23 is a staple in our household. So long as we've lived within a 30 minute drive, it has been a great place for a Sunday lunch, or any other meal within the hours they are open. They treat you like family from the very start with the way that they take names for the line. It's natural to start a conversation with the people around you, because everyone has the same end game - a great meal. Once you're seated, it's never long before a waitress comes and takes your drink order. The menu for the day is posted on Facebook and written on the board on the wall, along with the sides and dessert options. There's no menus because it's a meat and two sides, plus a bread of either roll or cornbread. The seating is tables and chairs, although some areas have couches for seating, which is a nice change of pace. Today I got stewed beef with sides of mac and cheese, yams, and bread choice was cornbread. My other half got the country style steak, with sides of cabbage and rice with gravy, and bread of cornbread. The littles shared a fried chicken plate with side of mashed potatoes with gravy. They divided and conquered their food so fast I forgot to snag a picture of it. The stewed beef was perfection. So tender, and the juices went well with the cornbread. The yams were expertly spiced, and prepared with so much love. The mac and cheese was delicious, so I offered some to my youngest who promptly stole the rest of it. I did sample the country style steak, and it was so delicious that none was spared. I cannot wait to eat my leftover stewed beef later this week, as I knew I wanted to save room for dessert. We ordered two fried apple pies, and a slice of Hershey bar cake. Be careful with the fried pies - the filling turns into molten lava when heated, so despite the fact that you'll want to take the largest first bite, please be patient and spare your taste buds from their imminent demise by letting it cool a minute. The spices on the apple filling on the fried pies were perfect, and I savored every bite that I stole from my husband. My dessert was the Hershey bar cake, which I split with one of my littles. It didn't have a thick layer of icing, which was great. The cake had a nice crumb, and was sweet without being overly sweet. If you haven't been here yet, make sure to take note of their hours and then take a trip to Asheboro. Once you've finished your meal, feel free to take a stroll around downtown and know that you've just had the best meal around. Magnolia 23 is worth the price and worth the wait, because you will be blessed by the whole experience.

I think you really need to dine in as opposed to take out- The fried chicken is a blue-ribbon…read morewinner I am not much on country style "sides" so I won't comment on those lol. The cornbread is very good and the staff is always friendly.

Seating

Kansas City ribs

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White meat chicken

Sue Sue’s Soul Food

5.0(4 reviews)

66.7 mi

Food is excellent!! I've loved everything I've eaten there except the potato salad wasn't a fav…read more But overall, I'll go again and again. Everyone there is so nice and accommodating. The cleanliness could improve but nothing that would deter me from dining there. I think I'd have to say the pork chops and collars are my favs!

Beautiful insides and great customer service, everyone greeted me and made sure my plate was…read morestuffed with food that was hot to the touch.

Country Ham Breakfast Club

Sausage Breakfast Club

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Sue Sue's Soul Food

Becky's & Mary's Restaurant

4.5(120 reviews)

20.7 mi

Stopped in for lunch one day in search of FRIED CHICKEN. Not just any old fried chicken but GOOD…read morefried chicken. They are located in a nice little spot with ample parking and it's easy accessible. The interior is simple but clean. Plenty of seating. The ladies who work here are very friendly and helpful, came around a few times to check on me, offered fried side to go with the greens , offered a refill on my sweet tea. Great service! About the food. Probably the BEST FRIED CHICKEN in the area. I really can't judge on that because I haven't sampled other fried chicken in the vicinity but based on my own research of sampling fried chicken all over North Carolina, I feel confident in my assumption. It was fried just right. It was SEASONED. It had a very nice batter that was crunchy and the chicken in the inside was tender and juicy. Every bite was tender and juicy. These ladies should teach a cooking class on how to make fried chicken-to other restaurants. The SWEET POTATOES were perfectly cooked and flavored in butter and cinnamon. You could eat it as a dessert. But not overly sweet. Just right. The GREENS were tender and seasoned perfectly. Greens and fried side with their delicious CORNBREAD could be a meal in itself. The SWEET TEA-perfect! All around, best home cooked food/soul food you can get. I will be back and I highly recommend for true SOUTHERN COMFORT food.

OMG. I am so happy I finally visited this iconic and historic dining venue. Oh, the freshness of…read morethe food and the love of the staff. Over 50 years serving others!

Sign outside

Worth your visit.

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JJ's Mama's Soulfood & More

3.9(65 reviews)

27.3 mi

Yesterday, my wife and I ended up stopping to eat at JJ's, partly because a friend had recommended…read moreit and partly because I had already been drawn in by TikTok content about the place. When we arrived, there was a bit of a wait since 4:20 p.m. was just after the staff's lunch break. We reviewed the menu while I explored the lobby area, which was eye-catching, decorated with vintage household items. I was especially moved by the community food station right next to the entrance. The staff appeared highly focused on making sure everyone was well attended to and that orders were prepared correctly. My wife ordered the baked chicken with baked spaghetti and mac and cheese; I ordered the fried chicken with rice and gravy, mac and cheese, and hush puppies. Since I wasn't sure about portion sizes, I also added a house salad. We sat down to wait, and the customers around us looked completely at ease, as if they were at home -- always a good sign. My wife and I chatted in Spanish (our native language), and unlike other places where people sometimes stare at us for speaking it, we felt completely comfortable and relaxed. Then the food arrived. First, the rolls that came with the meal tasted spectacular. It was a shame you only get one per plate -- but oh well, lol. Second, my wife asked me to try the spaghetti, and I agreed. I don't know who is in charge of the kitchen, but the audacity of this person to make a baked spaghetti better than my grandma's... I'm definitely ordering it next time. Third, my meal. The fried chicken was perfectly seasoned, juicy, and delicious. I usually order white meat for the flavor when I get fried chicken, but I didn't even need to -- the selection was perfect. The mac and cheese could easily stand on its own, and the white rice... I'm Puerto Rican, so white rice is a cornerstone of our table. Well, JJ's ruined plain white rice for me, because now I only want to eat it with gravy, LOL. I couldn't finish the salad or the hush puppies there, so later that night, while watching Netflix, I took care of the leftovers. We will definitely be back -- exquisite food, a very comfortable atmosphere, and super reasonable prices!

Came for the senior banquet this time! What an amazing experience…read more People, both guests and help, amazing. Made all feel welcome. Will be back again. No longer waiting for visitors to bring!

Owner

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Turkey wing, Mac & cheese, and yams!

Tru Soul Food Kitchen

4.2(74 reviews)

67.6 mi

It was our Saturday night in Burlington NC were that location 2629 Ramada Road Burlington,NC and it…read morewas a wait time. But the food was delicious and it was hot and good, it was very clean it's in the old K&W Building ,It was plenty of space to eat your food. We really enjoyed it me and my husband. I will go there again .# Bring your wallet.

If you like old grease, gigantic cheap chicken, canned food over seasoned with $1 spices, potato…read moresalad and coleslaw that taste like it has added ingredients to appear home and deserts that I'd be in shock if they were homemade or even doctored this your place! Unorganized in many ways. True Soul food is fresh and cooked with love. Great location and I do wish them well!

Waiting area

Oxtail Meal

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Turkey BBQ Sandwhich

Bestfood Cafeteria

3.9(48 reviews)

19.0 mi

Food is amazing. We go a few times a month and never had anything that did not taste good. Highly…read morerecommend

I know this is a southern cafeteria. It's cheap and the food is proof of that. We go here once…read moreevery couple of months when I'm too lazy to cook. Food seems to have gotten worse tasting and the servers are super skimpy with the gravies and toppings. Fried chicken used to be really good but now it's a greasy mess. The mashed potatoes I believe are like powdered or something. They're like glue. If you can improve those-we'll be back. I wouldn't even care paying more if it was good food It is what it is. A cheap bland meal. You get what you pay for.

Cafeteria.

Broccoli chicken over rice, pintos, green beans, a roll and chocolate pie

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Orange chicken, green beans, Nash potatoes.

Nana Morrison's Soul Food

4.0(125 reviews)

58.3 mi

Great fresh sould food The place was ssooo clean…read more Staff was soo great and welcoming Me qnd husband will be back

I really wanted to like Nana Morrison's in Cary because I had heard so much hype about it, but this…read morewas a huge disappointment for me. As an African American woman, soul food is more than just food to me. There's a certain authenticity and flavor I expect when I walk into a soul food restaurant. I ordered several items and after tasting everything, I honestly ended up throwing the entire meal away. I took a bite or spoonful of each item just to give everything a fair chance, and every time I moved on to the next thing, it was another disappointment. The mashed potatoes had a strange aftertaste that I couldn't get past. I don't know if it was the gravy or something else, but something tasted off. The barbecue ribs tasted more boiled than slow cooked and were completely drenched in sauce. The cabbage was overwhelmed with vinegar and lacked seasoning. The mac and cheese tasted more like overcooked noodles with cheese instead of flavorful baked mac and cheese. The cornbread was dry, and even the cake was dry. I will say the restaurant was clean and the employees were friendly, so I have no complaints there. My issue was with the food quality and value for the price. Spending around $80 for a meal like this did not feel worth it at all. Maybe other people love it, but based on my experience, I don't understand the hype. The food just did not taste authentic or well prepared to me. I wish I had stuck with my original plans and just gone to Mikey's Diner in Wilson, North Carolina instead. At least I would have left satisfied. For me, this wasn't worth the drive, wasn't worth the money, and I won't be returning.

Counter behind inside seating

Fried chicken, yams, Mac and cheese, fried okra, grape and tropical punch koolaid

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Franklinville Diner

4.8(45 reviews)

6.5 mi

It's cute, clean and welcoming. The grilled cheese and thickly-sized ham sandwich was great! The…read morepotato salad was delicious. The grilled chicken was much too salty but very moist. So, simple fix. I scraped the spicy, salty rub off and enjoyed a great dinner.

Such a nice little diner to stop in instead of giving your money to Chick-fil-a while on the road…read more We both had the cheeseburger (I had bacon) with watermelon. Our check was $23 including a hefty tip, and it was downright delicious. Burger and fixings were fresh with the best melty cheese. The staff were incredibly nice and the place is clean and homey with a 99 health rating. We saw this joint in Our State magazine, and it is most definitely worth a stop. TIP: They give you a discount for paying with cash.

Hot dogs with hot chips

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4 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Liz S.

124

25

2

3 years ago

Gather in Asheboro is like finding a hidden treasure for your taste buds. The jerk chicken is the perfect mix of spicy and mouthwatering, and the fried crab and Mac and Cheese balls? Pure bliss, especially for our little one. Their menu dances through Creole, soul food, Caribbean, poke, and sushi, creating a symphony of flavors. The Vietnamese coffee is a sweet ending to a delightful meal. The service is as warm as a hug, and the cozy house setting feels like a culinary embrace. Whether it's a post-zoo treat or a sweet date night, Gather is a haven of flavors and comfort. And those leftovers? Consider them a sweet surprise waiting for tomorrow. You'll leave with a happy heart and a craving to come back for more sweetness. read more

Mustafah G.

0

1

0

4 years ago

The food here is and has so much range! Want sushi? They've got that. Feeling like having shrimp and grits? They've got that too. I HIGHLY recommend the Shrimp Étouffée, AND the Beignets (but make sure you order them with the Vietnamese Coffee ) read more

Jacqueline W.

0

1

3

11 months ago

Wonderful experience. The chief was wonderful. Hosts were beyond. This restaurant makes you mad when you go to others, because they are so classy. I need a handsome man and good conversation for this place. Emaculately ran small business. read more

Jason S.

0

1

0

3 years ago

Had the Jamaican chicken and loved it. They sell hot sauce too. You gotta try the sweet hushpuppies.

Gather - soulfood - Updated August 2026

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Magnolia 23

4.7

(229 reviews)

If I could give this place ten stars, I would. You will have a wait when you get there, and you…read morewill wait no matter how long it takes. You cannot find a better place for a meal, or more kind folks running the place from top to bottom. And if your plate is too big to finish, feel free to take it home, because you'll want to save room for dessert. Magnolia 23 is a staple in our household. So long as we've lived within a 30 minute drive, it has been a great place for a Sunday lunch, or any other meal within the hours they are open. They treat you like family from the very start with the way that they take names for the line. It's natural to start a conversation with the people around you, because everyone has the same end game - a great meal. Once you're seated, it's never long before a waitress comes and takes your drink order. The menu for the day is posted on Facebook and written on the board on the wall, along with the sides and dessert options. There's no menus because it's a meat and two sides, plus a bread of either roll or cornbread. The seating is tables and chairs, although some areas have couches for seating, which is a nice change of pace. Today I got stewed beef with sides of mac and cheese, yams, and bread choice was cornbread. My other half got the country style steak, with sides of cabbage and rice with gravy, and bread of cornbread. The littles shared a fried chicken plate with side of mashed potatoes with gravy. They divided and conquered their food so fast I forgot to snag a picture of it. The stewed beef was perfection. So tender, and the juices went well with the cornbread. The yams were expertly spiced, and prepared with so much love. The mac and cheese was delicious, so I offered some to my youngest who promptly stole the rest of it. I did sample the country style steak, and it was so delicious that none was spared. I cannot wait to eat my leftover stewed beef later this week, as I knew I wanted to save room for dessert. We ordered two fried apple pies, and a slice of Hershey bar cake. Be careful with the fried pies - the filling turns into molten lava when heated, so despite the fact that you'll want to take the largest first bite, please be patient and spare your taste buds from their imminent demise by letting it cool a minute. The spices on the apple filling on the fried pies were perfect, and I savored every bite that I stole from my husband. My dessert was the Hershey bar cake, which I split with one of my littles. It didn't have a thick layer of icing, which was great. The cake had a nice crumb, and was sweet without being overly sweet. If you haven't been here yet, make sure to take note of their hours and then take a trip to Asheboro. Once you've finished your meal, feel free to take a stroll around downtown and know that you've just had the best meal around. Magnolia 23 is worth the price and worth the wait, because you will be blessed by the whole experience.

I think you really need to dine in as opposed to take out- The fried chicken is a blue-ribbon…read morewinner I am not much on country style "sides" so I won't comment on those lol. The cornbread is very good and the staff is always friendly.

America's Roadhouse

3.8

(139 reviews)

This was my second experience at this restaurant and since it is an 80 mile round-trip that tells I…read moreenjoyed it. It is high in all three of the review points: food, service, and ambiance! I am still amazed at the quantity of excellent food you get for your money. I have had to get take out boxes both times and I ordered the smallest size plate each time. Both times I have been seated very quickly and drinks brought out fast. They have a large menu and I will be going back to try many more food choices. I have two of the menu items behind me and am still counting!

My dad went and ordered some takeout from this place and it was disgusting. He literally ordered…read morethree different entrees and they were all terrible. They barely had any taste and oh my god the hush puppies were god awful, they were drenched in low quality oil and even an hour later I can still feel my throat coated in it and it is the most horrific after taste I've ever had in my life. My stomach instantly turned after eating it, my mom agreed it was atrocious. I highly recommend staying away from this place it's absolutely trash.

Becky's & Mary's Restaurant

4.5

(120 reviews)

Stopped in for lunch one day in search of FRIED CHICKEN. Not just any old fried chicken but GOOD…read morefried chicken. They are located in a nice little spot with ample parking and it's easy accessible. The interior is simple but clean. Plenty of seating. The ladies who work here are very friendly and helpful, came around a few times to check on me, offered fried side to go with the greens , offered a refill on my sweet tea. Great service! About the food. Probably the BEST FRIED CHICKEN in the area. I really can't judge on that because I haven't sampled other fried chicken in the vicinity but based on my own research of sampling fried chicken all over North Carolina, I feel confident in my assumption. It was fried just right. It was SEASONED. It had a very nice batter that was crunchy and the chicken in the inside was tender and juicy. Every bite was tender and juicy. These ladies should teach a cooking class on how to make fried chicken-to other restaurants. The SWEET POTATOES were perfectly cooked and flavored in butter and cinnamon. You could eat it as a dessert. But not overly sweet. Just right. The GREENS were tender and seasoned perfectly. Greens and fried side with their delicious CORNBREAD could be a meal in itself. The SWEET TEA-perfect! All around, best home cooked food/soul food you can get. I will be back and I highly recommend for true SOUTHERN COMFORT food.

OMG. I am so happy I finally visited this iconic and historic dining venue. Oh, the freshness of…read morethe food and the love of the staff. Over 50 years serving others!

Chives

5.0

(6 reviews)

We had the pleasure of dining at Chives, in Asheboro NC, during Valentine's Day weekend, February…read more2026. We're from Raleigh & had researched where to dine in Asheboro while there to visit the zoo. We chose Chives & were not disappointed! Our reservation was for Friday night 2/13, which we learned was their 1st service, ever, for a Valentine's weekend, as they are still a fairly new restaurant. The creole menu is what attracted us to Chives & its small, intimate atmosphere. Once seated, (as busy as they were, we only waited a few mins), we rec'd our menu & list of specials. I stopped after seeing the specials b/c they had SEA BASS! (drool) We ordered a crawfish appetizer & thought we were going to lick the plate clean lol it was so delicious! I, of course, ordered the sea bass for my entree & my husband, the lamb lollypops. The sea bass sat on top of some kind of delectable mash w/vegetables; my head was spinning after the 1st bite of sea bass so I barely remember inhaling the entire plate, but it was empty & ready for a 2nd helping in no time. My husband said he'd been eating lamb for over 50 years & this was the best lamb dish he had ever had. We told our server how delicious everything was & he fessed up to being the chef's husband (Woody), helping for the night b/c they were short staffed. No wonder they were so busy; everyone was hustling around to make it all work, which they did! His wife, Chef Jasmine, came out to speak w/us b/c we were some of the last diners left. She is not only the restaurant owner, designer of the establishment & menu, but also an amazing self-taught chef, who takes immense pride in her work, which shows in every plate. Just check out her menu & see for yourself. This is NO amateur hour here. If you're in the Asheboro area, please, please, do yourself a favor & dine at Chives. You will not be disappointed. This was one of the best meals we've had in years!!

So, the Beautiful Blond and I were tryna figure out somewhere for dinner tonight (an arduous task,…read moreamirite?) when I remembered seeing an article in the paper about Chives. We drove over there and soon asked ourselves what took us so long to try it? Friendly, cheerful, and polite staff (Debra and Aleah), greeted us as soon as we walked in and took us to out table. B² ordered Shrimp and Grits, I ordered Chicken Gumbo. Both dishes were absolutely wonderful! Ample amounts, seasoned perfectly, and served flawlessly. So tasty we were too busy shoveling food into our faces to stop and take pictures of our food. We ended our meal with an order of beignets, as one does, and they were perfect. Couldn't have been better if we'd gone to Cafe du Monde. Kudos to the chef and staff, and thanks for a wonderful experience. This may have been our first time eating at Chives, it won't be our last. Moral of the story... Go here, eat wonderful food, and have a lovely evening.

Og's Sports Grill

3.9

(19 reviews)

Do not take the look of this place as a run down sports bar fool you. This food was very very good…read moreand the staff was very quick and friendly. A couple of weird things I saw that kept it from being 5/5 stars but otherwise it was a great experience. The menu is a good variety even though at first sight it might seem heavy on a Mexican dish place but all the food was great. Fried appetizers were not greasy, burger was juicy and perfectly cooked. Chicken Alfredo was actually Amazing and had a bit of a smoky flavor. The value was also incredible. The bread they give you that's complimentary was really good. I suspected it might be their garlic knots which I'll say it's nothing like a garlic knot but it was great. Texture like a zeppoli but taste was like a garlic knot. Very good

Went in on a Sunday at lunch. Waited several minutes for someone to greet us and tell us to sit…read moreanywhere. As we were sitting down, another customer was explaining how the they didn't care for the food (should have been a clue). Once we ordered our food - 2 orders of tacos and 1 quesadilla, it took almost 30 minutes for the food to arrive. Meanwhile the table of 4 next to us that came in after we order managed to order, receive their food and finish eating before we received ours. Once we got our food, we were underwhelmed. The food was way over cooked and dry. Service was slow but friendly. Was not worth the cost.

The Golden Waffle

4.4

(59 reviews)

What an amazing find! The staff was incredibly welcoming, and obviously, the food was absolutely…read moredelightful. I managed to snap a few photos of the dishes, but only one turned out well. Let me assure you that you will not leave unsatisfied; the servings are generous and reasonably priced. I also captured an image of the menu for you all to peruse. It's a shame the other photos didn't turn out as nicely.

Food sucks. Open 24 hours but only has enough gravy for 1 hour. Service is friendly. Family of 6…read moreonly got 1 biscuit and gravy because they ran out of "homemade gravy" and it wasn't even worth that. Then charged $80+ for a 7 eggs and a 8 waffles. 100% do not recommend

Sixty Six Grill & Tap House

3.9

(96 reviews)