Memories Served Warm at The Farm House: A Taste of Grandma’s Kitchen

The Farm House is located at 562 E. NC 55 Highway, Mount Olive.

I recently stopped by to check out The Farm House Café and Bakery in Mount Olive. They have a location in Newton Grove and have recently opened a new location in the former Rita’s on Hwy 55. I attended the ribbon-cutting because our chamber board hosted it. I thought I would be able to eat, but the event was on a Monday, and the restaurant is closed on Mondays. It took me a few weeks to get back there, but I made my way there after one of our chamber meetings.

The Farm House is a sit-down restaurant that serves Southern comfort-style food. The building they are in is so perfect. Between the building and how they designed the inside, it’s definitely giving Farm House vibes.

Sorry, I didn't get great inside photos.

I also love that the owner is so young. Karson McCullen is only 26 and is now in his second restaurant, just five years after opening his first. That really says a lot about his work ethic and how good the food is. I’m not surprised he has been able to be so successful. It’s in his blood. He actually grew up helping his parents and grandparents in their various restaurants and other businesses.

There were so many choices on the menu, it took me a while to decide what I wanted. I was debating between the chicken pastry and the fried pork chops. I had been wanting some chicken pastry, so I went with that. Plus, it was also one of the specials of the day, and I couldn’t beat that good deal, honey!

The deal was one main dish, three sides, a drink, and a dessert for $12.99, and I couldn’t let that deal pass me by. 

I got Chicken pastry, yams, cabbage, black eyed peas, strawberry cake, and an Arnold Palmer. 

So what did I think? Yams can be hit or miss in my opinion, and oftentimes people OD on the sweetness. These were perfect! It had been a while since I had black eyed peas, and I forgot how tasty they can be when paired with the right foods. I also think I like them much better than I did growing up, so I will be eating them more often. The chicken pastry had a good flavor, and the chicken in it was very tender. Although I'm a total foodie, I am health-conscious and try to be conscious of what I put in my body. I wanna live yal! So I was happy that the food was too salty. Yal know we love to shake salt in our food, especially southern food. My only complaint is not having enough broth. Yal know I like my food juicy! HAHA!

With it being on the plate, obviously, there was only so much they could put on it. I like my pastry soupy. Not a big deal, I just know to ask for my pastry in a bowl next time. The cabbage was good, too, southern style. At home, I cook my cabbage sweet, but growing up in the south, I’m used to eating cabbage that isn’t that sweet but instead more on the savory side with smoked seasoned meat cooked inside. Cabbage is my 2nd favorite vegetable, so honestly, I can eat it however it’s cooked LOL! Overall, I loved the food, and cleaned my plate. My friends and family will tell you that I never finish my food. So it had to be good, and I didn’t feel like I was going to pop afterwards, which was nice.

Outside of the things I tried, there are a lot of popular items that Karson said people love to eat when they come, including fried chicken, seafood, hamburger steak, and he said the breakfast is really popular, along with the specials they run. Karson knew how to fit right in at Mount Olive because he created The Big Dill Breakfast. Genius right! Between their six-page menu, I’m sure that whatever you want, they probably have it. He said his favorite thing to make is breakfast and to bake cakes, although he hasn’t started baking in-house in the Mount Olive location yet.

The Daily Special Menu

The best part of this experience was how it made me feel. It’s called Southern Comfort for a reason. It truly brought me so much comfort because I felt like I was sitting in my grandma’s house eating. Some of the food reminded me of her food, and just the combination of food that I ate reminded me of the many holiday dinners my family had at her house. What a great experience. It almost brought tears to my eyes. It makes sense because he also learned to cook from his grandma, too. It's always the little things that keep our ancestors close to our hearts. 💓

If you haven’t been yet, I definitely suggest trying it out for yourself. They are located at 562 East NC 55 Highway in Mount Olive. It’s located right outside of town. They serve breakfast from 6:30-11 Tuesday through Saturday, lunch from 11-2 Tuesday-Friday, and Dinner from 5-8 Tuesday-Friday. Each meal time has a special you can choose from. If you would prefer a buffet, check out their Newton Grove location. Tell him I sent you! 

The food was good. The service was great. The vibe was cute, and the story behind the restaurant was a tear-jerker. Overall, I give The Farm House Café and Bakery an A! 

Want to check out the full menu? Visit www.farmhousecafebakery.com.

 This blog was also featured in the Duplin Times Newspaper edition of the "Duplin Eats" column.