John's Country Kitchen

At a time of year when the mantra is “out with old and in with the new,” it’s nice to know that some things never change. John’s Country Kitchen has been a fixture at the corner of Central and Thomas avenues for 28 years. Regular customers go in daily for made-to-order breakfasts and lunches.
The restaurant opened in 1977 under ownership of John Margiotis and his wife, Margaret. The couple took a risk on an abandoned storefront in a not-so-developed corner of the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood to open a family restaurant serving hearty, home-style fare. When their son Jimmy graduated from Independence High, he started working at the restaurant full time and eventually took over the operation, partnering with his mother when his dad passed away in 1989.

The guy at the grill
Today Jimmy works the grill and the crowd at John’s Country Kitchen like a pro. Part comedian, part culinarian, Margiotis greets and bids farewell to every customer, many of whom he knows by name. “It’s all about my customers,” he said. “We do what we do and they keep coming back for more. … We’re a family here.” Many customers agree, citing the food and the camaraderie as reasons for returning for breakfast or lunch several times a week, some from as far away as the Ballantyne area.
“We argue about sports teams, we talk politics, we discuss real estate … you just never know what you’ll hear in here,” Margiotis continued. “Mostly we just have a good time.”
Breakfast starts early at John’s, with a selection of eggs any style, French toast, hotcakes and home fries, cooked the way you like ’em, straight from the grill to your plate. Breakfast plates pair fried or scrambled eggs with a choice of grilled breakfast meats, including popular options such as sausage, bacon, Virginia ham, country ham, delicious thick-cut pork chops and rib-eye steaks. More offbeat choices are crispy thin-sliced livermush or brains.
“Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it,” encouraged Margiotis. “Brains are an excellent source of protein.” Margiotis said he sells about a dozen orders a week of the soft-cooked eggs and brains. “They’re best mixed with the grits,” he advised.
Although intrigued, I just couldn’t bring myself to act on the endorsement. Instead I opted for Margaret’s fresh-baked biscuits, halved and grilled to a crispy finish, and her homemade grits served with a slice of American cheese. She does these grits to such perfection that there’s no need to add butter or salt.
The menu features an array of omelets as well as breakfast biscuits and sandwiches stuffed with a combination of eggs, breakfast meats and cheeses or served bathed in home-style gravy. Portions are large and prices are unbelievably reasonable, including hot or iced tea and coffee with each plate.
The homemade hotcakes and French toast, better than you’ll find at any pancake house in town, can be ordered on their own or as a side. Margiotis makes them on the grill to produce a slightly crispy edge with just the right amount of crunch, making the texture as appealing as the flavor. If customers prefer a softer edge, all they have to do is ask.
Home fries at John’s are no flash-frozen diced potatoes thrown on a griddle. Margiotis chops the spuds and fries them up in a sizzle of oil on the grill between orders of eggs and pancakes. We thought the result to be wonderful, although Margiotis said the potatoes he gets this time of year are a bit on the watery side and don’t fry up as well. I can’t wait to taste them when he thinks they’re at their best.

Mama cooks, too
Anything on the menu that doesn’t come off the grill is prepared in the kitchen by Margaret, known to patrons as “Mama.” Aside from preparing breakfast biscuits, grits and gravy, Margaret spends much of her time in the back kitchen preparing daily lunch specials and sides.
Like the breakfast fare, lunch at John’s is the hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of food Mom would make. Specials are offered daily except on Saturdays. Margiotis had difficulty pinpointing the customers’ favorite special, so I asked around – and received as many answers as there are days in the week.
Country-fried steak and gravy over white rice is a popular special offered on Mondays and Fridays, followed by beef tips with rice or baked chicken with dressing and thick “yellow gravy” on Tuesdays and meatloaf or chicken and dumplings on Wednesday. On Thursdays the selection of specials varies: sometimes it’s barbecued spare ribs or Greek-style chicken; at other times it’s beef stew with rice, or fried chicken livers with gravy. On Fridays, Mama’s one-quarter fried chicken is the star of the day. Specials, all priced under $6.50, are served with a choice of two vegetables, coffee or tea. Athough I’ve not tasted them all, I can highly recommend the hearty beef tips, flavorful baked chicken and gravy and the fried chicken – truly top notch. Vegetables or sides vary daily with the specials, but the list always includes delicious fried squash or okra, mashed potatoes and rice with gravy.
Specials aside, the lunch menu includes hand-patted hamburger steaks served with grilled onions and gravy; fried or grilled pork chops; country ham steak; and an excellent seafood platter that features fried shrimp, flounder and fried perch – all of it great, none of it greasy.
If you’d like something on the lighter side, try a sandwich. The burgers are OK, but better still is the grilled cheese, served with or without meat, and the fish sandwich made with your choice of flounder or perch. The freshwater perch is more full-flavored; the flounder has a milder taste.
All seafood selections are served with a creamy side of slaw and a thick, homemade tartar sauce that is heavy on the pickles.
The French fries are good, but you can’t pass up Mama’s fresh-made onion rings. Thin and crispy, they nearly melt in your mouth. Homemade soups, which vary daily, make you want to crumble crackers into the bowl like you did as a kid.
For dessert, banana pudding shares the stage with baklava and apple pie, served a la mode at your request.

A million memories
Not much has changed at John’s since 1977. Tables and booths are original to the business, as are the bar stools – the kind people now covet at regional flea markets. The walls are covered with old newspaper clippings, photos and posters of Charlotte from days gone by. Look behind the bar and you’ll find all kinds of memorabilia, from black-and-white photos to old calendars to Jimmy’s collection of Coke bottles and cans from all around the world.
Although Margiotis has been tempted by shopping strip developers to open a second or third John’s Country Kitchen in other parts of town, he’s decided so far to stay where he is. The same goes for a late-night concept. “No one else is doing a late-night breakfast, and we could do it well; but if I worked here at nights, then I’d miss being home with my kids and things just wouldn’t be the same.”
So, for now, it’s status quo at John’s, with one exception. After the first of the year, management will request that customers refrain from smoking inside the restaurant. “We’re a family place. It’ll be healthier for everyone, and it’s just the right time to make that move,” said Margiotis.