Southern on Main is an excellent restaurant in the artsy historic town of Elkin NC. On the corner of Main street, the historic building is filled with local art on the walls and includes a bar and a nice patio when the weather is nice. I inhaled the tea brined Fried Chicken which is one of their specialties that comes smothered with a tasty special sauce over the chicken and smashed potatoes. The spinach salad with hot bacon dressing paired well with this entree as did the collard greens side. My wife got and liked the Chicken Pot pie which came with a beautiful crusty pie topper. The filling was mild for my taste and could have had more seasoning. The entree included a house salad that came with an in-house italian creamy dressing that was very nice on a well presented salad that was large with numerous ingredients. We finished the meal with the flourless chocolate cake and limoncello cake. Both were served with fresh blueberries and raspberry compote. Both were great high end desserts at reasonable prices. Our server Aubrey was very polite, attentive and gave great recommendations. We will definitely eat here again when we are in the area. read more

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Wonderful staff! Love the way the menu adapts Southern expressions for the names of dishes & cocktails. Thoroughly enjoyed the Southern Popcorn (fried okra - a favorite from my childhood) and the catfish. It didn't happen often, but I remember Mom telling me to go get a switch, thus their version of a Bloody Mary. The only problem we had was forgetting the large serving size that comes with Southern food. Go hungry! read more

Southern On Main - Mama's Switch - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

Got off the highway for a meal, got an eating experience that was not expected. In what has to be the biggest surprise for us in a long while, we wound up in a charming authentic delicious southern restaurant which was perfect in so many ways. Jess, our server explained that the place was Started by her mom focusing on southern cooking done with a lot of love. We had Brussel sprouts which was deep fried with bits of bacon and a flash of sorghum. It was the best that we tasted, and generous portions. Chicken fried steaks, shrimp and grits, chicken pot pie were all so good. Finished with Chocolate flourless cake, just Devine! Tried the local knuckledragger IPA and a citrus bourbon cocktail, stiff and tasty. It's definitely on my list now next time I pass thru western VA. Hats off to Jess, mom/chef and the electric guitar loving cute server. This is so much better than some other mystery meal along I75. read more

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Bad service. Waitress ignored us. Took order for table next to us. Never acknowledged us. Will it be back.

Interesting place in Elkin. Have wanted to try it for some time and finally got a chance to try it with some Friends. Drove up for Lunch and got there about 2 and they were still serving Lunch. Tue building is probably at least a hundred years old and they have tried to maintain as much of the original charm as possible. Very eclectic menu with a novel twist on Southern Cuisine. I had the Fried Green Tomato BLT which was a bit overboard on the lettuce but still a massive sandwich. One of my Friends had Country Style Steak with Pepper Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans. She loved it Great place for lunch and will be back to try the dinner menu. read more

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Lovely ambiance and courtyard seating. The service was prompt and friendly. The portions were hardy and presented well. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and my husband's steak was medium rare as requested. He said, don't skip the mushroom demi glaze! read more

This little corner restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside. The story's different on the inside. You have art pieces on the left wall from local artists as you come in. There is a small bar at the back with a TV to watch your sports games. Outside, you have more dining space for large parties and special events. A tour through wine country left me hungry. I did not eat lunch. My mother was equally hungry. A lady at nearby Adagio Vineyards recommended Southern on Main when we wrapped up our tour. We called ahead to reserve a table. That was smart as it looked like we will be on a wait. Amanda was our server. We had our fill on drinks so we kept it simple with water. They had a special menu that attracted our eyes. We ordered off that menu for our meal. The Cast-Iron Steak Alfredo is a rich, hearty serving of beef, angel hair, and Parmesan. This is for when you haven't eaten anything since breakfast. My mother's pan-seared tuna was more vegetarian-friendly. The dish was made Japanese style. Italian and Japanese. We were both satisfied with our meal. Goes to show that you should not judge a book by its cover. read more

Southern On Main - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

It's an institution The mom and the Dad cook like crazy shit you will love they need to inspire the son and all will be well .. nobody and I mean nothing beats this place at this price when mom and dad are cooking. read more

Road-trip stop that was surprisingly good! We had a great waitress who I believe was also bartending. She checked on us as soon as we were seated and brought us waters right away. We told her we were traveling so she checked back with us often to get our dinner orders in. Everything was delicious and came out quickly and was hot. I'm pretty sure we would frequent this cute establishment often if we lived in town. read more

Southern On Main - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

Stopped in on Saturday night for dinner when we were traveling to hike and see the leaves . I was pleasantly surprised. I had shrimp and grits which came loaded with shrimp and was delicious. My wife had a crab cake and loaded baked potatoes and that was wonderful as well . Great drinks , great friendly service at a good price . I'll be back read more

Wow!!! Audrey (I hope that's as right! Might be Aubrey I forget) was an AWESOME server and the food was excellent. Good local beer on the way south from the northeast. The ribeye was perfect and the fried okra was out of sight! Good location close to the highway and everyone was very friendly. Check it out and enjoy!!!! Can't wait to go there for lunch the the way home :) read more

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Great first impression! We went around 2pm and it wasn't busy at all. Tried the goat cheese and beet salad and it was soooo delicious with crasins, toasted pecans, and a generous amount of cheese! I chose hot bacon vinaigrette as my dressing . I would very much reorder that. I also had the deviled eggs, which were also very good! Not my personal favorite way to have them, they were more of a sweet pickle version with a kick, still very tasty! I prefer less sweet eggs with something crunchy added on top. Husben had the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and all I can say is he didn't save me a bite so it must have been too good to share. I did get some of his collards and they tasted just right . Prices were reasonable and not overly served portions. I think he would have liked a little more chicken but it was a good lunch portion. Staff was friendly, and atmosphere was pretty average. Can't wait to go back and try some fried green tomatoes ! read more

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We made a side trip to Elkin for the express purpose of checking out Southern on Main based on the good reviews it had received. We were not disappointed! We ordered a variety of dishes, including the Brussels sprouts and fried green tomatoes, and everything was delicious. The portions were wonderfully generous, too! The atmosphere of the restaurant was nice, with an artsy vibe yet in keeping with its location in an old corner storefront building. We'll definitely stop back next time we're in the vicinity! read more

Southern On Main - Fried Green Tomatoes - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

Amazing as always! This place is consistently a hit, never had a bad dish and they always have great specials. Dinner menu is amazing, but can't beat the lunch prices. We always have great service, regardless what time we come in or who our server is. Can't say enough positive things about southern on main! read more

Southern On Main - Country Fried Steak - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

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This place is incredible, my family and I travel out of town to get dinner at this establishment. They offer fair prices for high quality southern dishes. The steaks are great and the chicken breast is perfect. read more

We went here because the menu sounded good and they allowed dogs on the patio. The service was decent but the. Food was kind of meh. Probably won't go out of our way again to go there. read more

Lovely patio to sit with dogs. Enjoyed a delicious lunch of quiche, country fried steak and veggies. Very flavorful! Baked potato soup...how can it be this good?!? read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the lunch special menu at Southern. We always enjoy dinner here and it was nice to see the same attention and detail at lunchtime. I had the chicken liver special which was perfectly crunchy. The green beans and mashed potatoes were delicious. Other lunch specials looked great and there several options to chose from in addition to the regular lunch menu. read more

Southern On Main - Chicken Liver Dinner Special - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

The food is good, service was good. Don't eat out on the porch. The flies ruined the meal. They were terrible and everywhere.

Went here for breakfast/ brunch Return visit from about a year ago Great meal (omelette) and person I was with (eggs Benedict) well done Great waitstaff Food done well...! Good to see still doing well Will be back read more

Delightful little local joint. We were out of towners passing through after a 5 mile hike of the state park and 307 stair climb waterfall. Stopped in at 3 pm on a Saturday and the place was hopping. Charming restaurant with a menu that gives you pause... so many interesting things to choose from! I eyeballed dishes served to neighboring tables and all looked delicious, especially the fried chicken livers!. We opted for the shrimp and grits (clearly scratch made with a heavy handed white wine pour. A little generous on the sauce and stingy on the grits but a popular choice here we were told). Blackened catfish with ok green beans and a delightful corn and apple slaw. Shepherds pie with massive amounts of cheese was the ultimate comfort food for our third eater. We'd come back to this charming small mom and pop if we lived in Elkin - a way better choice than the Subway we'd considered and dismissed. Charming and great menu choices. read more

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Very touristy place small portions very pedestrian fare. If your expecting fine dining you will be let down. It's expensive compared to other downtown eateries but no better. they serve chicken nuggets on the adult menu so how classy can they be. Not my favorite place . Service has been very slow the four times I've visited . So in a nutshell locals beware tourist enjoy the space and the trails. read more

It is a very old piece of history with the first elevator in NC. Was an old hardware store and is now a boho-type restaurant with eclectic offerings. This local treasure boasts a unique, delicious menu with Southern flare. All homemade, fresh ingredients. Personalized attention from the server and owner. Nice artwork by the owner displayed and step back in time with enchanting music. We will make it a point to stop back when we come to town. read more

We stopped by here after a long hike on our way back to Charlotte. We ate outside, great service and food was really good! We had the deviled eggs for an appetizer and I had the fried green tomato BLT. The menu has a great variety of dishes. I have will definitely be back! read more

Southern On Main - Fried Green BLT - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

Friendly welcome & great service. We were visiting Elkin for the first time & stopped in for lunch. Delicious soup & sandwiches. We will definitely be back next time we are in town! read more

Highly recommend this place. Stopped by for an early dinner. Absolutely fantastic food. The shrimp and (NC yellow) grits were the best I've ever tasted and collard greens as a great side. Friendly service as well. read more

I was surprised to be seated right away on a Sunday after church! The staff was great! The outside dining experience on a partly cloudy day was awesome! We had a choice of shade with the umbrellas. Love this place! Abbey our waiter was awesome, struck a conversation with us about all that the town has to offer. The food was great too! Lol! I had the Ahi Tuna on a bed of vegetables, I loved it! It had a kids menu and that is always a plus for me. With a great selection of brunch, lunch and dinner! Mimosas and a page dedicated to cocktails, this is the place for me! Felt welcomed and would definitely come back. read more

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Cool spot and worth stopping at if in the area. Had their shrimp and grits which was solid, yummy and non-traditional in approach but slightly too much sauce. Service friendly and mildly slow. Nice ambiance. read more

Fantastic service and food at a reasonable price! Very nice ambiance in a historic building.

Delicious meal. Trout, potatoes and collard greens. The mocktails were fun and the almond pistachio cake was excellent

This is an interesting place. The building is beautiful and I appreciate that they didn't change much of it when building the restaurant. It was a Friday night and they were busy and didn't have enough staff. The bartender was also serving a few tables and that made the drink order back up and held up the people at the tables. They all seemed overwhelmed too, which I'm sure they were! We had the fried okra which is delicious! The okra was so green and tasted so fresh; I was pretty disappointed when the server told us it was frozen. I know it was good, but it just let me down. We split a salad and an entree and both were good. The place looks like it could use a thorough cleaning. Nice outdoor area though. Overall, it was fine. read more

Was in the area and stopped in at lunch. Lovely "upscale" southern food choices. Ate outside and enjoyed the fresh air area and the big fans made it very comfortable. Food was good- absolutely loved the Brussels! If I'm ever back in the area I'd love to stop back in for dinner. read more

Southern On Main - Main St Brussels Sprouts - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

Great Southern food ! Fried chicken, collard greens, mashed potatoes, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, shrimp & grits, Caesar salad & beet salad...all good. read more

Southern On Main - Roast Beet Salad - Southern Near Me - Elkin, North Carolina

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The baked Brie appetizer was amazing! We had the Fried chicken breast and the seafood carbonara special for our entree. Both were excellent. We are only in town for two nights and we are planning to come back tomorrow! read more

Food is wonderful, but the service is mediocre. We love the vibes and location. We have been there numerous times and keep going back.

I was traveling with a coworker. It is a challenge to find good food in small towns but we sure did. The whole experience was amazing food, service and atmosphere outstanding. read more

Came to the area for some of the wineries and stopped here for dinner. I loved the trout. Service and drinks were great. I'd definitely recommend for a nice dinner to end a weekend of exploring wineries. read more

Popped in here for dinner late in the evening after driving all day. Great food, service and ambiance!

Five star short ribs, pork medallions, cocktails, service. This place simply rocked it for dinner.

We visited at around 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon on our way from Charlotte to Cleveland. Southern on Main boasts an eclectic setting with thoughtful Southern dishes. As a fan of Shrimp & Grits, my choice was quick and proved to be accurate. The perfect cheesy grits were joined by well-seasoned mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and plump, tender shrimp. The house standard soup is a fragrant and flavorful crab and red pepper bisque, the likes of which I've not experienced outside of Savannah.The town, experience and surprising offering of tres leches cake were memorable, and we will return. The lack of a 5th star reflects the unwanted guests at our table. Half a dozen flies relentlessly challenged us for every bite. We eventually surrendered the space to them. Probably for the best. We needed to get on our way. If you are in the area, stop in at this exquisitely unpolished gem. read more