Hillbilly's owner Dana Burrows, left, and staff member Kristin Penson welcome people to try out the downtown LaFayette restaurant.Hillbilly's Southern Restaurant is serving up Southern cooking in downtown LaFayette.
The hot food bar gives customers a choice of fried chicken fingers, hamburger steak and onions, fried pork chops, meatloaf, chicken and dressing or chicken and dumplings. Patrons also choose two of the following: green beans, macaroni and cheese, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, potatoes, turnip greens or fried okra, along with either a roll or cornbread. An assortment of desserts both pies and cakes is available to complete their meal.
Owner/cook Dana Burrows originally owned a restaurant with the same name in Soddy-Daisy about 25 years ago, then moved the restaurant to Hixson about five years ago. After two years of running it there, Burrows went back to truck driving for three years before bringing his restaurant to LaFayette last August.
The name comes from people always telling Burrows he talks like a "hillbilly," he said.
"I eat a piece of chicken and a hamburger steak, pinto beans and cornbread every day," said Burrows. "If you eat it here, I cook it and prepare it. I usually cook enough for the lunch rush and stay out and help the customers."
Hillbilly's is open Monday-Thursday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On Fridays, the restaurant stays open until 8 p.m. to serve dinner as well.
"The restaurant is set up where people can afford it," said Burrows. "It's $7.95 for an adult plate with a meat and two vegetables and a drink. Children's portions for ages 10 and under are $4. Kids get a full plate. Some people don't have the money to tip, so we say no tipping. I've been in the same situation before about not being able to tip, so I understand. People are full when they leave. They don't leave hungry."
Burrows said he arrives at the restaurant daily at 5:45 a.m. to start preparing for the lunch rush.
"We have a lot of police officers and court people that eat here," he said. "We can seat 70 people in three booths and about 13 tables. A lot of people like to sit and hang out and talk and stuff."
Hillbilly's Restaurant is at 116 West LaFayette Square, next to the Bank of LaFayette. The restaurant can be reached by phone at 706-638-0268 or by searching "Hillbillys" on Facebook.