[Spotlight] Mr. Friendlys New Southern Cafe

We’re back in Five Points again this month to visit a local staple: Mr. Friendly’s New Southern Cafe! While we wanted to branch out a bit within the community, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out Mr. Friendly’s lunchtime menu. Many of the team members are frequent dinner patrons of the restaurant, so it seemed natural that we get the entire team together to try out all of the great dishes that the Five Points staple restaurant boasts on their menu.

Founded in the 1980’s, Mr. Friendly’s opened as a sandwich shop, but has evolved into a sophisticated southern kitchen that adds a little extra flair to your meal. Located on Greene Street, quietly tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Five Points, is the cozy space filled with beautiful local art. Mr. Friendly’s proudly boasts an incredible wine list for even the most discerning wine connoisseur and has even won the “Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence” more than 10 times.

Our meal consisted of a few southern favorites, including fried green tomatoes and a pimento cheese spread with french bread. The fried green tomatoes were clearly the fan favorite out of all of the appetizers, but that’s not to say that there was anything left over! Each appetizer was just the right size and absolutely delicious.

We each tried something different from the menu, some of us from the specials menu and some from the standard lunch menu. Mary Lane went right for the Red Snapper, knowing that all of the seafood is brought in daily to provide the freshest seafood possible. Brad tried the brisket sandwich, opting for a more savory option, and was certainly not disappointed. Some of the other dishes that we tried included the Salmon Croquettes, Smoked Turkey Baguette and the Friendly Burger.

The real treat though was the dessert that we ordered, regardless of whether or not we should have! The Key Lime pie was unbelievably good, as was the Lunar Pie (pictured below). We totally didn’t need it, but we’re sure glad that we tried it, because it was delicious.

Our recommendation: Must visit. If you haven’t been already, you need to add it to your “Must Visit” list for either lunch or dinner. Mr. Friendly’s is conveniently located downtown, and is a great place for a meal or even just a drink from the extensive wine menu. In addition to the extensive wine list at Mr. Friendly’s, be sure to check out the menu and wine list at Mr. Friendly’s sister restaurant, Cellar on Greene!  And, if you don’t live or feel like heading downtown, be sure to check out Mr. Friendly’s other sister restaurant, Solstice Kitchen in Northeast Columbia. We’re sure that you won’t regret it!

Check out the Lunch Menu HERE