Bon's Home Cookin'

A few weeks ago, Jennifer, Lars, and I had lunch at Bon's Home Cookin', the new restaurant owned by Mama Dip's daughter Bon. Bon used to have a restaurant called Bon's BBQ at Carrboro Plaza, and I ate there several times and enjoyed it. It had a homey feel, with family photos on the walls and better prices than Mama Dip's.

The new place is in a fresh, clean space in University Square. The menu is fairly similar to that at Bon's BBQ, but the prices seem to be higher (I'm sure the rent is higher on Franklin St.). The decor, sadly, has lost its charm--it's so new-feeling that it seems almost sterile.

I ordered a 'que plate, which came with two sides. One of my favorite things about Bon's restaurants is the number of sides to choose from. This time, I had slaw and sweet potato souffle. The 'que portion was generous (for some reason it doesn't really look it in the photo, but it was), the slaw was fine, and the sweet potatoes were sweet and good. Nothing stood out too much, but it was all tasty. At $7.95, this wasn't the cheapest 'que meal I've had, but you do get the two sides.

You also get hush puppies. Now, I always liked the 'que and fried chicken at Bon's BBQ, but perhaps my favorite thing was the hush puppies--they were some of the best I have had. Unfortunately, the hush puppies at Bon's Home Cookin' were not as good, and they were not as plentiful, either. A basket of round puppies was brought to the table for the three of us, and we made short work of it, but it was never refilled. The old Bon's had the long kind of hush puppies and there were always more than enough to go around.

Overall, I would recommend Bon's to people near campus who are craving 'que. Its location is convenient. It's a small place, so I suppose it could get crowded if it proves popular, but we went on a weekend shortly after the restaurant opened and it was pretty quiet. Now, you could also walk to Mama Dip's from campus, and she serves excellent 'que. And there's always my old favorite, Breadmen's, which also serves 'que and delicious sides, in a homier, diner-like atmosphere. So, it looks like there are plenty of good options for 'que fans at Carolina seeking a quick fix. But if you have the time, I'd go further afield, especially for dinner.

My rating:

-Sarah