So, I wanted to isolate just one dish to write about at the West Duffy Cafe (a.k.a. Zeny’s Restaurant, a.k.a. That Sunbeam Place, a.k.a. That Place on Jefferson and Duffy; it’s got about four names on it), but it didn’t really work out like that.
I have to write about everything I’ve had there. It’s just the way it is.
The first thing I had was the breakfast, which is grits, eggs, bacon or sausage and a biscuit. Pretty standard fare, really, but it’s only $2.50. ONLY TWO FIFTY.
I’ll just let that sink in. TWO–FIFTY FOR BREAKFAST.
OK. The next thing I had here at Zeny’s/Sunbeam/West Duffy was a chicken sandwich. It’s not accurate to call this thing a sandwich, though, because what it actually is is two giant pieces of fried chicken on a couple of pieces of toast.
This fried chicken is unreal. It’s better than KFC. Twelve herbs and spices got nothing on this. That chicken is hot and crispy and juicy on the inside and it’s... well, it’s everything fried chicken should be.
And it’s only $3.50. But also it’s not really a chicken sandwich, is it?
I’ll tell you what else isn’t a chicken sandwich: meatloaf. And mashed potatoes. And stewed okra. And mac ‘n’ cheese. And a biscuit. And all of that for the low, low price of $7.50.
Let me describe the meatloaf to you: all meat, no loaf, with this sauce that, unlike the pasty tomato sauce-drenched affairs one would normally have to contend with, actually tastes amazing. It is tomato–y, but clearly made with just a little tomato and all of that meat juice left from cooking the “loaf.” and it goes great with those mashed potatoes.
Those mashed potatoes. They take actual potatoes, mash them and then sell them the way God intended. No flakes at all, a thing I was so happy about. I know my mom cries every time I eat mashed potatoes made with flakes.
They are a little lumpy, but that’s how you know they’re homemade. I saw a chef on Food Network puree his mashed potatoes and I thought that man was crazy.
Anyway.
The stewed okra was very palatable on a deep–in–my–soul level. It was gooey like stewed okra should be, but it wasn’t slimy. And it tasted like okra! Miracles everywhere, y’all. I haven’t had much okra in Savannah, but this is the only okra I’ve had where you could tell they knew what they were doing.
My mom makes mac ‘n’ cheese like this. Only it’s way better. So I don’t know if the mac ‘n’ cheese here is good or not, but I can tell you that it isn’t my mom’s.
Now that’s not fair to West Duffy Zeny’s Sunbeam, so let’s look at it scientifically:
First of all, it’s REAL mac ‘n’ cheese and not macaroni with Velveeta thrown on top. It’s got milk, cheese (tons of cheese) and eggs and it is quite delicious. Not as much cheese as my mom’s, but I will go ahead and assume that there’s just as much love.
West Duffy Zeny’s Sunbeam, if there isn’t any love in your food, please don’t tell me.
The biscuits here are a little weird to me. They are like half roll and half biscuit. Heavier than a biscuit, but much lighter than a roll.
They are delicious. You could say that they play the “roll” of biscuit perfectly. Hahaha! Oh, Caroline...
Another thing about this place is their fantastically strange and wonderful pork chops. My boyfriend got the pork chops (of equal value!) and he was given a flimsy plastic fork to eat with, as was I. Having eaten pork chops before, I was skeptical about his success with said fork.
For research purposes only, he invited me to try his pork chops. My flimsy plastic fork hovered in terror above the chop and I, frankly, didn’t know what to do, so I just stabbed it with my fork and the pork... Came off..?
Shock. Awe. How did they make the chop so tender? I’m still confused. Oh, and stuffed as well.
I love you, West Duffy Zeny’s Sunbeam. Will you be my Savannah Mom?
Love, Caroline.
West Duffy Cafe, corner Duffy and Jefferson Streets downtown. 912/234-6650
