Flavor

Unless you're from Cartersville, Georgia, you may not have heard about a relatively new place called "Flavor" that's located in the heart of Cartersville's historic downtown. Located on the west side of the railroad track (the same side as Cartersville's Depot and Friendship Plaza), Flavor is one of the best places in the surrounding counties to find some good ol' country cooking. And, to locals, that's saying something when they're used to places like Doug's Place in Emerson (another good one that I haven't 'reviewed' yet). But, if you're into the kind of food that screams, "I love the South", Flavor is one place that you have got to check out! Not to mention, Downtown Cartersville is undergoing what some might call a rebirth, and it is filling up with a variety of good places to eat, shop, and play. As a matter of fact, I'm planning on reviewing several places in Cartersville and Bartow County in the coming months. To start that off, I had the opportunity to eat at Flavor today with my dad, and we had a great time scarfing down some incredible food.

Flavor operates in a way that I've not seen before at your typical "meat and three". Its not a buffet and its not a place where you order off the menu. Each person pays nine dollars a plate (sorry, but I didn't check on kids prices), which includes your plate, your drink, salad or soup, bread, and a dessert. First, you pick up your dessert, which is one of several types of cakes (I usually get the lemon cake). Next, you fill your own drink cup with either sweet tea, unsweet tea, fresh lemonade, or water (believe it nor not, I usually get the lemonade here, so I can't comment on the quality of their tea). Then, you face what looks like a food line in a cafeteria, where someone will ask you if you want a salad or soup in addition to the type of bread you would prefer (biscuit, roll, or corn muffin). After making those decisions, the same person will pick up a large plate and will ask you what you want to eat. And here's the unique part of Flavor: the plate is huge, and they will keep piling food on the plate until you tell them to stop. There's no return trips, but you won't need any. The portions are generous to say the least! Once you've finished with your selections and picked up your silverware, you'll move on to the dining area (sometimes a server will take you tray for you).

The menu options have been different each time that I have been to Flavor, but I didn't ask about an exhaustive list of what they serve or if the same items are served on specific days. What I've noticed is that its the two meats that change each day, with the twelve vegetables staying about the same. Today, they were serving pulled roast beef with gravy and mustard-BBQ chicken breasts as the main dishes. Other meats that I've seen them offer have been fried chicken, country-fried steak, fried catfish, and meatloaf. Today's vegetables included black-eyed peas, corn, brocoli, boiled okra, mashed potatoes, rutabagas, lima beans, rice, boiled cabbage, macaroni-and-cheese (it's great), and collard greens to mention those that I can recall. The desserts that were offered today included strawberry cake, pound cake, yellow cake with chocolate icing, red velvet cake, and lemon cake.

Flavor is nicely decorated with country-themed items without looking like the inside of a barn. It is very clean, which has made it one of the few "hole-in-the-wall" places that my wife doesn't mind eating at. One of the eclectic features of the place is the different chairs that they have at their tables. I wouldn't be surprised if only two of the chairs actually matched. I also think it's neat how the floor is covered with those classic black and white tiles that bring to mind all of those old kitchens with countless Southern moms and grandmothers cooking the food that we're still enjoying in places like Flavor. But as I've said, it is a clean and well-decorated establishment, so you won't feel like you're eating in some run-down place in the middle of a Georgia backroad. I can't say enough good things about this place. If you're anywhere near Cartersville around lunch time, make sure to head on over to Flavor in Cartersville's historic downtown. You won't regret it!

Flavor is located at 19 South Public Square, Cartersville, Georgia. Their phone number is 770-606-0919, and their website is http://www.flavorfulevents.com/ (although this is actually the website for their catering business). Flavor is open from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday-Friday (they are closed on Saturdays except June 7, July 5 and August 2, 2008, when they will be open from 1 a.m.-8 p.m. for the 2008 Century Bank Free Summer Concert Series).

~Dave