Elton Sampson and his son, Lester “Blue” McKeithan, happily welcomed Laura Johnson and I as we walked into Sampson & Son Restaurant.
Ashley and Michael (Blue’s kids) were behind the counter ready to take our order. Also on the team, nephew Caleb, Cousin Jesse, and his friend Eldridge.
We planned on having breakfast so Blue gave us the rundown of the menu: pancakes, grits, omelets, egg and cheese sandwiches, and turkey and beef sausages and bacon, but no pork. He said, “We make your breakfast the way you want it.”
Sampson & Son specializes in southern soul food and offers a robust menu. Blue smiled as he recommended turkey BBQ saying, “that’s our specialty.” More delicious choices are baked chicken, NY-style chicken, BBQ chicken, turkey chops, meatloaf; boneless beef ribs on Wednesday, Fridays are fish and shrimp day. They also have vegan options. Enjoy squash casserole, collards, and rutabaga to name a few.
We couldn’t help but see the display of cakes. Blue told us they are “the cakes of the day! Oh man, key lime cake with pecans and without pecans, jelly cake, chocolate cake…” Laura planned on taking the key lime cake to her Mom, but it didn’t make it out of the door.
They’re open Tuesday through Friday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
When asked why they started their family-owned-and-operated business, Blue responded, “My family has always cooked. We love it. We started planning to open the business three years ago and opened the doors earlier this year.”
Sampson & Son Restaurant is located at 806 Queen St. in New Bern, NC. Dine in or take out and tell them we said hello!
For daily specials and up-to-date information, call them at 252-514-2470.
By Wendy Card