Finger-Lickin' Down-Home Cooking
Locals are proud of their fancy new restaurants, but sometimes they just want to escape to a roadside dump where -- as they say in the South -- "all God's children got chicken grease on their fingers." The Coffee Cup is where to go. It's in a cinder-block structure across from a garage in an area of truck firms and warehouses. Expect Formica-topped tables, with a bottle of Texas Pete on every one. Vintage soul pours from a jukebox at least 3 decades old. When the place opened in the '40s, only whites could dine inside; black customers had to order takeout through a side window (still here, but covered in plywood). Even the toilets once used by black patrons are still outside. The kitchen cooks pan-fry chicken the old-fashioned way. Locals drive for miles to eat this chicken with their fingers. Daily lunch specials include meatloaf and liver and onions.
The Coffee Cup is at 914 S. Clarkson St. (tel. 704/375-8855). It's open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 3pm and Saturday from 7:30am to noon. Breakfast costs from $3.50 to $6, lunch from $4 to $6. The restaurant takes MasterCard and Visa.
