The Trading Post; Southern Food Spirits

We had a party of 8, and while they wouldn 't take a reservation,we had no problem getting seated. We waited a short time while a couple finished and they moved two tables together. I had shrimp and grits and it was unique with an egg and lots of sauce. Everyone else liked their dishes and the service was prompt and friendly. The bill came to about $40 per person including apps, drinks, meal and tip. They have enough of a selection to appease most tastes. The southern soul rolls are a uniquely Southern slant on oriental rolls. They are stuffed with collards and beans then deep fried. They taste much better than it sounds, and I 'm from up North and never liked collards.

We went to The Trading Post for lunch today. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Some of the tables, chairs, and decorations had a reclaimed distressed wood theme. Checked out the patio area which had seating and an additional bar. We ordered for an appetizer the fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and pepper jelly. I loved them! They were hot, crunchy, cheesy, and had a kick if you added the jelly. It was a perfect start! My wife ordered the seafood platter with oysters, grilled shrimp, and macaroni and cheese as a side. I ordered the chicken and waffles. My wife's seafood unfortunately came out barely warm. Once we advised our waitress of this they quickly reheated it and the manager checked to ensure it was good. My waffles were SWEET. I don't think I've ever had waffles that were sweeter. I noticed there were little clumps of sugar that actually crunched when you chewed them. It was too sweet for me. It didn't complement the fried chicken that was on top. I ordered mac and cheese as a side dish because I was craving it. I was disappointed. I don't like dry Mac and cheese and this was very dry. I prefer a Mac and cheese to have a sauce or creamy element. This had none and they added crumbled Ritz crackers to the top. Overall, I liked the decor, the service was attentive, but the food was either hit (fried green tomatoes) or miss (waffle Mac and cheese).

To be honest, I was not really feeling it here when I first walked in due to the noise and how busy it was, and feared I'd get stuck waiting too long; that was quickly resolved though.. The place isn't bad at all, the food definitely is very southern with it's food (What's with the sign having a shrimp on it? It fooled me into thinking this was a seafood restaurant) and the customer service was indeed very superb, but the ladies her look very understaffed for busy nights, and I swear they were like blurs with how fast they were moving. They made sure I was taken care of though. I will say the fries were absolutely delicious, for they weren't too cooked nor undercooked, I HATE both. As for the burger, it's big, like, BIG, and the bacon in it was perfect. I loved my meal. My only real gripe is that people do get drunk here or have had one too many, I could smell the alcohol from a few who obviously had the alcohol in absolute control of their minds. However the store is not responsible for those unable to hold their liquor. (I don't drink at all though). I guess that is just the price you have to pay running a bar sadly.

Do not miss out! Food is great and the ambiance is beyond!! They were so so nice about having our puppy on the back patio with us and the owner is the loveliest person ever! Photos don?t do justice, we ordered the chicken salad and shrimp and grits, both were absolutely delicious! Thank you for making our trip so wonderful!

Had a wonderful time here. Staff were super friendly and very attentive, even with me taking forever to decide what I wanted. Ate lunch so can't comment on dinner. Had the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and they were amazing. Covered in pimento cheese with red pepper jelly on the side. Super crunchy breading that stayed on while eating them. I got a salad with fried oysters on top and my partner got the chicken and waffles. Both were amazing and you could tell the oysters were fresh cooked to order. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a nice place to grab a bite with awesome service.