A new restaurant is bringing classic Southern comfort food to the border of Shady Acres and Lazybrook/Timbergrove. Brothers Brandon and Justin Piper have teamed up to open Preslee’s - Southern Good Eatery, a new establishment that replaces shuttered Chinese restaurant Golden Cafe at 1430 W. 19th St.
With interior details in the final stages of completion, the restaurant is almost ready for final inspections. If all goes according to plan, Preslee’s will begin its soft opening around September 26.
Family friendly — the restaurant is named for Justin’s daughter — the counter-service spot will seat about 100 inside and almost 300 on its massive patio. The space has been completely renovated with new, custom-fabricated doors and windows that can be opened during nice weather.
Expect the patio to become a popular destination as soon as the weather cools off. The brothers have incorporated design ideas from lots of successful concepts. Diners can lounge on hammocks, glide on swings, play ping pong on concrete tables, pose for photos in an oversized chair, or just eat and drink at tables made from giant wooden spools. Misters will help mitigate the summer heat, and umbrellas will provide some shade.
Justin Piper and his father previously operated Graffiti’s at Union St, the short-lived Washington Avenue burger joint. That restaurant’s first-rate chicken fried steak has been upgraded for Preslee’s. In addition, the restaurant will also offer fried chicken and fried seafood, as well as Cajun-inspired dishes such as stuffed turkey legs, blackened pork chops, and shrimp and grits. For dessert, the restaurant will sell Hershey’s ice cream by-the-scoop.
“We just want to have really good price points, for people not to leave hungry,” Brandon Piper tells CultureMap. “If they come for lunch on a Friday, they come back for dinner [soon]. That’s what we’re going for.”
To drink, expect local craft beer as well as some of the popular national options. Cocktails, including both a frozen Jack and coke and a frozen margarita, will join wine and an extensive bourbon selection to complete the alcoholic options. The usual fountain and bottled sodas provide choices for those who don’t imbibe.
Overall, the goal is to create a reliable destination that draws from both its immediate neighborhood as well as nearby areas such as The Heights and Garden Oaks.
“We want to be here for more than three years,” Piper says. “We’re trying to be here for 15, 20 years and actually build a brand and market it and make it efficient enough to where we can focus on growing the business.”
Fried seafood basket.
