4 hard-to-find restaurants that won’t disappoint

Macon has arteries of eateries along Vineville and Ingleside avenues, Riverside Drive, Bass and Zebulon roads, and all over downtown, but where can you find great food in little secret spots? This week we’re taking a look at a few covert cafes you can find with a little effort.

Dawson’s Kitchen

You’ve probably driven by here hundreds of times, thinking it was just a cute little vegetable stand. Just on the edge of Payne City off Vineville Avenue, Dawson’s Kitchen actually has a cafeteria line running the length of its left side and six unpretentious tables scattered along the entrance. For $7.25 you get a meat and two vegetables, which change each day of the week. Desserts are always homemade and huge.

Harpin’s

Just a few steps away from Dawson’s Kitchen is a tiny bistro owned by Mick Jagger’s former personal chef. While Paul dishes up quiches, chicken salad croissants and his famous velvety lobster bisque, his wife, Hazel, will cut you a slice of her luscious desserts, like bread pudding, apple cake and occasionally a mandarin orange trifle. Usually only open for lunch, call to find out when their next Friday night dinner is.

MeMaw’s at LG’s

Recently featured in Southern Living Magazine, MeMaw’s is hard to find unless you’re looking for it. Inside this nondescript brick building on Mumford Road, MeMaw and family are cooking up smoked turkey, barbecue ribs, smothered pork chops and mac-n-cheese, all based on 100-year-old family recipes that have been perfected during her training as a certified chef. Make sure to get a deep-dish buttermilk pie.

Dinner Bell Indian Fine Cuisine

Even if you love Indian food, you may not know that this little gem is hiding in plain sight on Eisenhower Parkway. The outside is all strip mall, but the inside is warm and inviting, with a friendly staff and delicious food at very reasonable prices. Try the lunch buffet if you’re not sure what your favorites are. If you go for dinner, you can’t go wrong with one of the curries, which can be make with chicken, lamb or goat.

Read more reviews of local restaurants

This story was originally published March 2, 2017 at 7:02 AM with the headline "4 hard-to-find restaurants that won’t disappoint."