Molly and I have made a habit of visiting some of the most Southern places we can find, both near home and when we’re traveling. As two native North Carolinians, we have a deep respect and appreciation for the “country” cooking indigenous to our slice of the country.

Simply by name, Grits N Greens Southern Cuisine interested us and, by menu, pulled us in the door. What’s more North Carolina Southern than grits and collard greens?

You can find both of those items on the menu at this restaurant, as well as other “granny” cooking favorites in a meat-and-three-type format of main dishes and vegetables. You can get diner-style food, such as breakfast mainstays, cheeseburgers and other sandwiches with French fries or sides. And you can get unique favorites that you won’t always find on a similar menu—choices such as crab cakes and a shrimp “po boy.”

Molly enjoyed a generously portioned steak melt sandwich with a side of crispy, fresh fried okra. I opted for a pair of crab cakes with sides of broccoli casserole and macaroni and cheese, along with a couple pieces of deliciously seasoned Texas toast.

No, we didn’t enjoy the namesake grits and greens, but it was reassuring to see them on the menu.

The eatery’s digs offer a no-frills atmosphere (plain walls, simple booths) inside a space on the main strip of a revitalizing “downtown” Lowell. There are a few other local shops on the same strip of Main Street, but Grits and Greens is the centerpiece.

We visited on a Saturday afternoon, right after the typical noon lunch hour. Our server was friendly, the food was tasty and we left full but not overstuffed like we sometimes experience in a greasy-spoon restaurant.

If you like Southern food, give Grits N Greens a try and let me know if it meets your expectations for country cooking.

Grits N Greens, 125 N. Main St., Lowell, N.C.

gritsngreens.com