Anyone who has been in Murray County for more than five minutes knows that among it's citizens are plenty of requests for something "new"—new restaurants, new shops, new things to do. Wanting new options is all well and good, but have those wants blinded us to what is already here?
I recently came across a local news story about an employee at an IHOP in Fort Oglethorpe who was apparently using down time to work on her side hustle. She was using a portion of the dining room to service a client who was seeing her for a chemical hair treatment. The incident sparked a lot of debate. While most people felt it had no place in a restaurant, others argued that under certain circumstances it might have been acceptable. Regardless, it was reported that after this incident the restaurant closed, with some blaming this event while others stated the restaurant had been suffering from lack of adequate customers for some time.
Most of us have been to Fort Oglethorpe. The dining options there seem endless. They have Applebee's, LongHorn, Golden Corral, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, O'Charley's, Fazoli's, Freddy's, and many others, some of which Murray citizens have stated they would love to see established here.
But it was a random comment in the discussion about the incident and newfound vacancy of this former IHOP incident stood out to me.
"I hope we don't get another (common) restaurant. What we really need is a good restaurant with homestyle meat-and-vegetable options."
Surprised? A comment from a Fort Oglethorpe resident, living in a place with nearly every restaurant option imaginable, including many that Murray's citizens often wish for, and she's longing for something we have here.
But she's not alone. Our travels often lead me to check out local pages of other cities and I've seen similar comments on message boards in more than one instance, comments that seems unfathomable to some of us here in Murray: while it would be nice to have a few additional dining choices in Murray County, we have options here that have been lost in the same areas that currently host the restaurants we covet.
Those meat-and-three restaurants that folks elsewhere long for can be found right here in Murray County—primarily at The Village Cafeteria, Edna's, and Pleasant Valley.
Am I suggesting Murray residents should limit their dining options strictly to Murray County dining? Of course not.
Am I suggesting that if there are local restaurants here that we haven't yet tried, it might be a little unfair to complain that we don't have this restaurant or that restaurant?
Probably.
Pleasant Valley not only serves delicious meat-and-three meals, but they also offer a terrific breakfast. If you're making regular trips to Cracker Barrel in Dalton and have never tried Pleasant Valley, this weekend would be a great time to change up your routine.
If you've avoided Edna's because someone in your party isn't interested in a meat-and-three meal, it could be because you/they aren't aware that Edna's also serves burgers, chicken fingers, sandwiches, salads, and seafood/fish platters.
And if you're constantly relying on fast-food drive-thrus because you're pressed for time, remember that a meal can often be picked up just as quickly at The Village Cafeteria. It's entirely possible to get the kids to the game on time while still making sure what's being put in front of them includes more wholesome options.
As always, if you're bored with your routine Murray County go-to's, try to expand and make sure you've given all 50-plus of our local establishments a fair chance. You may just discover a new favorite right in your own backyard.
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