THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 1, 1995 TAG: 9510030428
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: CHAIN REACTION
SOURCE: BY BROWN H. CARPENTER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
WHOEVER THOUGHT up the PoFolks restaurants perhaps figured a menu of mostly fried food and thoroughly cooked vegetables would be just the ticket during the uncertain economy of the '90s.
Indeed, the prices are right for anyone on a limited budget. Country steak or four pieces of fried chicken and two veggies are just $5.99. Meatloaf is $5.79; chicken and dumplings is $3.99.
Senior citizens can order from a special section of the menu, and pay no more than $4.49 for an entree.
And the portions are generous.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, two of us visited the restaurant at 4616 Pembroke Blvd. in Virginia Beach.
Service was courteous and efficient as we were seated at a plain wooden table with benches.
The decor is sparse - a few old advertisements framed on the wall, inverted flowerpots serving as lampshades - reflecting the no-nonsense philosophy of the chain.
PoFolks stresses traditional Southern home-cooking, which is apparent even on an appetizer list that includes chicken livers for $1.29. But mozzarella cheese sticks ($1.99) and chicken breast tenders ($2.49), which seem more at home in a Bennigan's or Ruby Tuesday, are offered, too.
Those watching calories might try the grilled chicken salad ($4.69) or country chef salad ($4.99). But most of the menu is not for weight-watchers.
For entrees, we ordered the Blue Ribbon fried chicken dinner and crabcakes ($5.99 each). The chicken was nice and crispy, but we thought it could have benefited from more seasoning. The crabcakes tasted OK but were mushy.
PoFolks makes no attempt to be fancy or trendy, but that's a disadvantage when it comes to the vegetable side dishes. The ones we ordered reminded me of the C-rations I ate: black-eyed peas and turnip greens that tasted like they came from cans, mashed potatoes reminiscent of powdered spuds.
But we gave the kitchen high marks for its coleslaw - it was fresh and not over-glopped with mayonnaise.
For dessert, we split a dull, too-gooey blackberry cobbler, which was disappointing, considering chain restaurants often excel at innovative and tempting desserts.
Perhaps in keeping with the family atmosphere, PoFolks does not offer alcoholic beverages.
So if you want to take the tribe out for inexpensive fare reminiscent of the rural South, and if calories don't matter, PoFolks may be for you. ILLUSTRATION: ROY A. BAHLS COLOR PHOTOS
Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken Dinner, $5.99; Crumb Cobbler topped with
Ice Cream, $1.99
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
PoFolks: 4616 Pembroke Blvd., Virginia Beach. 473-9104.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Prices: no entree over $5.99, with the exception of
Southern-style catfish ($7.29), and catfish fillet and seafood combo
($6.79 each). A senior-citizens menu features dinners under $5.
Reservations: not accepted.
Smoking: one third of seating.
Owned by: PoFolks Inc., Nashville, which oversees about 100
restaurants in the Southeast. Two franchises are in Hampton Roads:
the one on Pembroke Boulevard and one in Hampton.
by CNB