Back in the eighties we went hoping to find Leatha’s. The directions some locals gave us - just go down that country road, turn here, turn there, when you’re near the river and see a bunch of Mercedeses and Lincolns you’re in the right place.
If you liked a fancy place that takes an hour to serve you, orders come back wrong and you pay outrageous prices for mediocre food, you didn’t go there. If you wanted a combo Bingo/restaurant w checkered tablecloths, half gallon size sweetened iced tea and the best bbq in the world, then Leatha’s was the place. Her son was outside by the river bank smoking the meats, the girls were taking care of the customers and Leatha herself, well, was everywhere. We all ordered different dishes, I remember, just so that we could sample each other’s goodies. And squeezing the half lemon in that sweetened tea complemented the whole experience.
Places like Leatha’s don’t exist anymore. Maybe that’s why my wife and I will eat out maybe once a year (Valentines Day?). The rest of the time we just buy the ingredients and share the cooking at home. And whenever we fix chicken, I keep a bottle of bbq sauce to pour on it just so I can reminisce for awhile...