Going Over to Gus’s

A Long-Standing Oasis on White Horse Road 

On White Horse Road sits a restaurant you simply have to stop at — Gus's Streetside Café. This oasis on a busy street corner has been serving the community for over 40 years. It started it’s life as a diner called "Po' Folks," but was acquired by a man named — you guessed it — Gus, who renamed it and took things to the next level. 

He eventually sold it to our friend George (just George — he says his last name is too hard to spell, so don't bother) in 1999, and George has taken things even further. And Gus isn't mad about that. Though well advanced in age, Gus still comes in on occasion.

George doesn't just own the restaurant — he runs it. "My wife runs the front counter and works as the hostess," he told us. "I'm in the back doing pretty much everything else." He cooks, handles the accounting, and manages a staff that, by all accounts, loves where they work. One waitress, Tracy, summed it up simply: "Oh, we all get along. We're like a family. It's such a great crew to work with.”

Tracy and the rest of the wait staff know pretty much everyone in the large dining room, which fills regularly with familiar faces — neighbors, regulars, and more than a few sheriff's deputies. 

And what are they all coming for? Mainly turkey and dressing. And cornbread, which the staff make themselves. 

"You'd be shocked at how much turkey and dressing we sell," George's wife told us. We were not shocked — because everything they make is simply perfect. Beyond the turkey and dressing, we tried a handful of dishes, from the Philly cheesesteak to the massive portion of fried chicken they give you, and finished with a slice of pecan pie from the dessert case displayed right at the front door. Not a single thing disappoints.

When we asked George what makes Gus's unique, he didn't hesitate: soul food, and their unwavering commitment to the meat and three. 

While newer restaurants — even new Southern restaurants — tend to shy away from that tradition, Gus's does not. They may add items to the menu to welcome more people in, but they have no interest in taking anything away, especially not what brought them to this point. 

We couldn't agree more. At one point, George glanced around at some of the lighting fixtures and décor and mentioned that maybe it was time to update a few things. We told him no — don't change a thing. We don't think he will.

George does think about the future, though. He wants to see more people shopping and eating along the White Horse Road corridor. In his experience, the area saw stronger foot traffic before the 2008 housing crisis, and it took a long time to recover. Today, White Horse Road has more to offer than it did before 2008 — but the number of people engaging those businesses seems to have plateaued. George wants that to change.

"There are a lot of solid businesses and restaurants on this side of town," he says. "Come this way and give us another look." We at Saltbox can assure you that won't be a hard challenge to accept — especially once you try the cornbread.

Being intentional about where you eat and shop is a simple, meaningful way to make a real difference in the lives of people like Gus, Tracy, and George, who pour themselves into their work — much of it quietly happening “in the back” — to serve this community well.