Joy Of The South - Merced

I was very excited to go here. I have been to the other restaurants when big Will was in Atwater. The foodcame with big portions, but bigger doesn't make anything better. The hush puppies were bland and way over cooked and extremely dry. The other fried items all tasted like they were cooked in dirty fryer oil. The chili dog I wouldnt even touch my husband said it was very disappointing. The chili was black in color and smelled terrible. We'll see if he gets sick. The service was pretty good. I will not be returning again.

The service was decent. The food was horrible. Hush puppies were so burnt and just tasted like nasty grease. My po boy, the protien was half the size of the bread. The food was all poor in presentation. The fried okra was mostly batter...gross burnt batter.

GOOD EATS! been here 3 or 4 times so far and have not been let down. Family owned and they are super friendly and provide AMAZING service. They do really treat you like FAMILY.

Passing through town and decided to take a chance on what sounded like a cozy southern style restaurant with some yummy comfort food and we were NOT disappointed! We got the Frickles and Jalapeños. They had great flavor and were really delicious. We opted for the gumbo, which was well spiced in comparison with gumbo we have had at other restaurants. My husband got the Tri-tip and I got the southern fried chicken. Every bite was absolutely fabulous and gave as all the feels of NOLA without having to take a trip all the way there.

Love the live music and the food is delicious. Must have the sweet potatoes fries!