SIMPLY SOUTHERN BISTRO

Cool Cucumber Dill Salmon

65 W. Wesmark Blvd.

Open for lunch and dinner service Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 5 – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m – 9 p.m. On Sunday and Tuesdays, lunch only 11a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

This family owned Southern restaurant has one savory, refreshing dish that keeps people coming back, and believe it or not, it’s not deep-fried or barbecued.

Since Chef Jeff Dennis and his parents, Wayne and Gail, opened in December 2009, the Cool Cucumber Dill Salmon has been a staple on the menu.

“I’ve been selling it since day one,” Dennis said about his Sumter signature. “It’s one of my top sellers. It’s fresh caught, so it’s really good.”

Dennis said he goes through about 70 pounds of salmon each week. When it comes to the signature’s hook, he pointed to the cold cucumber sauce, which foodies often order extra of take home.

Similar to a sour cream texture, the chilled sauce is dolloped on top of the grilled salmon and slowly melts over the fish. The refreshing surprise is the small chunks of cucumber hidden between the savory bites.

People even come just for the Southern sides alone, simple, traditional fixings that Dennis puts his own twist on to give a unique flavor you can’t find anywhere else in town. Dennis said the most popular sides are his collard greens with sweet and spicy notes and sweet, sweet potato fries.

“First, it’s the love for the food. I try to put a quality product out, and so far, Sumter’s supported it all,” he said. “And they just keep coming back for it after 14 years.”

Consistency is key for this Sumter staple. Leo’s has been in business since 1982. Back then, Leo’s signature wasn’t even a thought in the Sumter area, according to owner Ann Timmons.

“Sumter didn’t even know what a wing was,” Timmons said. “Why would you sell a wing? It was the part you threw in the trash.”

Once they fried a wing and topped it with sauce, people were hooked and have been coming through the door daily for the past 40 years. And now, they’ll keep coming as Timmons’ daughters Laura Brown and Christian Melton will run the show once she retires.

“We’re just really lucky to have a good product and have the locals supporting us,” Brown said. “We started out with three or four sauces, and now we’re at 16 or 18. We’re just growing along.”

Over the last 40 years, the base recipe has stayed the same, and the menu has all the regulars, but new items are added every few years. Timmons’ favorite is the teriyaki sauce, whereas Melton and Brown like their wings the hotter the better. In total, there are 14 sauces on the menu, but they have a few extras off the menu, like the popular mango sauce.

If it weren’t the wing making Leo’s a Sumter signature, it would be the customers.

“One thing that’s been kind of amazing and crazy to see growing up here and working here for the last 20 years, I’ve seen kids come in as babies and now I’m seeing them at 20-21 years old, so I’ve watched kids grow up,” Brown said. “We have a lot of customers that came in back in the ‘80s that come in to this day.”

Dining tip: Leo’s has a special on Tuesday nights with a 65-cent wing deal. So come hungry!

South Sumter’s Susie’s is the only restaurant and food truck combo business in the county that serves up fan-favorite wings, fries and more, but it also serves something that can’t be found anywhere in the region.

“These are my amazing soul rolls,” Owner Chris Davis said. “A soul roll is actually seasoned collards, smoked turkey all wrapped up into an egg roll, and then I do have my secret sauce, which is like a teriyaki with a kick. It complements it perfectly.”

It’s the perfect combination of both Southern and Chinese cuisine with a hint of Thanksgiving flavors. She hasn’t seen it anywhere else, Davis said. She made it by accident when getting creative with her family’s Thanksgiving dinner one year. When she served them up, everyone was hooked at first bite.

“After that, I put them on the menu,” Davis said. “Everybody loves them. It blows my mind.”

Susie’s Chicken and Fries sells about 400-500 soul rolls a day — that’s with both the restaurant and food truck running. Davis said her homemade teriyaki sauce with a secret heat kick plays a role in people coming back, along with the fresh ingredients and the affordable price at $3.

Customers get them by the handfuls or to pair with some wings and fries. Businesses often cater a tray for a work lunch.

“It is so different and they are so good, and they’re so consistent. That’s one thing that’s huge for me,” she said. “I strive to have that same consistency.”

Primary Care

Eagerton Family Practice

Robert S. Eagerton, MD* / Carmen Roberts, DO

Amber P. Newman, NP

200 East Hospital Street, Manning, SC 29102 (803) 433-0439

* Not accepting new patients at this time

McLeod Primary Care Clarendon

Lisa E. Heichberger, MD / Laine Way, MD

Susan Caulkins, FNP / Susanne Johnson, FNP

50 East Hospital Street, Suite 3 Manning, SC 29102 (803) 435-8828

Palmetto Adult Medicine Sumter

Harry A. Jordan, Jr., MD

Andrew J. Reynolds, MD

Hugh T. Stoddard, Jr., MD

Katherine S. Coffey, PA-C

James R. McMahon, FNP

Emily J. Miller, PA-C

1295 Wilson Hall Road, Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 905-6800

McLeod Primary Care Turbeville

Michael O. Ouzts, DO / Abbie Kirby, PA-C

Amanda McConnell, PA-C

944 Smith Street, Turbeville, SC 29162 (843) 659-2114

McLeod Family Medicine Kingstree

Andrew Gulledge, FNP

Raina McKenzie, PA-C

1200 North Longstreet Street, Kingstree, SC 29556 (843) 355-5459

Cardiology

McLeod Cardiology Associates

Prabal Guha, MD / Dennis Lang, DO

Jennifer Weich, NP

540 Physicians Lane, Sumter, SC 29150

(803) 883-5171

Manning Clinic: 21 East Hospital Street, Manning, SC 29102