Welcome to livermush country! If pig parts aren’t your preference, protein choices abound along this stretch of I-40, including chicken, fish, and local beef. To purchase a print edition of this map, visitgoodprintedthings.com.
When Pho 828 took over the strip mall space previously occupied by Sakura Japanese Ramen, it kept its predecessor’s signature item on the menu, a decision that evidences confidence rather than mission creep. There’s no broth or noodle that this restaurant can’t handle, although the aroma of grilled pork and sound of a cleaver rightly steers eaters back to Vietnamese dishes, including a sonorous pho with admirably fresh garnishes.
Mama’s Country Kitchen is hardly the only diner in McDowell County serving livermush. But what makes its rendition of the regional delicacy so valuable is short-order cooks here are egg virtuosos, meaning every plate and sandwich does justice to the loaf of cornmeal and pig parts (although a smear of mayonnaise doesn’t hurt when the combo’s bookended by white bread.) While staffers take equal care with the iron-rich flaps of livermush, even some lifelong western North Carolinians abstain: Mama’s also serves an estimable cheeseburger.
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