KINGSPORT — If you haven’t found Evelyn’s Kitchen Table, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Located in the Green Acres Shopping Center on North Eastman Road, the restaurant opened nearly two years ago. Its owners wanted to create a breakfast-and-lunch focused eatery with the feel of a neighborhood diner or cafe.
Based on our recent visits, we’d say they’ve more than succeeded. Evelyn’s Kitchen Table is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday and Wednesday through Saturday. On Sunday, the hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the menu changes weekly for Sunday brunch.
Owners Elizabeth and Aaron Bodenhorn named the restaurant Evelyn’s Kitchen Table after three family members: their daughter, Elizabeth’s mother, and Elizabeth’s grandmother.
Evelyn’s has developed a steady clientele of regulars. But there’s room for more. On our most recent visit, the restaurant had three large groups seated. All those diners picked Evelyn’s for lunch while on break from a conference at Marriott’s MeadowView Resort, Conference and Convention Center.
We spoke with a table of six from the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. They gave the food and service glowing reviews and predicted the restaurant would gain even more diners from the conference the next day. They planned to spread the word and share photos of their food, which they said they were taking to submit to online review space Yelp.
The entire menu is available from open to close daily. The weekly brunch menu often is posted a few days prior on the restaurant’s social media page.
Breakfast offerings include grits bowls, breakfast platters (including standout eggs Benedict), omelettes and waffles (including the country time, which comes stuffed with country ham, peppers and onions, finished with cheese and choice of eggs for $11.50).
In addition to breakfast fare, there are sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups and sides — all made from scratch.
“There’s no mixes or powders in our kitchen,” Elizabeth said.
The Times News asked Elizabeth and Aaron to answer a few questions.
Q: How long has your restaurant been in operation?
A: We have been in business since August 4th, 2020. Opening during a pandemic had a unique set of challenges that we faced head-on.
Q: What do you consider the specialties at your restaurant?
A: We take pride in our fresh and local ingredients provided with our high-quality service. We consider our whole menu special due to the effort and quality that goes into every plate.
Q: What is your culinary education/experience?
A: Having over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry has opened up many opportunities to meet new people and learn unique things.
Q: Why is your restaurant appealing to customers, and how do you maintain that ambiance?
A: We keep our whole restaurant clean and tidy. We also ensure to take guests’ feedback into consideration with every decision we make. Because of our cleanliness, friendliness and delicious food, we try our best to make everyone who walks through the door feels at home.
Q: Do you share recipes?
A: We believe that the hard work and dedication that goes into every recipe makes it worth keeping them a secret.
Q: How do you think your restaurant differs from other restaurants in the Tri-Cities?
A: We use the freshest and finest ingredients we can get. We have a capacity of less than 100 people, maintaining the personal experience you get here at EKT. Also, we do not have a microwave in our kitchen — we like to cook!
Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of your location?
A: We have a great central location here in Green Acres Shopping Center, keeping us close to our wonderful friends and family. Unfortunately, we have no signage by the road, which limits the visibility of our restaurant.
Q: How often do you change the menu?
A: We change our menu seasonally so that we can provide the freshest ingredients possible. Also, we have a Sunday brunch menu that changes every week, allowing us to prepare dishes with unique and exciting flavor combinations.
Q: What is your favorite cookbook?
A: Our favorite cookbook is our collection of handwritten recipes passed down to us through our family. Without our family’s support, we would not be where we are today.