"Expect to find this Southern classic on Ponce packed with weekend tourists. Mary Mac’s is an old school meat-and-two where you write down your own order on a menu card. And where else will servers announce, “Comin’ in, honey” before setting down a plate of delicious fried green tomatoes? Plus, it’s one of the few places where you can still get potlikker (think: chips-and-salsa starter but with collard broth and cornbread). The setting feels nostalgic—homey rooms lined with photos of famous guests (yes, that’s the Dalai Lama) and old floors that creak with a Southern accent. " - nina reeder, juli horsford, jacinta howard