They serve “comfort food”. Preston Lee Giles and Carol Ann Giles own and run the fairly new business. “I had a restaurant in 1998 in North Carolina, and when we moved to Texas, we decided to open this one. There wasn’t anywhere here that served fresh collard greens on a daily basis, and it was something I look forward to every day if I can get them. So, we just went at it,” he said with a chuckle. But it wasn’t as easy as some might think. They worked on the building for two years, getting it up to their standards and ready to wow Wichita Falls with some delicious soul food. “He is a jack of all trades,” Carol Ann said of Preston, “He made the curtains. He cut down the door to the kitchen to fit and installed it. He even cut a hole through cinderblock to mount the air conditioning and heating unit. Mr. P did a lot of the work on the building himself. He was determined to open this restaurant.” There was some question about where the restaurant would be located. They considered opening it on the east side of town, but decided on Denver Street. And with the success of their endeavor, it is obvious that they made the right choice.
The restaurant is welcoming with mouthwatering aromas coming from the kitchen, and every customer in the place took home to-go boxes with them while I was there. Now, this isn’t a fast-food restaurant. They make everything to order, but when you get there you can relax and enjoy it. And for your convenience, they use Favor, Grubhub, and DoorDash delivery companies. They also cook for parties and weddings. They don’t actually cater, but they can cook the food and happy customers come and pick it up.
The menu has Jamaican beef patties, catfish, fried chicken, meatloaf, liver and onions, rotisserie chicken, smothered pork chops and smothered chicken, hot links, and of course, collard greens to name a few. If you are craving oxtails or barbecue neck bones or smothered neck bones that is on the menu also. There is a dessert of the day that ranges from fresh cobbler to pecan pie or sweet potato pie. And if you are wondering what a “smothered” dish is it is food smothered in gravy. They go through 2 and a half pounds of it daily. That’s a lot of gravy! It is brown gravy and Preston brags that it is not greasy at all. However, if you prefer white gravy, that is available too.
They have specials every day that vary on such delicious dishes as fried chicken, fried catfish, meatloaf, and more. “We make it affordable—that’s the key,” Carol Ann stressed. “Everyone is welcome, and we don’t like anyone to be unhappy. We want people to leave full,” Preston said. “We guarantee all our food, and if you take a couple of bites and don’t like what you have, we will replace it with something that makes you happy.”
The two of them are characters with wonderful chemistry that comes from spending 30 years together. “She runs the front, and I run the back,” Preston said. “Go on and tell it,” Carol Ann says with a smile. “I run it all.” They both cook, and Carol Ann serves. “We have met some awesome people in here,” she said. Many of their customers are return customers. She said that if they come a couple times then they are hooked on the good food and atmosphere. One customer was worried that there was not an air conditioner in the kitchen and made a donation to remedy that problem. Their customers run the gambit from doctors and lawyers to blue- collar workers. There is no discrimination when it comes to good food. “As always, we focus on getting the food out to the customer,” Preston said.
Mr. P’s Eatery has gained some notoriety with their wonderful food. They were praised by the Lunch Bunch and have been on the Taste of Texoma TV program 3 times. They have a five- star rating on Google and the Taste of Texoma website. Their hours are Mondays 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Tuesdays 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. If customers have any questions about the hours, they can go to the restaurants Facebook page. Carol Ann makes sure that social media is current. In fact, many of their customers are posting photos of the dishes that Mr. P’s Eatery serves daily. Stop by and check it out. Your taste buds will thank you.
– Cindy Kahler Thomas
