There aren’t too many places in Milton where you can order up a daily special like a hamburger steak with collards, black-eyed peas, and pinto beans on the side.
But Mason’s Country Cookin’ on Dogwood Drive is one such place.
Owner Heather Mason worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years, and when her husband brought her to Milton from her hometown of Orlando, she decided to open her own restaurant.
“I can honestly say that I’m one of the few who loves that they do,” Mason said. “This isn’t just a job for me, I’m just a normal person that happens to own her dream job.”
Mason’s mother and grandmother before her also worked in hospitality, and Mason took her cue from them.
“I grew up in a family where we worked hard to provide for ourselves and our families, it’s just what we do,” she said. “My mother worked tirelessly, often going without her own needs to make sure my brother and I would have a little something extra.
"My restaurant is built off of my mother’s love for me," Mason added. "We aren’t fancy, and we aren’t perfect, but we’re truly grateful for every day that we open our doors and the community comes in.”
Some restaurants are just places to eat, and then there’s Mason’s. The family atmosphere is palpable.
“My crew and my guests are an extension of my family,” Mason said. “The honest care and love that we feel here is something you can’t explain to a person who lives in a big city.”
Bob Martin is a regular at Mason’s, so much so that his favorite waitress gives him a hug when he comes and another when he leaves.
“I get regular hugs from the staff as though they’re my family,” Martin said. “I love the people here, the service is outstanding, and the food is great too.”
He added “you can get decent food just about anywhere, but you can’t find people like the ones who work here anywhere else.”
Mason’s is open for breakfast and lunch only until 2 p.m.
They’ve been serving up southern specialties since 2017.
Try the lunch special, and don’t forget the homemade peach cobbler for dessert.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosas Press Gazette: Mason’s, the home of country cooking in Milton