Restaurant Review: The Filling Station in Dalton, Georgia

What once was the place in downtown Dalton, Georgia to fill up your gas tank and get filled in on all the latest gossip is now the place to fill up on good southern food. The Filling Station restaurant is housed in a restored gas station nestled at the end of town where the railroad tracks cross over Main (Hamilton) Street. The restaurant touts a southern cuisine menu served on a lunch-only buffet for a modest price of $10, which includes beverage and dessert. The menu changes daily and can be accessed on The Filling Station's Facebook page found Here .

Buffet Food Offerings

The all-you-can-eat buffet offers southern classics like fried chicken and mashed potatoes, along with other foods that change daily. On the day of my visit, fried chicken, beef pot roast and an Asian-style beef dish were the meat offerings on the buffet. All three meat dishes were cooked and seasoned to perfection, especially the fried chicken. While it's difficult to get a new spin on the old favorite of southern fried chicken, The Filling Station has accomplished that feat. I detected a hint of nutmeg and possibly cocoa in the golden brown crust of the boneless chicken breast.

The cold salad bar was stocked with all the fresh fixings for a green salad, along with house-made salads such as potato salad and cole slaw.

The hot vegetable portion of the buffet included a wide variety of southern favorites like cooked greens, fried okra, cream corn, mashed potatoes (with skins, so you know they're made from real potatoes!), mashed sweet potatoes, pinto beans and deep fried dill pickle slices. Hot rolls, corn bread and butter also await the hungry lunch crowd.

Desserts and Beverages

One dessert of your choice is included in the $10 buffet meal charge, but as you stand before the well stocked dessert case it's hard to choose just one dessert. In-house made peanut butter pie, banana pudding, chocolate cake and a host of other pies and cakes are prepared in individual serving sizes and ripe for the pickings.

Self-serve beverage choices include standard soda fare, sweet and unsweetened tea and coffee. Clear plastic take-out cups, along with cup lids and straws are available at the beverage station so lunch customers can take their beverage with them after the meal.

Service, Unfortunately Without a Smile

I almost missed out on the good southern food The Filling Station serves up because of my first impression. Service without a smile or any type of customer acknowledgment when entering an establishment turns customers off and almost lost this one. When customers enter the front door of The Filling Station, they immediately step into a foyer which houses the cash register and cashier (the buffet is paid for prior to being seated and eating). The cashier was engrossed in conversation with another customer and did not greet me or acknowledge my presence. After four minutes (yes, I timed it) of being ignored and debating about leaving, I asked the cashier if I should seat myself. She looked into the dining room and told me it would be a few minutes before a table was empty. Three minutes later, she looked into the dining room again and pointed out an empty table and told me I could sit there.

If you can get past being ignored at the front and being ungraciously treated and seated, a delicious southern meal awaits you at The Filling Station. The rest of the wait staff encountered on my visit were efficient (but unsmiling) at keeping the buffet stocked and clean and the tables cleaned.

Indoor and outdoor dining is available. The indoor dining room has an industrial feel, reminiscent of the old gas station, with concrete floors, exposed brick walls and antiques signage and tools on display. Alfresco dining can be enjoyed on the partially enclosed courtyard which faces the main street of downtown Dalton, Georgia.

The Filling Station
316 N. Hamilton Street
Dalton, GA. 30722