Cousin Gary's Family Restaurant

Serving country cooking at its finest, Cousin Gary's in Pilot Mountain considers everyone who walks in the door to be family. This down-home restaurant is known for its hot buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Different days mean different main dishes, such as fried chicken (its most popular item), chicken pie, stew beef, ribs, catfish and baked ham. Owner Gina Erickson buys her vegetables locally when in season, so expect sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes and more to round out your plate. Save room for homemade cobbler and banana pudding.

Customers may also order off the menu with popular items including cheeseburgers and ground steak sandwiches. Erickson uses her grandmother's ground steak recipe, which starts with fresh ground beef that is then mixed with flour, salt, pepper and milk to create this Surry County special. Cousin Gary's is one of 11 stops along the Surry Ground Steak Trail.