Since 1948, the Henderson family has been proud to serve delectable Southern dishes to the Covington community.
Located on Highway 36, the restaurant has been a Covington mainstay, especially after the restaurant moved from Emory Street. Originally named The Annex, the restaurant changed names after the move.
The restaurant started with just four tables and four booths when it first opened. Today, the restaurant has grown to seat over 100 customers.
At first, Clarence and his wife Frances managed and worked the restaurant by themselves. It didn’t take long before the rest of the family (Clarice Dozier, the oldest child; David Henderson; Deborah Robertson; and Mary Ann Darby) joined in to help once the business proved to be growing too fast.
Each member of the Henderson family plays an important role in the restaurant, and each of them can be found working at any given day of the week. According to the website, “David, the oldest son, is an attorney and also helps at the restaurant … Clarice, the oldest child, continues to work at the restaurant almost daily … Deborah helps out on Sundays ... Mary Ann is currently working at the restaurant and waiting tables full time.”
The restaurant’s most popular item is the catfish, which is hand-breaded and fried to perfection. Served with hush puppies and coleslaw, the dish is the one to beat at Henderson’s.
On Sundays, the business offers a veggie special, which gets you one meat, two veggies, and slaw or salad, plus hush puppies or rolls—all for under $5.
Veggie dishes include macaroni and cheese, lima beans, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy. Meat choices include fried or baked chicken breast, fried or grilled pork chop, grilled or fried tenders, chicken livers, cubed steak, BBQ chicken leg and thigh or fried chicken wings or backs. Regular menus are also available.
As an added specialty, Henderson’s also serves chitlins, or chitterlings, six times a year. Carefully prepared for nearly two weeks, the deep-Southern dish (which is made of pork intestines) is highly popular; the restaurant sells over 150 pounds of chitlins when it is offered.
“It’s something we’ve been doing for a long time,” said Dozier. “But preparing chitlins gives off quite a smell, so we have to do it when the restaurant’s closed. But people enjoy it.”
The restaurant’s next servings of chitlins will be the first Thursday of February and March.
In the Spotlight:
WHERE: 11885 Ga. Highway 36
PHONE: (770) 786-3775
Website: www.hendersonsrestaurant-covington.com
HOURS: Tuesday to Thursday 4– 9 p.m., Friday, Saturday 4-9:30 p.m. (winter) till 10 p.m. (summer), Sun 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
