Where Grits, Country Ham, and Red Eye Gravy Became Guy’s Food Foundation

“There’s a time in your life when a family tradition becomes kind of like the cornerstone of your food foundation,” Guy Fieri reflected at the start of this segment. For him, that foundation was simple: grits, ham, and red eye gravy. So when he found a diner in Atlanta plating exactly that back in 2008, he had to stop in.

The Silver Skillet has been serving Southern comfort food since Teresa Breen’s father opened the doors in 1967. Teresa took over the restaurant at 33, and when Guy asked if she ever thought this is what she’d be doing, she answered simply: no. But here she is, having just signed a 10-year lease, keeping the tradition alive with the same philosophy her father had: “It ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The Country Ham and Red Eye Gravy That Started It All

Guy was here for one thing above all else: that country ham with red eye gravy over grits. And the Silver Skillet doesn’t cut corners. Each piece of bone-in country ham gets hand-trimmed—”they have to have the bone in them,” the kitchen insists. The ham then gets marinated overnight in what they call the “magic mixture”: soy sauce, brown sugar, paprika, and cola.

The red eye gravy? Beautifully simple. They take the ham drippings and add hot coffee. That’s it. That’s the red eye gravy. When Guy finally got his bowl of grits topped with that ham and gravy, his reaction said everything: “I’m really happy that you used the side with the bone—that’s the best.”

Meatloaf, Mac and Cheese, and Lemon Icebox Pie

The menu hasn’t changed much over the decades, though they did add meatloaf. Ground beef gets mixed with breadcrumbs, milk, onions, peppers, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, oregano, and eggs, then formed into a loaf pan and baked at 350°F for an hour. But it’s the homemade red sauce that sets it apart—boiled diced tomatoes with salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley flakes, simmered and blended with ketchup. Guy’s verdict? “Much better than mom’s.”

The mac and cheese starts with a proper roux of butter and flour, seasoned with paprika, salt, and pepper. Warm milk and half-and-half go in, then the cheese. The al dente pasta gets tossed in sauce with even more cheese, transferred to a hotel pan, topped with more cheese, baked at 350°F for 25 minutes, then uncovered for another 5 to get that crust. “Phenomenal,” Guy declared. “Like my mom used to make growing up.”

For dessert, the lemon icebox pie features hand-squeezed lemons (Teresa still squeezes them by hand), eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla wafers for crunch. Baked 20 minutes, cooled, then topped with cream. Guy appreciated the balance: “Not overly sweet. Good little amount of citrus—just enough to let you know it’s there.”

Tips From the Silver Skillet Kitchen

For country ham: Always use bone-in cuts. The overnight marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, paprika, and cola transforms the flavor.

For grits: Use a pot with a proper-fitting lid (theirs is circa 1956), bring to a simmer, and cover. Let them cook low and slow.

For mac and cheese: Build layers of cheese—in the sauce, mixed with the pasta, and on top before baking.

A Triple D Pioneer

The Silver Skillet appeared in the early days of the show, and Guy acknowledged their role in establishing what Triple D became: “Places like yours got people to go, ‘Wait a second, they’re authentic in what they’re doing.'” After the episode aired, people came from all over the world—locals who’d never even known the place existed suddenly discovered what had been there since 1967.

If you’re craving Southern comfort done right, check out more spots like this in our restaurant directory. And for other comfort food legends Guy has visited, see the Bruiser Burger & Cheeseburger SOUP 🍔 or *Crawfish CHEESECAKE* in Louisiana.