Moultrie Southern Cuisine Launches Soft Opening, Full Menu Debuts May 21
May 19, 2025
The buzz has been building, and now the wait is nearly over. Moultrie Southern Cuisine, the elevated Southern dining concept in downtown Laurens, began welcoming guests this past weekend for a soft opening that quickly became the talk of the town.
After hosting what was intended to be a low-pressure “Friends and Family” night on Tuesday, May 13, the Moultrie team found themselves facing an unexpected twist—it went too well. These events are typically used to work out the kinks with a small group of close supporters, but the evening’s smooth execution and enthusiastic response prompted the owners to pivot quickly. Much of that success is attributed to co-owner Jeffrey Ponder, whose intentional hiring choices brought together a skilled, service-minded team that delivered under pressure. Energized by the positive feedback, the team announced a surprise Test Kitchen soft opening for the weekend, offering a limited menu to help fine-tune operations, test the new point-of-sale system, and ease into full-scale service.
“We wanted to give our team time to find their rhythm before launching the full experience,” said Sidney Perkins, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Matthew Perkins, and Jeffrey Ponder. “The turnout was incredible—more than we expected. It’s a blessing, but it’s also why we recommend calling ahead. Reservations help everything run smoother.”
Official Opening Night: Wednesday, May 21
Doors open from 5:00–9:00 PM for Moultrie’s first night of full-menu service. Call 864-715-0079 to reserve your table.
Regular Hours:
The restaurant, located at 101 East Laurens Street, delivers a dining experience that blends Southern elegance with chef-driven creativity. Dishes already earning rave reviews include the crispy fried deviled eggs, creamy pimento cheese dip, shrimp and polenta (their signature take on shrimp and grits), the grilled salmon filet, a juicy frenched pork chop topped with their signature peach BBQ sauce, and their 28 day dry aged black angus burger.
“The goal is to celebrate Southern ingredients but with unexpected twists,” said Sidney. “Matthew created the vision for the menu, and our Chef, Zach Owens, has truly perfected it. This is a chef-curated menu in every sense, and we’ll be adding seasonal specials and creative features as we go.”
While the ABL license has been approved, the restaurant is still waiting for final paperwork to begin serving beer, wine, and cocktails. The team expects that to be finalized very soon.
As for The Fox Hole, the speakeasy-style bar nestled in the lower level, the finishing touches are still underway. Its grand opening is slated for later this summer.
For now, Moultrie Southern Cuisine is ready to welcome the community—one reservation at a time.
📞 Call 864-715-0079 to reserve a table
📍 101 E Laurens St, Laurens, SC
🖤 Follow @moultrielaurens on social media for menu peeks and updates
