ME’s Place

My senses on are high alert as I stand on the porch of the modest brown building – and for good reason. The moment I open the door, waves of smoky, bacon-scented air encircle me, embracing me with their implications of comfort and hospitality.

I feel welcome here, at ME’s Place, where food is more than just sustenance: it’s a means of connecting people to their memories, and to one another. The made-from-scratch Southern food served here possesses the power to nourish both the body and the soul.

My husband and I are greeted by a pleasant, smiling man who seats us at a simple wooden table near this stunning, colorful artwork.

As he hands us menus and welcomes us to ME’s, I detect a soft southern accent. It turns out that that this man is William Kean, Jr., who happens to own the restaurant with his wife, Melodee, the former mayor of Joplin.

William hails from Kentucky, and both he and Melodee (who grew up in Joplin), do the cooking here, using tried-and-true family recipes.

My husband and I munch on savory fried potato chips as we look over the menu: chicken and dumplings, fried catfish, country style ribs. This hearty food is like the kind that Grandma used to make.

Well, maybe not my Grandma, who was Polish and made comfort food with funny-sounding names like pierogi (filled dumplings) and golumpki (stuffed cabbage rolls). It wasn’t until my college years in New Orleans that I was finally introduced to Southern comfort food. Unfortunately, that introduction was responsible for 10 of the 15 pounds that I gained during my freshman year. Curse you, red beans and rice, for being so delicious and comforting to a girl living 954 miles away from her family for the first time!

Speaking of beans, I see ham-n-beans written on chalkboard at ME’s Place as one of today’s specials. It’s like they can read my mind. We place our order, and I sit back, sip on some iced tea (which is quite possibly the best iced tea in town), and relax as I listen to the Lionel Richie song that’s playing softly in the background.

After my food arrives, the background music fades away, drowned out by the yummy sounds that seem to be escaping involuntarily from the back of my throat. 

The dense and smoky ham-n-beans dish is filling enough by itself, but I have three side dishes to round out my meal: crunchy fried okra, tangy marinated cucumbers and tomatoes, and sweet potatoes mashed with the perfect balance of sugar and spice (when my sweet-potato-averse husband raises his eyebrows after tasting them, they must be good).

There’s also a slice of moist cornbread on my plate, just in case the rest of the meal doesn’t satisfy my appetite. Here’s a photo of my personal feast:

My husband’s food arrives, and I start laughing. His chicken looks like it fell into the oil while it was running away from the cook! Have you even seen anything like this?

The chicken may be funny-looking, but it sure is delicious: nice and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. My husband’s side dishes include fresh mashed potatoes topped with meaty chicken stock, green beans cooked with onion, and tender, flavorful collard greens.

I can feel my eyelids grow heavy as I work my way through the meal, determined to savor every last bite of this heavenly food. Suddenly, I hear the people at the table next to us order dessert and practically drop my fork. Dessert! I need to save room for dessert!

I ask for a to-go box for the rest of my meal and then order the sweet stuff: gooey cake, a yellow cake with a custard-like layer in the middle of it,

and fresh peach cobbler, topped with a luscious scoop of ice cream.

When William returns to ask us if we like the desserts (um, yes!), I ask him what ingredient they use to make their food taste so fresh and rich.

His answer?

Butter. Lots of butter.

Yes, butter does make everything taste better, but it’s more than that at ME’s Place. Here, the Keans add a spoonful of tradition and comfort, plus a dash of community and hospitality to each dish they serve.

The result?

“Love on a plate.”

ME’s Place is located on historic Route 66 at 1203 Broadway in Joplin. For restaurant hours and daily specials, call 417-622-0603 or visit ME’s Place on Facebook by clicking here.

Read about other great restaurants in the Joplin area by clicking here.

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This article was commissioned by the Joplin CVB, however the opinions expressed are purely my own. The purpose of Joplin MO Life is to highlight all the best that our area has to offer, and when an article is written about a restaurant, business, attraction, or event, it is because I have had an enjoyable experience and want to share it with others.

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Living Life to The Fullest!

I love seeking out new experiences and finding places off the beaten path. I started Joplin MO Life in August 2013 as a way to share my discoveries with others in the Joplin community so that they can learn about the resources that exist right in their own backyards.

I have worked in education and event planning, and have always loved to write. I hold a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in marketing from Tulane University.