Greene’s Farmhouse Foods now serving fresh Southern fare

Published 2:00 pm Monday, December 18, 2023

Here is a query: What do you get when you cross a vegetarian, a barbecue judge, and a one-legged chef? The answer is Greene’s Farmhouse Foods, which happens to be located in downtown Milledgeville. 

Frank and Doug Pendergast opened their new business venture on Nov. 6, and both men bring a wealth of experience to the table. Frank has successfully built several businesses over the years, including Greene’s neighbor, The Brick. Doug is a former chain restaurant executive who recently made the move to Milledgeville to be closer to family. He has also made several life changes including becoming a vegetarian and a practicing Buddhist.

The Pendergast brothers were both looking for their next challenge and decided to go into business together. They wanted to create a venture that was “something fresh, flavorful and a place where we want our family to eat and to work.” 

Along the way, they found Milledgeville local chef Mark Dobbs, who Frank and Doug refer to as their “highly skilled, slightly quirky, one-legged chef.” 

Armed with a love for the South, the Lake Country, and downtown Milledgeville, the idea came about that folks might enjoy a space offering fresh southern food during their lunch hour. Together, Frank, Doug and Mark created Greene’s Farmhouse Foods, located at 116 W. Hancock St.

On Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., customers can pick up something from a menu packed with “Southern classics with fresh additions,” made with fresh, seasonal items. The full lunch plates come with one of four different bases (dirty rice, for example), two of eight sides (collard greens), one of four proteins (such as fried chicken), sauces and a biscuit. The offerings change seasonally and there will likely be new additions. 

Greene’s Farmhouse Foods is unique in several ways, but Frank and Doug hope that customers appreciate that they serve slow-cooked Southern foods fresh and fast. One of the things that they enjoy most about running Greene’s is being able to share the food that they love with the residents of central Georgia. 

Though currently catering to the lunch crowd, the plan is to add additional days and meals in the future. As part of that evolution, they are hard at work trying to figure out what brunch items they could add and are discussing a potential catering menu. 

Business has been steady at Greene’s Farmhouse Foods, and the positive feedback from guests has been overwhelming and inspirational. 

“We believe we’re only as good as our last customers’ experience, so we’re working to get better every day.”

In terms of specials, they offer the Complete Lunch Bundle — a plate with a base, two sides items, a protein, and a biscuit along with a drink and dessert. In December, they started offering a new key lime pie Rice Krispies treat and roasted and smoked turkey breast with cranberry sauce. 

What does it mean to be able to open Greene’s and be part of the community? For Frank, it has given him the chance to work alongside his big brother. Doug said he is grateful that Greene’s has given him the chance to work with his brother, whom he referred to as his hero and best friend. 

He said opening the business also serves as a way for him to make up for all the fast food that he sold in the past. 

“It’s a chance to prove that we can serve good food, that’s good for our community, and make it a good business, too,” Doug said.