Featured dish | Southern hospitality personified in Conway

Some restaurants rest on laurels of yesterday.

They were good in the beginning, but somewhere down the line for what is probably a variety of reasons, the quality of food and service diminishes.

There are some restaurants that we go to out of faithfulness because we know the people who work there and like them, but we know in our hearts that the food just isn't the same.

Thankfully, that is not the case with The Trestle.

It is as good as it was when I first visited back in 1993 upon my arrival at The Sun News as a general assignment reporter.

I decided to revisit The Trestle because I hadn't been in a while since Greg and Letty Smith took over ownership from the Elvis family.

I tried two different meals on two separate occasions.

The Salad Sampler is a hands-down, go-to choice for plenty of locals, and I understand why.

It is an entree that gives you the best of The Trestle's specialty salads on one plate. The shrimp salad, the chicken salad, the fruited chicken salad and the pasta salad all compete for your affection. It costs $7.50.

I enjoyed each immensely, but the shrimp salad is my favorite because it has the touch of soy sauce flavor without the saltiness, the crunch of celery, the quirkiness of bean sprouts and the Asian flair of bits of noodles.

I'm also a sucker for the pasta salad, which has onion, green bell pepper bits and other traditional ingredients. And the fruit chicken salad with grapes, Mandarin oranges and pecans is whimsically good, with the sweetness of the fruit meshing perfectly with the chicken salad.

The Trestle chicken salad is a chunky salad that includes eggs, pickles, celery and just enough mayonnaise.

All of those salads are a hit with the thick-sliced, homemade sourdough bread, which is definitely addictive and comes with specialty entrees. All sandwiches, which come with homemade chips and a pickle, are also served on the bread.

Oops, I almost forgot to mention that even before I tore into the Salad Sampler I ate a cup of black bean soup. It will set you back $4.

It's the house soup and I've never tasted anything remotely like it at any other Grand Strand restaurant.

Spicy, but not overwhelming, the hearty soup is loaded with flavor.

I like dunking the homemade sourdough bread into the soup. For me, it's better than chocolate.

Another must-have on the menu is the open face hot roast beef sandwich, which is well worth $7.50.

It is a hungry man's lunch, or in my case, a hungry woman's lunch, that features thin slices of tender roast beef atop that sourdough bread and finished with melted Swiss, dark brown gravy and fat, sauteed mushroom slices. It comes with a side of pasta salad, but I opted for the potato salad.

This lunch bowled me over with its taste. It's simply a country lunch meant to stick to your bones.

As you might expect, I did save room for dessert. I ordered the coconut pie, and it was good but it can't compete with the coconut pie at Hoskins Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach.

I enjoyed the pie but it didn't have enough coconut and coconut flavor for me.

I tasted more vanilla than coconut and a slight banana finish. Pie and cake slices cost $4 each.

My server, Jessica Ross, was delightful and gave me excellent service.

When I told her about the pie, which is her favorite, she found it curious and didn't know why it had that effect on me.

Each time I visit The Trestle I always take time to look at the historic pictures on the wall that highlight some of Conway's past.

All the black and white photographs against the wall coupled with the antique cash registers, farming equipment and other bric-a-brac can keep you occupied for hours.

If, however, I had to think of what draws me to The Trestle, outside of the food, it would be the people you meet there.

I always meet friendly people, and I often leave having a new friend.

Conway, in general, is that kind of place on most days.

You can just hang out, meet kind folks, get good eats and feel that for a moment in time all is right with the world.

The Trestle is a cozy and cool part of that universe with good food from start to finish.