WS Chronicle

Sweet Potatoes restaurant has been one of the go-to spots in Winston-Salem for 21 years. I moved to High Point in 2019, so it’s been a while since my last visit. This past Saturday afternoon, I got a craving for my favorite dish, Salmon Florentine. During my 25-minute drive from High Point to Winston-Salem, my mouth began watering. I could taste it! I finally arrived and as I walked in, I saw co-owner Vivian V. Joyner talking to some customers, making sure everyone was happy and satisfied. I wanted to chat and catch up, but I didn’t want to interrupt. So, I decided to speak with some of the other satisfied customers. I noticed Patrice Brown and her girlfriends enjoying their food and the positive atmosphere. I went around the table to see what each of the beautiful ladies were eating. “I could eat here all day long and  twice on Sunday. The food is great, and we always have an amazing experience at Sweet potatoes. We enjoyed everything!” Patrice said that she started with a cup of soup. “It was the Florentine soup. It was yummy because I wanted to start off on a healthy note. Then I cheated and had some sweet potato fries and the Cajun Turkey sandwich,” joked Patrice. 

“It was absolutely delicious, Busta Brown!  It’s a comfortable atmosphere that will remind you of home. I had the sweet potato club, and it was absolutely amazing. My meal reminded me of Thanksgiving because it came with a cranberry relish, and it was just scrumptious. So, I encourage everyone to come and just try out the different specialties that are available here at Sweet Potatoes. I absolutely love what I had,” said Sheila McKinnon. 

Kia Mills’ experience began as she walked into the restaurant. “I was immediately greeted with smiles and a wonderful welcome. Awesome hospitality! The wait staff is amazing. The food was equally amazing. I had fried chicken and collards. It was like having dinner at home on a Sunday, but I was amongst friends dining out,” she shared with a warm smile. 

Tammy Norwood also had the Sweet Potato Club. “It was so delicious! I mean, the food was so filling and full of flavor, along with a wonderful atmosphere. All I can say is, thank you to the owners and staff. I love sweet potatoes!”

After speaking with Patrice Brown and her friends, I heard a familiar voice. It was my dear friend Forsyth County Commissioner Malishai Woodbury. She had finished eating with some friends, so I waited for the beloved Winston-Salem native to walk toward me. “Hey Busta Brown,” she said with that big, beautiful and infectious smile. We hugged, and then I asked her about what she loves most about Sweet Potatoes. “I had the Chicken Mamba Sandwich. It was great, yeah, I enjoyed it. I also had the Chicken and Sweet Potato waffle fries – excellent.” I asked other than the food, why is she a regular there. She responded,  “The owners are authentically a part of this community, and they are a strong representation of small businesses downtown. I love that it’s owned by two African American women. So, I appreciate their presence here and I appreciate seeing them out in our community.” Woodbury’s friend, London McKinney, frequents Sweet Potatoes to get her fix of collard greens and the fried chicken, “But today I wanted to try something different, so I had the fried catfish sandwich. When you bit into that catfish, oh my gosh. It just savors in your mouth. It reminds me of my grandmother’s cooking, and that’s one of the main reasons why I continue to come back. It gives me that spirit of her cooking. Plus, the staff and owners are just so engaged each time I come here.” 

CC Lambert is the CEO and owner of C2 Contractors, a construction firm based out of Greensboro. He has offices in Winston-Salem, Durham and Charlotte as well. His response to the Slap Yo Mama ribs was priceless. “They were all that. I was looking for somebody’s mom to slap,” joked CC. I laughed at his reply all weekend, and as I’m typing right now. He continued, “I love the atmosphere and certainly the food and presentation is awesome.” 

After speaking with all of the well-pleased customers and seeing those beautiful smiles, I caught up with the owners of Sweet Potatoes, Stephanie Tyson and Vivian V. Joyner. Tyson is the one that creates the delicious menu and satisfies our tummies, and Joyner is the one that creates the welcoming and beautiful atmosphere. They’re celebrating a wonderful and loving 38 years together. 

I asked Stephanie, how do they stay competitive in the restaurant business? “Consistency! We try to be consistent in what we do, and who we are, and I think there’s a lot of value in that. In any kind of business, you have to be consistent, and we try really hard. It’s a muscle that you have to build and maintain all the time.” 

Other customer favorites are the barbecue chicken salad sandwich with a key lime slaw, pulled jerk pork, and duck. For dessert, their famous banana pudding and sweet potato pie, sweet potato bread pudding, with a pecan crunch topping, served warm with a caramel sauce. “All of it is made here in house,” said Vivian. 

I asked the happy couple other than the food, why do they believe the restaurant is still going strong after 21 years? “We try to be inclusive, so that everybody has a seat at the table. You’re always welcome to our home. We treat you like an extension of our family.” Stephanie said. “Sweet Potatoes is not soul food necessarily, but it’s Southern inspired. There weren’t really a lot of Southern influence restaurants, especially here in the South, which is sort of weird and there were none that were spearheaded by Black people. So, we just wanted some place to celebrate our food and our heritage and to be able to control what we did and how we presented our food.”

Stephanie was inspired by the food that she grew up with, and she loved sweet potatoes. “I included a lot of sweet potatoes on the menu, and I didn’t really realize it until I went back and looked. I said, ‘Why don’t we just call it Sweet Potatoes.’”

They wanted to make sure Sweet Potatoes was called a restaurant, so their legal name is Sweet Potatoes, Well Shut My Mouth; A Restaurant. “We wanted to make sure that people didn’t think that two Black women in the Bible Belt of the South did not open a cafe or cafeteria, but it was a full-service restaurant. That is what was really important to us.”
Vivian wasn’t too thrilled about the name, but she decided to support her partner, and Sweet Potatoes has become a staple in Winston-Salem. It’s one of the most talked about spots to eat amongst celebrities when they come to the Twin City. “We’ve been blessed. We got a great reception from our community very early on. It’s just been great,” said Vivian. 

Stephanie is from Winston-Salem and Vivian is from D.C. Both are theater majors. They met in D.C. at a poetry reading. “We hit it off and we’ve been doing this thing called life together for 38 years,” shared Stephanie, with a sweet smile. They also own Miss Ora’s Kitchen. “We serve pan fried chicken. The restaurant has had some bumps mostly due to COVID. We reopened a few months ago to the delight of many loyal customers,” shared Vivian.

As always, I asked the ladies to share their favorite scripture. “I just talk to God, or sometimes I write to Him. The 23rd Psalm, that is something that resonates with me, because my mom had Alzheimer’s, and if nothing else, she could still recite the 23rd Psalm. She didn’t know my name, but she knew the Lord’s name,” said Stephanie Tyson. “The 91st Psalm: Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Because in the world that we live in, on the best days, something’s gonna go bad. So, we must trust in the Lord,” said Vivian V. Joyner. 

The Chronicle’s Business of the Month is Sweet Potatoes. Stop by for dinner Wednesday – Saturday, 5-9 p.m. and lunch on Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 607 N. Trade St. in Winston-Salem. Call 336-727-4844 or visit sweetpotatoes.ws. Miss Ora’s Kitchen is at 605 N. Trade St. Call 336-725-6257 or visit www.missaoraskitchen.com, for more info.