Southern restaurant with full bar opens in downtown Fayetteville

A new restaurant opened last week in downtown Fayetteville.

Down South Family Restaurant & Bar opened Friday at 106 Person St., the former site of Caruso’s Confections, which served Italian fare and desserts from 2018 to 2023.

Owned by Fayetteville native Demario Wilson and his wife Ayana Wilson, the new eatery bills itself as an elevated American southern restaurant and full-service bar.

With seating for about 40 inside and a dozen on the patio, the 2,300-square-foot restaurant’s most popular dish thus far has been the southern egg rolls made with collard greens, candied yams and macaroni and cheese, Ayana Wilson said.

“You get a taste of everything in one bite,” she said Tuesday. “With the sweetness from the yams, the salty and smoky collard greens, the cheese from the macaroni and cheese, your taste buds just dance.”

The food is made from scratch and cooked to order, Wilson said, with dishes like fried ribs and fried chicken striking a chord with downtown diners.

Wings, which can be ordered by the six-count or dozen, with sauces and rubs like barbecue, mango habanero, hot honey and lemon pepper, have been in demand too, she said.

Down South Family also has a full-service bar. One of the signature cocktails is the Down South Favorite, which includes a whopping four tequilas and will run you $22. The bar also serves Forbidden Fruit, an elixir of vodka, passionfruit, cranberry and orange juice, and a Hennessy Lemon Drop made with the top-shelf cognac it's named for. Most of the cocktails range in price from $13 to $16.

Opening weekend brought in over 100 customers, Wilson said, and completely sold out the restaurant’s food.

“It turned out amazing,” she said. “It was truly word of mouth that helped us out.”

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With her husband managing the kitchen and her overseeing the operations, Wilson said the family looks forward to serving the community.

“We try to show as much southern hospitality and love as we can,” she said. “It’s been a dream.”

Down South Family menu prices

Appetizers range in price from $11 to $16, salads are $11 to $14, and main dishes start at $22. Most signature cocktails are $13 to $16.

Soul food sides like collard greens, candied yams, fried okra, fries, macaroni and cheese and rice and gravy are served with mains, a la carte starting at $4.50, or pick three to make a “veggie plate” for $11.

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Drinks like freshly squeezed lemonade and sweet tea made in-house are $3.50. Kids can order chicken tenders or wings with a side of choice for $9.

Down South Family is hiring

The restaurant is is hiring for all positions, Wilson said. Applicants can visit downsouthfamily.com/apply or email a resume to contact@downsouthfamily.com .

The details

Address: 106 Person St.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Contact: 910-753-4430

On the web: downsouthfamily.com, facebook.com/dsfrestaurant and @dsfrestaurant on Instagram

Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com . Want Fayetteville food news in your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Southern restaurant with full bar opens in downtown Fayetteville