Nalley House Restaurant

They are Pearl Hefley, 73, her daughter Joanne Langley, 36, and April Burkhead, 23, who is Hefley's granddaughter and Langley's niece. "All three of us are all here practically every day," Langley said. "It's wonderful working with my mother and my niece. I used to baby-sit April when she was a baby." The three have nearly 70 years of experience total as waitresses at various restaurants, although they had never worked together before. Some of their past places of employment include D. Nalley on Third Street, the Twig & Leaf on Bardstown Road and a few restaurants that closed -- Lynnview, on Preston Highway, Magic Inn on Crittenden Drive and Sandy's on Dixie Highway. "The thing in this kind of work is that you have to enjoy people," Hefley said, adding that she likes her job too much to retire. "I like to work. What else would I do?"

Pearl serves Jack Potts who is one of her favorite costomers, so is Rick Rose -- who works at Performance Transmissions on Preston Highway -- is a Nalley regular who appreciates the waitresses. "They're just nice friendly people," Rose said. "Joanne and Pearl usually work in the morning. April comes in later. We talk about all kinds of stuff. We talk about everything." Rose also said he likes the food. "The omelets are real good. Everything's good. Biscuits and gravy, grits -- it's all good."

Nalley House serves a wide range of breakfast, lunch and dinner items, with most meals less than $6. The most expensive item is a sirloin dinner at $9.25. Perry Fisher, who bought the restaurant last year with Bob Ward, said the friendly air helps business. "Don't you like to go to a place where people know who you are and know what you want?" Steve Spencer, a lunch regular, called the waitresses "sweethearts." Spencer said he enjoys them as much as he enjoys his favorite meal -- country-fried steak. Hefley said Nalley House customers are "everyday people," most of whom work or live in Okolona, and the waitresses get to know their habits.

Terry Huff is a frequent visitor when he isn't towing cars. He has a wrecker service. Jack Huff passed away shortly after this article. He will be greatly missed. Our prayers are with Terry and his family.

"Two guys named Dave and John (Owners of Pro Tint) come in about every day," Hefley said. "They get chili or soup and pie and sweet tea. They sit at the counter." Burkhead knows one of her favorite customers only as Mrs. Walker. "She's an older lady who comes in at least once a week. She gets vegetable soup and lemonade and always asks about my baby," said Burkhead, whose son (and Hefley's 11th great-grandchild) is due in September. Another of Burkhead's favorites is known as Bad Mood Roy. "He comes in usually every day," she said. "He usually gets a plate (lunch) and drinks sweet tea. He's not really in a bad mood. We just mess with him." "Messing" was the waitresses' word for the bantering between them and their regulars. It's as much a part of Nalley House as the food, the booths and the regulars. "Nobody's snobby in here," Lorraine Rayburn said.

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