At Macon’s H&H Restaurant, which opened in 1959, owners Inez Hill (aka “Mama Hill”) and Louise Hudson (“Mama Louise”) specialized in a classic Southern meat-and-three menu, with the likes of fried chicken, pork chops, fish, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, fried okra and squash casserole.
In the 1970s, H&H became famous after Hudson befriended and fed the pre-stardom Allman Brothers Band, along with other Southern rock bands, such as Molly Hatchet and Wet Willie.
Credit: Jesse Horton
Credit: Jesse Horton
Hill died in 2007, at the age of 94, and Hudson died in 2023, at 93.
H&H now is part of Wes Griffith’s Moonhanger Group, which includes the Rookery, Dovetail, Natalia’s, Hargray Capitol Theatre, Grant’s Lounge and Creek 100.9 FM radio. The company also operates the Capricorn Museum and Sound Studios in partnership with Mercer University.
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
Surrounded by vintage band photos and posters, Griffith recently told his version of the Allman Brothers’ relationship with Hudson.
“The story goes they weren’t really getting a lot to eat,” he said. “She saw them outside trying to pool their money together to get two plates, but she said come on in and I’ll take care of you all. That’s the kindness and matriarchal attitude she had with all of her customers.”
Griffith said that Hudson “became the matriarch of the whole Southern rock scene. Bonnie Bramlett had a special relationship with Mama Louise. Caroline Aiken wrote the song ‘Mama Louise’s H&H.’ And it went on into the newer generations, like Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes. They just always flocked here and paid homage.”
Credit: Jesse Horton
Credit: Jesse Horton
Asked why he decided to buy H&H, Griffith said he wanted to preserve its history, like many other Macon landmarks.
“Mama Louise said she was going to close it down, so we sat down and I said I’d like to try to keep it open,” he said. “We ended up buying it from her, and Mama stayed on the payroll from then until she passed. For the longest time, she’d come in and hang out.”
These days, chef Tangie Myers, who also is general manager, comes in at 3:30 a.m. to make her beloved fluffy biscuits, served with homemade preserves.
“We get in here and get it done,” Myers said. But she won’t share the recipe. “Mama Louise took her recipes to the grave, and I’m taking mine to the grave, too,” she said.
Myers bragged about the menu: “We’ve got it all. We’ve got the best collard greens in town. We’ve got the best beef tips. You name it, we got it. Everything is from scratch.”
Credit: Jesse Horton
Credit: Jesse Horton
Surprisingly, a newer menu item has become a runaway favorite. Dubbed soul rolls, they’re essentially egg rolls filled with fried chicken, collard greens and pimento cheese, and are served with peach chile sauce.
“That’s our No. 1 seller,” Myers said, shaking her head. But, she added, her fried green tomatoes with garlic spread and comeback sauce are very popular, too.
As is usually the case, regular customers are the lifeblood of the restaurant.
Credit: Jesse Horton
Credit: Jesse Horton
“Some come daily,” Myers said. “We have a regular that comes from out of town, like, twice a month. We have famous people that come in on a regular basis — country singers, rock singers. We had Marcus King three days in a row, Sunny Ortiz of Widespread Panic. Jaimoe from the Allman Brothers Band was in here a few months ago. We get ’em all through here.”
The Allman Brothers Band Museum, also known as the Big House, is perhaps Macon’s biggest draw for fans of the band, but H&H Restaurant gets its share.
As part of their Macon pilgrimage, “people want to stop in and pay their respects to H&H,” Griffith said. “The Big House and H&H are probably the two main go-tos.”
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