Homestyle cooking | MLC’s Family Restaurant

VETERAN RESTAURANT WORKER Lisa Southern and her sister, Linda Hodgson, moved their MLC’s Family Restaurant to a new location in October to the Reidland area of Paducah, served by Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative. 

MLC’s was begun by their mother, Carolyn Lynch, and her twin sister, Marilyn Cole, in 1994. It moved to nearby Symsonia in 2018 with Southern and Hodgson taking the reins in 2019.

Since its inception, the restaurant has always been family owned and run by the women, says Southern. “Our whole family worked at Skinhead’s, The Breakfast House of the South, a nationally known restaurant that operated in Paducah for 50 years. I began there as a backup cook at age 13.”

MLC’s offers two specials daily along with 12–14 homestyle sides. Southern says, “Customer favorites include chicken and dressing, meatloaf, turnip greens and cherry delight. Catfish is served daily—fried is everyone’s favorite—but we also offer grilled and blackened.” Steak and prime rib are available on weekends. Breakfast includes all the traditional fixin’s, plus pancakes, waffles, French toast, oats and toast.

With a larger building, MLC’s can seat 50–80 for full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday–Saturday, 6 a.m.–8 p.m., and breakfast and lunch Sunday, 6 a.m.–2 p.m. A banquet room is available for groups or parties; off-site catering is also offered.

MLC’s Family Restaurant Meatloaf