- Our producer, Seraphim Smith, loves hole-in-the-wall mom and pops, and he recently found a sweet soul food spot called Shell's while painting a mural in Snow Hill.

Let's find out why Seraphim cannot stop talking about their yams and hush puppies.

(upbeat music) - I've spent a lot of time in the last year working in Snow Hill.

And while I'm painting a mural, I'm also working up an appetite.

My favorite crave, these hush puppies.

I found these golden treasures on my way to pick up paint at the hardware store.

The signs pointed me here to this hidden gem, Shell's.

- Shell's Cafe.

We have chicken pastry, barbecue chicken, fried chicken, turkey barbecue, pork barbecue, cabbage, mac and cheese, boiled red potatoes, coleslaw, yams, potato salad, green beans, fried okras.

Yes, ma'am.

All right.

- This country cuisine tastes homemade, and it essentially is.

Mother Judy, daughter Michelle, and father Melvin are quite the team.

What do you like to eat here at Shell's?

- Turkey barbecue all the way.

- We make about 100 pounds of barbecue turkey a week.

Pork is about 60 pounds a week.

- This barbecue is special because of all the care put into it.

It's picked through thoroughly, so there's no weird surprises here.

The chopping block becomes more bowl-like with every whack of the cleaver.

Made by hand and cooking by feel.

- Yep.

- So what do you like to eat here at Shell's?

- I like the turkey.

I like the pig feet.

I love everything here.

They are excellent cooks.

- While they're known for turkey barbecue, the chicken pastry is their second best seller.

- Chicken pastry?

- Chicken pastry, yes, sir.

- Now, if you're a fan of chicken pastry, you've come to the right place.

This chicken pastry is velvety, it's rich, lots of pepper.

It's just delicious.

And if this pot were big enough, I wouldn't mind going for a swim.

What made you open up a restaurant?

- I've been doing it all my life.

I started out when I was 15 years old, working at a restaurant.

I was working for my mom and dad at Grandpa's Kitchen.

I was cooking hushpuppies at 15, so.

- You're so good at it.

- Yes.

- Practice makes perfect.

- This hushpuppy is to Eastern North Carolina what a beignet is to New Orleans.

My favorite thing to do is just to dip 'em in the yams.

And because this is North Carolina, they have fish on Fridays and Thursdays.

Besides the hushpuppies, it was seeing this that really attracted me to Shell's Cafe.

I mean, look, they're frying fish in a skillet.

They're doing it right in small batches.

- I had a friend that told us about it.

So everything, 10 out of 10, it's in.

- The banana pudding was good, too.

- One of the things that I love about your restaurant is how you give people an opportunity to write down what they're thankful for.

- Yes, my mom came up with this idea, let people write how they feel about life and what they're thankful for.

- People who are in the know drive in from far away to get some of Shell's good cooking.

- We know our customers very well.

We have known them for a long time.

And my workers, I'm very close to my workers.

We're like a family around here.

We're very blessed.

Because we love all the love, all the love.

- And it's this spice of love that's going to keep me coming back for more.

- [Deb] Shell's Cafe is in Snow Hill at 423 West Harper Street.

It's open Sunday starting at 10.30 a.m.

They close at various hours throughout the week.

So for specific information on their hours and the daily specials, call them at 252-747-2626 or find Shell's Cafe on Facebook.

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