Sumter's Sylvia Jo's serves up beloved classic Southern foods

The sound of sizzling burgers and chatting locals greets you at the door of Sylvia Jo's restaurant.

At 541 E. Liberty St. in Sumter, the classic "hometown diner" has served up beloved Southern dishes like fried chicken and burgers for seven years and continues to bring in loyal locals.

Sumter native and diner owner Amber Spencer started on her restaurant journey at 19 years old. She ran a restaurant right next door to what would later be Sylvia Jo's for nearly three years until she had to give it up.

"I didn't know what I was doing. All I knew was how to cook," Spencer said.

That did not stop her, as she continued on her cooking journey, working at various restaurants and strengthening her business expertise. Then, in 2017, the opportunity presented itself for Spencer to rent out the space where Hanna's Grill, a childhood favorite of hers, previously existed.

"My heart has always been in cooking, and the opportunity presented itself … and so [I] did that."

She explained the diner is named after her "Grandmama" Sylvia Jo, whom she credited for her passion for cooking. She said, "I spent lots of time with my grandmama as a child. Everybody else had friends. I had my grandmama."

The delicious food served at the diner is also somewhat inspired by Spencer's grandmother, she said, explaining, "[My grandmama] never did anything extravagant. [Her food] was just always simple and good."

Spencer follows in her grandmother's footsteps, serving up good old "country cooking," with her signature dish being the cheeseburger basket. Spencer's secret to such a famously good meal is making every item homemade and to her customers' liking. Hamburger patties and fries are shaped, cut and cooked fresh daily at the restaurant. Spencer, who loves a challenge, even goes so far as to ask customers exactly how they want their food so she can fix it the way their "mama" would have.

Along with cheeseburgers, Sylvia Jo's serves onion rings, fried chicken, pork and rice and much more Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., as hot-and-ready items on their buffet or made fresh to order. Spencer emphasized that her diner puts the "home" in home cooking.

"We're a big family," she said. "We try to make everybody feel important that walks through the door. We want people to feel at home here."