EJ’s Soul Food and Vegan opening in Gastonia.

Fried pickles, baked chicken, mac and cheese and family-recipe collard greens can only mean one thing here in the Carolinas: good old-fashioned soul food. Except there’s a twist: This new Gastonia restaurant also offers vegan options.

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“People need to know that there’s healthy food that you don’t have to substitute the flavor for the health — just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good,” said Dara J. Bess, EJ’s Soul Food and Vegan owner.

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The Black-owned and female-run restaurant in Gastonia is hosting a soft opening on June 17.

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The restaurant pledges a “warm, safe, comforting and diverse” space.

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“It shouldn’t just be about a meal. It should be an experience or an encounter,” Bess told CharlotteFive. The restaurant offers a variety of soul comfort foods such as shrimp and grits, pork chops and adding vegan dishes that have natural, homemade ingredients.

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Inside the restaurant, people can expect an open layout with a bar with a brick pizza oven in the center. The atmosphere is bright and colorful, with blue walls, tall green plants and white and black balloons.

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“When you come in here, you see me. You see colors — I’m vibrant,” Bess said.

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ABOUT THE NAME: Bess, a Shelby native, named the restaurant after her son, Elijah Jace.

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Bess is a foster mom who has a passion for food, sports and people. For 20 years, she was a mental health counselor, and she worked with children.

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This is Bess’s third restaurant venture, after working for four years with her sister, Joreka Bess, creating “The Bess Group,” a soul food catering company in Shelby. Bess wanted something different and upscale, which led her to her own restaurant opening.

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The Christian mom saw the 150-seat space for opening off of I-85, exit 21, and she said she knew the great location had to be hers. “This is our thing here. It’s not just a meal, it’s about ministry — and we need to reach our community,” she said.

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THE SOUL FOOD: The restaurant’s soul food menu includes:

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THE VEGAN FOOD: The restaurant’s vegan menu includes:

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• EJ’s Yams

• Southern potato salad

• EJ Family Collards

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Bess recommends everyone try her personal favorite “HE Creole Red Beans,” listed on her menu as a premium side plus vegan choice. She used a recipe created by vegan chef and author of “Flava My Plate” cookbook, Dawn Hilton-Williams.

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WHEN TO GO: EJs Soul Food and Vegan will have a soft opening with a limited menu June 17-18. The full menu will be available beginning June 20.

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The restaurant will also offer catering, wedding services and birthday parties.

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EJ’s Soul Food and Vegan

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Location: 501 Cox Road, Gastonia NC

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Menu

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Cuisine: Soul food, vegan, Southern

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Instagram: @ejsoulfood