The classic shrimp and grits dish made the climb to national popularity with the help of Chef Bill Neal at his Chapel Hill, NC restaurant, Crook’s Corner. Neal was quite familiar with the dish being served as breakfast in his hometown of Charleston, but in the early 1980s he elevated the dish to dinner.
Bill Smith, Jr. is now the chef at Crook’s Corner and continues Neal’s tradition to the delight of locals and visitors alike.