At Lanes Ferry Dock & Grill, the sign beside the front door reads, “Tues-Sat Breakfast 6:30-10:30. Lunch 11:00-2:30,” but it doesn’t matter. At 5:25 a.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Kenny McManus — chef, owner, and master of the line — stops prep, washes his hands, unlocks the door, washes his hands again, and goes back to prep. At 5:30, the door opens and in comes the first customer, an hour before opening. McManus cracks a pair of eggs onto the griddle, drops bread into the toaster, and pulls out a clean plate. Mr. 5:30 gets a cup of coffee and settles in. They exchange few words besides a couple of “mornin’s,” but when the eggs are just right, McManus slips them onto the plate and delivers breakfast to the table. Back at the grill, he does a quick wipe-down, glances at the clock — 5:39 — and cracks two more eggs into a bowl. At 5:41 he beats the eggs, drops bread into the toaster, and waits. The door opens at 5:45, and the second customer arrives. His plate hits the table four minutes later.
McManus repeats this a few more times, dancing a sort of waltz between two partners until 6:30 comes. Then, “grits sandwich,” another on-the-dot regular, arrives. Now, three customers deep, Lanes Ferry is open for business.
By lunchtime, Lanes Ferry is buzzing. A blizzard of salt and pepper falls on each hamburger patty the moment it hits the flattop griddle. McManus drops a generous pinch of seasoning on the next patty and the next. He never measures, yet everything comes out just right.
His spatula chimes against the griddle as he flips burgers. The sound mingles with the Allman Brothers song on the radio and the melody of conversation in the full dining room.
Lanes Ferry Dock & Grill
11016 NC Highway 210
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 602-7110
lanesferry.com
