OPINION: A night of Southern Cuisine at Firefly's

Dive right into some good old fashioned Southern cookin' without ever leaving Marlborough. Once glance at the menu will confirm Firefly's dedication to southern cuisine with the four different styles of ribs, five varieties of barbeque sauce and a selection of 40 different hot sauces. Owner Steve Uliss has won more than 20 national barbeque awards and knows great barbeque.

The debate isn't whether the barbeque will be high quality, but rather which style to sample. The meat is slow cooked for up to 12 hours, which helps to perfect tender, moist ribs and pulled pork. But there are many other southern dishes for those who aren't barbeque fans. Try the unique twist on fried chicken called A Waffle Lot O' Chicken -- chicken tenders with gravy or maple syrup top homemade waffles.

Side orders of sweet potato fries and the very rich mac and cheese will compliment most dishes along with Firefly's homemade sweet cornbread. For the full southern experience, begin the meal with an order of hush puppies (a blend of buttermilk, cornmeal, cheddar cheese, sweet onion and jalapenos). And don't forget to save room for some red velvet cake or cobbler (not always available).

On Friday and Saturday nights, folks 21 and up can listen to live music while enjoying the cuisine in a portion of the restaurant referred to as Dante's. (Note: Check website for information on cover charges for different bands.) Firefly's is located at 350 East Main Street, Marlborough. Visit their web site to check out the menu, or call 508-357-8883 for take out. Firefly's opens at 4:30 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and offers brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday (open until 9 p.m.).