Kaleigh Oxendine has remade a former Flowery Branch watering hole into a restaurant she hopes will draws from South Hall’s ever-growing neighborhoods.

She opened HomeTown Grill at 4856 Hog Mountain Road, near Spout Springs Road, earlier this month after months of cosmetic work, repainting and adding new lighting.

“We’ve put a lot of work into it, that’s for sure,” she said earlier this week. “We’re happy, the staff is happy. We just need to make sure the consistency is there.”

HomeTown Grill replaces Green’s Tavern, which closed in April 2017 after it was cited by Flowery Branch with alcohol violations.

When Oxendine took over, “there was a big bar at the front of the restaurant, as well as in the back,” she said.

She kept the rear bar, expanding it and connecting it to a patio area that features a garage door opening.

“I call that the fun side,” she said.

The patio features a stage for live entertainment.

HomeTown Grill started trivia nights this week and plans to start karaoke on Wednesdays.

“So far, everything’s been a hit,” Oxendine said.

On the food side, a specialty is the “fried” hamburger, where the cooks make patties by hand, sear them on both sides, coat them in panko crumbs, then drop them in a deep fryer.

Any burger on the menu can be grilled or fried — either way, they’ve been popular.

“I’ve had people coming back multiple times since we’ve been open to get the same exact thing,” Oxendine said.

Another popular item has been the “dirty bird,” a grilled chicken breast that’s been seasoned, topped with barbecue sauce, caramelized onions, provolone cheese and pineapple.

As for the sweet tooth, “we are working on a signature dessert,” Oxendine said.