Mrs. Francis’ Kitchen at Princess Place: A Southern Gem

If you ever had the privilege of eating at Miss Francis’ Kitchen at Princess Place, you know it was more than just a restaurant—it was a legacy. It was a place where the food told a story, a story of tradition, family, and the kind of Southern cooking that warms your soul.

Mrs. Frances Bowens—affectionately known as Ma Francis—was known for putting her foot into some good ol’ Southern dishes. Her food wasn’t just delicious; it was an experience. At first, her restaurant was a hidden gem, known primarily by Black Grand Strand locals and visitors who recognized it as one of the best-kept secrets in Myrtle Beach.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but my first visit to Prince’s Place in 1988 was when the Southern food aficionado inside me was awakened. I fell in love with this place and anywhere else that served food like it. The flavors, the preparation—it was all so familiar. This was the food I grew up on, the kind cooked at my family gatherings and in the house I was raised in. My family has been in Horry County for over 300 years, and our cooking traditions closely resembled Ma Francis’ kitchen.

Ma Francis passed away in 1983, but not before ensuring her restaurant would live on through her son, Prince Charles Bowens III. Prince took what his mother built and kept it thriving well into the early 2000s, ensuring that generations of people could still experience the magic of Miss Francis’ Kitchen.

Prince Charles Bowens III was born on December 12, 1949, in Myrtle Beach, SC, to the late Prince Charles Bowens II and Frances Gainey Bowens. A graduate of Myrtle Beach High School (Class of 1967), he became a legendary Black restaurant owner, running Prince’s Place in the Booker T. Washington neighborhood for decades. He kept the good eats coming until his passing in 2024 at the age of 74. Further details about his life can be found in his Find a Grave Memorial and his obituary from McKiever Funeral Home.

I also remember Hurricane Hugo in 1989, when nearly everything in town was shut down. It was a tough time—no power, no open restaurants, just a city struggling to recover. But Prince’s Place was one of the few places that managed to stay open. They had two or three generators running to keep the kitchen operational, and I can still picture the one single light bulb in the dining room, just enough to illuminate a place where people could get a hot meal. I ate there that day, and I’ll never forget it.

Miss Francis’ Kitchen at Princess Place wasn’t just a restaurant; it was a pillar of the community. It was a place where people from all walks of life came together over food that felt like home. Though Prince’s Place is now gone, its legacy remains—a true Southern institution, gone but never forgotten.

A Holy Grail Cookbook of Southern Cuisine

If you want to experience the legacy of Mrs. Francis’ Kitchen at Princess Place firsthand, you’re in luck. The entire cookbook, Mrs. Frances’ Kitchen at Prince’s Place by Prince C. III Bowens (1983), is available for you to explore. This is truly a holy grail of Southern cuisine, preserving the flavors and traditions that made this restaurant legendary.

👉 Click here to view the full cookbook