One of my families very favorites! Fried chicken is our favorites. And you have to try the fried Green tomatoes. Other favorites are the cream corn and Mac and cheese. Haven't been disappointed with any selections yet. read more

Best country cooking in Alabama! Everything we ate was amazingly delicious. Dumplings, gizzards, chicken, okra, sweet potato casserole, corn, mashed potatoes, Mac-n-cheese, cornbread, yeast rolls ohhhh myyyy!!! read more

My family went to The Whistlestop Cafe looking for great fried chicken,FOUND IT! We had a great meal. The quality of the food served in a cafeteria line manner was really exceptional. Fried Chicken was very good, crispy crust, moist interior, great flavor a winner winner...you know. The world famous Fried green tomatoes were outstanding. Especially if you consider that there are no really fresh tomatoes available in late December. There was an okra and corn fritter (looked like a big hushpuppy) that was totally one of the best things I have ever eaten. All the veggies were very good. Deserts were also a big hit at our table. read more

The Irondale Cafe will always hold a place in my heart as it's where my husband and I went on our first date when I was down visiting in Alabama. T'was a good choice on his part because if you're going to bring a yankee girl down south you might as well show her some good Southern food. Before we went in we sat outside at the old train station and took in the area; it's so cool! The restaurant inside is quaint and perfect. I was confused at what to do in the cafeteria style line so I just let him take control on get whatever. Man, those fried green tomatoes are delightful. I don't know why i chose to write this review at lunch time before I've eaten, what a horrible mistake. I'm ready to book my ticket back to Alabama just for lunch! ;) read more

Ehh....I expected great things out of this place but, once again, disappointed. The food was very bland and I'm not a fan of cafeteria style places. Not worth the $$$ either. read more

I honestly came here because I love the book fried green tomatoes and have never actually eaten any before and knew I had to stop at the Original Whistle Stop Cafe to get some. This place is a traditional cafeteria style, southern meat and three restaurant. At first I was a little put off that everything is served cafeteria style meaning it is fresh made to order but it was still very good. I got the fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and of course the sweet tea. It also came with a bun that was heavenly. Everything was very good, very heavy and deep fried, but good. However I was actually really disappointed with the fried green tomatoes themselves. They were cold, greasy, and unseasoned. They even lacked the nice acidity of a green tomato. Maybe the ones I was served had been sitting in the cafeteria line up for too long but either way it was disappointing. Everything else though was excellent, they were even nice enough to give me a huge to go cup for some sweet tea for the road. read more

Irondale Cafe - Fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, mashed potatoes, a heavenly bun and of course the sweet tea. - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

Casual dress and environment. Food is hot and tasty. You go they the line and they serve you whatever you want. Staff is friendly.

I feel it is a shame when a destination place like the much revered cafe is closed in the evening when so many people travel only to find the doors closed. Your heart must not be in it, if it ever was. Irondale resident. read more

Looking at the other reviews here, this might be blasphemy, but here goes: Meh. I ended up going with fried catfish (available on Fridays) with hush puppies and tartar sauce, fried green tomatoes, creamed corn, a roll, and a bottle of Coke. The fried green tomatoes were great, and you can't go wrong with creamed corn. But the fried catfish? Meh. It was utterly unspectacular. And the bill? It came out to over $12 for me alone, plus a tip for the incredibly friendly waitstaff. (Yes, it's cafeteria style, but they're eager to make sure you're doing OK.) At that price point, I really wondered if this place was worth it. For fried catfish, probably not. But since this place seems to get such rave reviews, I'll be willing to give this place a second try, if only so I can get a taste of that fabled fried chicken. read more

Legendary, and for good reason. This is comfort food. The staff is always, always, always friendly and accommodating. They have pepper sauce on the table, but will probably offer you their homemade version if they see greens on your plate. If they do, you should accept. If they don't, you should ask for it. They have fried green tomatoes pretty much every day, and I've tried them (once) because that's just what you do here. Even though FGT is what they are known for, that's not even the best veggie on the board. So don't feel bad if you don't feel obligated to give them a spot on your plate. Many of the ingredients are locally sourced, and they let you know the names of the farms those delicious bites came from. Summer time hosts a small local farmer's market in the front parking lot. Friday is fried catfish day, and in my opinion one of the better days to eat here. Peak lunch hours tend to be pretty packed, but I've never had too much of a problem finding a parking spot or a table to sit at. Watch the trains pass through, listen to the big band music, savor a plate of good Southern cooking, and enjoy being transported to a simpler time. read more

Irondale Cafe - Self explanatory! - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

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Tasty enough. Nice people. Limited healthy choices, but it's country style cafeteria eating, so... What do you want?

Good southern food, great fried chicken is def the stand out!

Southern comfort food at its best! This is the cafe that the book/movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" is based its cafe in the movie on. It is served cafeteria style. The food looks appealing and taste great too! Of course, we sampled the fried green tomatoes and they were AWESOME! I had chicken, fried okra, macaroni, mash potatoes and banana pudding. Everything tasted so fresh and was so good. Everything tasted as though it was made right in your grandma's kitchen. The restaurant had a lot of memorabilia from the "Fried Green Tomatoes" movie, had cute little table clothes, friendly workers and the a great view looking at the railroad tracks. If you're ever in the area, go check it. It's so YUMMY!! read more

A must eat if you are near Irondale. It is a simple good old fashioned meat and three. I love the fried green tomatos!

Disappointing twenty dollar meal for two. No drinks incl in that charge btw. Used to be tastier before new ownership when it used real southern traditional cornmeal breading for the fried green tomatoes. Which is supposed to be their thing. You would think they would do it better. Country fried steak was stringy. I will say the fried okra were still pretty tasty. Probably their best menu item. read more

One of the best down home memories of growing up in Alabama. Owners have changed a few times but the food is still great and I still look forward to eating here when I come home. Fried green tomatoes are the real deal. read more

Such awesome southern home cooked meal they serve here EVERY TIME! Their food is consistently great! The walls are covered with awesome pics and the line moves soooo fast. I highly recommend eating here. read more

We used to eat here often when family still lived in Birmingham. Very good country cookin. Fun to eat lunch and then watch the trains in front of the restaurant. Irondale Cafe is a timeless classic and definitely recommended! read more

Fried green tomatoes are worth the trip. My favorite meat and 3 cafe. And I'm a food snob. read more

We were going to Birmingham and we decided to go to the Irondale Cafe. The fried chicken was outstanding. The cornbread was very stale so I didn't eat it. The catfish was very good.the Mac and cheese was very creamy. The mashed potatoes were very good. Very nice find. read more

When in Birmingham area, you MUST eat here! I was raised in the south and the food here rivals my grandmother's cooking and she was the best! I can't even say what is the best because everything I've tried is so good. For dessert though, you must have the buttermilk pie. read more

Great down home country cookin. Fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, black eyed peas. All the things that are bad for you but bring you all the comforts of home. read more

Fresh and perfectly cooked Southern food! Love their dressing and giblet gravy! So many good choices. Love their fried green tomatoes for which they are famous and their cornbread is good enough for dessert! Great restaurant...and as expected their sweet tea is perfect! Good service as well. read more

It's a cool staple of Irondale with great history but food is at par at best and the price is way to high. Many great meat and 3 places in bham I'd rather go to read more

So glad we tried this little gem! Can't come south without some fried green tomatoes! Fried chicken also thumbs up!! Oh and we couldn't resist the toasted coconut pie! read more

5 of us for Thanksgiving lunch; 2 had traditional turkey and dressing; 3 had vegetable sides; all 5 raved about the wonderful food: fried okra like my Grandmother's, macaroni and cheese, fried green tomatoes were the best ever, stewed squash....and then the pies!! Everything we had was delicious; made plans to go back again soon while we were still eating.... read more

Not bad --the fried green tomatoes were wonderful. The fried catfish, turnip greens, and hush puppies were good too. Sweet tea and peanut butter pie to complete the experience. The remoulade for the tomatoes is a must. read more

I'm between a 3 and a 4 star rating on this one. This is the kind of place I'd go once for the experience, but not necessarily all the time. It's located in a quaint little area right next to the train tracks. When you walk in, there's a big blackboard on the wall with the different combos and prices. Unfortunately once I was in line, it was hard for me to tell what everything was under all that fried batter! I decided to try the fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and mac and cheese. My meal also came with a sweet roll, which I don't always enjoy but this one was yummy! The fried okra was delicious and definitely my favorite thing on my tray. Second place goes to the remoulade. Third place goes to the mac and cheese. The tomatoes were sweet, but after the first 2 slices they kind of just got cold and soggy. Tip: time your meal so you don't get stuck at the railroad crossing for 30 minutes waiting for a train to pass through! read more

Amazing food. Love the cafeteria style. But my problem was that every thing looked so delicious I found myself wanting to try everything!!!! The fried buttermilk chicken was so moist, it was the best ever. Highly recommend the coconut cream pie. My suggestion would be to go with other people so you can share & try more foods, like we did. Can't wait to come back, not only because the food & people were so great, but also because the line moved so fast I didn't have time to read all of the articles on the wall!!!!! read more

I've quit going out to the Irondale Cafe. There are now far superior meat n 3's open on Sunday. The FGT's are actually some of the worst I'ver ever had. Batter is doughy, limp and greasy. read more

I've always seen this little restaurant and finally stopped by with my husband for a meal. The service was great and the place was spotless. I love that it's newar the railroad tracks. We had the catfish, greens, squash, hush puppies and shared an order of the fried green tomatoes which was great. I plan on taking my sons there. read more

Chicken was good. Moist and juicy. Fired green tomatoes were ok. They were room temperature. I guess I'm not a fan of unripened tomatoes because they really didn't have a tomatoey taste. Biscuits were decent. read more

Just wonderful comfort food, great desserts and a family-friendly environment. The staff was very helpful and hospitable and we'll be making this a regular stop on drives down south! The Fried Chicken was outstanding and I'd highly recommend it! read more

Quaint decor and good old fashioned café atmosphere. Good selection of dishes. My wife and I shared country fried steak, fried chicken breast, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and collard greens. These were all good. Macaroni and cheese was just OK. Their cornbread and dinner rolls were goo. It was all warm but not hot, which is about par for most cafeteria style places. Now the desserts - the banana pudding was good - the coconut pie was very good. It was thick textured with a nice meringue. It was about $32 for two meat and threes, two dessert, 2 drinks, 2 breads. Waitress was nice. Kept our teas topped off. Would go there again. read more

Basically all the sides I had were overcooked. The country fried steak was quite stringy. The cornbread was bland. The only thing I enjoyed was the cookie crumbs and cream pie. read more

Great home cooking. I ate lunch with some co workers. We received great service and the food was really done well. I had fried chicken, cabbage, and black eye peas that were close to what mom prepares. If you are looking for good southern soul food at lunch this is a great choice. read more

Fried chicken and squash were excellent, but the fried green tomatoes were horrible. Coated with flour, doughy on the inside, and lacking any flavor. No seasoning whatsoever. Please update your recipe and use some cornmeal. read more

The chicken fingers are one of many incredibly delicious items to choose.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! I felt very much at home here since I'm a girl raised in the south. My grandparents and parents cooked their food JUST like this restaurant. I LOVED the food and the Southern feel this place gave me. I will definitely be back often! This is my new favorite. Chocolate chess pie and dressing were to die for. Dressing tasted just like my mom's. read more

Just good southern food!! Worth the trip. And naturally --- must try the outstanding Fried Green Tomatoes!!!