Wow! This place is awesome! Great service, great food, and great location! My grandparents took us there last Friday and just as we pulled up a train was slowly creepin by and the conductor honked and waved and my 13 month old. She was in awe! Perfect timing! Now the food, was delicious! We got baked chicken, stewed squash, cornbread dressing w gravy all was like eating your great grandmothers home cooking! The service was top notch. You can't get that kind of southern hospitality in Pittsburgh! Will Make it a tradition to stop there every time we are in Birmingham from now on. read more

Oh sweet lord. This was our first stop after arriving in Birmingham. After some confusion caused by our GPS taking us the most backwards way possible, we found the Irondale, and boy oh boy, it was the perfect introduction to Southern cooking. The setup your basic cafeteria- style "meat and three"- grab your tray, head down the line, pick out your meat and three sides, a beverage, and dessert if you like. We actually skipped dessert which was a real shame, but the food itself was delicious so we didn't feel too deprived. The fiance went for the meatloaf, which was good, but nothing compared to my friend chicken. Hoo boy, this was some tasty chicken. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly crispy, not too greasy. . . I was practically sucking the bones by the end. The fried green tomatoes were tangy and sweet at the same time, the mac and cheese was sinfully creamy. . . This is not health food people, so be forewarned. I certainly can't imagine eating there every day, or even every month, but it sure was tasty. If you happen to find yourself in Birmingham, it's worth a trip. It's only about 15 minutes from the airport, so really, you have no excuse not to go. read more

It's the cafe from Fried Green Tomatoes, therefore, I had to try it. I was super sick when I got to Alabama, so I cut off from our test day for the LeMons race and ate lunch, dagnabbit. Short drive from Barber. Also a short drive from the airport. It's right there. You have to. You just do. Oh man. This food ruled. Towanda! and such. I ended up with chicken tenders, and those dipped in the spicy remoulade were beyond awesomesauce. I tried one of the fried green tomatoes before handing off the rest as a "bribe" (24 Hours of LeMons is all about the bribery, lulz), and it was okay. Tomatoes aren't really my thing, but this place seems to have mastered frying stuff. Light, crispy fry batter on everything. Nothing too greasy or overdone. The hushpuppies were almost as big as my chicken tenders. Those with a little bit of peppers-in-vinegar drizzled on top were unbelievably good. Best of all was the chocolate chess pie for dessert. The desserts are near the front of the line, so you kind of have to. So creamy. So good. It's cafeteria-style, which also works for picky eaters. The waitstaff working the floor was super attentive and my glass was kept full. There's Fried Green Tomatoes stuff everywhere, just in case you forgot where you were. The only downsides? The chicken fried steak came pre-gravied, so if you're like me and don't usually like gravy (it was a brown gravy, too--what is this? CFS comes with white gravy!), you're kinda hosed. The collard greens could've been a bit tarter, too. They lacked that nice acerbic bite that I really like from collard greens and reminded me more of regular ol' spinach. read more

What a pleasant surprise and friendly people! The FRIED GREEN TOMATOES are incredible. We had the following: Fried Chicken ... good. Country Fried Steak ... GREAT! I loved the Mac n' cheese. Frank not so much. It's homemade and you can see the cheesy goop. Yum! Cole Slaw ... different, good but different. Sweet Creamed Corn ... Frank ate both his and mine. I didn't care too much for it but most of us loved it (we were 10!) The sweet tea and lemonade are incredible! The roll was better than the corn bread. I would kill to have one of those rolls right now. The location is phenomenal. The trains were constantly passing and whistling while doing it... It's been a highlight and if we're ever in this area again, we will stop by for more and more of those fried green tomatoes! read more

Great food! great service! if you're ever in the Irondale area you must go to this place very clean and well put together place Like walking back in time read more

This is not the Irondale Cafe that I remember. It's known for its traditional southern cooking, and, after selecting the baked chicken, I should have pulled out of line when I saw the vegetables. Other than sweet potato soufflé and fried green tomatoes, the vegetable were the color of the chicken. I got steamed cabbage and corn. The baked chicken was GREASY and my vegetables had no flavor. My husband said the flavor of green tomatoes was lost in the breading, the sweet potato soufflé was edible as were the fried chicken livers. We will not return. The meal was reminiscent of a meal made by a new bride with limited cooking ability. Both of us got water, and only my husband got bread. I was stunned at the checkout when the man told us our meal was more than $22.00. Marking this restaurant off the list and will not return. read more

Irondale Cafe is always delicious when we visit. The decor is old school. It's nestled near a nostalgic train track and it's definitely a landmark in Irondale. My daughter loves seeing the "choo choo" go by before we have lunch. Of course, they are known for their fried green tomatoes, but you cannot forget to ask for the remoulade to accompany them! They also have fabulous fried okra and cabbage, but again you must ask for their homemade pepper sauce. It's spicy and delicious. They also sell it! So, you can have your handy pepper sauce at home and just continue to add vinegar! I have had mine for over a year and it's still spicy. It's been refilled probably twenty times! Another thing I have to mention would be the fried chicken. My husband absolutely loves it. It's always crisp and juicy. For the little ones, I recommend chicken tenders. The batter is unbelievable! It's crunchy, seasoned well, and there is just the right amount of batter covering the chicken tenders. They also have deliciously sweet, sweet tea! read more

The service was good and the food was good. If you like fried southern food, this place is a good choice. The fried green tomatoes were good. read more

As a bit of background, I'm a native Southern Californian who has been to soul food and bbq places in LA. To be honest, I'm not really sure what real Southern cooking is (although I think it involves lots of fried and buttery foods). This week, I am in Birmingham for a work seminar and we went to dinner last night to the Irondale Cafe. From the outside, it's a small, unassuming restaurant in an old, quaint storefront, directly across from Irondale's train stop. Walking in, I saw a busy restaurant, with tables covered in red and white checkered tablecloths. We all lined up and took our turns picking out our 1+3 dinners. I ordered the fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, the fried green tomatoes, a slice of oreo pie and a lemonade. By the time I picked up my food and got to the table, I realized that I only had ordered 2 sides instead of the customary 3. Geez.. I forgot the greens :( First impressions: Looking at the food, * I felt a bit underwhelmed.... that's all? * I would have preferred an option for dark meat instead of one chicken breast. * The fried green tomatoes made me think 'oooooh, tempura!' * I loved how amazingly yummalicious the oreo pie looked As I sat at the table, I ate my dinner, Fried chicken: The batter was lighter than I expected but still had good flavor (not too seasoned or overwhelming) but had a good crunch to it. The breast meat was reasonably tender but didn't excite me. In the end, I felt a bit disappointed by the fried chicken. (B-) Mac 'n cheese: One of my favorite parts of dinner. It was cheesy and creamy with a browned top. My only complaint is that the bowl was pretty small; a bigger bowl would've been nice and helped me to bring up my cholesterol a few extra points. (A-) Fried green tomatoes: The fried green tomatoes were good, but didn't knock my socks off. Since the Irondale Cafe is known for it, I felt the need to try them. The tomatoes had a light colored batter that had a bit of doughiness to it. From my first couple of bites, expecting a bit more crunch, I could tell that the doughiness came from sitting out for awhile. Aside from the crunchiness, I also noticed a subtle tartness to the tomato, which I really liked. (B) Oreo Pie: Pure delicious goodness. I normally will use my fork to knock the whipped cream off of a piece of pie. I couldn't (and wouldn't) do it here since this pie was a wonderful sweet whipped cream, mixed with oreos and in a yummalicious pie crust. When I put that first bite in my mouth, I had to close my eyes and savor it... in fact, my friends were teasing me when I did it! You should definitely consider the desserts as they are truly yummy and home made. (A+) Lemonade: The lemonade was very good and frequently refilled by the wait staff. It was cold, lemony and very sweet... it's probably best not to think about how much sugar was in the three cups I drank since I wouldn't know how to deal with all that guilt. (A) My friends also ordered a few different things and let me sample: Fried Okra: My friends for the South commented how much they liked the fried okra at the Irondale. Evidently, it's pretty easy to mess up okra, but the Whistle Stop had the right combination of crunchiness and a nice texture inside. I tasted one piece and agreed! Country Fried Steak: My friends from Texas and Florida were both disappointed with the country fried steak. Their main complaint was that it was swimming in brown (not white) gravy and not deep fried. They said it was a glorified Salisbury steak and were very disappointed by their meat. Banana Pudding: A few friends ordered the banana pudding for dessert. It looked good, with sliced bananas and nilla wafers along the bowl. Not really being a banana pudding expert, I really can't say too much about it. They liked it and I thought 'oooh, it tastes like bananas and has real bananas in it"... never let it be said that I'm not deep and insightful :) Conclusion: When I travel, I like to see well known restaurants. I'm glad have gone to the Whistlestop Cafe since it was an interesting experience. From waiting in line to eating dinner, sadly, I didn't have a chance to learn about the history of the restaurant. If you want to know more you can always go to their website to read about it... but it just would've been nice to have seen a handout or a little display. I have to say that, aside from the oreo pie, my main feeling about dinner was 'meh.' Perhaps it's my naivete as an LA girl having too high expectations for a Southern restaurant, but I know that my other friends weren't totally impressed totally impressed either. The food is good but nothing to get super excited about... and I really wanted to get excited about it too! I can't say that, next time I'm in the area, that I would go back but I also don't regret going there last night either. read more

If you want to know how Grandmother's cook in the South, eat lunch or dinner at The Irondale Cafe! It is a meat and three, cafeteria style restaurant...if you like sweets, this is not the place to skip dessert because they are all homemade and freshly made daily. I have only dined here once, because I do not prefer this type of meal. However, it is definitely downhome southern cooking at it's best. And if you are from out of town, especially if you from the West Coast or northern states, stop in here to enjoy food and hospitality- Souther Style! FYI- this is the original cafe included in the book "Fried Green Tomatoes" because the author was from here. And yep, they do serve fried green tomatoes here. read more

I have been to this area six times for work and during museum trips. I cannot love this place any more than I do. You will not be able to decide because the food is on display right in front of you as you go through the line cafeteria-style. It's not healthy - but it's just such amazing comfort food. Everyone in your family will find something that they like!!! (Note: I originally went because I love the book Fried Green Tomatoes, and I love that Fannie Flagg hung out here (with the dad of a friend of mine) - but I keep going back because the food is just so good!!!!) read more

Have mercy! The chicken was better than my Grandma's and she knew what she was doing. I had the fried breast and it was as juicy and well-seasoned as the leg or thigh. The fried green tomatoes also rule: crispy, tangy, never greasy. The mac n cheese was good, but a little salty. Big deal, right? Even though you see it first and might think you won't want it, GRAB DESERT!! Oreo pie, chocolate pie, lemon meringue pie, whatever... It's all good. read more

So glad we came here. I'm a huge fan of Fried Green Tomatoes, book and movie. This place does not disappoint. 5 stars to the Coconut cream pie! Omg!! Well done Irondale Cafe read more

Famous for the fried green tomatoes, today's serving was barely edible. Most other vegetables are warmed from the can or freezer. Speaking of freezers, they appear to store the butter there until requested. Mac and cheese is stone cold.. Just as McDonald's is more a playground than restaurant, this is a tourist trap. read more

There are so many dishes with which people are familiar when they think of Southern cooking, and then there are others which don't really come up as much. Irondale Cafe seems to have them all, and cooks them so classically delicious that it's a one-stop primer for this regional style of cooking. The problem with cafeteria-style service is that it's left up to me to decide how much I want to eat, and that turned out to be a problem, as my tray was quickly loaded with carrot salad, fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, fried chicken livers, fried green tomatoes, and buttermilk pie. Fried was definitely a continuing theme, and all items were perfectly cooked, with little grease remaining, a flour dredge used for the chicken and tomatoes, and a slightly different crust implemented for the livers. In all, I think it was the macaroni and cheese which I found the most disappointing, but only because it's the item I've had the most around the country, and this version was pretty ordinary. I imagine "traditional" becomes "ordinary" if enough people are making it. Of course, the restaurant has been popularized for being the inspiration for the Whistlestop Cafe in the book (and movie) Fried Green Tomatoes, as Fannie Flagg was the niece of the original owners. It's something that the Cafe is not afraid to advertise, going so far as to devote an entire wall to headshots of Kathy Bates, Mary Louise Parker, and the rest of the gang. With the movie being twenty years old, I don't know how many people are still coming here for the novelty of the movie (and really, I don't know how much I would want to be associated with a cafe that barbecued a guy and served it to their customers) - it would seem to me that Irondale should be much more popular for what's on the opposite wall of that FGT shrine - award after award after award for having some of the best food in town. And obviously, the fried green tomatoes are some of the best in town, too. read more

If you looked up "meat and three" in the dictionary, this place would be a strong candidate as the essence of the concept. Cafeteria style with all the classics. I had fried chicken, rice & gravy, fried green tomatoes, a roll, banana pudding, and sweet tea. All the food here was in the 3-3.5 star range to me (slightly above average) except the banana pudding which was fantastic. The dessert and the ambiance bumped it up to a 4th star. You feel like you are in a time warp when you eat here. I wasn't alive 50-60 years ago, but that's what it "feels" like to me. Lots of seniors. Extremely southern feeling. Anyway, I enjoyed it here. read more

Irondale Cafe - Fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, rice and gravy, roll, banana pudding. Damn! - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

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Yum, yum, yum, yum! Loved this place from the second I walked in. Smelled like...home. The simple restaurant sports several rooms of large tables, enough to spread out with your sides and meat dishes. I had the fried chicken (of course), mac 'n cheese, green beans, squash, and, of course, fried green tomatoes. Everything was tasty, seasoned to perfection, and simply delicious. My fiance had the shrimp creole, fried okra, and rice, and had nothing to complain about as the food nearly disappeared in front of him. While there's no traditional wait services--as you go through a cafeteria-style line to choose your meal--there are people who tend to your every request for condiments, more tea, and quickly clear your plates. The deserts were to die for! I had the peanut butter pie and my fiance had the coconut pie. No complaints on either. The bill was reasonable and we would definitely go there again! Only "complaint" is their hours...11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays? Are you kidding? We saw them turn away at least 8 people as we were leaving. For food like they're serving, they should stay open longer and they're sure to make a few extra bucks! read more

Food was cold and greasy! They serve portions in small bowls that have a huge upward indention in the bottom so you end up getting about 3 TSP. There is a huge sign above hot board that says" health dept. will not let us take back food". That should have been my first clue. I am almost positive the health dept. does not care if you give back cold food in exchange for warm food... as long as they throw it away. Must have been happening a lot! We will not be going back. read more

Amazing food. Fresh and well seasoned. Great portions and good prices. Southern comfort food at its best.

I was so excited to go to the original Whistle Stop Cafe and try fried green tomatoes for the first time... I was disappointed, and blown away. I did not like the fried green tomatoes. At all. I couldnt even make it through two slices. But that turned out to be a good thing, since my mom and sister ate their entire helping, and both got sick, while I didnt. MAJOR disappointment. Not liking the tomatoes, that is. I'm thrilled I didnt throw up. On the flip side, however, I think they've got just about the world's best mac n cheese, and sweet potatoes. The fried chicken was terrific, as were the mashed potatoes and gravy. And lemon pie. And peach cobbler. The fried okra was ok while it was still hot, but that didn't last long, and it would never win a throw-down vs Bob Syke's fried okra. Just sayin'. The girl refilling drinks wasn't exactly friendly, and the other lady walking around stopped to check on every table except ours, which was off-putting. I understand the whole "locals" thing, but tourist money is just as green, and it would have been nice to have seen a little of that southern hospitality I've heard so much about, so despite the food being pretty darn tasty, I've got to take one star off for the puking and the not-very-nice-ness. read more

Why yes I'll have some pumpkin pie, fried okra, and oh whats that you have a special on dead lovers caught in the middle of a lovers triangle yes I will have a large serving of that please! All joking aside the only reason I learned of this place initially was due to its notoriety associated with the film. I was pleasantly surprised however to discover that in this case the food was better than the fame. I had some fried okra, hmm a trend that seems to continue with eating southern food, a slice of pumpkin pie, some fried white meat chicken, a piece of cornbread, and the obligatory glass of sweet tea. Oh and I shared a serving of fried chicken livers. The okra was ok, perhaps a bit of a let down after my experience with Little Savannah, it fried and tasty though kind of enough said. The chicken was very flavorful, tasty, and moist. The chicken was some of the best I have ever had. The pie was about as sweet as the tea, which is to say sweet. Both are tasty, If I ever find myself back in Birmingham and eating here I would like to try the buttermilk pie. The price was also very cheap which was great. For a heavy, unhealthy, and tasty lunch don't miss here. A fine little establishment that is also a piece of Americana, and something that should not be missed on a visit to the city. read more

Cafeteria style food. Down home southern cookin. Bring your appetite and be prepared to walk or run a full miles to work off the calories. But we'll worth it. The atmosphere is just as you would think it should be. read more

I have been going here all my life but my last three visits have been very disappointing. The meals haven't been impressive and they just keep getting more expensive each visit. A piece of catfish and one vegetable (with a cup of water) was over $12. The food was just not that tasty and the sides are small portions. I think I'm done with the Whistle Stop Irondale Café! Sad but true. There's just too many other good places to eat in Birmingham. read more

It's hard to give 3 stars to a restaurant when the customer service is so good-therefore I give 4 stars. I had the meatloaf, green beans and collard greens, oh and unsweetened iced tea. The tea was wonderful. The meatloaf was a small portion and still, I didn't eat it all. It was mushy. The beans looked liked they came from a can. I understand, this food is suppose to be southern comfort food. Maybe it's just not for me. BUT everyone was so nice!! read more

I love the location (right next to the train tracks!), and liked the ambience and cafeteria line. But the food - all the Southern usuals - was fine/tasty, but not memorable. read more

Amazing fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, greens and mashed potatoes. Everything is home-made and delicious! Authentic food even better than mom used to make. The only complaints I have are that they are only open for lunch and they use a lot of disposable items. read more

Service is very good!!! Food is excellent and filling. The serving sizes are a little small on the vegetables but still good. It's a MUST try!!!! read more

My husband and I ate here while in town for the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival. He had the pork chop and I had the fried chicken. Both of us enjoyed the meat, vegs, and iced tea. We will stop again when in the area. read more

I am sorry but my trip was a shock. Purchased a small piece of catfish with fried green tomatoes and cabbage. it tasted alright. BUT the price was outrageous for a cafeteria dinner, $13,49 for the plate and $2.00 for tea is ro much. will not return read more

My favorite restaurant everything I have had so far has been awesome! I love the movie too(: read more

Irondale Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

The business hours on the door are not correct. My friend and I were very disappointed when we sat around and waited an hour for the restaurant to open. They never opened and we were not the only customers looking forward to trying some tasty food! read more

We were visiting family from out of town and vowed to eat at places that we have never eaten before (i.e. no major chain restaurants). This place did not disappoint! The food was delicious and there was plenty to chose from, even for the picky eater. While the wait in the cafeteria style line was over 10 min we knew we were in the right place! We didn't have to look hard for seating and all the workers were very friendly. The deserts where not "out of the world" but were still good. The portions are generous, so if you are not a large eater your meat and 3 can feed two. This was a perfect place for Sunday lunch after church. read more

Best wait staff with extremely professional mannerisms! Delicious food ALWAYS! I would give 10 stars if I could!

This place always delivers on the Southern soul food! My favorites are fried chicken, cornbread dressing with gravy, fried chicken livers, Mac and cheese, and of course, fried green tomatoes. Don't sleep on the Chess pie! read more

Why a 5 you ask? Because I continue to choose to go back over and over. And over and over its solid consistent been around forever yummy recipes. Me: fried chicken, fried green toms, squash, collards. Yummmyyyyyy don't forget the remoulade it's delish. My I also commend the server who is prompt friendly and an overall asset to your establishment. See you soon! read more

I really hate giving the Irondale Cafe only three stars but I have to. The food is usually very good, minus the fried green tomatoes, those just aren't worthy of the hype. Anyways the problem I have is the staff. They are so unfriendly and rarely bring refills. We have had to go refill our own drinks the last two trips there and only saw the waitress once and she didn't even say hello. This place is much closer to home than say Niki's West but I will drive the extra few miles to go there. read more

Delicious. Peanut butter pie is heavenly. Overall I'm thrilled to have this restaurant so close to home. I love the company of friends and family as we sit down to enjoy homestyle cooked meals read more

Was in town and decided to try the place the Whistle Stop cafe was modeled after. Food was amazing. Chicken tenders were moist and tender, the fried green tomatoes were delicious and the chocolate chess pie was the perfect finale. Staff was top notch and super friendly. Will definitely go again. read more

I eat here every time I'm in the Birmingham area for two reasons: one, my Aunt Bess was the original owner and I have fond memories of eating there as a child; and two, the food is still soooo good. So I get to have a little bit of my sweet memories of home when I visit. But I'd still go even without those memories because the food is always very southern and good. read more

2 stars is extremely generous. I found no service and over cooked veggies to be a lack luster combination. My fish was cold but tasty. When they ran out of rolls, I was told to tell my server I was waiting on a roll. She showed up asI was finished with everything else. There are much better places read more