O' Taste & See Update: Heavy Plates Still Delivering…read more I previously called this the "Home of the Heavy Plates," and after another visit, that title still fits. This time we came back because O' Taste & See now has a dining area and we wanted to eat inside. One surprise was that they were open today because they are usually closed on Saturdays. This happened to be the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend. Walking in, it was immediately obvious they were busy. There was a steady flow of carryout and DoorDash orders moving through, and several people were waiting. One suggestion that would help future customers is clearer communication on where the ordering line begins. Customers waiting for food and customers ordering blended together a little. A simple standing sign would probably help. Despite the crowd, from placing our order until checkout took about 17 minutes, which was efficient considering the traffic they were handling. I ordered the ribs with potato salad and baked beans. The ribs were smoked well with good tenderness and a sauce that had the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the meat. The potato salad needed a little salt and pepper for my taste, but after that it landed much better. The homemade baked beans had good flavor. My wife ordered the oxtails with collard greens and mac and cheese. The oxtails were tender and had a unique seasoning profile that she described as having an almost Indian-like flavor profile. The mac and cheese was creamy and good, and the greens paired well with the cornbread. My wife even mixed the greens and cornbread together. The Country Punch was good and refreshing with the meal. My wife originally wanted the red velvet cake without nuts, but they were sold out. I stepped in and handled dessert responsibilities myself . One observation my wife made was interesting. The dining area gives off more of a fine dining vibe than expected for a soul food spot. The space feels more elevated and polished. However, we were still served in to-go containers and our punch came out in a half-gallon style container. The atmosphere and presentation felt a little disconnected. Not necessarily bad, just somewhat inconsistent. The food says one thing and the dining presentation says another. One thing worth mentioning is value. Two meat-and-three plates, two drinks, and one dessert came to $73.79. That definitely puts O' Taste & See toward the higher end of soul food pricing. However, the portions are heavy, the meats are quality, and the homemade sides help justify much of that price. Not necessarily an everyday stop for many families, but the food quality delivered. Food was on point.

OMG!!! This food was cooked with love. I went to pick up my dad a meal for Father's Day. I waited…read moreabout an hour but it was nice and cool inside. The place had a sitting area the hostess and the staff was nice. The food was so good and you have an enough for at least two days. Well worth the trip to Crestwood.

My first time at Gabriella's was recently. This place gets really busy..... fast! When I arrived,…read more there were about 2 ppl already present and ordering at the hot bar. It's kind of hard to tell what all the food options are, so I had to ask what some stuff was. I managed to get a meat and 2 instead of a meat and 5! There were quite a few veggie options that looked amazingly delicious! I do not recommend coming here hungry or hangry. Ok, sooo I love meat loaf so naturally that's what I got. I also got collards and cornbread dressing & yes they had cranberry sauce. Everything was good tasting. The meatloaf was a little sweet to my taste so I probably wouldn't order it again. The veggies were not over seasoned or overcooked. I will definitely comeback here bc there is still just so much I wanna try. The staff is nice and took care of the crowd. I even witnessed them give a person in need food, as they were about to dig in the restaurant's garbage can outside for scraps. Made me count my blessings.. all of them! There is street parking only. I didn't have any issues parking on a Sunday afternoon. The inside of this restaurant is not big but I was comfortable dining in.

Good southern food on a Sunday afternoon while visiting. Couldn't tell from the Yelp pictures but…read moreit's a really small restaurant with food displayed buffet style behind the clear partition that they serve you in a container. Only about 3 people at a time can hold inside before it's starts getting crowded. It stay pretty busy. Options are 1 meat with two sides or 2 meats with three sides combination. A la cart is available as well. They have ice tea or lemonade drinks in a cup that they also serve you. Lemonade was good. There's a very small counter to pay after you order. Fry chicken is tasty with perfect crisp. Collard greens were seasoned well and perfect texture. Yams (my favorite) was perfect - flavorful, not too sweet and firm but not hard. Both of us thought the Black eyed peas looked really good but taste bland. I would have preferred it without the Okra. I didn't see that when I ordered. One in our group commented the meat loaf was good. The dressing was really good too - well seasoned and tasty. After paying there's a dining area for self seating. It serves the purpose to sit and eat but definitely could use sprucing up along with the restrooms. Please seriously consider! It would make the experience much more pleasant to enjoy their delicious food. I took off two stars for that reason and yes it's that unpleasant as the tables/chairs are also too clustered together. The chairs don't fit around the table properly. Overall good southern food at a reasonable price and recommended. Skip dining in if you don't have too. Just my two cents.

Found this place while looking for some soul food and I'm so happy that I did…read more This is down home, no frills, seat yourself, small batch, hand crafted, cafeteria style goodness at its finest. Each and every bite was absolutely delicious. When I went in there was just one woman working and it was after lunch and not particularly busy. From behind the counter she took and filled my order and handed it over. The peas, the mac & cheese, the hamburger steak...and the yams...the yams...all of it was amazing. Quick, easy, delicious, priced fairly...what else can you ask for? If you're in this area don't hesitate to give this place a shot.

Everything I ordered did not have any seasonings to it at all. Greens taste like water and…read moresmelt-tasted like fresh cut grass. This is not soul food. It was just food with no passion. No hairnet was worn. Dressing was not dressing, it was jiffy mix.

They have the best cakes I've ever had. The Red Velvet cake was absolutely incredible. If you get…read morethe chance, be sure to order the blackened chicken salad either for the table or to take home. It's just as amazing. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and absolutely mouthwatering. I can't wait to go back.

My mom and I used to attend church in Bessemer, and Bre's was on our rotation of places to eat…read moreafter service. I haven't visited here in about 4 years before my mom passed. Mom would buy hundreds of dollars in gift certificates every Christmas for her church friends to enjoy a lunch or two on her. I remember the owner being super sweet and accommodating to my dear mother and her requests. Top notch customer service! As for the food, the rotation varied daily. Most of my visits were on Sundays, but I do remember a couple of trips during the week to try the lasagna, which was delicious. I really enjoyed the Mac and cheese, and Caribbean grilled pork chops. The desserts were great too, however I think I remember the owner partnering with another business to supply the cake slices, so the choices varies. The inside was always very clean and classy and pleasant to sit and enjoy your meal. I miss this place! I will visit soon to add some photos to my review.

Ken's moved down the road from their longtime location. Very large dining hall and parking lot…read more Great hamburger and onions plate, generous sides; rib plate was okay but it seems the meat had been boiled to tenderize the meat. Great selection of meat sauces and the service was quick and friendly.

Now open on Sundays so this is my Sunday review. I thought they were adding a lunch special but…read morenot today. Usual menu is available and still great.

Looking for a great hole in the wall/dive? Do yourself a favor and get off the exit and come here!…read moreGreat home-cooked food! We loved it!

I was on my way to the airport and I was hungry and I searched soul food. Several places came up…read more All I can say is the food and the service was amazing. I had the beef tips and rice with a side of collard greens yams and macaroni and cheese.. I don't care how hungry you are. You will not be able to eat in one sitting. They feed you like mama used to.

After church, our group of about 16-18 people decided to give Mama Nem a try, and it definitely…read morelived up to the hype. The food was outstanding! I had the baked chicken with collard greens, cabbage, and a roll, and everything was seasoned perfectly. The service handled our large group well, and everyone enjoyed their meal. If I'm back on this side of town, I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend!

Very good. One of the ladies in the server line was rude and rushing me, but when I brought it to…read moreher attention she changed her attitude. The food is good but they could give more since they charge more. The older lady that walks around as the manager is very professional she's the one who runs the show and you can tell. Would definitely recommend

Was very pleased with the selection of food for the price. Good southern home cooking! Service…read morewas okay but it's well worth the trip to visit this place.

My guy and I ate a late lunch/early dinner from here on yesterday. I'm not keen on buffets but the…read morevisit here was a pleasant surprise. Upon arriving, we were promptly seated and our drink order was taken. The staff was very friendly and greeted us warmly. We were told to help ourselves to the buffet. There were a plethora of choices, ranging from fried and baked chicken, hot wings, fish, beef tips, rib tips, dressing with chicken gravy, and several vegetables, including collards, cabbage, Mac and cheese, corn, green beans and so much more. While there are certain meats and veggies that are available daily, some things vary, so make sure you check the menu on Facebook the day you choose to go. There are desserts such as lemon ice box pie, ice cream and peach cobbler. A fully stocked salad bar was also available for your dining pleasure, along with a second salad bar with several cold salads such as pasta salad, fruit salads and potato salads. Now...how did everything taste? Glad you asked! Someone's grandfather is back there cooking this food. Literally. We met the cook. The food is seasoned well, and reminds you of a meal from days gone by that you could only get from your grandparents house. You know....the feel good food that sticks to your bones and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Food that's good for your soul. Between the two of us, we sampled most of what was available. And we agreed we didn't taste anything that wasn't cooked with love. Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to returning soon! Check them out for yourself. In a city that's fastly becoming known as a foodie destination, this restaurant pays homage to its southern roots.