This is a fav place of our family! Not 1 time of bad service and the food is devine! My Dad would call this a fluf fluf place to eat lol-a fun Mother daughter date, or lunch with another professional. Can't go wrong-you have to try their spinach salad and their Quiche's read more

Lunch is really great. Dinner has smaller menu so u prefer their lunch with extra options but the food is quite good

Since management does not respond to these posts. I have to chime in. This was my first (and probably last) visit to this place. The ambiance and service was very good. However. Overall the food was disappointing. The only good dish was the crab bisque. Meatloaf was fair. Pork loin smothered in brown thick heavy-it was terrible. Lastly, my coconut cream pie may have been the worst I've ever had. The strawberry pretzel was almost as bad. It makes you wonder how this establishment can stay in business! read more

Reuben sandwich was good. A little heavy on the kraut and lite on the meat. Their desserts more than made up for any initial disappointment. There were so many good sounding desserts we ordered each one except the lemon one. Humming bird cake was great, Mississippi mud was awesome, very rich. The Coca Cola Cake was also really good. Peanut butter pie was good, but nothing special. Fried pie special was fantastic. Environment and staff were also great. read more

I went today to the Main Street Cafe for lunch. This was my first visit. It certainly will not be my last. The food was delicious and comforting and exactly what you want and hope for. The food was reasonably priced and the service was simply outstanding. The waitress was warm and friendly and personable and knowledgeable about the food and the menu. I made a point of speaking with Tammy the owner as I was leaving. Hubby and I are now enthusiastic regulars. read more

Fav place to eat. Lots of great options and a peaceful atmosphere

This place is super cute and always really busy. I am not that impressed by their offerings, BUT I haven't tried much of the menu. Also the waiters are all young and friendly enough, but could be more professional as far as efficiency and actually forming a light conversation. There's a sense of chaos as soon as you walk in and not enough seating to accommodate the people that have to wait. OK, I really have to spill some tea about the menu items I have tried... Desserts: All delicious. This is the saving grace. Strawberry pretzel salad is really good. Seafood: I got a blackened salmon salad which sounded delicious but it was not. It was a big bowl of salad, probably of the bagged variety, with a large salmon fillet awkwardly sitting on top. Extremely fishy and poorly seasoned and overcooked--did not match the ingredients in the salad and seemed like an afterthought type of situation. I also ordered a tilapia something or other once and it was undercooked in the middle and completely over seasoned. ****OK Here's the kicker... Their signature dish: the famed Poulet Normandie...**** I want to laugh actually, but it was HORRIBLE. Their French muse is a not-from-scratch stuffing (I won't say Stovetop, but I also won't say Dressing) with extra celery chunks and some previously frozen chicken disbursed within. The topping is freaking velveeta. It was the saltiest, fattiest, most processed "entree" I have ever eaten. It's like Bubba got stoned and raided the kitchen one night. As soon as I took my second big bite, I literally heard a thud from my grandmother rolling over in her grave. If someone from France happens to visit and try this item they will kill themselves on the spot. I recommend that everyone orders this dish just once, in order to make fun of it. Summary This place is cheap because they cut corners by not using fresh ingredients. The atmosphere is quaint, cute, and very unique. The food is not actually as "gourmet" as it seems while you're looking at the menu. Two trips to this place will give you type 2 diabetes. Anyone who thinks this is fine southern dining is a rube. read more

Selected today by AL.com as the best restaurant for a business lunch in Madison County! Just ahead of Commerce Kitchen, and 1892 East. With this new-found fame, reservations are recommended for parties of five or more. (I don't think they take reservations for groups less than five -- so bring your friends!). They were already pretty busy, located in historic downtown Madison. Our stuffed pork loin lunch today was very good. Don't come here expecting haute cuisine. It's more like Mom's home cooking, but Madison folks like it pretty well. read more

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This is a popular lunch spot (in fact they are only open for lunch), with sort of a "ladies tea room" feel (quiches, soup and salad, chicken and tuna salads, etc.) but it's good. The restaurant has been there 12+ years and it would be nice to have the interior updated a little bit. I've probably eaten there 6 times and the service is always good, the food just fine, and the prices reasonable. I just prefer a more modern menu (maybe ahi tuna for an appetizer, or an ahi salad) or just change the menu every now and then and I think this restaurant would benefit from an interior "face lift." If you want to support a local restaurant (and yes the building was the city of Madison's third town hall and housed two jail cells, which are IN this building, and yes, it's located right by railroad tracks), especially for a fairly light "southern-ish" lunch, try Main Street Cafe. I hope you enjoy it! read more

My wife and I really enjoyed the Main Street Cafe in old-town Madison, AL that occupies what used to be the town courthouse and jail. In fact, you can still see the bars in the windows and wall where the jail cells were. That might seem like odd history to go with the ambiance, but it works. We loved a local favorite dish called Poulet de Normandie, which is basically layers of chicken breast, cornbread stuffing and cheese with mushroom sauce. Very yummy! My wife was curious if a Mint Julep was anything like a Grasshopper (no, not so much), but the bartender/night manager didn't have Creme de Menthe. So she took it as a challenge and whipped up a "Faux Chocolate Grasshopper" on-the-house for her to try. It tasted like slightly spiked mint chocolate chip ice cream, surprisingly good. Look for it as a possible new drink special. Excellent service, great food and a bit of local history off the beaten track. We will definitely be back before this business trip is over. read more

Great food and atmosphere. Couldn't have asked for better on my business trip in town.

Always enjoy the delicious food. Always have great service! The ambiance is wonderful inside & outside seating. The best place in Madison to eat! Everyone loves "The Jail"!!! read more

Had lunch twice here while in town on business. A little understaffed and food was about average. I'd recommend the specials and stay away from the salads as they appear to be made from bagged lettuce. read more

This spot is definitely a place that I recommend. The food is delicious... especially the strawberry pretzel salad. The food comes out hot and is always good. read more

We go there for lunch on regular basis. Safe social distancing and good service. I haven't had a disappointing dish there ever and have gone there since it opened. Strawberry pretzel salad is a must for dessert. Worth a visit if you haven't been there before to get a good southern style meal in a quaint building smack in the middle of downtown Madison. read more

New in the area and luckily found this gem. Because of Covid 19 we placed our order by phone and ate in our car. The Chicken Salad sandwiches were absolutely delicious. Also enjoyed the fried mushrooms. Tim was very kind and efficient when processing our order. We will be back often. read more

The south just does food differently than anywhere else. How could such deliciousness be priced so low. Paid $10 for a great t-bone and the best green beans/Mac I've ever had. The steak was very well seasoned and Not to be outdone by a terrific yeast roll. And to think I almost left because of a short wait. This was worth double the wait and triple the price! Down home cooking at its finest. read more

Main Street Cafe - T bone lunch special. Exceptional greens and Mac all for $10! - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

A nice lunch with friends. Cafe is always busy but service is quick and friendly! You must have the strawberry pretzel salad!

This is my favorite restaurant in the area. I go at least once a week. I have never had a bad meal and the service is the best I have had in Huntsville or Madison. All of the staff are very friendly and the prices and food quality are excellent. They have several daily specials which is great for variety so I never get tired of the menu items. The owner is very friendly and she talks to me every time I arrive. The servers are on the spot and the food comes out fast and hot and is always prepared right. They bring my sweet tea right out when they see me seated and they treat me right. I am normally in and out in 30 minutes which is perfect for lunch so I can get back to work on time. To top it off, they also have a great selection of desserts. What's not to like! A+++ read more

Come check Main st out for lunch or dinner. Great service, wonderful dishes and daily features for dinner and lunch. Safety is clearly a concern. They are welcoming everyone to come back out and experience great food, fantastic cocktails and friends. A local establishment that need to be supported through this trying time. read more

The food is absolutely wonderful. Love the Poulet de Normandie and the Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Great service and great food!!!! Highly recommend. read more

I have been several times and it seems to be a hit or miss. Several times have been very disappointed in the food. The one time the food was good the service was so bad you could not enjoy your meal. Went again recently and got the Quiche which was burned. I should have sent it back but was meeting an old friend I had not seen in probably 20 years and did not want to take away from our meeting. Had asked for Tim so our service was excellent. I just don't understand why someone does not notice when the food is not right and not service it. Once you needed a hammer and chisel to cut the strawberry salad. Had a good friend take her Red Hat Club there for lunch and she was so embarrassed. She said everything was awful, food and service. This is such a cute place and so handy wish they could get their act together. read more

Looking for a new curbside option today at lunch. Service was very poor. Waited over 20 minutes for food that had obviously been sitting for 20 minutes as well. Very disappointing. Will not return. Additionally, the restaurant was packed and no patrons were wearing masks. With all the people I saw inside and entering the restaurant, there is no way they were complying with the current necessary precautions. read more

This is probably one of AL's hidden gems. The ambiance is charming, but the food & service were incredible. My coworkers and I came out satisfied and happy. I ordered gumbo, and they had pot roast and steak. For dessert, I tried the strawberry shortcake. Love the use of pretzels for the crust and how the top incorporated Jello with real strawberries. Side note: place used to be a jail house, so there's a section that still looks like a jail cell. Very cool! read more

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Sides and sauces a bit salty but the meat is really tender and fresh. T

Just thinking about eating at Main Street Cafe makes my tummy growl. After being dazzled by the southern-with-a-modern-twist decor (where did they get those chandeliers?), I didn't even bother to peruse the menu when I heard they had a BBQ brisket on special. I was like - hook me up, stat, and give me some of that sweet mint tea, which inexplicably contains OJ, while you're at it. Bestie Amy insists they have fresh, tasty salads and her Oriental Chix salad with dressing on the side looked very good, so maybe I'll weigh in on that next time. **Tip: save yourself some time and ask up front for extra bbq sauce on your brisket, which is high on the sweet factor and low on the vinegar factor. My meat came out well done, which I wasn't super happy about, but it was surprisingly moist. Potato salad? Yellow, smooth, and full of crunchy things, and portion is generous. Beans? Standard. Bread? I was too full to eat this. **Tip: Save room for dessert. Our server must have listed 15 different options for cakes, pies and other sweet things. Based on our covetous (is that a word?) staring at the plates of neighbors, we already knew we had to order the strawberry pretzel salad. What the what? This is not a salad. It's a crunchy, buttery, sweet yet salty base with a whipped topping below a big, jiggly slice of strawberry jello. This very well may go on my last supper list. One star deducted only because of super slow service, and I blame this on the bridezilla who was having her shower at the restaurant over the lunch hour. Well, I'm sure she was nice and who knows if she was a bridezilla, but they were definitely cramping the restaurant's delivery time. Boo. Can't wait to come back and actually order off the regular menu next time. Thumbs up! read more

Good place for a lunch that is not your usual "sandwich from a chain". Restaurant is located in the old civic hall and jail. At lunch time it has an English tea room feel to it, although a little noisier since the interior walls reflect sound. Sandwiches are great. Huge. But great. The Reuben has an authentic flavor to it. The fries are solid and natural. Service, which is fast and friendly at lunch, is a bonus. read more

This was an incredible place. The food was fantastic. The history of the place was explained. The owner and staff were so so friendly. This is a must go to place. My salad was so big!! Lots of ingredients and I could not finish it. Delightful surprise!! read more

1st ever visit today. Ordered the spinach and artichoke quiche. The quiche is a 6/10, but the poppy seed mandarin salad is a 10/10. The staff is great and the location is awesome. The old jail holding cells are not prominently advertised but make sure to go into the room and read the pictures on the wall for some history. read more

Stopped for dinner while passing thru the area. It looked like an interesting place. When we entered, two other tables were occupied. While there were numerous tables set and ready for guests, we were seated at a table that apparently had just been cleared. There was no table service, and the dish of butter pats was empty. We started with the calamari which was just ok. More breading than calamari. They have a daily stuffed chicken breast which sounded good but I passed on due to a couple of the ingredients. My wife ordered the Oriental Chicken salad and said it was good. I tried the Chicken Marsala with sautéed spinach and Mac 'n Cheese sides. The sauce/rue on the chicken tasted strong or burnt. The spinach tasted overdone and the mac 'n cheese tasted kind of light weight to me. Overall, acceptable but nothing to rave about. read more

This is a wonderful place to eat. It has a lovely warm atmosphere with fantastic staff. The steak is phenomenal!

I had a delicious lunch. The portions were generous and reasonably priced. Highly recommend this cafe.

I owe this place a review, no doubt. I have eaten here twice and both for special occasions because the place is special. What makes Main Street Cafe special to me is that its something that is truly becoming a comodity. It is local. It is not a chain! The Cafe is located in historic downtown Madison City, on ... well... Main Street! It sits next to the rail road and its very common to see the trains go by.. It used to even hold jail cells as it was once a city builing for the local police, I believe. That , to me, gives the place some charm even if they have mostly hidden that history. As for the menu, it is actually pretty varied. It isn't a "down home" country food from Alabama place though they don't ignore where they are located. I loved the fried green tomatoes appetizer or the corn fitters... mmmmm. Hmmm, I suppose those are kinda country. But the Quiche and Poulet de Normandy definitely are not. For the recent two visits, once I had the cheesy meatloaf *thumbs up* and once I had a "special of the day" which was a Southwestern tuna steak. The food was excellent. And since it was a special occasion, I even had dessert, however, be prepared to share them because they are huge. The pricing is reasonable and if it's not too crowded the service is good. If it's crowded the service can be slow in such a small establishment. I know it's out of the way for most of the larger employers to sneak there for lunch, but it's worth the effort. read more

My wife and I love to eat here together for lunch. We've only had less than great service one time here, and the food is always great. The location is a bit strange, but it has great ambiance. The only entree I can say I absolutely love so far, though, is the red beans and rice. My basic advice is to stick with the daily specials, but the menu options are also good. I have only had one or two of their desserts, but their strawberry pretzel salad is always a hit. I'm still hoping to try watermelon pie some day, but just can't get over the strawberry pretzel salad enough to move on! read more

How cute is this place?! I went here with my family for a light lunch and we all ordered salads. The portions were huge and the atmosphere was really nice out on the patio. The salads were fresh and were brought out really quickly. The service was really good and we decided to order a couple of slices of the banana bread to take home with us. The server indicated that it would be much more economical to just buy a loaf to bring home (I think it was $6 for the entire loaf versus $.50 per slice) so we took her advice. The loaf was huge and she was so right! It was seriously the best banana bread I think I've ever had-- and I'm pretty tough when it comes to reviewing baked goods. It was moist and delicious with big walnut chunks throughout the loaf. We had enough to last us about 4 days at home. I also brought home a piece of Coca Cola cake and it was amazing as well. I will definitely be back to this little hidden gem. After we ate we walked across the street to the cute antique shops and home stores. I love this area. read more

On a very warm summer day, the umbrella-sheltered patio was delightful. Service was prompt and professional. I ordered a salad with grilled salmon. It was delicious. Great place for lunch! read more

Just had lunch at Main Street Cafe with my two daughters in law. The atmosphere is nice. We were seated just inside the door but we did not complain. On a chilly day it was a bit brisk every time the door opened and closed. I have always liked this restaurant. Their Poulet de Normandy is always delicious and indeed it was today! Their Chicken Tender salad looked great and my daughter in law stated that she could eat this salad every day. I had a slice of the strawberry pretzel salad and my only complaint was that the pretzels were a bit mushy...making me think the salad had been made for a while. If you are looking for a cute lunch place off the beaten path, check out the Main Street Cafe. read more

Main Street Cafe - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

Good people, good location, and down home good food. What a fun environment! This is an old historic building, even an old jail house that has been restored to accommodate some good down home cooking and service. I had two of their specials; a mushroom & Brie soup and the chicken Santa Fe salad, the salad was filled with yummy leafy green lettuces and other fresh salad yummies. Salad Dressing was served on the side, and tasted like an original house dressing. The soup too was yummy, and full of Brie cheese and mushroom flavors.... could eat that all day! My honey ordered poulet de Normande, ( a type of unique and tasty chicken casserole). Very original and quite tasty. This was served with a congealed salad ( very concentrated jello), and green beans. Servings were very generous... the desserts looked real tantalizing alas we were quite full so we by passed. We found it nice to be on the road and find a down home type restaurant. Definitely five stars! read more

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Great menu, service, and drinks in a cute atmosphere. Just need time to get the word oit and Madison will have a new place to eat.

The food is incredible! Honestly I've never tasted anything like it before. The lemon poppyseed bread is to die for! Our male server was so nice, I can't remember his name sadly. The history of the building being an old jail is the neatest thing to me. I'm so impressed, will definitely be back! read more