In the center of the historic district this restaurant and bar fits right in. The food is a little pricey but the quality and selection are outstanding. The $5 cup of gumbo was worth every penny and the Crystal Shrimp was a gourmet delight. read more

Walked in expecting great things from the reviews I had read. I have to say very nice ambiance either for a romantic date or just a few drinks this place has it all to offer. The menu is simple with a Cajun flair. I had the special and was amazed. great friendly staff great service and a dinner that was the best I have had in the Decatur area! read more

I was so impressed with the quality of food here! We sat at the bar and had Mushroom Caps, I had the Salmon and my boyfriend had the Filet. The salmon was unreal. Seriously - whatever glaze they use on it is so tasty. My boyfriend typically hates filets but made the comment that it was one of the best filets he has had - it was cooked very well. Honestly, I want to go back and eat a billion of their mushroom caps. The melted cheese along with the mystery sauce they use is to die for! I loved the live music and atmosphere at this cute little place. I'll be back if I'm ever in town! read more

Fine craft beer excellent service

One of the first people there on a Friday night when it opened. Great table upstairs, the more formal dining. Our first time there. Service was fine but we were there pretty early so no complaints and a table of 4. Can't comment on more busy evenings. The egg rolls and mushroom appetizers were great and very fresh. Crab cakes for the entree for me, spicy, but very delicious and fresh. The wife had the shrimp ravioli and was also very good. Our friends had the steak special and fish and rice special. There was a guitar player that started about the time we left. I am a musician but I don't see why every restaurant has to have live music! You should be able to talk at dinner and we were but I personally felt like the music should have been limited to the downstairs bar and not a dining room. Will certainly return! Bravo read more

for a place that had its entire menu "market price" i was disappointed. I am glad I didn't pay for the meal, i went for a business meeting. I ordered the Prime Rib and my spouse ordered the sirloin. My goodness were these things small. I think the chef must have also counted the exact amount of broccoli to put on my plate as well. The Longhorn in Decatur is a better place for specifically for steak quality. Service was great though. The waitress was busy, but worked very hard to keep glasses full. read more

I just had the best piece of beef I've had in years. I had the tenderloin au poivre. Didn't really need the knife. The pepper crust was done well and the mustard sauce was wonderful. My side of asparagus was cooked to perfection (not crunchy, not limp). I also had a sazerac which was the perfect whistle wetter for this meal. Really, I can't say enough good things about my experience. I've lived around here for 15 years and this was the first time I've been to this restaurant. But it won't be the last. read more

What a neat place. The food was delicious and you have a choice of atmospheres. Upstairs is white linen dining and downstairs is the comfortable bar scene. Both serve the same great food. We liked the salmon and added a nice white wine. We went on a Wednesday and Monday and wished there was more activity, but hey, it's Decatur. Overall, a great place to eat in North Alabama. read more

Tapas menu.... not there . We look at the web site and decided to go there for Tapas , the item i ask for was removed from menu , but still advertized on their web site . The Owner or Chef should visit the following places In Huntsville .Papa Gyros, Bonefish Grill and Rosie's Cantina . all in Hunstville ...you can make a day out of it ! What we order.... 1) order the Humus - i get better humus at Publix , take a trip to Papa Gyro's in Huntsville , when you order Humus they make it right then , and the Bread at Simp McGhee's that came with it was some grilled bread that was no were near the flat bread at Papa Gyro's which is soft and fresh !!! 2 ) order the Crab cake and green tomatoes - the crab cake look like something you get a Sam's frozen section....go to Bonefish Grill in Huntsville and order theirs and compare ...not even close... i am not a cook and i know the oil has to be HOT before you put the green tomatoes in they will soak up the oil....they were oily 3) Fish Tacos - finaly something that was okay , still ...go to Rosie's in Hunstville and their's ,,,they are still better ... our fish was good but the other items , like a fresh tortilla do not compare to Rosie's 4) Beef Medallion's and mashed potatoes , again this was better that the other items and was cook properly....not overly seasoned , good flavor Again these are all from the Tapas menu and hopefully the regular food is cook better than these items but for $89.00 you would think the Quality would be there ...and on these items top two items is NOT ! We would like to support our Local shop's ...but we also Expect the quality and level of our food to meet our expectations ... until that happens we will continue to go to Huntsville....And we can make a day out of it !!!! read more

After hearing about someone's negative review concerning Simps, I took it upon myself to download this app and provide one of my own. A Chef that will re-open a kitchen to serve a late bloomer such as myself deserves nothing less than 5 stars. Talk about superb service! I will shamefully admit that I have never taken the time to give reviews in my own home town--the place I know best. Yet I depend on them when I travel. Today, I will change that. Things I love about Simps: The historic location, a warm greeting upon arrival, upscale service, an ice cold Moscow mule, the presentation of my dish, and most importantly, the scrumptious taste of my dish. I have never been disappointed. Live music--quite the bonus! This is truly one of Decatur's finest hidden gems. read more

Great location and great service. An unexpected gem in Decatur. The food was excellent. Went there for meeting and will definitely take my wife for the experience. read more

A review of Simp McGees Fri evening dinner on 5 Jul 2019: Our waitress told us straight up she was a newbie and we were grateful she told us so we assumed she would be a little slow. We were the second or third table to be seated at 5 PM. We did not get our appetizers until 6:30 PM. We had the charcuterie board, crab claws, crawfish eggrolls and the spit fire shrimp. All were good with the shrimp being just ok. For our entrée I had the daily special (blackened red snapper) over jambalaya w/salad, my wife and my sister in-law had a bowl of seafood gumbo, my brother had the ponchartrain w/salad. My sister in-law did changed her salad to the wedge salad. The wedge salad came out on a plate that was to small so every time a bite was cut pieces fell off her plate. I could not eat my fish as it was dry and tough and the jambalaya was very different than any I had eaten before. I could not eat either. My brother's fish with his ponchartrain was the same as mine. Both ladies could not eat their gumbo and pushed it aside. We did not have a fine dining or Cajun experience. We went home and made snacks. read more

Ambiance is supposed to be romantic; it's too dark. Food is entirely overpriced for the quality and volume. No sweat tea! No A1 sauce. Not a place we will go back to. If your looking to spend a lot of money impressing your girlfriend or wife, go here. If your looking to actually fill her up and get your money's worth, go to second street. read more

This the best restaurant in Decatur Alabama. None compares. This is a high end restaurant. Excellent food. Have had the Snapper, Pork, and Filet mignon. All excellent the beer on tap was excellent with great choices. Wine selection was also excellent. This is a very old wood decor restaurant/bar. This must be Decatur's original downtown and Simp Mghees must have been here a long long time. Been here about 6 times and it's always excellent!! read more

Awesome food, service and ambiance! I got the petit filet... done to perfection and very well seasoned.

This is the second time we've had dinner at Simp McGhee's. The first time our meals were "ok" and the service was less than great. We waited a very long-time for our meals. Tonight it appears nothing much has changed. Rachael, our waitress, was prompt and attentive initially but I think she was overwhelmed with too many tables in her area. I'll admit the place was very busy but she seemed to be running all over trying to take care of her customers. We weren't especially hungry so we just ordered shrimp Po-Boys and I had a cup of Cajun gumbo. The gumbo came out fast but the sandwiches took over 30 minutes to be served, and then only after I asked where they were. Gumbo...mediocre at best. The Po-Boys were served on crusty bread that was as hard as concrete...no way that bread was fresh. The shrimp were straight out of a bag...breaded nuggets more like it. I mentioned the stale bread to our server. She said these were the last two Po-Boys of the night (it was only 6:45). She offered to get us something else but I declined as we had already been there far too long. Note to the owners of Simp's...when you have live entertainment you need to tone it down so people can at least carry on a conversation at their table. My wife and I couldn't have a conversation it was so loud. Two other tables near us mentioned the volume was too much once the guitarist stopped playing between songs. Anyway, this place has a nice atmosphere but my experience has been the food is, as I said, "ok" and the service not the best for the prices you're charged. Will I go back? Probably, but will wait until summer so I can sit outside and eat from the bar menu. read more

We were literally the only customers there and our waitress stood around talking to her coworkers rather than coming to our table to see that I had nothing to drink. $70 for pasta and a piece of fish. I actually told my husband we should make a police report because we just got robbed. Ha ha. read more

Simp's is a good spot if you're in Decatur. I recommend the filet. The house dressing is phenomenal. You definitely want to stop in if you're from out of town and staying over night. Not bad at all. read more

Went in last night for dinner, restaurant came highly recommended from a friend so we drove in from Huntsville, this was our first time there. Our waitress name was Megan and she was very friendly and very polite but the kitchen service was very slow and inaccurate. We ordered fried green beans and shrimp for an appetizer, they both were very delicious. For dinner we ordered a burger and the $40 special of the evening which was a ribeye with shrimp scampi, we waited so long they ended up bringing out the burger first so we wouldn't have to continue to wait on the dinner special, the burger came well done when it was ordered medium, so we sent it back to be re-cooked and boxed to go... on the second round it still came out well done. The dinner special came out incorrect the first a surf and turf, which is not what was ordered (it came with a petite fillet but we were expecting a ribeye). When it came out it was tasty but the steak was a little too chard and over cooked as well. All in all it was a very expensive dinner for food we did not enjoy. read more

This evening a coworker and I tried this restaurant for dinner. It was AWESOME! We both had the Ribeye medium rare and it was cooked perfectly! Warm dark pink center, moist and tender. Our server was attentive and made sure we were taken care of. We will defiantly eat here next time we are in town. read more

Crab cakes were just ok. Service was slower than expected. Ok overall but a little pricey for the quality of food and service.

Based on food quality alone the restaurant is pretty good. We weren't crazy about the seafood gumbo but house salad dressing was excellent. The crab cakes were good. The burger was pretty good but left a burnt after-taste. The spit fire shrimp tasted good but you only get popcorn shrimp. The reason they get 2 stars instead of maybe 3.5 is because they are OVERPRICED. Listed as a $$ but should be a $$$$. Most Entrees are $20+ and some don't come with a vegetable so that's extra. They have a small portion menu called Tapas for items around $10 but you'd need 2 of those to make a meal. read more

R cotney ... It not fine dining .. there entrees are the worst looking and tasting ( didn't eat much) ! Dry salty and not worth the price .. Does not have steak sauce ,that's fine if you have a well seasond not dryed out piece of meat ,be it the pork roast or filet mignon the d let was well done. It looked like a incinerated chunk of meat . Even the grilled asparagus was charred beyond eatable.. over service was also very poor . The band sounded good though .. not a fine dining place.. read more

Worst steak I ever had tuff as shoe leather.. This place has no idea how to cook steak.. No one ever ask how my half eaten steak was... Really save you money.. Go fast food.. It's all over Alabama...lol read more

Service was good....but they have changed the menu. They no longer have my favorite pork medallions (which were excellent). I opted for the Tapas menu steak medallion. It was very tender and cooked exactly the way I ordered it. But I didn't enjoy Simp's as much as I have in the past. I would say it was no better than a chain restaurant. Probably won't make a point to return. read more

My husband and I live in Decatur and eat out often. We decided instead of driving to Madison/Huntsville to a nice upscale restaurant, we would try Sim McGhee's. We went right after moving here and was not impressed at that time (10 yrs ago), but decided to give them another try last night. We were seated right away. Waitress was very sweet and attentative. The food however was another matter. When the waitress brought our order, she immediately asked me to check if my dish was over cooked and it was. Not only that it was not even hot. Of course she took it back, but in the mean time, my husband also had his (fish) which was also very dry. With two dinner's, a glass of wine each and one side dish our bill came to over $85.00 plus tip of $20.00. We don't mind paying this amount if the food was prepared properly. They need to get an experienced CHEF and not a line cook as anyone could have prepared our dishes and one that knows how to prepared a medium rare steak. Needless to say we will not be going back there again, even if it is 10 yrs later once again. Wanda M Trinity, AL read more

Very good food overall and interesting atmosphere. Well worth a five star. But rating had to be adjusted because of the service. To put it in a nice way would be to say it was very uneven. The only area that was right on was filling our water glasses. Our waiter was mostly invisible and when he came by, it was like a flash. Took over 45 minutes to get our soup and salads and overall it certainly did not deserve an 18% gratuity--we were a party of 10. read more

Our first time at this restaurant and definitely not the last. 2 adults, 3 kids SERVICE: 5/5 No issues. Always full glasses. ATMOSPHERE: 5/5 Live Music! The building was really cool and we really liked the story behind the place. FOOD: 5/5 My wife had the filet- loved it. I had the Ribeye- loved it. My 7 year old had the cheese pizza and he did not like it so he shared my steak. I really liked their macaroni and cheese which is a bit different than you're used to. The deserts sounded good but we chose to skip. Maybe next time. read more

Christy and her husband are salt-of-the-earth folks. They will bend over backwards to accommodate you with their warmth and manner. The food is always creative and on point. It is the highlight of Decatur. If you're ever passing through, stop by. You'll be glad you did. read more

So, I am a business owner and have visited this restaurant several times. Sometimes it can be a little loud. However, the food makes up for all of that. I use this place as an ole stand by when I have a client or two come to town. Last night was no exception. The service was great, the food was extremely good and we left very happy. We had apps, salads, entrees & drinks. The only problem was we had no room for dessert. Nice portions, very tasty and quite reasonable. I'll be back! read more

I had a great dinner here with my girlfriend last Saturday night. The place was pretty dead because of the game and I really wanted to watch it but I wanted to go out with my lady for a nice evening too. This place was perfect a fine dinning atmosphere with a large TV. in the back where I could catch a score without being absorbed in the game. The food and staff were excellent and I was impressed, especially for Decatur. It is a little pricey but it was worth every penny. I am a big fan of Pauli's in Madison but I hate the weekend traffic with a passion, so when I don't want to fight it I'll be heading to Simp McGhee's to get a great dinning experience. read more

Went here last night with my husband and his family. The place does have a nice ambiance and the staff is polite and friendly. They even have a half decent wine list which they are willing to let you taste a sip before committing. We shared the gumbo as our app and it was pretty darn tasty. Not too overpowering and most importantly, not too salty. Their bread basket comes out warm which is a plus and the bread is fluffy in the middle with a nice crisp crust. So far, we're happy. For my entree, I ordered the duck breast which was well cooked but the sauce it came in was a little too sweet and the spinach was doused in it so I could barely eat it. I tasted my husband's crab cake and it was pretty tasty. Tender in the middle with a crunchy crust. The veggies that came with his crab cakes however were too salty from the super salty andouille sausage. All the entrees came with a tiny side salad (10 leaves of baby lettuce, one tomato) but the dressings were superb. I loved the honey mustard one. We also got a choice of a side and I got the sweet potato fries which were well cooked but with no salt (which is fine cause I can salt them to taste at the table). However, the fresh veggie of the day was listed by our server as one of the side options when she told us we had a choice of four of them and 4 of us got the broccoli. Then, when we got our bill, we got charged $4 per veggie side - the server failed to mention that the fresh veggie was extra!!! That is SO annoying and really left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I hate it when they sneak in charges like that. SO overall, the food was good with the exception of the sides that came with our entrees. Too sweet sauce on mine, too salty sausage on my hubby's dish and the fresh broccoli was overcooked - it would fall apart when you'd try to pick it up with a fork. Also, the sneaked in charges for the side dishes really made me angry. I'd give them 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up as the server really made an effort to be professional and friendly. I'm hoping she just forgot to mention the extra charge or assumed we all somehow new. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in north Alabama. I've been here several times over the years and was excited to return. It did not disappoint. We had the Roasted Salmon over fresh spinach, dried cranberries, Alabama goat cheese, & raspberry vinaigrette, topped with toasted pine nuts and the Jenny Lind's Catch which is pan seared fresh catch with roasted garlic cream, jumbo lump crab, & cherry tomatoes - both were teriffic. For a bonus, Wednesday's are $5 wine night, so we had that going for us. read more

The braised duck was delicious and so were the clams in broth with pork belly. Was surprised to find this hidden gem in Decatur, AL....while on business travel there. read more

Loved the atmosphere and the food but it was a little over my budget! Liked that it had an outdoor dining area too. Probably won't go back if I am paying for the check! read more

Love eating here. Lots of great dishes. I always order the mushroom caps with every meal. Even though they have a wonderful entre menu, they have a tapas menu as well with the best fish tacos around. Downstairs has a good vibe with local artists and classic old school bar with upstairs feeling a little more upscale. Trust me, You will enjoy this place read more

Maybe it's because I don't actually live in Alabama and was just passing by, but I didn't find this place overpriced. Everything I ordered was delicious, especially the thing made with apples (sorry, can't remember what it was called but it comes as a side with the pork chop). read more

This little gem in Decatur never made its way into our view until a friend of ours told us about it. Man! Were we missing out! We got there early, so there was NO wait. The service was exceptional. The food was even better! The fried green beans appetizer set the mood for the rest of the meal. I ordered the ribeye and was not disappointed. It was easily in my top 5 ribeyes I've ever eaten! We will DEFINITELY be going back to Simp McGhee's! read more

I'm giving 2 stars based on the management experience only. My fiancé called ahead to see if they accepted reservations, they do not. So he went on to surprise me with dinner here for our 1st anniversary in hopes of being able to get the table upstairs that he wanted for us. He walked in and was met by a service staff member who told him upstairs dining was yes, still an option for the night. We walked in together within 10 minutes of him talking to the server....only to meet an extremely rude and very abrupt manager/hostess whom nonchalantly and very brashly told us upstairs dining was closed...then she says as she's pointing to a table on the wall, you can sit there. Taking the option anyway since we drove there from Huntsville just for dinner, I walked to the table and it had not been cleaned from the previous guests. My fiancé pulled out my chair and said go ahead and have a seat, I said I would but there was stuff all over the table. The manager said, oh my bad...grabbed sanitizer and a rag and wiped it down. Our server for the night was AMAZING and the food, I'd give it 4/5 stars. At the end of our time there, I asked our server to take a picture of us on the stairs, she obliged...now, mind you....being coldly told and turned away almost an hour before this moment that UPSTAIRS DINING WAS CLOSED, 5 patrons came down the stairs behind us after finishing their meal...I'm so sorry to the server upstairs last night. Your management team is horrendous. After seeing a group of 5 come down the stairs and the manager being confronted about her lie, she brushed it off as if she didn't have a care in the world and it was not her problem. I suggest this establishment solely for the waitstaff and food. But do not count on having a nice romantic dinner table alone from the world for your anniversary as management just clearly doesn't care. read more

Visited Simp's while on travel for work based on the Yelp rating, I was not expecting much judging incorrectly on the local area, Simp's is a great local place I had the Hoover Duck it was delicious. Their drink Simp's Stash is a must try for bourbon lovers, as the bartender said, it's just four Whisky's in a glass. read more