We got the fried fish and fried chicken wings, both were good. our sides were collard greens and…read morefried corn, great taste. The service was top notch, served with a smile. I love these places, take you back to a sweeter time. This restaurant has a feeling of home, with the expectation of a good meal, and did not disappoint...

They were very welcoming and the serving sizes were insane! We don't live nearby but we were at UAB…read morefor an event for our son and we all thought that some real soul food sounded incredible! It was about a 10 minute drive from UAB on a weekend. If they were closer to us, we'd definitely be back sooner!

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.

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.

excellent staffing up front. most helpful…read more most importantly our meal arrived fast and hot. not to mention good. don't miss the beef tart with jerk sauce or the gravy smothered pork chop.

My wife and I were in Birmingham for a couple of days. We read about Jake's Soul Food Cafe in…read moreHoover on Google and decided to give it a try. We're glad we did. My wife had Port of Spain's Curry Chicken and I had the Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Both were good and flavorful. The chicken was meaty, tender, and juicy. We both had "cabbage with soul" and fried sweet plantains for our sides. Both dishes came with sweet cornbread. The chicken was good, but the cabbage with soul and cornbread were the stars of the plate. Oh, man, that cabbage was mighty fine. We talked with the GM afterward and she said we have to try the Pork Chops with gravy and collards. When we make it back there one day we will do that. If you're in Hoover, give them a try.

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.

First time visiting the restaurant, I enjoyed my time . Staff was very friendly. New to the area so…read moredidnt know what to expect. Food was good , clean & freshly prepared

3/5 Sometimes your…read morefourth choice turns into a worthwhile stop. On Father's Day, our original lunch plans fell through after Curry Up, Eugene's Hot Chicken, and Boston Fish Market were all closed. That led us to Thelma's Place, a restaurant that had already been on my list to try, so we decided to give it a shot and ordered our meal to go. The first thing that stood out was the hospitality. Everyone we encountered was warm, welcoming, and genuinely friendly. Around 1:00 p.m., the restaurant wasn't busy, and the service was prompt. From an ambiance standpoint, there isn't much to speak of. The dining room is simple and functional, and the overall presentation could be elevated with improved lighting and a more polished steam table display. Those details may seem small, but they help create stronger first impressions. I ordered the meatloaf with collard greens and candied yams. The portion size was generous, but the meatloaf itself needed more seasoning to really stand out. The collard greens were one of the best items we tried, full of flavor without being overpowering, and the candied yams were solid. The cornbread was also a nice addition. My wife and Bethany both ordered fried chicken wings, even though they weren't listed on the menu. Those turned out to be a hidden gem. They were crispy, golden brown, hot, and cooked just right. For sides, my wife chose cornbread dressing and macaroni and cheese. We both felt the dressing had too much sage, which masked the other flavors. The macaroni and cheese was decent but not memorable. Bethany also enjoyed the collard greens and agreed that the macaroni and cheese was just okay. One disappointment was that they were sold out of oxtails, which would have been my wife's first choice. I was also hoping to see smothered pork chops available but didn't notice them. The pricing felt fair, and the portions offered good value. The biggest takeaway? Order the fried chicken and collard greens. Those were the clear standouts from our visit. I'd also be interested in returning when the oxtails are available, as they appear to be one of the restaurant's signature items. Thelma's Place didn't hit a home run across the board, but the friendly service, good value, and standout fried chicken made it a worthwhile stop. With a few improvements to seasoning and presentation, it has the potential to leave an even stronger impression.

Yelp. Finally made it to KShena's brick and mortar! VERY NICE. This quaint, cute, tucked lunch spot…read moreis the perfect lunch meet up for a date or couple of friends. Especially with this nice staff and good food. Thank y'all. Now, I'm here for this food. I'm alone. I got the cheese burger and fry with a can Coke . Food is hot, fresh and good. It's not a lot, I don't eat a lot, but for someone that does, it's not a 20.00 burger. It was good and I enjoyed it. So, y'all already know, I'll be back.

Pros: Nicely decorated, prices are fair, nice staff Cons:…read moreCan get crowded on Sundays so come early, food was just ok, more attention to details needed for a satisfactory customer experience My friend and I visited here this summer. To be honest, I can't remember much about the food. When that happens, it means it wasn't anything that stood out about it. What I do remember is the macaroni being cold. Not cool but cold. My friend went to the owner to tell him about it. The owner stated that they had taken it out of the oven too fast. He proceeds to bring my friend out a hot serving. But what about me? Common sense would've told him that if his was cold, mine was too since it came out of the same pan. I didn't want to say anything when he came to the table to ask if we were ok. Maybe I should have told him. But my friend did that already. Sigh. I'm not sure I will return because it's not in my neck of the woods and we have several restaurants closer to my area that offer the same type menu. I wish them the best and hope that they have continued success and improved customer service.

Great place to enjoy a home-cooked meal. You might have to wait in line, but you get a chance to…read morehave great conversations with the people you meet. Let's talk about the food. I had turkey wings, cabbage, dressing, rice with gravy, and cornbread. I'll give the meal a 10/10; everything reminded me of eating at my grandmother's house on a Sunday. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes. I placed a takeout order but they have a nice area for dine-in.

I made a last minute order for a half pan of Mac for Thanksgiving and that was some amazing…read morestuff!!! It was cheesy, gooey and done the right way. They offered service half pan options from meat, sides to desserts. Very quick responses and great service for my need. I've visited the Sunday meal before and was very yummy too!!