I was in town visiting and was trying to determine where to go to eat for dinner. Every local that…read moreI spoke with recommended this place. This place feels like your traditional mom and pop restaurant where you can get a home cooked meal. When I got there, I was greeted by kind host who took me to my seat. There is plenty of seating to dine in as well as an area to wait with seating for carry out orders. The waitress was waiting on me was also very kind. My food came out quickly, and I also ordered carryout which also came out quickly. I ordered the catfish platter with a baked potato and macaroni and cheese. The fish was crispy and well seasoned. The macaroni and cheese was really good and the baked potato, was your standard baked potato. All of my food came out hot and fresh. The price point here is also something that you cannot beat. I also ordered a half-and-half to wash it all down. The next time I am in Marion, I will definitely be back to this restaurant to try some of their other offerings as well as their desserts.

Stopped by on a recent road trip after checking the area for a place to stop for lunch. Saw two…read moreplaces with good reviews and decided on Lotties. Very disappointing. Ordered ribs with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries. The only thing that wasn't refrigerator cold was the fries. The ribs and corn had warm spots but near the bone and cob were both cold, refrigerator cold. I don't send things back or complain as I believe food should come out right. The restaurant was not busy at all so maybe that had something to do with it? My friend riding with me had the same experience. Food may have been good had it been warm.

A HIDDEN GEM The baked chicken/ greens/ slaw over the top…read moreLunch mate had Fried Chicken /greens/ squash medley We both commented should have come here sooner. I'll be venturing that menu DELOYSH!!! By Kroger on Glenn/Dean

In Auburn Alabama you have to break from the college circle to find a Southern Soul food spot…read more Southern & Savory is a local hit. I went on a Sunday just before the church let out. The line was long and moving. The service is of southern kitchen, expect someone screaming "next" at the cash register. The menu is at the front by the register, in chalk, so it gets updates throughout the day. While ordering you are informed which items are sold out. Seating is sparse and 1st Come 1st Serve. I ordered the chicken plate. The chicken was crispy, seasoned and juicy - Perfectly fried. All of the sides were good except the cornbread. Just skip tasting the cornbread it will ruin the meal. Overall, it's Southern Soul food; however seating and dynamic menu presents the most challenge in making it an enjoyable experience.

The Brown Bag Restaurant in Northport has been a staple for good eats for as long as I can…read moreremember. I can't tell you how many times people have recommended it for lunch, yet I never managed to stop in and experience it for myself until today. My work schedule and the Bag's hours always seemed to clash, and since it's a bit off the beaten path, it stayed in the "out of sight, out of mind" category. Now, as I'm approaching full retirement, I finally had the time to swing by and see what all the fuss was about. Upon arrival, the first sign you're in the right place is the parking lot. It's packed, about like a blue tick on a hound dog. Stepping inside, don't expect anything fancy. The interior is old school with faded paint and a no frills setup. Your food is served in Styrofoam containers with plastic utensils. But that's part of the charm. Who needs fine china when you're filling your gizzard with good soul food? The place was full and I managed to grab one of the last open tables under the roof. I then waited for the waitress who was running laps across the dining area, taking orders, refilling drinks, checking out customers, and handling everything in between. If you come anywhere near lunch hour, don't expect Jimmy John's Freaky Fast service. You're here to slow down and enjoy the experience. When I ordered, I went with a catfish fillet, turnip greens, field peas, fried green tomatoes, a side of cornbread, and tartar sauce for the fish. The fried green tomatoes did not make it out with the order, but the waitress was very apologetic and adjusted my bill to a meat and two instead of a meat and three, which I appreciated. Now to the important part, the food. The catfish was hot, crispy, and perfectly cooked, not greasy at all, just honest, well done Southern cooking. The turnip greens and field peas were flavorful and comforting, exactly what you hope for in a place like this. The tartar sauce had a slightly sweet twist that I was not expecting, different from the traditional version, but surprisingly excellent. I will need a few more visits before I can fully put that into words, but it worked. Overall, now I understand the buzz. The Brown Bag delivers exactly what it promises, simple, hearty, well prepared soul food served without pretense. I will definitely be back, and now that retirement is on the horizon, I have got all the time in the world to wait on a good meal, unlike you working folks still rushing through lunch.

Great food Great People. I ordered 1/2 Chicken with greens and beans. Perfectly cooked and…read moreseasoned. It's a little off the beaten path, but well worth it.

Dropped in last week with high hopes. It's just that you need to know what you're getting into. No…read moreair conditioning. More than half of the menu is blocked out with duct tape. The offerings were slim. My daughter turned to me and said "Don't order the greens. There are flies all over them." The staff was not hostile but not particularly friendly. We didn't stay to eat. Maybe a bad day. I don't know.

Such a great out of the way spot. The fried chicken was crazy good as were the sides: black eyed…read morepeas and Mac n cheese! All the service staff were super friendly and asked us twice while eating if all was ok, which it was. The place was definitely old but the food and service overshadowed it. Would definitely eat there again!

Our group had a great dinner evening that top off the trip from Lexington, Kentucky. home cooking…read moresoul food to the max, from black eye peas to corn bread and peach cobbler old school Mama's home cooking HEAVY D. Lexington, Kentucky see you again at the dinner table. God Bless You and Your Family.

We visited O'Dessa's Blessings for lunch on Jan 7, 2026 as part of Road Scholar's "The Civil Rights…read moreMovement - Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham" program. It is run by a husband-and-wife team from catering, food preparation to being the entire waiting staff - just the two of them doing everything. The food - southern cuisine - was already laid out buffet style in the main hall. At the far end of the hall were desserts. Drinks of water, orange juice and sweet tea were in the dining room to the left of the hall. Now the dining room is large enough area to accommodate a party of 40 (there were 28 of us). I don't care for southern cuisine, unless it's seafood. But I did like both fried and baked chickens, spinach and cabbages; had multiple helping of them. I wished rice was included. The abundance of spaces between the tables helped in reducing the noise level. I sat at one of the smaller tables so that helped a lot. The overall decor evokes a pre-1980s feel, and apparently so is the upkeep of the building. The service was good enough that I would have given it at least four stars. Then I went to the men's restroom. When I finished my business, I turned the doorknob to unlock and it came loose. I though: was the door unlocked the entire time? This was shocking. Anyone could have entered. For that, one star is removed. (Had someone entered while I was *ahem* busy, I would have deducted two stars.) The restroom doorknob issue is enough reason for me to not recommend O'Dessa's Blessings. I hope the owners have done something about that.

Ate there today with hubby and two friends. The banana pudding was just OK and not wonderful as I…read moreexpected from other reviews. But everything else exceeded the high expectations I'd had from reading reviews. Chicken was best ever. Salisbury Steak was even better. Veggies were all excellent, even the orka which I'm not a big fan of. My hubbies fav was the stuffing which I had to agree was pretty darn good although I didn't have much because I was saving room for other things. After just a bite to try, I went back for more of cold salads. Staff was courteous and competent. I'll go back for sure.

Great food and service Corn bread and banana pudding were…read moregreat! I can't wait to come back again

This place is a must!…read more We stopped on our way through Montgomery. We ordered pork chops and chicken. Both were cooked well and delicious. We also had stuffing, greens, yams, black eyed peas, and mac & cheese. Note that the cornbread muffin that came with one of the meals was dry, and the greens were on the salty side. That said, we enjoyed our stop. The staff were gracious even though they were fairly busy, and they checked on us while eating. We'd definitely stop again.

I visited J.W. Beverette's Soul Food in Montgomery, Alabama [1172 S Decatur] on Saturday, 06/06/26…read morearound 12:00 PM. For lunch, I ordered the Oxtails plate (served with white rice + cornbread) with a choice of three sides. I opted for the Baked Mac & Cheese, Steamed Cabbage, and Luscious Collard Greens. The taste of the food was fantastic. The savory oxtails smothered in gravy were tender. All of the sides were flavorful and met expectations. For everything, it was priced at $29.99, which was quite reasonable considering the portion size. The inside of the restaurant was cozy with a family-friendly diner feel. The music playing was very entertaining. Each table had a great variety of condiments available, including hot sauces, ketchup, mustard, etc. Overall, J.W. Beverette's Soul Food was a solid choice for experiencing comforting, delicious soul food. If I weren't visiting from California and resided in Alabama, I'd totally be a regular customer at this restaurant. I will be sure to visit here should I travel to Alabama again.

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.

Excellent! The food was amazing and the service was outstanding! We definitely will be back!…read more If you are a Mac-n-cheese fan, this is your spot!

One of my favorite places to eat in downtown Sylacauaga, the best catfish in town my favorite…read moreincludes the butterbeans, fried squash, cornbread and a slice of tomato and onions, they also have really good desserts

The chicken was black around the bone and the food was bland overall. On top of this, you are…read morelooking to spend $14 minimum for a drumstick and a thigh. You are better off going to a fast food chicken place.

If you like good fried chicken this is a place to check out. This was my first time and the person…read morechecking me out was so helpful in helping me figure out the menu to meet my needs. I ordered two orders of fried chicken and got two pieces of catfish with blacked peas, Mac n cheese, and got both the cornbread and the roll (yes, I'm fat). The peas were good like home grown, the Mac n cheese was a bit dry like a casserole but had the flavor of well made goodness, the catfish also very good that was both crispy and moist and a pleasant flavor. THE CHICKEN: it has a medium crispy crust with a mild seasoning which still allows you to grab the fresh skin off the thigh and taste that natural caramelized fried chicken skin (the money shot). The breast was moist in the center, the brine had decent penetration. I would give the chicken a 7.9 out of 10. For reference KFC is a 5 out of ten. Honestly, if I married a beautiful skinny 20 year old and she cooked this good and ten years later she weighed 300lbs and someone ask me why I stuck around, I'd say try her cooking. I'm sure they would ask if she had a sister... this is good food y'all.