The Irondale Cafe truly lives up to its standard as the inspiration for local writer Fanny Flaggs 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Today the historic cafe, renamed the Irondale Cafe, continues to serve up the best fried green tomatoes along with fried catfish, cornbread, fried and herb chicken, country fried steak, shrimp creole, chicken pot pie, pork chops and a wide variety of sides and Southern brewed tea, bottled beverages, lemonade and Red Bike Coffee. There is also a variety of desserts from which to choose. I highly recommend their historic fried green tomatoes that put all other attempts to shame. And diners can enjoy watching train activity across the street.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Catfish
Bambi Darnell
Food and service were good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Benny Mcmunn
Excellent. Will visit again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Catfish
Justin McKenzie
My favorite meat and three place for lunch. Friendly staff and delicious food! Grew up on watching Fried Green Tomatoes movie, brings it home by visiting the cafe!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buttermilk Pie, Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Okra and Green Tomatoes, Hush Puppies, Fried Chicken Fried Green Tomatoes
Charles Pilant
Went for lunch. Meat and three. Sweet tea. Everything was very good. Freshly prepared and hot. Think fried green tomatoes is one of their specialties and they were really good too. First time we've been there in a while. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Green Tomatoes and Salsbury Steak, Macaroni and Cheese, Chicken Livers
Gerald Van Beek
Best fried pork Chop in Alabama. The fried okra was kind of dry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Chop Roll, Rolls and Cornbread, Fried Chicken Fried Green Tomatoes
Kathryn Lopresti
Enjoyed the food and wish I lived or worked closer to it .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa Adams
Excellent fresh food, loved the historic vibe!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Catfish, Chicken Livers, Rolls and Cornbread, Dessert
Great selection and food. Pricier than alot of places but worth it. We go as a treat about twice a month.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baked Chicken, Fried Catfish
Elyknosdoog Mailliw
Excellent meat and veggies.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Dale P.
Last 2 trips to this cafe have been sub par.. want be back.. I will give it a 2 star.. don't know how they stay in business ..
Mike B.
Food is awesome, cafeteria style service, very attentive and very good. Good old fashioned ethics that is hard to find. Very nice inside, period items everywhere, very clean. One of my favorite places. Best meat and three you will find. Been here for 96- years, fried green tomatoes are worth the drive.
Jennifer Morgan
Was looking for something that wasn't fast food, and from the reviews, it seemed like another "meat and 3" type place I had been looking for. The location is very peaceful and charming right beside a railroad track. It's only open for lunch and there weren't many parking spots open. The place was packed, and I watched many people come and go, mostly of the older 70 years and up age. We had to do take-out and my husband had the filet fried catfish that he liked. My daughter had fried chicken and vegetables, and my son had fried center pork chop with vegetables. I had chicken and dumplings, cabbage, and sweet potatoes with buttermilk pie for dessert. The chicken and dumplings were ok but tasted more like they were poured out of a can and not homemade, the cabbage really had no taste and also seemed to come out of a can, the sweet potatoes were so horrible we couldn't eat them they were full of nutmeg and the consistency was like water. The fried chicken and pork chop were cooked ok, and the only thing that tasted like it was actually cooked there. The buttermilk pie was ok for someone who is maybe diabetic because it wasn't sweet and again looked and tasted like it was made at another bakery and put there. All in all, the fried meats were ok, but all of my family thought the vegetables were bland and tasted "out of a can." I had high hopes for it, but it fell short for us. However, as I said earlier, it must be great to others because it was packed with people.
The Irondale Cafe truly lives up to its standard as the inspiration for local writer Fanny Flaggs 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Today the historic cafe, renamed the Irondale Cafe, continues to serve up the best fried green tomatoes along with fried catfish, cornbread, fried and herb chicken, country fried steak, shrimp creole, chicken pot pie, pork chops and a wide variety of sides and Southern brewed tea, bottled beverages, lemonade and Red Bike Coffee. There is also a variety of desserts from which to choose. I highly recommend their historic fried green tomatoes that put all other attempts to shame. And diners can enjoy watching train activity across the street.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Catfish
Food and service were good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Excellent. Will visit again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Catfish
My favorite meat and three place for lunch. Friendly staff and delicious food! Grew up on watching Fried Green Tomatoes movie, brings it home by visiting the cafe!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buttermilk Pie, Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Okra and Green Tomatoes, Hush Puppies, Fried Chicken Fried Green Tomatoes
Went for lunch. Meat and three. Sweet tea. Everything was very good. Freshly prepared and hot. Think fried green tomatoes is one of their specialties and they were really good too. First time we've been there in a while. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Green Tomatoes and Salsbury Steak, Macaroni and Cheese, Chicken Livers
Best fried pork Chop in Alabama. The fried okra was kind of dry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Chop Roll, Rolls and Cornbread, Fried Chicken Fried Green Tomatoes
Enjoyed the food and wish I lived or worked closer to it .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent fresh food, loved the historic vibe!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Catfish, Chicken Livers, Rolls and Cornbread, Dessert
Delicious Soul Food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overpriced but good food.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Great selection and food. Pricier than alot of places but worth it. We go as a treat about twice a month.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baked Chicken, Fried Catfish
Excellent meat and veggies.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Last 2 trips to this cafe have been sub par.. want be back.. I will give it a 2 star.. don't know how they stay in business ..
Food is awesome, cafeteria style service, very attentive and very good. Good old fashioned ethics that is hard to find. Very nice inside, period items everywhere, very clean. One of my favorite places. Best meat and three you will find. Been here for 96- years, fried green tomatoes are worth the drive.
Was looking for something that wasn't fast food, and from the reviews, it seemed like another "meat and 3" type place I had been looking for. The location is very peaceful and charming right beside a railroad track. It's only open for lunch and there weren't many parking spots open. The place was packed, and I watched many people come and go, mostly of the older 70 years and up age. We had to do take-out and my husband had the filet fried catfish that he liked. My daughter had fried chicken and vegetables, and my son had fried center pork chop with vegetables. I had chicken and dumplings, cabbage, and sweet potatoes with buttermilk pie for dessert. The chicken and dumplings were ok but tasted more like they were poured out of a can and not homemade, the cabbage really had no taste and also seemed to come out of a can, the sweet potatoes were so horrible we couldn't eat them they were full of nutmeg and the consistency was like water. The fried chicken and pork chop were cooked ok, and the only thing that tasted like it was actually cooked there. The buttermilk pie was ok for someone who is maybe diabetic because it wasn't sweet and again looked and tasted like it was made at another bakery and put there. All in all, the fried meats were ok, but all of my family thought the vegetables were bland and tasted "out of a can." I had high hopes for it, but it fell short for us. However, as I said earlier, it must be great to others because it was packed with people.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4