I've been wanting to try this spot for the longest and finally was able to stop by today. It's a…read morenice cozy place with a welcoming staff. I ordered a meat and two sides (fried catfish, mac n cheese & cabbage). I had to meal to go. I really enjoyed the meal. The cabbage was perfectly seasoned (not too much not too little), the mac n cheese was good. And catfish was fried nicely... just right. The portions were good and I was full after eating most of the food (I couldn't eat the last bite of the fish - I tried). I will definitely return to try other menu options.

Today, while I was driving through Bessemer, Alabama, I noticed a Soul food restaurant (The Back…read morePorch). This place reminded me of Soul Food restaurants in my hometown. I walked in around 11:30am today and there was a line of customers waiting for Sunday dinner. I ordered the "Sunday special "of Baked chicken with cornbread dressing/cranberry sauce with side of collard greens and macaroni and cheese with cornbread. Also, I ordered an extra side of cabbage greens. Oh my goodness, the food was very delicious! I enjoyed eating my dinner in the patio area of the front of the restaurant on this beautiful day. The customer service was amazing! I will visit this restaurant again soon during the week.

Food was plenty. When they say "Strap on the feed bag", they mean it. If you order breakfast you…read morewill have enough for lunch. If you order dinner you will have enough for a late night meal not a snack. The food is definitely southern home cooking at it best. For you folks who come from the north as I did don't be put off by the fact that it is located in a gas station.

I've always wanted a gas station, near me, that served great food and now I have one right down the…read morestreet. Momma's Country Cooking is located in an Exxon. They have a hot table you can step up to and order from. I am only tried the breakfast, so far, but it's a good breakfast. I had the double biscuit and gravy with bacon. The people are friendly and environment warm. There is booth seating and masks are required.

My father and i's first time, traveling from New Orleans. From the moment we walked in we were…read moregreeted and welcomed. Our server Chloe was nothing short of DELIGHTFUL. She was quirky, fun, and knew the menu! The food was great, it was exactly the way you want these classics to taste. It was fresh, flavorful, and the prices per portion were just right. The house Greek salad dressing was so good I would drink it if I could. I wish I could buy it or find a recipe, I would eat salad every meal. The restaurant is historic and has all the vibes of a classic eatery that make you feel good. We loved it, best meal I've had in a long while. In a sea full of Sysco restaurants, this place and its staff... stand out. Thank you!

Well, we did it. Bright Star had to wait over 100 years for us to get here but we finally did! Got…read morehere right when they opened at 4:30. The lobby was already full. Fortunately, this is a big restaurant and I had reservations! The decor in here is very old chic. It reminded me of my dad's favorite Italian restaurant in South Philly. He would love it here. We were seated fairly quick and provided with menus including a summer cocktail menu. I got a peach martini which was fabulous. Hubby ordered a banana breeze cocktail but they were out of banana liquor. He was bummed. Instead he got the strawberry Long Island iced tea. I tasted it and it was really good. We ordered our entrees which came with a salad or gumbo. I got the gumbo. It was sooo good. I enjoyed every bite. For my entree I got the Texas special which has the Greek steak, chicken and the seafood au gratin. All of it was delicious. I loved everything. Highly recommend especially if you want to try a little of everything. Of course, we had to get dessert. I had to try the baklava cheesecake since that seemed to be popular. Hubby got the chocolate almond pie. Hubby's was really really good. Mine was interesting for sure. Hubby tried it and said it tasted like pumpkin and he was right! Normally I love pumpkin but I didn't love this. It was okay. I just wouldn't get it again. Service was great. Lots of people coming around refilling drinks, bringing food, taking away plates, etc. we will be back for sure!

Great meat & three type spot just across from the courthouse in Bessemer. Prices are super low and…read morethe food I had today was pretty good. Nothing too fancy, just hop in line, tell them what you'll have and they plate it up and bring your drink to you at the table. Everything looked pretty good. Meatloaf, grilled chicken, some greens, potatoes, mac and cheese, etc. I went with the country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy with mac and cheese. It was the middle of lunchtime to everything was hot and fresh, and the white gravy was really good. They didn't have many desserts, just slices of cake by the register and by the time I saw those I was full and it was too late to make the bad decision to stuff myself with dessert. The people were friendly, the place was clean and tidy and the food was served in large portions especially given the price. If you're hungry and near this part of town, don't think twice. Head in and they'll hook you up with some gravy covered goodness and they'll do it for around 10 bucks. Not bad at all.

First time here but my sister and brother always eat here. I was advised that everything was good…read more Sunday afternoon, wasn't very crowded at all but it was a holiday weakened so this may be why. There appeared to be plenty of food on the steam table, however there were not a lot of selections. I picked up several to go plates which included the same vegetables collard greens and candied yams, ox tails and fried chicken. the cornbread was "hotwater cornbread" and was pretty good. The oxtails were absolutely delicious and they gave a nice helping. the yams were also excellent. a meat and 2 is around $12, oxtail and 2 veggies is around $24. I'm more than sure we'll be back.

I saw this place while passing Brooklane, very eager to try it since I've wanted a soul food place…read morehere. I ordered the pork chop and Mac and cheese, and I ordered the T-bone steak with a salad and baked potato. The baked potato came with butter and sour cream. (I had to take cheese from my salad for the potato.) The steak was WAY over cooked for my liking. It was smaller, on the thinner side. A bit under seasoned but still the taste wasn't bad. The baked potato was cooked very nicely however. The salad portion was fair as well. The pork chop was HUGE. A bit salty but pretty good. I wish I knew it was breaded before I bought it though. Mac and cheese was fine. My complaint comes with door dash. They need to broaden the menu options. I was not able to choose my sides. I was not able to choose my toppings. (And I'm prediabetic so I try to order lower carbs-- was not going to order the baked potato but they gave me no choice. I wanted the greens.) The menu was fairly simple. I wish I didn't get onions in my salad but I couldn't choose what I wanted. Pros: it arrived quickly and was hot. Will probably try again for hopefully and updated review.

I'm writing after giving this place 2 tries. The first time, I ordered the T-Bone steak meal…read morebecause it seemed like a good deal with a great price. I asked for the steak to be medium rare, when I received the steak it was cooked beyond measure and was so hard to chew. Everyone in my house tried a piece and we were chewing forever lol. My second time trying it, I thought I'd give the pork chop meal with Mac-n-cheese a try. You can't go wrong on some pork chops and Mac at a soul food restaurant, right? WRONG! The pork chops were cooked well but the Mac-n-cheese was so gross, I didn't know whether to vomit or cry. It stunk like the powdered cheese that used to come in the Kraft Mac boxes back in the 90s. It was watery and had been boiled, not baked. It was the equivalent of Mac from KFC or Popeyes with lumps of cheese all throughout. I was soooooo damn disappointed.

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.

Family and I came on a Thursday afternoon after 11:30. Line was originally out the door but they…read moreare very quick with moving the line and ensuring we have a large selection of sides to go with the entrees offered that day! Everything looked fresh and delicious in a clean environment. Hubby was underwhelmed by the size of the lemon pepper catfish but said that sauce was very tasty and made up for it. Tilapia was crispy like I like it, but dry for mom in law. It was busy but not too busy, with the buzz of various conversations, clinking of tableware, buffing of tables around us. Good variety of customers and no one overstayed their welcome to allow the next customers a seat. Each employee was personable and kept the lines flowing, and even after the register an older gentleman politely led us to the next available table which provides efficiency as well. Will be back!

This place is huge and gets extremely busy. I think they are only open 5-6 hours per day. They…read moreserve hundreds of customers each day. I got the Veal, cobbler, fried green tomatoes, and cabbage with bread. The Veal was the star of the show. It was soft and tasted great. Best to point at your options because I asked for chicken fried steak but it was completely different from what I thought it would be. The cobbler was good. The fried green tomatoes were decent. Do not get the cabbage unless you need fiber. The service was ok. It took forever to get drinks at first but after that we got plenty of refills. I think this place is nice and I would love to come again.

Southern style home cooking, meat and 3, reasonably priced and excellent service. Also served…read morecobbler for dessert which was also delicious for additional charge OR in place of a vegetable at no additional charge. I plan to eat there again, be sure to get there a few minutes early for lunch, gets very crowded quickly.9

Food: Great selection for brunch, many light options to choose from and very filling. I had the…read moreavocado toast only thing I would change is the egg selection instead of poached I would do sunny side up, and offer a different cheese. Drinks: Cranberry Chai Margarita was my drink of choice, recommended by the server and it was a great recommendation. Of course the table had the mimosa pitcher. Atmosphere: Cozy with tons of charm

We visited this great spot in the gorgeous Ross Bridge neighborhood to try something new for my…read moreson's birthday meal. Because of the intense Alabama heat, we chose to sit inside, though they have a really nice screened-in patio available. The restaurant is intimate but well laid out, featuring a couple of distinct dining areas and a bar. Since it was our first time, our server, Daniella, recommended the candied bacon bombs to start. They came with a side of cheese curds, and both were absolutely delicious. Even as small as the curds were, they had a perfect cheese pull! For our mains, I ordered the cowboy burger with an added egg and a side of sweet potato fries, while my son chose the shrimp and grits. My burger was incredible, a solid 9.5 out of 10. My son rated his shrimp and grits a 7, though he has a lot of experience with that dish to compare it to. Daniella provided fantastic service, checking in at just the right times without hovering. I later realized I forgot to ask if they do anything special for birthdays, but honestly, my son was probably glad I forgot! Overall, it was a great meal, excellent service, and a very cool environment.

Love the fried pickles and the service. They seat you as soon as possible and are very friendly…read more They have good and clean outdoor and indoor seating. I would recommend to anybody who loves great food .

We haven't been here in years ! I mentioned I wanted to go & we ate lunch last week -it's every bit…read moreas good as it was 18 yrs ago ! It was busy at lunch but we had a phenomenal waitress ! All the food was ( still ) amazing- I highly recommend this place . While lots of places are going down in quality Ted's stays the same - fantastic food, & good prices ! I love the atmosphere here , too!

Classic cafeteria line, ideal for a quick weekday lunch downtown. You grab a tray, go thru the line…read moreto pick out your meat and 3, and sit down. The bring you a check to pay at the end and handle your drinks for you too. The fried chicken here is great. I'm normally a creamed corn lover, alas, none today. They have any sort of soul food classic you could want: cornbread, fried okra, pies, iced tea, etc.. It's not super huge inside, but things move fast. Parking is easy, there's a lot plenty big outside. It's been here over 50 years!