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    Davis Cafe

    4.3 (51 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 3 months ago

    Davis Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    DAVIS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Davis Cafe

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    a plate of fried chicken, beans, and bread
    Carroll V.

    Oh yes it is still a five. Davis keeps bringing it to be one of the South's premier soul food cafes. Open now only for lunch but you still want that fried chicken, the perfect cornbread, and please more peas and beans!

    $20

    Today I made a big mistake!! I ordered a quart of dressing from Martin's Restaurant! it was $20 for a quart. They didn't even have the decency to put the dressing in a small pan. I was given a 32 oz cup with a torn lid. Not to mention they called me three times to make sure I was picking up the poorly prepared order. I am very disappointed and if you are planning on getting dressing already prepared for the holiday I strongly recommend you find somewhere else to go. Overated and expensive!!

    Pancakes and breakfast sausage
    Michael B.

    Nice local spot for some simple southern fare at great prices. The outside can be a bit intimidating but don't judge a book by it's cover. The folks are friendly and serve safely. I had the pancakes and link sausage both were well prepared.

    Turkey and dressing with gravy, Mac and cheese, Lima beans, and cornbread.
    Jules M.

    Just as good (maybe better) s Grandma's! This gem of a restaurant is located in downtown Montgomery. You cannot get a better homemade, soul food lunch than this!

    Fried chicken, fried okra, turnips, cornbread
    Angie K.

    I was visiting from NYC & looking for some authentic Southern soul food. The lady at the counter & the waitress were so welcoming & kind. The food was delicious, filling, & affordable. 5/5!

    Fried chicken, purple hull peas with okra, Mac and cheese, cornbread
    Hannah W.

    Great stop for a quick lunch at the Davis cafe. Fall off the bone juicy ribs, "just right" fried whiting fish, and large pieces of juicy fried chicken. As for sides, the five of us loved the purple hull peas with okra the best and the collard greens too--seasoned just right! The Mac and cheese was not so great, it was a weird type of cheese used in it. The yams were delicious but perhaps a bit too sweet. The cornbread had a nice crust while being fluffy and light in the middle of it. We all cleaned our plates and highly recommend this place for lunch! The banana pudding for dessert was SO fresh and the best we've had so I had to edit this post just to recommend it!!!!!

    Michael W.

    A REAL TIME WARP!!! WOW! Id be very surprised if anyone that ever reads this is older than this restaurant! I really don't know how old it is, Id guess 1930's?? You take a look at the pictures and take a guess. I really don't know though. I find it just so interesting to come into one of these places like this and look around and wonder. I love a trip back in time. I went for lunch. They lay a daily sheet of what they have on the tables. It doesn't have prices though for the foods, just prices for desserts. You can ask, and each food items ends in an odd number like a 2, 3 4, 8 or something like that. Then they add a tax, and Alabama has a real high tax on prepared food, 10% There were 4 mains to choose from and I went for the liver and onions. The sides I got were the turnip greens and the Large Dry Lima beans. Dry means made from died beans rather than a can, fresh or frozen. The beans were the best! YUM! The liver and onions and greens were ok. The best part was just looking around at things and how it runs and going back in time. Theres few places like this left around the country, or at least few near places that most people are. The green plate has probably been used thousands of time! Everything looks original but they did have a small portable TV sitting on a table that looked like maybe to be just 20-25 years or so old. It wasn't in use. No, it wasn't a flat screen. The outside looks a bit rough but its better inside. The sign is blackened from ?? Maybe its rust, and you can barely read it. You just walk in and turn left if you want an order to go, or just take a seat if you want to eat in. When done just bring your ticket to the lady by the register. She can add on the tip there and they DO take credit cards. There is parking on the street and an empty lot next to the place. If you want a simple place and a trip to the past, You will find it here!!!

    Banana pudding
    Kendra S.

    Great old school vibes as the restaurant is very old. When I say best customer service ever though! Like instant refills whatever I need at all times. Out there way service better than any service I've gotten in Montgomery. I ordered the wing meal which is not listed but you can order any version you like when it comes to the chicken. I had collard greens and peas as my side. I'm a country girl and this hit the spot! They also had banana pudding made to perfection in my mind since it was loaded with soft cookies. Will be back very very soon.

    Breakfast menu
    Delia S.

    Came upon this spot randomly. BEST IDEA ever. The food is phenomenal, a prototypical down home southern breakfast. If you're not a fan of butter, though, this place might not be it for you because the grits, toast, and pancakes are drenched in it. I enjoyed the smoked sausage, grits with cheese, egg scrambled hard, toast and two hotcakes. The prices are extremely cheap so I would suggest trying many different breakfast items. The waiters are really nice. Old school vibe. Good atmosphere.

    Scott S.

    Finally tried Davis Cafe for lunch today. Had the Fried Chicken, Greens, Rice and Gravy and finished with the Red Velvet Cake!! Everything was great, the staff was friendly. If your looking for traditional Soul Food-- don't miss this place. Don't let the outside of the building scare you away-- truest a great Southern Experience!!

    You can almost smell it!!

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    8 years ago

    This is the real deal - soul food. Don't let the outside scare you away. Food is great. A great Southern experience.

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    9 years ago

    Great food great value,the gifts were off the chain next time in Alabama will visit again.

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    Page 2 of 2

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    Review Highlights - Davis Cafe

    We wanted some real southern style, home cooked, authentic, "Soul Food", so we were on a quest to find some.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Martin's Restaurant

    Martin's Restaurant

    3.9(182 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $

    When we went there in 2021, it was fairly good. The older waitresses oozed the old south charm. And…read morethe food? It was like a good Southern family home cooking place. Now, I don't know what has happened since then, but something did. To begin with, the place always looked "used". It had been there a long time and that's expected but this time the chairs looked badly worn and the carpet was in need of help. But it looked clean over all. The workers were friendly but very busy. They had a teenage boy who seated us who was in need of some grooming. But he was polite, so we let it slide. The waitress was very casual and nice as well. But it looked like this one poor lady was handling the entire side of the place by herself. I can overlook all of the above if the food is good but... To begin with, I ordered the same meal I ate in 2021 and yes, I remembered it! As a turkey lover, I recalled it as a Thanksgiving kind of meal that I enjoyed which was why I ordered it again. It was billed on the menu as: Sliced turkey, stuffing, three sides and cranberry sauce. I could eat Thanksgiving 365! And that first time was like reliving Thanksgiving at Moms. Not this time. Aside from being out of broccoli (which limited the green sides down to green beans and/or collard greens- which I do not like) there was an issue with things not being as presented in the menu. The "stuffing" or "dressing" was a small heap of mushy something. It was thin, watery and bland. Horrible! The "sliced turkey" was fractured white meat of turkey, fractured so much that it seemed to meld into the mushy dressing. The two were undiscernable. And it, too, was bland. There was something they called turkey gravy but it was definitely a canned or otherwise prepackaged gravy: bright yellow in color and gloppy in texture. The mashed potatoes were fine, a little salty but fine, though I am not sure if they were homemade or from mix or what. The "green beans" were not what I had before. Before I had what, at worst, had been frozen green beans, though well-seasoned and cooked through. This time I was given Italian beans from a can that had no flavor to them. And then there was the mac n cheese. The test of a good Mom and Pop place is the M&C and this batch failed. Over cooked elbow macaroni in a non-saucy glob of light orange gunk that tasted like flour and not cheesy at all. If that sounds bad, worse was the pie. They used to serve cake and some damn good cake, too! But we were told today they serve pies. I ordered the lemon meringue. I make lemon meringue pie so I know fully well what one should taste and look like and this was NOT it! The fill looked like leftover banana pudding with the bananas extracted. It wasn't set and the meringue slid off of it. The meringue itself had a wateriness that I couldn't quite figure out but it was lightly toasted on top. The corn muffins were good, though they could have gone without being dunked in butter. Over all, I cannot give this place the report I would have liked to have given a landmark in Montgomery. Its sad, too.

    Martin's was like a little bit of home. For those raised in the south, you know what I mean when I…read moresay butter peas, collard greens and fried chicken. The two meat came with another side so chose the broccoli casserole. Had I come on the day when the fried green tomatoes or fried okra were the option, I definitely would have swapped out the broccoli casserole. Generous portions and I easily could have split this meal with someone. They definitely know southern cooking here. It's not a fancy place by any means, just good cooking. Our server seemed a bit tired or put out, I couldn't tell which thus the 4 stars. I did go later afternoon following the lunch rush so that could have been the issue.

    Photos
    Martin's Restaurant
    Martin's Restaurant - Fried Whole Catfish Dinner Special with greens, dressing and cheese grits

    Fried Whole Catfish Dinner Special with greens, dressing and cheese grits

    Martin's Restaurant - Yes Indeed. Thanks for the hospitality

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    Yes Indeed. Thanks for the hospitality

    Davis Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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