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.

I live right down the street from this restaurant and never noticed it until a friend said I should…read moretry. The food was great besides the macaroni. It taste bland, like I was eating noodles and cheese but no cheesy taste or flavor. The chicken was seasoned great. The dressing was good but I've had better. Their prices are great and give you a good amount of food. I will return and try something different.

Solid meat and 3/soul food option in the vicinity of the Bessemer courthouse…read more They're doing it right in here. Good selection of things ranging from your standard stuff to some more adventurous options. Big portions. Quick, friendly service. Lots of windows so good natural light and an open feel. Easy parking. Priced reasonably. All the seasonings. A good option if you're looking for a quality meal and you're in the market for some serious comfort food. If you're in this area don't second guess it.

The food is pretty good and they offer meat and veggies as well as other menu items. The service…read morewas friendly and prompt. My only complaint is the prices on their drinks. $5 for a large tea. It's 32 oz and seems high for little more than a cup of sugar water also if you get bread with your meal don't get the corn bread. As a true southern boy I know good cornbread and they don't have any. For my plate which consisted of beef tips mash potatoes and peas, large drink it was right at $18. The portions are large so maybe it's not such a bad price, and if you drink water it's not bad at all.

Found this place while looking for some soul food and I'm so happy that I did…read more This is down home, no frills, seat yourself, small batch, hand crafted, cafeteria style goodness at its finest. Each and every bite was absolutely delicious. When I went in there was just one woman working and it was after lunch and not particularly busy. From behind the counter she took and filled my order and handed it over. The peas, the mac & cheese, the hamburger steak...and the yams...the yams...all of it was amazing. Quick, easy, delicious, priced fairly...what else can you ask for? If you're in this area don't hesitate to give this place a shot.

Everything I ordered did not have any seasonings to it at all. Greens taste like water and…read moresmelt-tasted like fresh cut grass. This is not soul food. It was just food with no passion. No hairnet was worn. Dressing was not dressing, it was jiffy mix.

Outstanding food & service. Best soul food in the area. Can't be beat. Always fresh, carry all of…read morethe items of the south. Banana pudding homemade. Hate that it's only available once a week.

From the owner: Family owned and operated restaurant serving the Bessemer and surrounding area. Come and enjoy a…read morehome cooked meal while enjoying a friendly atmosphere. We offer a variety of foods specializing in good old fashioned southern soul food.

I kept hearing about this place on the radio and decided to try it after church. Well, others must…read morehave had the same idea, because the line was out the door. Fortunately, the Pastor had just given a sermon on "wait for it" which is exactly what I had to do. Although the line was long, the people were very friendly and kind, giving the restaurant a family vibe.I was pleasantly surprised to see so many young people working in all areas of the restaurant showcasing their professionalism while being polite. are all so polite. Now, let's get to the food.... The greens, pinto beans and Mac n' cheese were all seasoned to perfection. The servings were more than enough. The food is GOOD!!! 1 meat and 2 sides or vegetable plate, your choice. Plenty of seating. Great place for a friend's meetup, class meetup, church meetup, baby shower or any celebration!

1st: Yelp hours are wrong. They don't open until 11:00 AM. Not 10 like Yelp says. I didn't hold…read morethat against them since that might be a Yelp issue. Even standing at the door at 11:05 the door was locked. Staff saw me but failed to acknowledge me. 6 mins later someone leaving explained they were running behind and would be opening soon. They left but I appreciate their information. I sat at one of the dining tables outside and then went to my car and turned the AC on. An older lady using a walker showed up next and then another customer. They wondered why the doors were still locked too? Before they walked off I shared the information I received. There was a gentleman doing paperwork in the lower dining room that ignored his customers at locked doors over 15 minutes passed opening time. Finally at 11:22 someone nonchalantly unlocked the doors to customers that waited for them to open. There wasn't an apology, an explanation nor any appreciation for people waiting to give them our money. Their menu listed baked chicken and dressing on that day's menu. I saw leg quarters in a cream gravy! I asked if there was any white parts of the chicken? Nope only thigh and legs was the curt answer. That's something that should be listed on their menu. I came for the chic/dress and I hate dark pieces! I got the chopped steak over dressing instead of the rice he offered. Mac/cheese and Pinto Beans. No rolls only corn bread. I dislike corn bread too but will eat it smothered in butter and honey. They don't offer butter. I didn't even ask about honey at the point. The muffins are supposed to be Mexican corn bread. I didn't see nor taste any jalapeño but nonetheless it was delicious just the same. My dog was happy they give such large servings of beef steaks. I had two 1.25 lbs of their hand formed chopped patties. More than I could eat. The brown gravy was decent. Even over the dressing. It had too much sage! I picked out on my tongue sage pieces twice. Otherwise it was good. I asked for cranberry sauce and she pulled an uncovered pan of discolored, halved served cranberry sauce out the fridge. There were remnants of various other food crumbs in it. I don't know if there was a film from being uncovered that changed the color or it had been in the fridge too long? I wasn't taking any chances with it. Hopefully when I told her "No thanks, I'm passing on that"! She caught my issues and dumped it. They need to improve their standards to prevent having to dump half a gallon of grimly looking ingredients. Another customer asked if Bread Pudding is only available on certain days? The cashier's bleak answer was "Yes". Instead of upselling and informing customers the days the bread pudding is sold!?! She just said yes. She's the same one that opened the door without thanking customers for waiting on them to do business? I paid almost $15 to only eat 1/4 of the beef, corn muffin and pinto beans. I was there opening day and left because the line was so long. Hence I was expecting better Customer Service, truth in the daily menus posted on their website and decent miscellaneous food. Butter for instance. Proper handling of refrigerated goods needs to be improved. Had someone, anyone had apologized for the delay I would not even mention it here. Attention to Customer Service Skills are paramount to the success of a new business. It hurts me to give a two to a BOB, but this is my honest assessment of my visit. Having to wait over 20 minutes for them to unlock the doors is ridiculous. Especially when there's an elderly lady depending on a walker. They should have welcomed customers inside to sit at a table, while they finished stocking the steam table. Offered her something to drink. Unfortunately, they won't get but one time to see me at their locked door, not acknowledging me while pointing me out to coworkers. On opening day I prayed for their continued success. Even the gentleman doing paperwork failed to find the need to apologize for their shortcomings. He needs to know if things continue like this, he won't have paperwork to complete on a business that's closed. Why don't they offer mash potatoes? Or rolls for those cat don't eat corn bread. Their online menu should be clearer about the days desserts are available. If the staff isn't warm and fuzzy, then the food better be on fire! The

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.

As Duke, I declare and decree this Soul Food Cafe as the best restaurant in Hoover, AL…read more This hidden gem isn't so hidden, in fact, it is well known beyond the City. We frequently visit this location and the ambience is always 10 out of 10. The staff is well versus with the climate of the customers. They often check to make sure you have everything you need, plus a little bit more. The smiles and the vibrant welcome in this restaurant is superb. To describe the food is beyond comprehension in words, I believe after trying the catfish plate the crispiness of the outside golden shell, the melting texture and the moisture of the inside of every catfish is superb with every bite and is a 10 out of 10. My goal is to try the whole menu! 10 out of 10

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.

Best!!! Chitterlings was slamming Fantastic food and great service definitely was worth the wait!…read moreWon't be disappointed..

This place is HISTORICALLY FAMOUS. If you looking for good home cooked food, this place is amazing…read more Services excellent you are in and out unless you choose to dine in. If you are looking for great desserts like peach cobbler this is it. If you are an old head from Alabama then you know. This is a family own business and very consistent. The ambiance is a whole down south down home feel! AMAZING!!

I rarely give 5 stars, but consider this experience a STRONG 4.5, and highly recommending you to…read morevisit for a delicious plate of soul food (in California, our food is considered amazing if you slather avocado on bread and call it "chic," so I need food like this while on vacation). First off, the disclaimer. ONLY come here if you have time to kill. I don't mean that as an insult in anyway, but it took almost forty five minutes to get our food. The atmosphere is that you were invited into someone's house and they are cooking fresh food from scratch, and if you are patient, that is what you will enjoy. The staff was very friendly, made sure we were taken care of, and ALL said goodbye when we left. Now, then, onto the food. I wanted the traditional foods I can't get tasty anywhere else, and my plate was fried catfish, seasoned rice, cabbage, corn bread, and sweet tea. I am not a fan of super sweet things, so I was not fond of the tea. That is most likely my personal taste, and not a knock on their tea by any means. Catfish was hot, well-seasoned, and crispily battered. My wife (Southeast Asian), who cooks cabbage a lot and deliciously (love you babe!), has never made cabbage like this. It was some of the best cabbage I have ever had, and I did not know a side dish like cabbage could taste that good. The cornbread did not need butter, and I was munching on it on my way out the door. So, DEFINITELY eat here. Just be warned, this is where you go to take your time and enjoy the meal. If in a hurry, maybe come back a different day.

Food was good service was great. Haven't been here in a long time due to how slow the service was…read morebut it was extremely better this time and the lunch was great.

i really do not want to tell you how spectacular this food is nor do i want to tell you how…read moremassive the portions are or how welcoming the whole staff is or how reasonable the prices are no i do not want to tell you these things because i want to keep this hidden gem all to myself

Some of the best Cajun food I've had in a while. We had the frog legs(awesome), gator bites(sooo…read moretender), fried plantains(seasoned beautifully) for starters. For dinner I had the Gumbo and my girlfriend had the salad with shrimp, crab, and crawfish. The gumbo was seasoned excellently and tasted just how I make it at home in like 7 hours. My girlfriend's salad was amazing with the homemade ranch. We came in late and the service was still top notch. Finished off with banana pudding and my girlfriend said it was the best she's ever had. We were just in town for the weekend but to anyone looking for a place, do it!