Irondale Cafe is a great option if you are in the mood for comfort food. It has the perfect environment. The lines can get long but it's not ever TOO bad. I went on a Sunday for lunch and it was very busy! They had several meat options ( fried catfish, fried chicken, baked chicken, beef tips ,chicken livers, etc). Many veggie options too! I won't list those but their website has allll the daily menu items available. I went with the fried catfish - I was nervous ( it was fried to perfection). I also had greens, cornbread dressing because they had cranberry sauce and fried green tomatoes. Everything was extremely fresh - not overly seasoned but satisfactory to my tastebuds. Overall, I enjoyed my meal & left satisfied (and sleepy). The staff certainly was hardworking and handled the crowd effectively. read more

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Kind and helpful staff, great food, home-cooked style. My son said "There's a lot of old people eating here," and I told him that's how you know the place is good! Fried catfish was very mildly seasoned (good for kids), chicken fried steak was great, and fried green tomatoes juicy and crunchy: their name-sake, as the author of the book based her characters on family who lived just across the tracks. Highly recommend! read more

We took an impromptu road trip to Irondale Cafe for lunch and we were not disappointed. Located near an old train depot in downtown Irondale, it was a nostalgic location. We walked right in, menu is a meat and three served cafeteria style. Restaurant was clean and buzzy with busing hospitality. I chose the catfish, hush puppies, cream corn, and mashed potatoes and gravy. My wife got the country fried steak, fried okra and mashed potatoes. We took our trays and chose a table, and we were immediately met by our waiter. He brought us Diet Cokes in a glass bottle and extra sauces. Super friendly. Dining room was decorated with historic photos and very clean. Catfish was crisp in outside and flaky white meat on inside. Hush puppies had som jalapeños with a nice bite. Mashed potatoes were fluffy with a warm brown gravy. Cream corn was excellent. Country fried steak was cubed steak that was breaded and fried served with brown gravy. Fried okra was hand breaded and cooked nicely. Yeast rolls were warm and buttery! No complaints all around! Highly recommend if you're in the area, you won't be disappointed! read more

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How have I never been here before?!? This place was packed OUT for lunch, too!! Classic southern cafeterias will always have my heart, and this one was pretty good. The food line moved pretty quick, they obviously have a lot of regulars. I had the fried chicken (which was impressively puffed up, but could have used some more flavor/spice), creamed corn, fried okra, and mac and cheese. They earned their five stars on that mac and cheese alone. Everywhere else (I know I sound crazy here) makes it too cheesy. My preferred, home cooked mac is much eggier, lighter in texture. I'll always be a fan of creamed corn. My dad and I split a slice of the toasted coconut pie, which was scrumptious. I've had so many good coconut things lately, I'm starting to think I don't dislike coconut. My dad said the fried green tomatoes were pretty good. This is kinda a hike out from Birmingham proper, but if I'm ever in the area again, I'll certainly be back. read more

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The service is fast and good. Great place to eat and get some Alabama history. Food is absolutely delicious great meat and two or three. read more

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Everything about this place is a 5 star soul food smorgasbord down home winner. The desserts include buttermilk and coconut cream pie. The wait staff is fun and accommodating. The southern soul food choices are so yummy & numerous you want to try them all. This was our second visit and we can't wait to go back. We pass through Birmingham from Arkansas to the Deep South and it's on our way. read more

Irondale Cafe - Buttermilk fried chicken legs, fried okra and fried green tomatoes - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

Five stars for the food, especially their fried green tomatoes! They have typical "southern comfort foods." If you want to feel like you're eating at grandma's house, go here. It's the only place I've found that is up to par with my grandmother's home-cooking. And, that says a lot! I'm very fond of what she serves our family. Service is good at Irondale Cafe, southern hospitality! Atmosphere is cafeteria style, like stepping back in time. If you want to see what it really looks like, watch the movie Whistle Stop Cafe. They filmed it at this location. Not only do people come here for the food, but for that reason too. It's a major tourist attraction. They move you through the line pretty quickly, but it may be out the door and down the street. It's definitely a place you need to try, at least once in your life. To say you've been, if nothing else. But, I will add, locals dine here quite frequently, and I would too, if I were a local resident. read more

I was there for lunch yesterday for lunch, my very first time to try this place, I ordered Fried Pork Chop, Fried green tomato and Stewed cabbage, dinner roll, bottled Coca Cola, I was so happy everything is really good not to mention the ambiance that took me back in time. Service is fast and everyone is so welcoming. Mr. Dolan is very nice and talked to us shortly, I will be back to try the other dishes that really looks good. read more

Irondale Cafe - Fried Pork chop, World Famous Fried Green Tomatoes and Stewed Steamed Cabbagage - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

Great enjoyable meal, but the fried green tomatoes were not good. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area at the limited time they are open. read more

My parents and I ate here yesterday for lunch and when we arrived 15 minutes before opening, there were already customers waiting on the doors to open, so I took that as a great sign. Thankfully there was decent parking, but I'm glad we got there when we did, because when they opened at 11 am, I'm not sure there was much parking left! Loved the blues they had playing on the speakers outside too. It's a typical, Southern "meat-and-three" place, where you wait in line, then pick out your food dipped from the servers in a cafeteria-style, order your drink, then find a place to sit. I had to ask how it worked, because the 3 of us were thinking payment might be required somewhere in this, but nope! You eat, then pay at the register on your way out, just FYI in case anyone is new here, like me. I got the catfish + fried okra and greens. They offer cornbread or a roll, but because the catfish comes with hush puppies, I skipped on those. My parents got the fried chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, and green beans, and the roasted chicken, fried green tomatoes and greens. We thoroughly enjoyed everything, although my catfish was not the best I'd ever had. They had some beautiful, tempting desserts that I really wanted to try, but didn't. All of the employees, from start to finish, were extremely friendly and helpful, especially with my newbie questions. I'd love to come back here and try something else on the menu because everything looked so good. Cute place, good food, excellent service, great atmosphere and location! read more

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Large dining room and great selection of meats and vegetables. Service was great. Fried chicken and beef tips over rice were great.

The food was wonderful and the staff was so friendly. Especially Tom in the dining room. He made sure we had any sauces and drink refills that we needed. The fried chicken livers were very tender and had a mild flavor. The best I have ever eaten. The Okra was amazing. read more

Irondale Cafe - The best fried chicken livers and fried okra I have ever eaten. - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

I have heard nothing but absolutely amazing things about this place! I rarely venture out to this part of Irondale and especially not during the lunch hour. It's a pretty big space and there is ample parking out front too. Service is absolutely exceptional. Everyone was so warm and friendly! I ordered the fried chop, collard greens, macaroni & cheese, and a piece of cornbread. Everything was amazing, but if I had to choose, I would say the fried pork chop was my favorite and the one I can't stop thinking about! There are so many menu items that change daily. You will want to come here every day for lunch if you can! There's not too many other businesses I go to around this area so this meat and three is truly a hidden gem. read more

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Lunch here yesterday after church. 65$ lunch for 3 people. The food was barely warm and everything fried was crazy greasy! Don't think I'll give this place my money for subpar food again. read more

This is one of my favorite lunch spots of all time. You can't go wrong with a single item on the menu, but my personal favorite is always the beef tips (I always get 2 orders). Service is great and the atmosphere is a classic small town cafe. Lots of seating and good for small or large groups. Make sure you get there around 11:00 because the line will get long real fast. I've been coming once a week / every 2 weeks for years since I started working on this side of town. 10/10 read more

Irondale Cafe - Beef tips , lima beans, roll - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

Always delicious and fresh. Fun place to eat and delicious country cooking! PLENTY of food. My mom and I split a plate and had plenty!

Yum! Yum! Yum! I have been several times and love the home cooked meals. You have a large spread to choose from! The food is freshly cooked and so delicious. I have never had a bad meal! read more

My husband and I went on Sunday afternoon around 12:35pm. Restaurant was very busy. But the wait was only 20 minutes. Buffet style service, lots of different foods choices. Staff were very polite. read more

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I might be biased since I grew up in Irondale and frequent this establishment, so I apologize up front. Ever since I was a baby (now 42), we have gone to Irondale Cafe. The meat and three option, vegetable plate, or just the person that decides they want one of each, can leave satisfied. I took my wife and in-laws from out of town here knowing that they would enjoy this more than some of the other meat and three locations in the city. They loved it. The smothered chicken livers in brown gravy with onions was super tender and tasty. The fried okra and fried green tomatoes are some of the best around. The greens were tasty, not bitter, and with a little bit of pepper sauce, were brought to the next level. The baked mac-n-cheese was homemade and good. The pork chop was very tasty, as was the catfish and cornbread. Try the cabbage, it doesn't have a ton of flavor, but it is a nice compliment to everything else. The jalapeño hush puppies were nothing to really right home to as they seemed a bit over fried. The sweet tea rocks here too. The ambience is like a small town diner but with big rooms. You get all walks of life in here. Plus, if you have little kids with you, try to get a table by the window so they can see the trains passing through which is quite often. There are a couple shops to walk around in the area too. Come check out the Irondale Cafe and you will not be disappointed. read more

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Looking for a lunch that was tasty and comforting. My last day in Alabama after a week in the area for my sis's funeral, and a week of so-so food. This was wonderful. Everything was cooked perfectly. I ordered the chicken and dumplings, collards, green beans and toasted coconut pie. Oh my! The pie was not too sweet, the best I've ever had. You stand in line to go through the cafeteria line which moves fast. Clean restaurant with friendly staff. If I'm ever in the area, I will definitely eat there again. read more

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The food is delicious serve is fast,and friendly. There's so much on the bar it's hard to decide. Put you want be disappointed

Delicious food. Great selection of meats and vegetables. Fast paced go through line.

The original Whistlestop Cafe and a tie in with the famous movie Fried Green Tomatoes .... I had never been here nor really knew anything about this place. A business lunch, we popped in here a little early and got our food orders in as the place steadily became busier and busier as it got closer to 11:30. I should state a 4 star review from me for a meat and three is an accomplishment. I've really never been a fan and in most cases will go out of my way to avoid them. The selection of food was good - plenty of meats and plenty of sides to choose between, oh, and they also had cornbread. I went with the Fried Chicken, fried okra, black eyed peas and cornbread. First, this was sooooooooo much food! The chicken was fried to perfection and had great flavor. The okra was a little on the soggy side for my liking. The black eyed peas were good, wish they had included some jalapeno. The cornbread, well, it kind of stole the show --- so good! Staff was friendly and service at the table (drink refills/napkin requests/etc) were excellent! I'd actually come back and try this place out again without hesitation and would recommend if you're in the area. read more

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Outstanding Southern meat and veggie restaurant in a setting that Norman Rockwell would appreciate - a scene straight from Americana across the street from an old train stop and multiple sets of still busy tracks near an active train yard with all of the sights and sounds that come with that. The food is consistently excellent - lots of entrees and vegetables, yeast rolls and cornbread are available on the steam bar buffet line daily at lunch, which is the only meal they serve. It's worth a visit for sure! read more

I had seen this place crop up on lists of must-try places in Alabama, and it was a mile or so from my house, so I had to try it. This is a really cute, local, authentic southern place. It's in downtown Irondale right across from the train tracks, and has a very classic hometown feel. When you walk in, you order your food cafeteria-style. We got there at about 1 pm on a Sunday. There was a long line, but I would say we waited about 15 minutes to order our food. Food was good. They have a number of entrees and side dishes, all the typical food you'd expect. I ordered the country fried steak, which is one of my favorite foods. It was ok- the steak didn't seem fried, seemed more like hamburger steak. But it was pretty good. I also got the Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes, which were good. The portions weren't huge- I was definitely full but not overly so. You also get a roll or cornbread, and the cornbread was really good. The sweet tea was also really good. There is a large dining room with plenty of seating. Service was excellent- everyone was really friendly. Overall I would say this place was worth the hype. I'd probably try a different entree next time, but I would definitely come back! read more

Irondale Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

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This is a cafeteria-style meat and 3 restaurant. I came with my two kids (6&2) and my parents for lunch. The wait was very reasonable and there is a great selection of dishes. Half of the people behind the line were some of the rudest people I have ever met in my life. First was a young white guy who was fine. Next a black woman who we will come back to, then an older Hispanic woman who was a little bit rude/short, but nothing I would have thought twice about if she'd been the only one. Last there was a young Hispanic girl with braided pigtails who was perfectly nice and also was the person who rang us up at the end. At one point someone further down the line asked me a question, which I answered. The woman who I said we'd come back to was incredibly impatient and kept yelling at me for the next item while each person is asking me questions about each of the three plates I'm trying to order. I actually had to ask her to please stop yelling at me. I ended up only getting food for the kids exclusively so I didn't have to talk to her any more. When we got to the table, I spilled one of the kids waters all over the place and the waitress/hostess(?) came over and started slamming things around before she started cleaning it up (I helped, of course). By the time we got it all mopped up, she was very nice, but she came at us very aggressively out of the gate. Now, again, I did not personally eat anything here, but the other 4 people in our party left behind 75-80% of their food stating it was not good. We go out a fair amount and this was far and away the worst experience in my working memory. None of us will ever be back and if you're thinking visiting for the first time, I'd reconsider. read more

The food was ok. It lacked a great deal of flavor. I remember eating here a couple of years ago and the food was very good. The catfish was soggy and the turnip greens and green beans needed salt and pepper. I was sooo looking forward to the peach cobbler but that need more sugar and cinnamon. I'm not sure if they have new chefs or they were just having a rough day in the kitchen. I may give this restaurant another try......just not anytime soon. read more

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First time I've been in a while, the place gets nicer every time I visit. It's so clean, open and inviting. This place is definitely one of my top favs for meat and three's hands down! So many good items to choose from, I went with the special, which was the Chicken and dumplings. They gave me a nice portion and it was very tasty! I recommend any of the fried food, it's a nice golden brown and not over or under cooked. The staff today were super nice and friendly. Great job with the social distancing.I will be back very soon! read more

Irondale Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

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Absolutely awesome, great food, great service, friendly helpful people, super clean and organized. One of the best meat and three you will ever find. read more

Great food and service, taste like home cooked. I had the chicken livers, green fried tomatoes, lima beans and green beans, and corn bread. Just really good food read more

Have not been here in 20 years and the food as good as I remember. Will stop next time passing through at lunch time read more

Irondale Cafe - Fried Green Tomatoes Buttermilk Fried chicken, Fried Okra, mashed potatoes, cornbread Fresh Peach Cobbler. - Cafes Near Me - Irondale, Alabama

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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. read more

I finally found a worthy meat and three place! Food was comfortable yet subtle. Great atmosphere and plenty of space for larger parties. If you go, you have to try their homemade hot sauces! AMAZING! read more

Good home cooking, nice people, and reasonable prices. The menu varies by the day of the week. They also have homemade pies and other desserts. read more

I was at the EWTN studios. I told the lady there that I was recommended the Irondale cafe or Milo's while in Birmingham. The lady quickly said, Definitely Irondale's Cafe, you wouldn't be disappointed. I tell you not only were we not disappointed but rather had the best southern cooked lunch we had in a long time. Chicken and dumplings, beef tips and gravy with mashed potatoes, catfish, corn bread and Mac &Cheese. Absolutely delicious!!! For desert the chocolate chess pie and coconut cream pie were both out of this world. I only gave this place five stars because 10 stars were not available. If you are in the area this is a definite stop. Oh and the trains were super cool too! read more

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I was in Birmingham for a church conference and wanted to take my team for some authentic, Southern food. My go-to in situations like these is to look on Yelp. And being a BIG fan of the movie, 'Fried Green Tomatoes', when I saw all the amazing reviews for this place, I was THRILLED to try it out. Let me say they did NOT disappoint! There were four in my group. My husband had the fried catfish, and the rest of us had fried chicken. Having grown up with a grandma from Alabama, I have to say that all of the things we tried were authentic and amazing. The fried okra was probably the best that I've ever had. And don't get me started on the mac & cheese, the toasted coconut pie, or the chocolate chess pie! The cornbread was authentic southern - no sugar added - and it melted in your mouth (I like mine with butter & honey). We also had the yeast rolls, which were fluffy, pillows of deliciousness, and the sweet tea , which was perfect. The only thing different from how my grandmother used to make things, were the fried green tomatoes themselves. Although good, I prefer them with a cornmeal coating, which these did not have. Nevertheless, they did not disappoint, and the homemade roumelade sauce took them to the next level. I only had three issues with the Ironclad Cafe: 1.) They're only open for lunch (11-2:30), 2.) we didn't discover it until our last day in Birmingham, and 3.)I have to wait almost a year to eat there again! read more

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Best food I've had in a long while! It's definitely the place for lunch near Birmingham Shuttlesworth Airport. Leave your diet in the airplane! read more

Food was ok it was fun to see the atmosphere and the dessert were great. Found it a little greasy but it's was true southerners diner

Your typical 'meat and _ veggies' restaurant. Their claim to fame is the Fried Green Tomatoes link. Small counter for food, but tons of seating. Located next to an old train station, the outside has a nice vibe, but can be loud. The food is what you would expect from a southern meat and veggie place. It also comes with rolls or cornbread when you select your food. When you walk in, the menu is a chalkboard which is updated daily. As you get to the cafeteria line, they put the desserts right in front of you, tempting you before you get your meal. I'm glad more places don't follow this tactic - it's dangerous! read more

What a cute cafe. You feel like you have stepped back into the 1950's. It is adorable and the food is good ole southern cuisine. The hush puppies are to die for! I had the catfish, greens, and of course the fried green tomatoes. read more