How delightful. Cozy little white bldg. Mainly : Only open lunch 11 to 1600 July 28 2026 2. Michelle served us wine with our southern lunch. Got to admit very Southern atmosphere. ( please see Bill & Pamela 2 reviews below. They capture this unique experience! ). We had lunch after swimming , celebrating some birthdays which I don't have anymore getting too old Yes to the food Yes to the atmosphere Yes to the southern hospitality Some one mentioned this had been a jail house. ( when my cousin cones to visit from INDIANA I am taking him here? ) 3. Quiche Splnach Artichoke, Mandarin Orange 4. Salad, Fajitas & Wraps read more

The wait to be seated and get our server was a bit longer than expected, but the restaurant was extremely busy, so it was understandable. Kristin did a fantastic job and gave excellent food recommendations. The chicken salad sandwich and sweet potato fries were phenomenal. The host at the door was very welcoming and made us feel comfortable from the moment we arrived. The quaint atmosphere and cozy surroundings made for an enjoyable dining experience overall. read more

What a quaint little restaurant with so much history! The food was absolutely delicious, and the drinks were just as good. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had a wonderful experience. We really enjoyed our visit and would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for delicious food, great drinks, and a charming atmosphere! read more

Stopped in for lunch. We ordered the fried grouper. The order was out quickly and was served freshly made, nice and hot and was a generous portion of fish. The taste was outstanding. We were too full to order any dessert. I highly recommend the Main Street Cafe and will be back to try more menu items. read more

Service was outstanding Tim was great with his customer service. Very well seasoned waiter. The ambiance is very quaint almost like a step back in because it's located at an old train depot. Yes I will be going back. read more

Main Street Cafe - Chicken Salad Croissant - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

I had a great lunch. Nice size portions and staff was great. Make sure you give yourself some time if you're stopping in for lunch as the place can get pretty busy. read more

Came here about two weeks ago for the first time for lunch with my mom. This place has a cool history -- it apparently used to be a jail! -- and is located in the quaint little downtown of Madison. We parked a little ways off and enjoyed our walk over. More of the jailhouse/historic vibe is inside the restaurant, but they have a nice patio and it was a beautiful day so we opted to sit outside. We were seated quickly. Service was super personable and pleasant across the board. Their menu is interesting; it almost reminds me a bit of a tea room meets your mom's kitchen. Some French inspired stuff and warm, homey goodness. The desserts all sounded super yummy (strawberry pretzel salad!!) but we were too full to order any. I ordered the poppyseed chicken casserole with the hash brown casserole, while my mom had the poulet de normandie with green beans. Both entrees came with a yeast roll. Food was good! I definitely got the better of the two entrees. Creamy, cheesy, comforting stuff. Despite hearing amazing things about the hash brown casserole, I didn't like it that much; it had a flavor I didn't expect that didn't work for me. Maybe mustard? That's my best guess. As is often my problem with hash brown casseroles, it also tasted a little undercooked (vaguely wobbly, watery potatoes). The yeast roll was a highlight, though. Super pillowy and soft. My mom's poulet was decent, too. Neither of us were expecting the slice of melted cheese on top, and could've done without it, but overall she enjoyed it. The green beans were also okay. Ultimately, I'd say the food didn't totally bowl us over, but we both agreed it was good enough that we'd definitely come back, especially given the lovely service and fun environment! read more

Main Street Cafe - Poulet de Normandie, Green Beans, and Yeast Rolls - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

Everything is good, you cannot go wrong. Once upon a time I left my credit card there...they held it for 5 days, no fraudulent charges or illicit activity. True hearted. read more

Food was good. Only 20-minute wait to be seated. Very busy during 11:30-12:30 time frame. So loud I couldn't carry on a conversation with the person sitting directly across from me and couldn't hear wait staff. Too much salad dressing for such a small salad. read more

This is a very hopping spot. The wait was not too long. They have indoor and outdoor seating available. Also, they seem to be pet-friendly in the outside area. The food was good and the servers were courteous. read more

Main Street Cafe - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

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A staple of Madison, located in the old jailhouse. Lunch on the patio in spring & fall is unbelievable. Just have to hold your ears when the train comes through. Let's talk FOOD: The Georgia Chicken with green beans & mashed potatoes is incredible! (Don't sub the sides!) And you better leave room for Strawberry Pretzel Salad - amazing! FYI: This is NOT a salad. :) Or Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake. read more

Main Street Cafe - Main Street Cafe Patio - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

This is one of those little local places that you find that is amazing. Great local food, good presentation and very nice atmosphere. Service is outstanding. I've been multiple times to make sure. Located in a former jail right by a busy railroad track in rather tiny downtown Madison, this place should be on your must do list. Don't miss it, because you will regret it. I tried the meatloaf plate. Not something I would typically order, but I tried something I normally wouldn't. It was great. Wonderful texture and taste, perfect presentation. The fried green tomatoes were totally different than the norm. They had a sweet relish on top with a sauce that really made the dish. My wife loved the Poppyseed chicken casserole. It had a very different flavor that she loved. The fried apple pie a la mode made for a perfect finish. They brought three spoons . Definitely check them out. I included pictures from my previous visit. read more

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Amazing! The service is A+ and the food was delicious !! it was refreshing to find a spot that had servers and staff that cared about your experience and food that was delicious! A hidden gem and the building has lots of history too read more

Main Street Cafe - Honey Thyme Beer Battered Onion Rings! Hot and fresh! Absolutely delicious! - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

Main Street Cafe is a staple to the Scott of Madison and a Madison County. Their lunch menu has lots of different options and everything is really delicious. Typically poulet de Normandy is my go to, but for some reason the quiche Lorraine was just calling my name. The quiche Lorraine comes with a mandarin poppyseed salad and a slice of lemon poppyseed cake. The quiche was delicious, tons of flavor and the crust was delicious. The salad and bread was just too sweet for my liking. I would rather have a house salad to go with the quiche but I'm sure if you like poppyseed dressing you would love this salad. The service was great and I love the story behind The restaurant (this was an old jail). Previously I have had their poulet and also their strawberry pretzel salad and it is to die for. A perfect dessert of crushed pretzel crust and layer cream cheese with a cheesecake taste and a strawberry slices/jello on top. It is hands down delicious. I will definitely go back and get the quiche and ask for a different type of salad, maybe a house salad. Or the blackened chicken salad is delicious. Check it out and you will not be disappointed! read more

Main Street Cafe - Quiche Lorraine with a mandarin orange poppyseed salad and lemon poppyseed bread - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

While visiting Huntsville had the opportunity to visit the Main Street Cafe! This was a birthday celebration of a family member who started this was one of their favorite places to have lunch and dinner. Our visit was a party of 10..so we couldn't sit in the 'jail cell' dining area so we missed that treat! This restaurant used to be the courthouse and jailhouse in this part of town. The staff were friendly and even sang 'Happy Birthday' at the end of the meal! Now, the food...I ordered the encrusted Salmon with Angel Hair Pasta and string beans! The food was cooked well, but under seasoned! read more

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We dined here for a group event so the menu was fixed. I did notice their choices were some of the same items in the menu though. I ordered the poulet which came with a salad as a starter. The salad was nothing to write about. Just plain old chopped romaine. The meal was disappointing. The poulet was like a chicken casserole but mushy and little flavor. The worst part was the slice of American cheese which tasted awful. The cheese being something else besides plain ol' sliced cheese would have made such a huge difference. My friend got the same thing and had the exact same complaint. I would have given this place less stars but at least their peanut butter pie was good. read more

Main Street Cafe - Poulet - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

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Good food and service. Old jail , and train depot . Unique setting . We get lunch delivered from here once a week - good selections read more

Great atmosphere. If you can sit on the covered porch it is a bonus. Very fun staff. I had the quiche and it was very good. Worth the trip read more

Excellent food and service. One of the pleasant surprises following COVID. Keep going back!

Great little restaurant in Old Town Madison, AL. For those unfamiliar with it, it's inside the old jailhouse.if you're lucky enough you can sit in one of the jail cells. The service is always great and bring an appetite. The food is amazing and save room for dessert. read more

The food is amazing and so is the service. We have never had anything but great experiences

One of the best restaurants in Madison/Huntsville. Great grouper and steak. And really good desserts too. My family's fav place in town.

I heard good things about this place and I love to support locals businesses. But unfortunately will not be back. One star was for the service the but food is inedible. The stuff pork loin was very dry and tough to chew. read more

Main Street Cafe - Stuffed Pork Loin. Loos good but Tenderloin was very dry and bland . Inedible food. - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

Nice spot for lunch while visiting the Madison area! We spent the morning at the US Space and Rocket Center, then came to explore Madison and have some lunch. It was a weekday and was PACKED! The hostess stand was very disorganized and multiple parties, including ours, waited for over 20 minutes while there were visibly open tables around the restaurant. Once we were finally seated, our waitress was awesome and we got our food quickly! It was all delicious and reasonably priced! Portions were also super generous - I took home leftovers for dinner and still couldn't finish my meal! While we were eating, a few trains passed by right outside the window by our table, which was so cool. The building used to be the town jail many years ago, so the inside is set up really interesting. Logistics issues aside, we had a great experience and would definitely return! read more

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Food and service was really good! My husband loved the rolls. I had The reuben it was excellent! It was a lot of food but it was sooooo good. We will be back! read more

Main Street Cafe - Reuben! Really good! - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

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Who wouldn't and to eat dinner in an old jail cell?!?! Mushroom bisque soup is amazing. Love the freshness of their dishes! Great staff and wonderful owners. Service is top notch. read more

Probably the best steak I've ever had. Excellent food and service. I loved the quaint ambiance setting in an old train house. I am happy to support this local business! read more

I've never had a bad meal here. Some dishes are better than others it's true. But this is a place you can try many dishes, and like or love the majority of them. Although Redd are busy during lunchtime the service is always been great. Look for the daily specials on the board going in and take advantage of the grouper when they have it also, I'm also fond of meatloaf.. As a bonus, you might be able to sit in a jail cell while you eat. For dessert, you can't go wrong with the strawberry pretzel salad. read more

This place was great. Honestly the best fried pickles I've probably ever had. They should be permanently on the menu and not just a special. Chicken was pretty good as well and roll was great. Was shocked at the side considering it said it was broccoli and then it wasn't, but not a huge deal. Service was great and place was clean. read more

Main Street Cafe - Smothered Airline Chicken Breast (Cordon Bleu) - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

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Great place. The service was very good and the food never disappoints. The fried grouper and hashbrown casserole are a favorite.

Excellent food, service, and ambiance. Always a pleasant experience for lunch and dinner. The food is consistently delicious!

Excellent I loved my bacon cheeseburger And fries it was delicious. And yes I'll be back again read more

I needed a lunch spot to take my mother and I just couldn't stomach another chain, so in the spirit of making her happy I chose this spot. The prices are EXTREMELY affordable. The daily specials are numerous. The food is solid, but not overly inspired. It's home-cooking all the way. The atmo is fun. The service was also polite and prompt. At the end of it all, I was satisfied that we went. I might even be tempted to return. If you have older relatives visiting, this is the place. read more

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Great place to eat, and wonderful service! We'll miss going there since we have moved too far away!

Stopped in with 4 relatives today and ate in the jail cell. The restaurant is the old Madison jail and later the Madison City Hall. The jail cells remain with hand-cuffs! The menu was very exciting with many appealing daily specials. I ordered the sea bass entree for $10.95. The prices were very cheap. We ordered some bang bang shrimp for appetiser and it was very good. The sea bass was average. It looked good and the sauce was spicy and very good, but the fish was average. It was prepared with the skin on one side, which I don't care for. Everybody at my table had the same comment...average. The meat loaf was average. The Blackened Chicken Fettuccine was average. It was all average. We ordered several desserts. The Mississippi mud pie and coke-a-cola cake were average. The peach cobbler was very good. The service was very good during our visit. I have been to Main Street probably 6 times over the years, and I will give it one more try. read more

Main Street Cafe - The Sea Bass - Southern Near Me - Madison, Alabama

$3.50 for tea. Nope not me. I agree that's steep. Food is expensive and sometimes just okay. Lunch is the best time to go. We have been eating there for 5 years and it's amazing how much the menu changes have absolutely nothing new but the prices. read more

Loved it so much at lunch, we went back for dinner. I had the French onion Soup and Spinach and Artichoke Quiche for lunch. It was delicious. We did the Date Night Special for dinner. Salad, entree, dessert for 2 for $60. It was fantastic. And the kicker: we had our dinner in an old jail cell. I had no idea the storied history of the building. It used to be the Municipal building complete with two jail cells and a train track that left my feet jumping as it flew past. So yourself a favor and visit. The food is fantastic and the service too notch. read more

We decided to try Main Street Cafe for lunch as there were good reviews. Unfortunately our experience was not the same. I decided to try out one of the lunch specials, burger, fry's and salad. Salad was good. When the burger arrived it was the largest I have ever seen, at least a pound. But when I bit into it it was so over done it was ridiculous. Hard as a hockey puck. The fry's were ok and looked home made. My wife tried the Santa Fe quiche. The flavor was flat and quiche rubbery. The spinach salad and poppyseed bread good. Service was friendly and efficient. Comped us a dessert since the burger was overcooked. Unfortunately we will not be back for a second visit. read more

MSC is an absolute favorite! I love to meet friends there for lunch! The wait staff go above & beyond! Poulet & strawberry pretzel salad are must haves! read more

Lunch specials here are always fantastic. Lot's of southern charm, and if you are lucky, they'll seat you at a table in the old jail cell. Make sure you try the Strawberry Pretzel Salad for dessert at least once! read more