yum yum and affordable pricing. The previous shop was closer to home but wanted to try this location. Nice parking. Right off the main road. Had my taste buds ready for bbq chicken but settled for fried white meat chicken. It was crispy and tasted good to me. Had greens and yams. Price was under $15 with tax. They kept replenishing the food. The line moved fast. Inside the was basic diner atmosphere. read more

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New location! I'm glad their team has a more room ro work with now. I stopped by after church for a chicken plate and it was alright, not quite like I remembered but not bad either. read more

Ruth's Cafe - Collard greens and yams - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Food....delicious! Staff.....awesome! It's hard to find a restaurant where everything is good. The smothered pork chop is divine. The fried chicken is seasoned to perfection. I can't wait until my next visit! read more

Ruth's Cafe - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I was really impressed with the layout of the new space. The price is consistent with most 1 meat and 2 sides. This was my first visit to the new location and I must say, it appears very accommodating to groups or family gatherings. I was very impressed with the customer service. Good customer service is an indication of good food. I would go back. read more

My family and I have been eating at Ruth's Cafe for years, and every visit somehow tastes better than the last. We have followed them since their days on Daniel Payne Drive, and the quality has never slipped. The staff is always friendly, and it is special when they recognize your face and greet you like family. After church on Sundays, this is our go-to spot. The lines are often out the door, but they move quickly, and the food is absolutely worth the wait. I like to switch up my plate each time, but my favorite is the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, with a slice of red velvet cake when I want something sweet. The restaurant is always clean, busy, and full of good energy. Ruth's Cafe gets a 5 out of 5 from me every single time. We will definitely keep coming back again and again because it never disappoints us. read more

The food is really good. The oxtails wee tender and flavorful and the fried chicken was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Mac and Cheese was vey good as well. read more

This restaurant has moved to 26th Street North and is bigger and better than ever! The food is southern style at its best. I love the meat loaf, fried chicken, and everything actually. The sides are scrumptious and the portions are large. The new place is roomy but get there early on Sunday because the line is out the door. The staff is friendly and accommodating. Love this place!! read more

Nice ladies behind the counter and the food is always really good. Definitely one of my lunch spots when I'm in the area

Ruths Café is my family's go to for Sunday Dinner. The line was long per usual, but the food always worth the wait. I was able to chat with other patrons while waiting with my family. I ordered baked chicken, dressing, cabbage, mac n cheese, and yams. Let's not forget the lemonade which is my favorite. I also got a slice of red velvet cake. OMG that is to die for. The food was seasoned to perfection. The chicken was juicy and falling off the bone. The cake was amazing as well. The thing that keeps me coming back is how reasonable the food is. A complete meal and dessert for less than 20.00. My dad got the beef tips and rice with collards and pound cake. My mom got fried chicken, collards, mac n cheese. She declined dessert. We dined in which was our first time doing that. It was a nice little vibe to kind of sit there and people watch while we ate our food. I would definitely recommend to my friends read more

The food is good.I really like their chicken, both fried and baked,very well seasoned. Vegetables are quite tasty.

Got food poisoning a couple days after eating there. Service was good. Clean bathroom.

Looking for southern food. Ruth's gotcha covered! Like a homecooked meal! I here theres a new location too!

The Food is the best flavored in the city! The baked chicken falls off the bone. Sides are tasty too. The servers and cashiers were the nice people I've run into in a very long time. The only reason I can't give 5* is that it is a hole in the wall! But worth it to go!!! read more

Great food. You'll have to wait at least thirty minutes in line, but it's worth the wait. Great value for the price. read more

Ruth's Cafe - Oxtails and rice, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, cornbread - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I went to Ruth's Cafe this morning for breakfast. I ordered the omlette, with ham, sausage, bacon, extra onions, salsa, and mushrooms. Unfortunately the young lady at the register was too busy on the phone to take my order correctly, even though I repeated it to her 3 times. It took 30 minutes to get my food, which was very upsetting. When I finally sat down to eat my food I opened the box to see this egg with toppings. There were bellpeppers on my omlette when I specifically said NO bell peppers and there were not any extra onions as i requested. This is not an omlette, the cheese wasn't melted, it wasn't folded like an omlette just a egg with toppings on it. As for taste, I was not impressed. No seasoning, couldn't taste any of the ingredients, very bland with a lot of grease running off of it. I gave them 3 start just because of the amount of food, and that's being generous. read more

Ruth's Cafe - Omlette - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Food was just ok. Wings overcooked. Greens not seasoned good. Pinto beans not seasoned good ( tasted like they came out of a can)

This place is AWESOME! Great food, clean, staff is amazing and you won't leave hungry. Portions are more than enough, and I'm a big boy. Lol

Okay Ruth's! Yelp! Yelps! Bae wants them veggies, so we buzzed in after work. We got in here just in time, the line is becoming massive. Everything looks appetizing. Bae got greens, Mac and cheese and black eyed peas with cornbread. I got meatloaf, Mac and cheese and green beans. Everything was good. I have had better at Ruth's, but you good. Y'all already know, I'll be back. Some folks in here eating. read more

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Great atmosphere, great home-cooked food, great cakes, and desserts. Good selection of entrées and side dishes to choose from. Just lacks a little space in the dining area. The dining tables were pushed together made it a little difficult to sit down. read more

Ruth's Cafe - Cake with cream cheese icing! - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Great choices, good seasoned food. I definitely would recommend if you have a taste for soul food.

I just had my first and Last visit here. The person preparing my food became frustrated about me asking questions regarding the prices between a meal vs. a sandwich. Her responses were Very rude and still lacked clarity (as the price that seemed to apply to the meal was for a sandwich). As a result of this interaction I said thank you but I've changed my mind. To which she replied "please and thank you". I wasn't exactly sure at first until another lady that was also serving addressed her and pointed to me. It seemed to me that the other woman was acknowledging that her responses were out of line. I requested to speak to the owner but left after a few minutes of waiting. I've been told that the food is good. But service is just as important and is the first impression. I would never recommend this place to anyone as I would not want anyone to experience what I just experienced. read more

Arrived when they opened and there was already a line to get in. The line moved at an okay pace. Overall the food was okay, the oxtails were a bit too salty. The cornbread could be a little bigger for the price point. The fried chicken was nothing to write home about. Loved the cabbage, black-eyed peas, and sweet potatoes. read more

Ruth's Cafe - Oxtail plate and Fried chicken plate - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

CUSTOMER SERVICE!! Is so important when you are on the front line of someone's business. The staff here especially in the morning time is AWFUL!! The food is NEVER HOT not close to warm. You have people that come from the back and grab a takeout plate and start fixing there food. And maybe two of the staff members smile but the others always frowning. I hope the owner is reading their reviews or you want be in business very long. I suggest your front line staff attend a Customer Service class. read more

Just stopped by for my lunch break. Yam's was good, chicken was old they just cover it with gravy to disguise it. The food wasn't fresh or hot‍The people behind the counter/servers were looking at me as if I wanted to steel the food lol. The place look ran down. I won't be going back. Wasn't happy with my food. read more

After reading the reviews of the chain restaurants in the area, we decided to jump off the interstate and try this local place. We ordered an omelet, a breakfast burrito, and a ham and cheese biscuit. Everything was delicious. It doesn't look like much, and you might miss it if you aren't careful, but I'd definitely eat here again. I'd eat breakfast here everyday if I lived in the area. And we probably ate for less than half what we'd have paid if we stopped at one of the low rated chain places. Give Ruth's a try if you're in the area. It doesn't look like much, but don't let that stop you! read more

Ruth's Cafe - Ham and cheese omelet with onions and mushrooms - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

My God! Customer service was an awful mess today. Called in for a pickup up order, an of course I wasn't sure of what the hot bar consisted of "what you want?" so rude! I said I'd come in instead to avoid the hassle and already noting somebody didn't want to do their job today, why this person hung up in my face. I could care less about how good the food is, the service for ME is what matters! read more

Been there twice this week. Meatloaf and 2 sides were outstanding. Collards and butter beans Pepper Steak and 2 sides again a home run Mac n cheese and butter beans. And corn bread read more

What a sweet surprise!! While in Birmingham we were looking for a place with soul food and this popped up. They have the MOST Amazing food!! The collards were delicious!! Sweet potatoes, white chicken, and corn bread did not disappoint!!!! Don't forget the banana pudding. It tasted like my Nana's!! So good!! read more

Great soul food. Small quaint and I'm sure often overlooked. If you are looking for fancy, prob not for you. Looking for the best gravy and rice and pepper steak or meatloaf with a grill menu (if you aren't in a hurry) - this hidden gem is for you. read more

The food was good! I had the chicken dinner plate. The servers were friendly. I will definitely go back soon.

The "cafe" is a small place by the railroad tracks and could possibly be a lovely, cozy spot for a sit down meal if it weren't for the dirty floors, the gigantic warehouse fan blowing dust into your food, and the boxes of supplies stacked to the ceiling right next to a dining table. The food is ok, but the atmosphere and the facility screams "we don't care what you think of the dirt, dust, and trash, just get your food, sit down, and shut up." I was thoroughly disappointed in the place. Several people were actually eating in around the loud patrons and staff yelling obscenities at each other. The inside and outside were both trashy. The huge fan looked like it had never been cleaned, and patrons were allowed to walk past the counter into the area where employees were preparing food. This place could use a lot of attention to health and safety protocols. Disgusting. read more

Came through and bought 3 salmon and rice plates. Salmon was so salty everyone threw theirs away

I was first introduced to Ruth's Cafe a few months ago. After taking my mama to her doctor's appointment, she told me that I had to try this new place her and her best friend had found. She said it was right off I-65 and Daniel Payne Drive, and it was a family owned restaurant. It was close to her house and I had time to eat lunch with her before I went back to work, so I gave it a try. When you walk in, the smells of home cooking stop you in your tracks. The way that it is set up, you can do one of two things. You can go straight to the steam table, where the friendly servers will fill your styrofoam plate with a meat and two vegetables, plus a dinner roll or cornbread. Or, you can go to the register and place a grill order, cooked fresh for you. I did the buffet that particular day, going for the baked spaghetti, squash, and collard greens. They also serve homemade desserts, but I didn't get one that day. Oh my goodness - talk about amazing!!! The food tasted like Mom's home cooking. The spaghetti melted in my mouth, and the vegetables weren't overcooked and perfectly seasoned for me. Everything was delicious. There was actually enough food for me to take back home for a second meal. If you plan to sit and eat there, make sure you get there early. They have a few small tables for two, and three long tables that have enough room for sharing with others. With its proximity to the interstate and not a whole lot of parking (a small store shares this building space), a lot of people come in for breakfast and lunch, and it can get crowded. And if you go on a Sunday, be prepared to wait in line. I have been back multiple times for lunch and to take plates home for dinner, and am never disappointed with anything I get. The food is delicious, and everyone (from the servers to the grill guy to the cashiers) is so kind and helpful. One day I will have to go and try their breakfast. Definitely put Ruth's Cafe on your list of "must try" places. I highly recommend it! read more

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I love this place! Great food, great atmosphere! The best, home cooked recipes. Worth the drive.

It was late when I went by Ruth and the food was terrible. Greens no seasoning at all.

Went to this restaurant twice. The fist time I said that maybe they had an off day. The second time confirmed that its just not good good. This is not home cooking. read more

Must visit! Everything is good, brown heavy will need salt. Get a piece of cake it is a must

Right after getting out of the airport in Birmingham, we went here for a good, home cooked from scratch, southern meal. The first clue that the food was good was that the parking lot was full..check. The second clue was that the people coming out of restaurant were loaded up with bags...check, check. The third clue was the long line of people waiting..check, check, check. It's served cafeteria style, the servings are bery hearty. We had steamed cabbage, fried chicken, greens, string beans, dressing, corn muffins, peach cobbler and german chocolate cake. All tasted fresh and homemade. I was extremely impressed that the cornbread and dressing were not overly sweet. If you're ever in Birmingham and have a taste for soul food, treat yourself at Ruth's. read more

If you are looking for some good home cooking this is the place. All items are reasonably priced. The carry out container is filled to the brim, easily a meal for two, or a eat later meal for one. I had the ox tails, collard greens and sweet potatoes, a great soul food palate teaser. We also had the beef tips and rice, good.... Will definitely cousin again when I need that soulful home cooked meal... read more

Ruth's café is a small, quaint, down-home restaurant. After driving an hour & a half, from Atlanta, we decided to go with Ruth's Cafe because of its high yelp reviews. First of all, it was very hard to find especially for those of us who are not familiar with the Birmingham/Fairfield area. It is located in a spot that is easy to miss because the signage is not very visible and to the building is below the road. I thought I was a corner store or car repair store & not a cafe. The food was OK. It was very cheap, which I liked. But the food was just OK. I ordered the catfish and grits breakfast, which came with a biscuit. The catfish was lightly breaded which I really appreciated because I didn't want to feel heavy throughout the day. But the grits were extremely watery. I'm more accustomed to creamy grits so the grits being watery was disappointing. But the biscuit was really good and freshly made so that was a highlight to complete the meal. Ruth's café is a favorite for those in the area, however, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who's coming from out of town and looking for unique dining experience. read more

Ruth's Cafe - Fish & Grits! - Soul Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama