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Ruth's Cafe

3.9 (63 reviews)
Open • 6:00 am - 7:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Ruth's Cafe Soul Food Restaurant Photos

RUTH'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Dogs allowed
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Ruth's Cafe

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Collard greens and yams
Jasmine T.

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.

Oxtails and rice, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, cornbread

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

Omlette
T H.

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.

Steam table
Mischa J.

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.

Cake with cream cheese icing!
DJ Micaiah M.

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.

Oxtail plate and Fried chicken plate

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5 years ago

Ruth's is so good the dressing oh my gosh I hate they only do it on Sundays I want some now lol

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3 years ago

Food is always good. Good helpful, friendly staff home cooking at a very reasonable price. Love this place.

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9 years ago

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

Helpful 4
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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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8 years ago

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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5 years ago

I come often. Today I got the meatloaf and it was horrible. The green beans and Mac n cheese were good.

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3 years ago

Food was good and staff were nice. Good place for Sunday dinner. My family enjoyed it.

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5 years ago

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9 years ago

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6 years ago

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6 years ago

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6 years ago

Must try spot in Birmingham. Support black all day. Hot bar and burgers. Try it all. Wings an fish. Clean fast service

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9 years ago

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

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8 years ago

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Trattoria Zaza - Pizza Caesar salad

Trattoria Zaza

4.5(490 reviews)
3.4 mi
•$$

This place is my type of vibe!…read more Trattoria ZaZa has been on my list of places to stop at for several years. Parking often deters me but after attending the Italian Festival earlier that day, we had a craving for pizza. I ordered the combo that includes 2 slices of the day with salad. Since I wasn't overly hungry, I offered him one of my slices and he added another slice to the order. We paid and were given a number to place on our selected table. Jazzy music played in the background while we waited on our order to be brought to the table. The natural lighting, while beautiful, made it a little warm in the building. One of the waitresses propped the door open that leads to the restrooms (which are in the hallway near the elevators) in order for cooler air to make its way in. That wasn't a deal breaker, but do be aware of that on warmer days. Our food came out after a short wait. I kept my 3 cheese slice, and gave him the pepperoni one. The cheeses were very rich and the salad, while simple without the frills, was perfectly sized and drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette that was just the right amount. While I enjoyed my meal very much and the ambiance, he wasn't overly impressed with his. He didn't want the fresh herbs on his slices and knocked all of them off, lol. He's a simple guy with simple taste. This is definitely a place I will be revisiting with one of my girlfriends and not him next time as he didn't appreciate what ZaZA had to offer. Everyone we encountered was helpful and courteous. Our food, including drinks, was around $28, which was not bad for a cute, eclectic spot downtown. If you haven't been, make sure to try them out soon. Just don't wait as long as I did to visit!

Where to start? Went on a weekend, place was packed. The…read moreBad: 1. SLOW. Waited in a line inside of 4 people in front of me. There was someone at the podium at the end who i thought was a server. Was not. After a 15 minute wait (why did it take that long?), we got to the podium person. And found out they were there to take our order, not seat us. Can only assume the 15 min delay was because people were trying to figure out what to order. No signage anywhere saying, please have what you want ready while you wait in line. 2. No menus, anywhere. Yes they can be printed and people in line could take one and figure out what they want. Yes, the menu could be put on the wall behind the server in large lettering. But no, they make you scan a QR code on the wall and view the menu on your phone, so that's inconvenient and a bit obtuse. 3. When we finally place an order for pizza, was told that, "they dont serve pizzas on the weekend, but we could order their "brunch pizzas", instead. Which on the counter, was small anemic cut slices of thick bready pizzas on the cutting board/table. Those each were $8.50 according to the menu. Figure the math of 2 small slices of pizza per person for 2 people vs just ordering a large pizza. But they don't serve pizza during brunch- Trattoria literally has the word "Pizza" in their last name- twice actually- yet you have to order a nearly $9 slice of pizza sitting out on a table for who knows how long, and of the flavor of their choice, not yours. It was flat out insulting to go to a pizza based establishment and be told they won't serve whole pizzas. We left and went to Uptown to a pizzaria there, and had a really good whole pizza, salad, dessert, and drinks, and all for half the price then if we had gone to Trattoria. Wanted to give this place a chance for years, but did not work out the way i had expected it to.

Photos
Trattoria Zaza - Inside wait in line to order then pick your own seat inside or out

Inside wait in line to order then pick your own seat inside or out

Trattoria Zaza - Baked Feta

Baked Feta

Trattoria Zaza - Inside wait in line to order then pick your own seat

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Inside wait in line to order then pick your own seat

The Essential - Sourdough bread with French butter.

The Essential

4.4(495 reviews)
3.4 mi
•$$

This morning, Sunday, February 15, 2026; My wife and I went to "The Essentials" for Sunday, Brunch…read more I have not eaten at "The Essentials" for a few years now. We don't like going out on holidays like Valentines Day so we usually do something the day after. Food: I got the Steak & Eggs. They were great. I did think the "Potato Cake" on the plate was a bit dry but I did eat it all. I was surprised that no Toast was provided for this item. Just an after thought. My wife go the Banana Bread French Toast. She also loved it. Service: This is where "The Essentials" understands what their clients want. Our server was outstanding. I looked around and felt the entire staff really knew how to work with their guests. Refreshing. Ambiance: At first, I thought the restaurant was a bit noisy. Yet my wife and my conversation was not strained. The Ambiance was upscale casual. Value: I thought the prices were a bit high yet the real story was, once I was finished, my mind was asking when the next time I would return. Cost a meal is in direct portion to how much you enjoyed it. I enjoyed my meal very much. Eat well, Drink well and stay healthy.

This is a great spot in Birmingham. The menu was not clear, but the staff worked with us to figure…read moreout what they could make without seed oils and gluten-free options. I ended up with a bunless burger. The Caesar salad with chicken was my first choice, but both the dressing and the chicken had seed oils - not good. Still, the vibe was great, and we made the best of what was available. Thanks to the chef for working with us.

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The Essential
The Essential - Mushroom Madame

Mushroom Madame

The Essential - Tuna tartar with house made chips

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Tuna tartar with house made chips

Roots & Revelry - Beers aged in wine barrels, brewed by Michelin-rated chefs, and crafted above the Arctic Circle in Iceland? Yes, please!

Roots & Revelry

3.7(354 reviews)
3.5 mi
•$$$

Got fried green tomato Benedict with salmon for brunch. Absolutely delicious. Beautiful place. Good…read moreservice. Got free champagne because our food took a little longer to come out even though it didn't feel that long to us. This place is on the fancier side - a place I might take out of town guests. I would highly suggest getting a reservation. Will definitely be back!

Chile please keep your money. This place (in my opinion) has little bang for a big buck. The…read moreservice was great so if it was solely based on that I'd give them a 5 star. But I'm sorry the food? (In my case shrimp and grits) was NOT GOOD. And don't get me wrong, it wasn't a horrible flavor, but the flavors it did have were terrible. First the grits are not smooth at all. Like they aren't super course but they definitely could have been cooked down more. And they had little seasoning. And that's being generous. Then the "creole" sauce on top? Can we ask the audience what they consider creole? Because that was just pure tomato sauce. Like straight out a can, had to be. No way someone cooked that sauce from scratch or even with creole seasonings or typical additives I'm sorry I just refuse to believe it. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST... 5 shrimp??? You can't be serious. I could understand 5 shrimp if they're the huge jumbo ones but these are smedium at best. Like I feel BAMBOOZLED because no way I paid 24$ for 5 shrimp and maybe 1.5 cups of grits. But imma be honest I'm not surprised the food wasn't that good. Any place that puts on the bottom "we can't refund for food you don't like" that should tell you everything you need to know. But I digress My friends said the tequila sunrise was good so that's another star. Service and tequila sunrise. The only highlights. The venue is pretty but I don't recommend

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Roots & Revelry - Photos do not do justice to this space.

Photos do not do justice to this space.

Roots & Revelry
Roots & Revelry

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Maple Street Biscuit Company - Homewood

Maple Street Biscuit Company - Homewood

4.1(222 reviews)
5.9 mi
•$$

First of all the chicken was superb! Crispy and flavorful, yet not dry. I adored The Squawking…read moreGoat, all flavors worked well together. We loved the bacon. Hubby wasn't a fan of the asiago/bacon waffles, which come with the Chix and Waffles; I tried them and it is an acquired after taste. Neither of us were big fans of the smashed potatoes, although the sauce was refreshing. We wondered why they are "smashed," but round? Overall, food was satisfactory! Service was quick and helpful, and it wasn't as busy after 9. It is more of a community based set up. We appreciated the inclusive environment and staff, but we did have to move after being next to the dirty dish station and having multiple angry outbursts from the young lady working/cleaning and overly loud placement of dishes. We gave her the benefit of the doubt.

So I visited this establishment a couple of days ago for a quick breakfast . The place is nestled…read moreon the corner of 18th street South. I walk in and to your right you go up to order your breakfast items. Good selection for quick breakfast dining . Nothing too overwhelming to decide on. I choose the breakfast hash with a side of grits with coffee to drink. They call you up once your food is ready. I ordered the hash and a side of grits.. They were OK.. I do prefer my grits a little thicker a little cheesier . They have more of a contemporary style of grits which it was OK, but I'm just kinda finicky when it comes to some old-fashioned grits. I tried the maple coffee which was pretty good. Had more than my fair share. There is also, seating inside and outside. Come and check this place out.

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Maple Street Biscuit Company - Homewood - Five and dime, no bacon, vegetarian gravy on the side

Five and dime, no bacon, vegetarian gravy on the side

Maple Street Biscuit Company - Homewood - Firebird

Firebird

Maple Street Biscuit Company - Homewood - Five and dime

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Five and dime

Big Bad Breakfast - Homewood

Big Bad Breakfast - Homewood

4.4(874 reviews)
6.1 mi
•$$

So we got the Low Country Skillet and Huevos Rancheros and oh man... they were SO GOOD…read more The low country skillet comes with a side bread of your choice and we chose the biscuit which I'm so glad we did. The biscuit was so soft and you get to choose from an assortment of jam, which tasted so good with the biscuit. I just felt like it was bursting with flavor and so savory. The huevos rancheros were really good and satisfying. Our waitress suggested that for the egg we choose Sunny side up so that you can pop the yolk and it will bleed into the rest of the dish. It did not disappoint! The inside of the restaurant was super cool. I loved the vibe. It's actually a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. There are two floors. I actually felt like upstairs felt very open with the big windows. The people working there are super nice. There are so many dishes that looked so exciting to me, and I will be back to try some more. So many cool options!

Overall, I love breakfast, and while the portions are very generous, they were a bit heavy for me…read more My favorite dish was the biscuit crumble. It had so many layers, and the tomato added the perfect balance, preventing it from being too salty or overpowered by the bacon. I've actually developed a newfound love for tomato gravy. In comparison, the Jack Benny was too salty for my taste. I really enjoyed the fried hash cake, but with the ham, the saltiness was all I could taste. I loved the décor, and this experience definitely doesn't deter me from coming back to try more dishes.

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Big Bad Breakfast - Homewood
Big Bad Breakfast - Homewood
Big Bad Breakfast - Homewood

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Ruth's Cafe - soulfood - Updated May 2026

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