We came here as a night out with family. It's rustic, casual with a well worn feel. There is lots of parking. It's wheelchair accessible and the restaurant has take-out. Service was fast. We sat next to the fireplace - although it wasn't lit in the spring/summer. This place is known for Southern Comfort food on the buffet and full menu. We ordered the steak on Friday night - YUM! Delicious sweet potatoes on the bar - fresh salad fixings on the bar and banana pudding for dessert. This is one of the few places in the area that has a salad bar. We will be back - Sawmeal is a mainstay in the community. read more

The burger was nothing fancy. But the taste was amazing. The fries were good. Yet what made it amazing was the ranch to dip the fries in. Not sure what the Sawmeal does to make their ranch but it is out of this world. read more

Sawmeal Restaurant - Bacon Cheeseburger, fries and ranch - American Near Me - Brent, Alabama

I really don't want to give a bad review because I literally grew up eating here as a kid. I loved it back then. My dad used to stop here on our way to our hunting trips and we always looked forward to their breakfast! Fast forward 40 years and I just happened to get detoured a little and I passed this iconic landmark of a restaurant from my childhood. So yes, we are stopping here for a late lunch. As we entered I didn't really see a lot of people but it was a little later in the afternoon and I don't think they were far from closing. They had a small buffet with very few options. The salad bar was decent. All of the other food was nothing special and it seemed like a good bit of the food was likely just reheated from previous days. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. I guess all good things must come to an end. read more

The food was bland and disgusting. Terrible food. Would not recommend at all. The service was good but the food was ass.

Food was ok doesn't serve breakfast after 1030 should state on menu and only restaurant i been to where they charge you $1.50 for tap water

Food was not hot .Mens restroom was nasty. Not enough food on buffet. Overall cleanliness was poor.The food was good. I will go back when they correct the complaints I addressed. read more

The Sawmeal is a unique and special place to eat and gather. It's setting is rustic and the Chicken Teriyaki is famous in this area. Stop by on your way down highway 5 and experience excellence from a buffet or order from the menu. read more

Been eating here for years, good food at a reasonable price. Fried Chicken the best around.

The sawmeal restaurant is an old rundown restaurant with water stains on the ceilings! It's in need of serious repairs! Decided to dine in on my wife's birthday! She ordered the catfish plate! My son ordered a bone chicken plate and I decided to do the buffet! Took 45 minutes for them to get their food! You can tell the food they serve is previously frozen! My wife's catfish had no taste! My sons plate was terrible and the buffet was questionable at best! Half of what was at the buffet I had no idea what it was! I ate a mystery plate of food! The restaurant feels dirty and is very rundown inside and outside! I can only imagine what condition the kitchen and refrigerators/ freezers are in! The service was decent and their prices are high for what they serve! We felt like we got ripped off after eating there! This restaurant could use a facelift inside and out! Their parking lot has big pot-holes! The repairs to this place and parking lot would be expensive! They need to start ordering fresh food! Stop freezing your food or ordering already frozen food all the time! Freezing takes away from the taste! Cook your food fresh! Also stop relying on your microwave! The cook or cooks need to taste and eat the food they are serving! Then they might realize the food isn't the greatest! The repeat customers that go there must be accustomed to eating overpriced crap food and being in a dilapidated building, I'm sorry to say! read more

Stopped on our way to Tuscaloosa for lunch. My boyfriend used to come here everyday when he lived in the area. I will say it was ok, but I expected better from the way he talked! The chicken & Dumplings had plenty of chicken but the dumplings were super dense! Fried chicken, you have to pick careful. The wing I had was super dry, the thigh was over cooked, but the leg was really good. Ribs were good and the BBQ Sauce was the bomb! Green beans had a funny tin like taste to them. Overall food is okay. I don't normally do this, but I did try a bite of peach cobbler & bread pudding. They were out of this world good!!! Service is lacking greatly!!! No one ever came to refill drinks so I sat here with an empty glass most of my meal. read more

Five years ago people would drive from all over to eat the seafood buffet or just about anything else on the menu, but today if I were starving and had been lost in the woods for two weeks you couldn't give me a glass of water from this place. It would be a great place to open a restaurant but as of now it should be torn down and forgotten about. This sucks on so many levels because I had some really good memories and food here. God Bless em I hope they find their way back. read more

The food was delicious they had a large variety . More than one dessert to choose from the service was nice, pleasant , an considerate .the ambiance was nice the atmosphere was quiet well lighted but not to bright beautiful decorated . Country setting an theme . read more

The hamburgers are great. Stop here every time I go home to visit the parents. The people could be a little more attentive for to go orders.

Open til 9pm, but they pull the buffet at 7pm!!! Who does that???? One would think we would have been told since we arrived at 630pm, but nope read more

This restaurant is typical of the buffet-style you find in little towns all over the South. It has been around since the 70s and probably hasnt been remodeled in decades. It used to have a wonderful atmosphere. ..great for date night. Not as much now. It is clean though. The food is good. The buffet is usually good. They make great hamburgers, and the fried chicken is the best in town if you get it fresh. If it has been sitting on the buffet awhile it may not be as good. But it is usually gone quickly. The salad bar is fair. Not exceptional. But for the price, the daily buffet is fine. Ive not yet tried the seafood buffett because thats waaay too pricey for me. But the staff is extremely friendly and the restaurant is a local landmark. Its too bad I cant offer a better review because I have fond memories of this restaurant from the 70s. They used to have an open pit and made the best steaks you could ask for. read more

We ate at this restaurant twice on our vacation in late September. The first time was off the menu. The second time off the lunch buffet. If you like a good ole meat and three that tastes like home cooking with great service, this is the place for you. My favorite items were the country fried steak with white gravy, the salad and the banana pudding. If we are in the area again, we will definately be back. read more

Showed up to order a bacon hamburger they said it would be 10-15 minutes 20 minutes later they said we are really back. 30 minutes after I ordered they gave me chicken fingers in a Togo box. I wanted to know where the cheeseburger they said they never submitted the order. Avoid this place read more

Excellent fried chicken and sides on the buffet. We would definitely stop here if we are in this area again.

The Fri. & Sat. night seafood buffet is a little pricey I think, but for unlimited crab legs and crawfish I guess I can see charging that much. The food is good and hot and the employees do a good job keeping the buffet stocked and clean. If you go, be sure to check out the photograph picture on the wall just outside the bathrooms of the oldest long-leaf pine ever cut down in the state. read more

The food is good and the staff, Ms. Carol, she's awesome! If you're looking for moderate to fancy eating, this isn't it. If you want good food, relax country setting, then this is it. Plenty of food, crab legs, frog legs, corn, string beans, fried oysters, scallops, catfish, banana pudding, peach cobbler etc. You won't be disappointed. It's price. One person w/ a drink $27!! My only complaint, some of the food sits idle in juice/water and becomes soggy. I luv scallops, but they stayed in the water so long, they were awful. Wish they had fried scallops instead. Other than that, crab legs, crawfish for days!! Enjoy!! I'm adding the date bc yelp sometimes is not accurate 6/6/15 read more

Best fried chicken I've EVER had! Love this place. I eat here every time I come up to the hunting camp.

It is just a country buffet, not too many options for lunch (chicken and catfish). Several Green's and saladas. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.As good as I've found for southern cooking. I'm 77 and have lived in Alabama and Georgia 38 years. Happened upon it driving south on Ala hwy 5 between Bham/Tuscaloosa and Mobile. We were there right before church crowd for Sunday buffet. It may not always be that good. Dressing, green beans, Lima beans, sweet potatoes, carrot salad just right. I wasn't in love with the fried chicken, but it was very as rural southerners like it. Husband said ox tail (beef) were tasty. Fellow diners, locals from 50 miles around. Nothing else, so good it's good. read more

This place used to be awesome. The Sawmill Restaurant has been open for as long as I can remember. It has changed owners many times over the years. Its glory days seem long past. The food is now bland, staff seems unconcerned about quality, and it has really gone downhill. I really hope the next time it changes hands, it will recover some of the charm and tasty foods it was known for from the 70s through 1990s. read more

Came for the Friday night steak and bbq bar. Thought it was a little pricey UNTIL I took a bite. OMG the ribs fell off the bone were so tender. They were amazing. Chicken,pork, and sausage rounded out your meat options. Definately worth the money. Wait staff super nice. Took great care of us. read more

Our family decided to stop for supper last night (July 15th). The buffet looked decent so we chose that. We did not see any listed price but assumed that our just turned 10 year olds would cost less than us. The salad was wilted. ALL of the meat was COLD. We would have eaten more food if we had gone to Wendy's. Imagine our surprise when our bill for 2 adults & 2 children was about $83 without a tip. Our waitress took forever to bring our drinks. A different waitress finally brought a refill & the check. Having eaten at the Sawmill while visiting in the area, I was greatly disappointed & would NOT recommend anyone eat there. read more

I've only eaten early breakfast at the Sawmeal a number of times, but I haven't had better anywhere. Their western omelette with grits & fresh baked biscuits are marvelous. Their friendly, welcoming service is an added bonus at the crack of dawn. (BTW: The biscuits won't be ready before 6:25AM.) I can't speak for the rest of the menu since I've not eaten from it. read more