12 Alabama restaurants that should be more popular than they are

There are a lot of amazing restaurants throughout the state of Alabama, and that’s a good thing, but with so many to choose from, sometimes a few places can slip through the cracks — no matter how great they are.

That’s why This is Alabama recently asked its readers to share their favorite restaurants that should be more popular than they are. The answers ranged from off-the-beaten path eateries that might get missed because of their small-town locales to hole-in-the-wall diners that often get overlooked because they aren’t quite as fancy as the competition.

You can read some of the restaurants submitted by readers below, and you can read the full list on This is Alabama’s Facebook page.

Big Spring Cafe’s slaw dog and chili dog. (Matt Wake/[email protected])

Big Spring Cafe

3507 Governors Drive S.W. in Huntsville

If you needed proof that a restaurant doesn’t have to be fancy to be worth some hype, Big Spring Cafe in Huntsville is where you’ll find it. Open since 1922 and known to be the city’s oldest surviving restaurant, the diner has developed a loyal following thanks to its budget-friendly lunch menu, which includes its popular chili dogs and slaw dogs as well as burgers, chicken tenders and more. And if you’re an early riser, the cafe, which is open from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. on weekdays only, also serves plenty of breakfast items, like omelets, biscuits and classic plates.

50 Taters

1497 County Park Road in Scottsboro

Don’t be fooled by the name. Because while there are “taters” on the menu at 50 Taters, there’s plenty more than that, too. In fact, the Scottsboro restaurant, open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday and lunch on Sundays, serves everything from fried chicken to ribeye steaks, fried catfish, shrimp po’ boys, pulled pork and so much more. That said, its brisket tater, which consists of a baked potato topped with butter, sour cream, cheese and slow-cooked brisket, did make the Alabama Department of Tourism’s “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” for a reason.

A cheeseburger served “all the way” at J&J Grocery & Deli in Bessemer, Ala.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])

J&J Grocery and Deli

8169 Dickey Springs Road in Bessemer

J&J Grocery & Deli in Bessemer might be small, but it offers up big flavor to its customers, many of whom have been coming there for decades. Its menu consists of breakfast, chicken sandwiches and a popular assortment of burgers. Whether you go for one of its more unique offerings, like its mushroom-and-Swiss burger or a chili-cheeseburger, or get the tried-and-true, old-fashioned cheeseburger, topped with a slice of American cheese and served “all the way” with lettuce, tomato, pickles and diced onions, J&J Grocery, open from 5:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, will not disappoint.

Lighthouse Restaurant

12495 Padgett Switch Road in Irvington

The Lighthouse Restaurant in Irvington, near Bayou La Batre, might feel out of the way if you don’t live nearby, but any seafood lover who has eaten there will tell you it’s worth the drive. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, its menu consists of everything from oyster burgers to steaks, po’ boys and more as well as seafood dinners like crab cakes, crawfish tails, flounder and stuffed shrimp. Whatever you decide to order, be sure to grab a cup of the Lighthouse’s chicken and oyster gumbo, which made our list of “68 Alabama dishes everyone needs to try,” to go along with it.

Stagecoach Cafe

52860 State Highway 59 in Stockton

Sometimes, you’re just in the mood for Southern comfort food, and when that’s the case, The Stagecoach Cafe in Stockton is a good place to go. Whether you order from the menu or fill your plate with beloved favorites from the buffet, it’s safe to bet you’re going to leave with a full belly and your cravings satisfied. Oh, and if you find yourself unable to decide what to order with so much to choose from, keep in mind that the Stagecoach, which is open for lunch Tuesdays through Sundays as well as dinner on the weekends, has become known for its fried chicken. (And that the banana pudding deserves an honorable mention too.)

The Back Porch

270 Marina Drive in Talladega

If you’re someone who enjoys good food and outdoor dining with a view, Back Porch Restaurant in Talladega is worth checking out. With large porches overlooking Logan Martin Lake and a menu offering everything from fried catfish to shrimp and grits, burgers, po’ boys, tacos, steaks, salads, desserts and more, Back Porch Restaurant is a bit of a hidden gem that many of our readers think deserves a bit more credit.

Dew Drop Inn

1808 Old Shell Road in Mobile

Known as the oldest restaurant in Mobile, the Dew Drop Inn has gotten plenty of attention over the years, but we’re still not sure it’s enough. After all, when you’re looking for a no-fuss spot to grab a bite, some would say there’s nowhere better to go than the Dew Drop. Open for lunch Monday through Saturday, its diverse menu includes cheeseburgers, po boys, fried seafood, hamburger steak and an assortment of sides, but honestly, you can’t beat its signature hot dog, which is topped with chili, sauerkraut, ketchup and a pickle slice.

The Breezeway

213 South Eighth Street in Opelika

For more than 30 years, The Breezeway in Opelika has been serving up a huge menu filled with everything from wings to salads, seafood, sandwiches, burgers and so much more — but know that it’s the American-style eatery’s chicken fingers that keep many customers coming back again and again. Open for lunch and dinner on weekdays as well as lunch on weekends, The Breezeway is the kind of catch-all restaurant where everyone is going to end up finding something they want, whether its a specialty item like “The Gobbler,” a basket of wings, a catfish sandwich, chicken salad or those golden-fried tenders.

Jesse’s Restaurant

14770 Oak Street in Magnolia Springs;

Given Magnolia Springs’ proximity to Alabama’s beach towns that are home to dozens of seafood restaurants, it’s not too surprising that Jesse’s Restaurant often goes under the radar. That said, most folks who go there don’t often make the mistake of overlooking it again. Jesse’s, open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, offers fresh seafood with a Southern flare, serving dishes like shrimp and grits, pan-seared Gulf grouper, crab cakes and specialty oysters in addition to steaks, salads, crawfish mac and cheese and more. Last year, a second location, Jesse’s on the Bay, opened in Fort Morgan.

Green Top Bar-B-Q

2215 Highway 78 East in Dora

Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top Bar-B-Q, or Green Top Bar-B-Q as its known, may already have some notoriety given that the word “famous” appears in its name, but the Dora restaurant could always use a little more, according to readers. In business since 1973 and open for lunch as well as dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays, Green Top Bar-B-Q offers a menu of barbecue classics like smoked chicken as well as chicken barbecue nachos, barbecue grilled cheese sandwiches, pork chop sandwich and more.

All Steak Restaurant

323 3rd Avenue SE in Cullman

While All Steak Restaurant in Cullman might be known across the state for its beloved orange rolls — and for good reason — there is plenty more on the menu worth talking about too. After all, All Steak Restaurant, open for dinner Monday through Saturday as well as lunch on Friday and Saturday, has been in business for more than 70 years and has a menu full of everything from smashburgers to chicken sandwiches, meatloaf, crab cakes, fettucine alfredo and so many steaks. Whatever you order though, be sure to save room for Dyron’s white chocolate bread pudding.

Beans and Greens

10294 Centre Road in Gadsden

Buffets, for whatever reason, often don’t get the hype they deserve. After all, who doesn’t love having an array of entrees, sides and desserts spread out before them with permission to eat as much as they like? At Beans and Greens Restaurant in Gadsden, that’s exactly what you’ll find. Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday as well as lunch on Sundays, Beans and Greens offers up a rotating menu of Southern classics like chicken and dumplings, Southern-fried catfish, chicken and dressing, meatloaf and all of the classic fixins’ you’d expect to go with them.