Alabama is meat-and-three country.

The AL.com staff confirmed as much on our tour of the best the state has to offer including Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and the whole map, plus all the places readers told us to try.

Put them on your bucket list. Hit one up for a quick lunch between work shifts. Either way, go eat and rejoice.

Below are the 20 meat-and-three joints you must try, and what to order.

BETTY MAE’S RESTAURANT

2007 N. Memorial Pkwy., Huntsville, facebook.com

It used to be, you kinda had to know Betty Mae’s Restaurant existed to find it. In the late 2000s, Betty Mae’s started off in a Grace Street building in a North Huntsville residential area. More recently, they moseyed their home-cooked wizardry to a North Parkway commercial strip, located in the shadows of a Lowe’s Home Improvement Center. It’s a bit easier to find now. But Betty Mae’s Restaurant has retained every electron of its greatness without sacrificing heart.

Order this: The fried chicken is special here. Extra oomph in those seasonings. The mac-and-cheese looks basic, but the taste and texture are anything but. The candied yams go down like a Funkadelic tour bus crashing into Thanksgiving dinner. And the collard greens will renew your chi. — Matt Wake

BIG TIME DINER

4936 Cottage Hill Road; www.bigtimediner.com

Big Time Diner does stretch the concept more than any other place on this list; it’s built on the template of a classic ‘50s-’60s full service diner than a down-home café. It’s got a full menu of seafood dinners, burgers, shakes, malts and more. But you can’t go wrong with the Blue-Plate Special, which can be a meat-and-two, a meat-and-three or a meat-and-four. It doesn’t hurt that Big Time Diner has a reputation for attentive, friendly service.

Order this: Fried fish (or grilled fish, if you’re trying to be good) is a nice option. Don’t overlook the onion rings. — Lawrence Specker

BLUE PLATE CAFE

3210 Governors Drive S.W., blueplatecafe.com

The parking lot often overflows at Blue Plate Cafe. Founded by Steak-Out/Rosie’s Cantina’s David Martin, Blue Plate has been a Huntsville dining fixture since “Lord of the Rings” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” films were ruling cinemas. How does Blue Plate Cafe stay relevant as food trends and local hotspots come and go? Southern-mom level hospitality and a PhD in frying stuff.

Order this: Like many meat-and-threes, Blue Plate Cafe rotates protein and sides offerings, keeping their menu a live animal. If they’re in the lineup that day, the nap-inducing pot roast and summer “tomatoes, onions and cucumbers” side are first-round draft picks. Allocate space for a slice of pie — especially the sunny-tart lemon ice box and brownie-gone-wild chocolate walnut. — Matt Wake

BLUFF PARK DINER

591 Shades Crest Road in Hoover. www.bluffparkdiner.com

Tucked into a quaint little shopping center in Hoover, the Bluff Park Diner is worth the trip. Park across the street — this place gets busy at lunch and dinnertime — and soak in the view from Shades Mountain before heading inside for some flavorful and nicely prepared food. We really like the options for main dishes here, which range from fried shrimp to stuffed bell peppers to country ham to turkey and dressing. The diner also has meat-and-three standards, such as country fried steak, pot roast and fried chicken. Exceptional sides include fried okra, sweet potato casserole, turnip greens, hushpuppies, cinnamon apples and black-eyes peas. If you crave creamed corn, yams, mashed potatoes or baby lima beans, they’ve got those, too.

Order this: Chicken dishes abound at the Bluff Park Diner. Take your pick among chicken fingers, chicken pot pie, baked chicken, chicken and dumplings, barbecue chicken or boneless fried chicken. You can’t go wrong with any of them. — Mary Colurso

BUBBY’S DINER

8412 Whitesburg Drive S.E., facebook.com/bubbysdiner

They opened in February ‘21, but Bubby’s Diner evokes an era much farther back. Founded by married couple Chris Belcher and Shae Blecher, Bubby’s leans hard into 1950s vibes in its branding and décor. Think checkerboard, Elvis, Marilyn, vintage baseball, etc. Bubby’s, located in a former Gibson’s BBQ location, has quickly become a new South Huntsville classic, thanks to not only to atmosphere but its tasty down-to-earth breakfast (biscuits, pancakes, platters, etc.) and lunch (burgers, hot dogs, po boys, etc.) fare.

Order this: Meat-and-three-wise, the proteins are anchored by fried catfish, country fried steak with white gravy, meatloaf, etc. Go-to sides include mashed potatoes and brown gravy, corn nuggets and cowboy beans, the latter a spaghetti-western-worthy amalgam of baked beans, peppers, beef and bacon. — Matt Wake

CHERYL’S CAFE

6580-D Spanish Fort Blvd.; www.cherylscafespanishfort.com; daily specials at www.facebook.com/cherylscafe.

Earlier this year I interviewed “Panini Pete” Blohme and partner Nick DiMario about the effort to get the new Ed’s Seafood Shed established on the hill in Spanish Fort, and they said they were eager to finish the preparations and finally get the place open because “we’ve been eating at Cheryl’s way too much.” No wonder. First off, it’s right across the street. More importantly, it comes really close to the nostalgic ideal of a meat-and-three. You get the red-and-white-checked tablecloths. You get the chalkboard menu. You get waitresses welcoming regulars by name, and telling they saved them a portion of this or that favorite item because they knew they were coming.

Order this: Dessert. At some places you can talk yourself out of the banana pudding or a slice of pie and that is, as they say, a choice. Do that here and you have messed up – so consider the daily selection of homemade treats and dive in. — Lawrence Specker

CITY CAFE

408 Main Ave., Northport. facebook.com/CityCafeNorthportAL

Main Avenue in idyllic downtown Northport could double for Andy Griffith’s fictional hometown of Mayberry. There’s a hardware store, a barbershop, a florist, a toy shop, and then, under the rusted metal sign on the corner at the end of the block, there’s the legendary City Café, a Northport dining gem that’s been serving downhome meals to homesick University of Alabama students, as well as loyal local customers, since 1931. The cafe seats about 165 guests in its three dining rooms, and during the lunch rush, there’s typically a constant stream of customers. If you can find an opening, we recommend that you grab a seat at the lunch counter and make friends with a stranger. The meat-and-three menu changes daily and includes so many options — eight or so main dishes, a dozen or more sides and a half-dozen desserts — that you could come here five days a week and eat something different every day. A bonus: At City Café, cobbler is considered a “vegetable.”

Order this: If we were building the perfect City Café lunch plate, it would include a hamburger steak with onions and gravy as our meat and field peas, fried okra and creamed corn as our three vegetables, along with a tumbler of sweet tea and a slice of lemon icebox pie for dessert. — Bob Carlton

RELATED: Todd Blackledge visits City Cafe for ‘Taste of the Town’

CLAUNCH CAFE

400 South Main St., Tuscumbia. facebook.com/claunchcafe

For three generations, the Claunch family has kept the folks in the Shoals well-fed, first at the old Pete’s Café in downtown Tuscumbia and now at the current Claunch Café, which opened in 1997 in Tuscumbia’s Spring Park. “When I think of just a hometown, family, mom-and-pop type of restaurant, it really doesn’t get much more family than this,” says Chris Claunch, who, with the help of his wife, Morgan, carries on a family tradition that his late grandparents began more than 70 years ago. Over the years, the café has developed a well-deserved reputation as the place to go in the Shoals for stick-to-your-ribs meals such as meatloaf, pot roast and fried chicken, as well as its turnip green soup, heirloom tomato pie and the café’s signature dish, the pecan-chicken salad plate.

Order this: The turnip green soup, which is featured on AL.com’s list of 68-must-try Alabama dishes, is the Monday special at the Claunch Café. The hearty soup is chock-full of leafy greens, smoked sausage and white beans, and it’s cooked in a chicken broth with a dash of hot sauce and black pepper to give it that little extra kick. — Bob Carlton

RELATED: The Alabama restaurant that’s ‘as mom-and-pop as it gets’

COZY BROWN’S KITCHEN

4395 St. Stephens Road; cozybrownandson.com

Cozy Brown has been a Prichard institution for years, both for his food and for the Christian spirit and that led him to forgive a man who robbed and shot him a few years back. In 2021 the SEC Network series “True South” put the spotlight on Cozy Brown’s Kitchen. Since then, Brown has moved his operation from its familiar spot on Wasson Ave. to a new site just a little farther out into Eight Mile on St. Stephens Road, where it bears the name Cozy Brown’s (and Son) Kitchen. It’s a newer, more visible building with an open interior that provides for more dine-in seating. The menu includes seafood plates and more, but you’ll find plenty of options on the cafeteria-style serving line.

Order this: On a recent visit, the standout treats were the candied yams – which were, indeed, candy – and the peach cobbler, which was magnificent. — Lawrence Specker

DOT’S SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT

18152 Alabama Highway 20, Hillsboro.

Dot’s Soul Food Restaurant is a word-of-mouth treasure that’s tucked away in an otherwise inconspicuous, red-brick, ranch-style building in the small Lawrence County town of Hillsboro, just west of Decatur. All those cars and trucks in the parking lot give it away, though. Inside, the lunch crowd forms a long, steady line that typically stretches from the steam table to the front door, patiently waiting to be rewarded with righteous fried chicken, glorious mac and cheese and collard greens that made you want to shout, “Amen!”

Order this: Don’t leave without getting a slice of Dot’s heavenly caramel cake. — Bob Carlton

EAGLE’S RESTAURANT

2610 16th St. North in Birmingham. eaglesrestaurant.com

Eagle’s, founded in 1951, is a haven for authentic soul food. There are no frills here, to be sure, but Eagle’s is legendary among people who love meat-and-three. In fact, regulars tend to arrive early on Sunday mornings, to beat the crowd — and the line — that forms at the restaurant. Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern is an enthusiastic fan, too, including Eagle’s in a 2022 list of his favorite places to eat in Birmingham. Favorite main dishes include oxtails, beef tips with rice, baked chicken and dressing, barbecue chicken and fried pork chops. And we’re all about the sides, especially greens (turnip or collard), black-eyed peas, candied yams and fried corn. Get a vegetable plate here, and you won’t be disappointed.

Order this: Oxtails! If you adore this savory dish, it’s a must-have at Eagle’s. And if you’re trying oxtails for the first time, Eagle’s is the place to do it. (Confession: We have yet to sample another house specialty — neckbones with potatoes — but folks rave about that dish, too.) — Mary Colurso

MORE: Southern Food Draft: Did we build the perfect meat-and-three plates?

G’S COUNTRY KITCHEN

2501 Oakwood Ave. N.W., facebook.com

Film location scouts, this is your “soul food scene” in Huntsville. The G in G’s Country Kitchen stands for Greta. Back in the ‘90s, Greta Russell was working a corporate job that became increasingly demanding on her time without increasing her pay. With the encouragement of her family, she started G’s Country Kitchen in a submerged shopping center in North Huntsville. Since then, G’s, address 2501 Oakwood Ave. N.W., has become a signature Huntsville spot. It’s an affordable go-to for college students, as well as lunch-breakers and even the occasional celeb (Cedric the Entertainer, for example). Please note: According to a note on their storefront, G’s Country Kitchen is currently closed for “vacation and clean-up,” and will reopen July 18.

What to order: The fried catfish is salt-pepper juju, and the meatloaf’s here’s mammoth. Build your plate around one of those or do the four-veggie vegetable plate. Definitely include the hot-stuff fried okra in the mix. — Matt Wake

IRONDALE CAFE

1906 First Ave. North in Irondale. www.irondalecafe.com

The Irondale Cafe is a mighty special place, and not just for the quality of its food. This restaurant was the inspiration for the Whistle Stop Cafe, the setting of Fannie Flagg’s 1987 novel, “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.” The book was later adapted into a popular movie, titled simply “Fried Green Tomatoes.” Flagg’s aunt, Bess Fortenberry, bought the real-life cafe in 1932 and spent about 40 years running the place with the help of two friends, Sue Lovelace and Lizzie Cunningham. The current owner, Jim Dolan, bought the cafe in 2000, and has retained its down-home appeal. The delectable lunch menu includes buttermilk fried chicken, fried catfish filet with jalapeno hushpuppies, fried chicken livers and country fried steak with brown gravy. Sides include creamed corn, carrot and raisin salad, butter beans, cole slaw, stewed cabbage, green beans and mashed potatoes. One word: Yum!

Order this: Fried green tomatoes, of course. They’re a crispy reminder of the restaurant’s colorful history. According to the Irondale Cafe’s website, they serve about 600-800 slices daily. — Mary Colurso

READ: 23 deep-fried facts about ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’

JOHNNY’S RESTAURANT

2902 18th St. South, Suite 200 in Homewood. www.johnnyshomewood.com

Johnny’s opened in 2012 and immediately earned a stellar reputation for combining tradition and innovation. Chef Timothy Hontzas likes to call his restaurant a “Greek and three,” reflecting the menu’s fusion of Greek and Southern cuisine. We admire the creativity and care that goes into the food at Johnny’s, along with the fresh ingredients. Mouth-watering main dishes range from chicken pot pie to fried catfish to meatloaf with chipotle BBQ. Standout sides include parmesan grit cake, fried green tomatoes, spinach and chickpeas and sweet potato puree with cinnamon maple butter. It’s no wonder that Hontzas has been nominated for Best Chef in the South by the James Beard Awards, reaching the semifinals in 2017-2020 and the finals in 2022 and 2023. (Note: A controversy erupted this year when Hontzas was disqualified by the Beard Awards for yelling at employees and restaurant guests, but we’ve never experienced that at Johnny’s.)

Order this: The Greek meatballs are delicious, especially when dipped in a creamy tzatziki sauce. This main dish, also known as keftedes, inspires raves from regulars — and rightly so. — Mary Colurso

MAMA’S ON DAUPHIN

220 Dauphin St.; www.mamasondauphin.com

The food is more than good enough to guarantee Mama’s a spot on the list, but its location is another big factor: For anyone working downtown, Mama’s has been the place that has kept home cooking within walking distance. Locals know which specials come on which days, and it’s not a surprise to find yourself waiting for a table if you arrive after the lunch rush starts.

Order this: Depends on the day. Is in Monday? Get the meatloaf. Favor pork chops? Go on a Wednesday to get them fried, or on a Thursday to get them smothered. — Lawrence Specker

MARTIN’S RESTAURANT

1796 Carter Hill Road, Montgomery. themartinsrestaurant.com

The fried chicken is moist and crispy, the cornbread muffins soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside, and the chocolate pie is piled high with a mountain of meringue. Thank goodness, some things never change at Martin’s Restaurant, a Montgomery treasure where generations of diners have gathered for belt-loosening lunches washed down with tumblers of sweet tea. Alice Martin opened the original location of her namesake restaurant about 90 years ago, and Maryanne Smith Merritt is the current proprietor of the business that has been in her family since her father bought it in 1939. Merritt takes care of the restaurant like a cherished heirloom, and she treats her guests like extended members of the family. “If you have good customers and you have good relationships with your customers, they are going to come back,” Merritt says. “My thing is always treat people like you want to be treated and call them by name.”

Order this: Martin’s is one of the few places in Alabama that still serves “pulley bones” — that prized part of the chicken that’s tucked between the breasts. Fried chicken purists will tell you that it is the finest piece of the bird, and it is a rare treat. “You have to cut a whole chicken to get one pulley bone,” Merritt says. “We have just so many that we start out with each day, and then they’re gone.” — Bob Carlton

RELATED: Martin’s Restaurant: The queen of Alabama’s meat-and-threes

MARY’S SOUTHERN COOKING

3011 Spring Hill Ave.; maryssoutherncookingmobile.com

It’s no surprise to see city officials who’ve found it worth their time to voyage from downtown out Spring Hill Avenue for lunch at Mary’s. You might not know who you’ll see, but you’ll know why they’re there, and why it was worth braving Crichton traffic and the challenge of parking in this establishment’s rather tight lot. It is all about what’s on that cafeteria-style steam table, and it is the real deal.

Order this: They go deep on the daily specials at Mary’s: Liver & Onion on Tuesday, turkey necks on Wednesday, smothered pork chops on Thursday, Oxtails on Friday. Let yourself go. — Lawrence Specker

PANNIE-GEORGE’S KITCHEN

2328 South College St., Auburn; 450 North Court St., Montgomery. panniegeorgeskitchen.com

A beloved, family-owned soul food restaurant whose story is as inspirational as its food is delicious, Pannie-George’s Kitchen opened on South College Street in Auburn in 2005 and, with encouragement from lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson, added a second location in the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion in Montgomery in 2020. The steam table at Pannie-George’s features a selection of Southern favorites — from fried chicken and baked pork chops to collard greens and candied yams — and it’s hard to go wrong with whatever you choose. Among the restaurant’s biggest fans is none other than Auburn University football legend and Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson. “Bo loves the chicken,” co-owner Lorine Askew says. “He always gets chicken to take home to his wife. He says I’m his ‘other mother.’”

Order this: Take Bo’s advice and get the fried chicken, along with purple-hull peas, speckled butter beans and candied yams. And save room for some peach or blackberry cobbler for dessert. — Bob Carlton

RELATED: The inspiring story behnd this beloved Auburn restaurant

NIKI’S WEST STEAK & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

233 Finley Ave. West in Birmingham. www.nikiswest.com

Niki’s West is the undeniable king of meat-and-three restaurants in Birmingham. It’s also a beloved institution here, open since 1957. Regulars flock to the place for a daily lunch fix, and plenty of folks who move away say Niki’s is a must when they return to the city for visits. Niki’s extensive menu features several main dishes, from hamburger steak to Greek chicken to liver and onions to fried pork chops. There are more than 20 sides, including yams, fried okra, field peas, broccoli rice and cheese, pinto beans, creamed potatoes and turnip greens. Everything at Niki’s hits the spot, so diners can mix and match at will. Here’s a pro tip for newcomers: Be ready with your order as you approach the line at the steam table, or you’re likely to get fussed at by the employees on duty. Staffers at Niki’s are welcoming, but they like to keep things moving.

Order this: Goodness, how to choose? Let’s just say that we’re fond of the lemon pepper catfish, which is on the menu most days. Also, the macaroni and cheese is so wonderfully gooey, it’s become a guilty pleasure. — Mary Colurso

WALTON’S SOUTHERN TABLE

4901 Whitesburg Drive, waltonssoutherntable.com

Walton’s Southern Table isn’t Huntsville’s coolest meat-and-three (that’s a jump ball between Betty Mae’s and G’s) but to me it’s the best. Another all-star from the Larry Bird of Huntsville restaurateurs, David Martin. Walton’s launched 18-ish years ago in a former Ruby Tuesday’s. Its rebooted innards are more like a posh cool mom’s place. Damask wallpaper, exposed brick, Town and Country-worthy light fixtures and seating. But what it lacks in bluesy anthropology, Walton’s makes up for in stellar homestyle food and the kind of warm-sharp table service that’s become an endangered species post-pandemic.

Order this: Their Southern-fried chicken is a star. The hashbrown casserole’s like something a grandma contributes to a church potluck dinner. Connect the rest of your dots from there. — Matt Wake