5 Alabama restaurants to get chocolate gravy

Ask an Alabamian about chocolate gravy, and you’re sure to get two different answers.

The first, from people in far north Alabama, is “Yes, my granny made that for me growing up.” Ask anyone else and they’ll probably say, “No, that doesn’t exist. Are you crazy?”

The sweet breakfast treat is a real thing, passed along throughout generations in the Appalachians and Arkansas Ozarks because it’s both delicious and made of cheap pantry staples.

Recipes vary for chocolate gravy (even the names vary for it – my family called it “chocolate and biscuit”), but they’re all super simple to make. Cocoa, flour, milk, butter, sugar and sometimes vanilla extract are among the most popular ingredients. (Here is a recipe for you.)

But if you don’t cook or just want someone else to cook it for you, there are some restaurants and gas stations that have chocolate gravy on their menus. Here are a couple of them. Note: This isn’t every restaurant where you can order the sweet treat. If you have a different favorite, send me an email – I’d love to hear about it.

Chocolate gravy is a Friday morning special at Stagg’s Grocery in Florence, Ala.(Haley Laurence/[email protected])

Staggs Grocery

1424 Huntsville Road, Florence

Staggs Grocery may not look like much from the outside, but inside you’ll find a community gathering spot and lots of great food. (It’s been around for almost 100 years for a reason, after all.) Staggs is well-known for its burgers – they landed on AL.com’s list of top 10 burgers in the state – but you can’t miss out on its chocolate gravy and biscuits. But make sure you stop by on Friday morning – that’s the only day the longtime restaurant serves ‘em.

Mr Henry’s

701 Nance Ford Road, Hanceville

Mr Henry’s has been a Hartselle staple since the ‘70s. The diner has gone through ownership changes over time, but it’s still devoted to meat-and-three and breakfast dishes that’ll fill you up. On Saturday mornings they serve delicious chocolate gravy and biscuits – make sure to get some to get your weekend started right.

Blue Plate Cafe

3210 Governors Drive S.W., Huntsville

Folks in Huntsville love Blue Plate Cafe. Visit the down-home eatery on almost any given day and you’ll find a full parking lot. The Rocket City institution serves hearty breakfast and meat-and-three options. But on Saturdays, you gotta get the cocoa biscuit (see, yet another name for chocolate gravy and biscuits). It’s described as “biscuit with a scoop of butter and covered with our made-from-scratch chocolate sauce.”

Ole Hickory BBQ

5061 Maysville Road, New Market

Yeah, Ole Hickory is a classic Alabama BBQ joint (with an incredible pulled pork sandwich, I must say), but during the weekend it turns into a must-try breakfast joint. From beignets to french toast to cheese grits, you’ll find a large breakfast menu that’ll leave anyone happy. Of course, you gotta get the chocolate gravy and biscuit – you can order a single biscuit or a double.

Homecoming and Co.

3637 Lake Guntersville Drive, Guntersville

In 2022, Jessica Hanners moved her cafe and country store, Homecoming Cafe, from the tiny hamlet of Langston to Guntersville, but very little changed minus the location and name. You can still find fresh, homemade dishes in an inviting atmosphere. The breakfast menu is the star (Homecoming was named one of the top 10 breakfast spots in Alabama), with options like candied bacon french toast and a version of green eggs and ham. But of course, there’s also chocolate gravy and biscuit (appropriately named “Warm Hug” on the menu) that you have to order, even if just to share.

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