3 Alabama steakhouses make Southern Living’s legendary list
We Southerners love a thick, juicy steak, and the good folks at Southern Living have taken note, assembling a list of “The Most Legendary Steakhouses In The South.”
Southern Living senior travel and culture editor Tara Massouleh McCay compiled the list, which includes such iconic Southern steak restaurants as Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, Ye Olde Steak House in Knoxville and Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Oklahoma City.
Three Alabama steak restaurants – each of which has been around long enough to serve multiple generations of customers – are also featured among the 30 steakhouses that made the final cut.
Here are the three Alabama steak places on the list, along with Southern Living’s comments about each of them:
The All Steak Restaurant is a Cullman institution whose history goes back to 1934. (Photo courtesy of All Steak Restaurant; used with permission)
All Steak Restaurant in Cullman
“Alabamians know this Cullman institution as the ‘Home of the Orange Roll’ (we guarantee you down an entire basket of the buttery, pull-apart bread before your steak arrives to the table), but there’s another reason All Steak has been around since 1934, and it’s their unrivaled steaks. All Certified Angus Beef, you can’t go wrong whether you order a T-bone or gorgeously marbled ribeye.”
All Steak Restaurant is at 323 Third Ave. SE in Cullman. The phone is 256-734-4322. For more information, go here.
George’s Steak Pit in Sheffield was founded in the mid-1950s by George and Vangie Vafinis. New owners Scott and Leigh Anna Trimble carry on the George’s tradition.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])
George’s Steak Pit in Sheffield
“There may be fewer than 10,000 people who call Sheffield home, but people come from all over to snag a table at their legendary fine dining restaurant George’s Steak Pit. The secret to their enduring success (the restaurant was founded by George and Vangie Vafinis in the mid-1950s), is the famous open pit where everything from freshly cut steaks to fish and chicken is cooked over hickory logs.”
George’s Steak Pit is at 1206 South Jackson Highway in Sheffield. The phone is 256-381-1531. For more information, go here.
Nick’s Original Filet House — fondly known as “Nick’s in the Sticks” — was founded by Nick Delgado, who moved his backroads steakhouse to its current location on U.S. 43 on the western outskirts of Tuscaloosa in the mid-1950s.(Ben Flanagan/[email protected])
Nick’s Original Filet House in Tuscaloosa
“You may mistake this steakhouse for a side-of-the-road shack, but once you try a bite of their signature bacon-wrapped filet, we promise you’ll never make the error again. Housed in a tiny cinderblock building in the middle of nowhere (hence the nickname Nick’s in the Sticks), Nick’s Original Filet House is an unassuming anomaly. There are only a dozen tables inside, so be prepared for a wait. Order one or two of house cocktail The Nicodemus (we don’t recommend more than three) and prepare for a simple but delicious steakhouse meal: iceberg lettuce with the best blue cheese dressing you’ll find anywhere, hot buttered rolls, a baked potato, and a juicy bacon-wrapped filet.”
(In a video that went viral in July 2024, an employee at Nick’s Original Filet House was accused of using a racial slur. The worker later apologized in a prepared statement.)
Nick’s Original Filet House is 4018 Culver Road in Tuscaloosa. The phone is 205-758-9316.
To see the full list of The Most Legendary Steakhouses In The South and to read what McCay had to say about them, go here.