11 Alabama restaurants with side dishes worthy of being the main attraction

While we all love an entree, whether it be fried chicken, a burger, barbecue or something else altogether — sometimes it’s the side dishes that really make a meal.

After all, would a plate of barbecue taste as good without the mac and cheese or baked beans alongside it? Would a seafood dinner be just as satisfying without the coleslaw and hushpuppies? And let’s be real — a lot of us look forward to the “and-three” part of our favorite meat-and-three meal more than anything else.

That’s why This is Alabama recently asked its Facebook followers about their favorite side dishes at Alabama restaurants, and we pulled some of the responses, along with a few of our favorites too, to highlight the local spots that are serving sides worthy of being the main attraction.

You can check them out below, and you can see all of the replies on the This is Alabama Facebook page.

The steam table at Niki’s West Steak & Seafood Restaurant features about 40 fresh vegetables and sides daily. Many of the vegetables come from the nearby Alabama Farmers Market on Finley Avenue West. (Bob Carlton/[email protected])

Niki’s West

233 Finley Avenue West in Birmingham

For more than 60 years Niki’s West in Birmingham has been in business, and that’s given them plenty of time to perfect their recipes. So while you might not know exactly what sides will be up for grabs given that the menu can vary from day-to-day, you can safely bet they’re going to be good (and there’s going to be a lot of ‘em). From Southern classics like mac and cheese, cabbage and fried green tomatoes to more unique dishes like broccoli cheese casserole and rutabagas, you could make a whole meal just out of the sides at Niki’s West — and many do.

David’s Catfish House

Locations throughout the state

In business since 1983 and with seven locations in Alabama (and one in Florida, too,) David’s Catfish House is another restaurant with a long history of serving good eats to customers all over the state. Included in those eats are their sides. While the turnip greens, hushpuppies and creamy coleslaw at David’s Catfish seem to be a draw for hungry diners all on their own, its the restaurant’s cheese grits — which have been named one of the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel in the past — that are the star of its sides menu.

Desoto’s Seafood Kitchen

138 West 1st Avenue in Gulf Shores

You might expect a seafood restaurant in Gulf Shores to have the standard fare of sides, and Desoto’s Seafood Kitchen certainly does have those, but it also has so much more. In addition to the usual French fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies, you can also get unexpected offerings, like grit cakes, corn fritters, gumbo, lima beans, fried green tomatoes and even sweet potato casserole, alongside your lunch or dinner entree at Desoto’s, which is likely why so many readers ranked the popular eatery at as a good place to go when you’re looking for sides that stand out.

Ragtime Cafe

2080 Valleydale Road in Hoover

Just to be clear, though, we recognize that sometimes you’re just in the mood for something fried and delicious to munch on alongside your burger, sandwich or salad, and when that’s the case, Ragtime Cafe in Hoover is a popular pick with readers. While its sides offerings include everything from cheese fries to sweet potato fries, tater tots and more that could easily satisfy your fried food craving, it is their onion rings, which consist of Sweet Spanish onions batter-dipped to be perfection and served with a Cajun horseradish sauce, that garnered a shout-out in our reader question.

Gather Restaurant

111 W. Nashville Avenue in Atmore

Tucked away in the small town of Atmore is Gather Restaurant, an eatery that’s putting its own spin on Southern favorites, one (side) dish at a time. Among the standout sides served on its menu are pimento mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes, crispy grit cakes, caramel bacon green beans, sauteed broccolini and more. In addition, Chris’ Brussels sprouts, which are made with honey balsamic, shaved onion and Nueske’s thick bacon, are a serious kick of flavor. Technically speaking, they’re considered an appetizer, but you can order ‘em to eat along with your entree — and we highly recommend you do.

Larry’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q

1404 E. Park Avenue in Enterprise

There are a lot of classic sides you might expect to find at most barbecue restaurants in Alabama, and Larry’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q in Enterprise certainly has all of them — including baked beans, mac and cheese, coleslaw and potato salad. But it’s their battered and fried yellow squash, a side you don’t see too often, that has garnered them popularity among our readers and a spot on this list. Of course, if you’re not a fan of squash, their other side options, including fried okra, green beans, mashed potatoes and those listed above, aren’t bad either.

Irondale Cafe

1906 First Avenue N. in Irondale

You can probably guess which dish garnered the beloved Irondale Cafe in Irondale a spot on this list — yes, it’s those crispy fried green tomatoes made famous by Fannie Flagg’s 1987 novel and the 1991 film based upon it — but those certainly aren’t the only side dish served at the classic Southern meat-and-three worth writing about. From mashed potatoes to red beans and rice, slow-cooked collards, carrot and raisin salad, fried okra and more up for grabs on its menu, which varies daily, the hardest part with be narrowing your sides down to just three.

The Bright Star

304 19th Street North in Bessemer

With more than 100 years in business, The Bright Star in Bessemer is a beloved Alabama restaurant for a lot of reasons, and it turns out that having an expansive and delicious selection of side dishes on its lunch menu is one of them. Our readers noted that when eating there, it’s hard not to simply order a vegetable plate and fill it with everything from homemade dressing to Greek hashbrown potatoes, candied yams, black-eyed peas, creamed corn and the many other dishes that could be served on the eatery’s rotating menu.

Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q

Locations throughout the state

Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Qs are a common sight throughout Alabama and the South these days after the popular restaurant got its start in Birmingham in 1985. We can’t help but think that the popularity wasn’t just of its barbecue, but those delicious trimmings served alongside it. While its brisket chili might be the most well-known and its potato salad got plenty of shout-outs in our community question, you can’t really go wrong with the mac and cheese, collard greens, baked beans or other sides offered at Jim ‘N Nick’s either. And yes, if you want to count those sweet cheese biscuits as a side, we’ll allow it.

Morrison’s Cafeteria

3200 Springdale Plaza in Mobile

The last Morrison’s is still going strong in Mobile — with a 100-year history in the city — offering hungry customers a wide selection of entrees, salads, desserts and, of course, sides on a daily basis. Among those side dishes up for grabs at the cafeteria-style eatery is everything from turnip greens, baked mac and cheese and gravy-topped mashed potatoes to carrot souffle and broccoli madeline. And since the desserts are served right beside the vegetables, we’d say a slice of one of their many pies could count as a side too. At the very least, we doubt anyone’s going to tell you it doesn’t.

Dreamland Bar-B-Que

Locations throughout the state

While Dreamland Bar-B-Que, which first opened in Tuscaloosa in 1958 and now has several locations throughout the state, is best known for its barbecue, its fixins’ have developed a following of their own. From its popular mac and cheese to its filling potato salad, coleslaw and even its signature banana pudding — because anyone with a sweet tooth will tell you some desserts are hard to wait for — Dreamland has all the sides you could need. Even their barbecue sauce, soaked up with their white bread, got a shout-out as a side worthy of praise.