Alabama dining runs from Gulf seafood to Southern home cooking. These restaurants in our directory span the state, and we note where details were not available.
On the coast
Sunliner Diner in Gulf Shores is a 1950s-style diner with all-day breakfast. The Avocado Benedict, candied bacon and a Banana Split Shake are the items people mention most, and fried green tomatoes add a local touch.
Felix's Fish Camp in Spanish Fort overlooks Mobile Bay and is best known for crab soup, a bisque-like dish. The One-One-One sampler brings a demi-cup each of gumbo, crab soup and turtle soup. It also serves USDA-certified steaks and Gulf seafood.
Inland: Enterprise, Anniston, Birmingham and Phenix City
Café Roma is an Italian restaurant in downtown Enterprise. Pasta is made to order and served with garlic cheese bread: fettuccine Alfredo, chicken Parmesan, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs and shrimp pasta are popular, and the dessert list includes several cheesecakes.
Chef T's in Anniston, owned by Anthony "Tony" Soles and his son Codera with Carl Byers, opened around 2012 and cooks food to order. Hamburgers, fish and chicken livers share the menu with vegetables such as collards, turnip greens and sweet potatoes. A dessert maker bakes several cakes and cobblers each day, and it is listed as open from 6 AM to 8 PM.
Ruth's Cafe is a Black-owned breakfast and brunch cafe in North Birmingham known for turkey wings, oxtails, dressing and yams. It is closed on Mondays.
Cafe 431 in Phenix City is a coffee shop and diner that opens at 6:30 AM and closes by early afternoon.
Two good days
- Coast day: breakfast at Sunliner Diner, an afternoon on the sand, dinner on Mobile Bay at Felix's.
- Inland day: breakfast at Chef T's in Anniston, lunch in Birmingham at Ruth's Cafe.
Practical notes
- Sunliner Diner has been listed as open 7 AM to 9 PM Monday to Thursday, 7 AM to 10 PM Friday and Saturday, and 8 AM to 8 PM on Sunday. In peak summer weeks expect a wait around 9 AM and at dinnertime.
- Felix's Fish Camp has listed lunch and dinner service, with some sources showing Sunday hours; call (251) 626-6710 to confirm.
- Chef T's is listed daily from 6 AM to 8 PM. One directory gives the address as 3900 US Highway 431, while this page uses 4004 US-431, so check the location on a map.
- Ruth's Cafe is listed Tuesday to Thursday 6 AM to 6:30 PM, Friday 7 AM to 6:30 PM, Saturday 7 AM to 7 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM, and it is closed on Mondays.
- Cafe 431 can be reached at (334) 291-1250.
Where the coast ends and the inland begins
The two coastal restaurants are both in Baldwin County, on the Gulf side of the state, so they pair well in one weekend. The inland stops are separate trips: Enterprise is in the southeast, Phenix City sits on the Georgia border, and Anniston and Birmingham are in the northern half of the state.
Hours, menus and prices change. Each restaurant page lists the phone number we have; call ahead before a long drive, especially on holidays.