Irondale Cafe

Hunter McKelvey

2024-03

Iconic & endearing, Irondale Cafe is a must for lunch! I seek to visit whenever I am traveling through the area. They have a great country, soul-food, fresh selection of food via a staff serviced style cafe offering. Meat & 2, Meat and 3 or any combination one may wish for is available. Staff is attentive and friendly. The train station vibe both marvelous and unique.

Cameron Farms

2024-01

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rachel russell

2023-07

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Lisa Gillchrest

2023-07

Love this place. Down home Southern cafeteria style . Food was excellent and service was as well. If you like Fried Green Tomatoes ( the food and/or the movie) this is the place that inspired it all. Get there early. Only open 11-2:30pm and the line is already started! Moves fast and is well worth the short wait.Parking: Smaller parking lot, Fills up quickly with the lunch crowd. But side street parking also available, just not directly in front.

Jodi Boschert

2023-07

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Lisa Adams

2024-04

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Charles Pilant

2024-04

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lydia lee

2023-11

We decided to eat here because of the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. When we got there and saw the line of people, I must admit that we were doubtful. As the line started moving quicker we got to see the menu. It was all over from that point on. The food was absolutely delicious and we enjoyed every bite. The price was very reasonable and we will definitely be eating here again. This place and their food is worth it!!

Dr. Zapata

2023-05

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Justin McKenzie

2024-04

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Yetemar-Kenyell Cross

2022-05

Irondale, AL is a small town that looks frozen in time. Picturesque storefronts, sleepy residential areas, and a neighborly charm that makes this a pocket of quasi-utopia despite being only 22 minutes from downtown Birmingham. There are two significant features of Irondale, and the first is the Irondale Cafe.It has obviously been expanded from its popularity in the “Fried Green Tomatoes” film as The Whistle Stop. The original restaurant is still intact with an adjacent building retrofitted as an annex. The chalkboard menu can change depending on what’s available (or sold out). The hours are limited (as of my visit) and people stream in, but the line is kept moving both with serving food and cashing out.Food is served cafeteria style. You pick a meat (or two) and whatever else you want individually to build your meal. Everything I ate was deeee-licious including…you know…their fried green tomatoes. Their catfish and chicken livers were fabulous. Drinks are constantly refilled by a quick and warmly kind server.The other feature is that if you’re a train lover like me, a gigantic Norfolk Southern rail yard and busy mainline funnels through this town, with a parade of trains viewable from a wooden sheltered platform. I got both a Southern food feast and a railroad feast in one trip.Well worth a visit.

Paola Romero

2023-11

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Steven Magadance

2023-05

We ate with a group. Good southern cooking.Back after a two year break. Still amazing! Back again in November and still amazing. Don't shy away from the fried chicken livers if they are available!

Montrese Lewis

2023-05

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Beverly Nelson

2023-11

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Jennifer Morgan

2024-03

Was looking for something that wasn't fast food, and from the reviews, it seemed like another "meat and 3" type place I had been looking for. The location is very peaceful and charming right beside a railroad track. It's only open for lunch and there weren't many parking spots open. The place was packed, and I watched many people come and go, mostly of the older 70 years and up age. We had to do take-out and my husband had the filet fried catfish that he liked. My daughter had fried chicken and vegetables, and my son had fried center pork chop with vegetables. I had chicken and dumplings, cabbage, and sweet potatoes with buttermilk pie for dessert. The chicken and dumplings were ok but tasted more like they were poured out of a can and not homemade, the cabbage really had no taste and also seemed to come out of a can, the sweet potatoes were so horrible we couldn't eat them they were full of nutmeg and the consistency was like water. The fried chicken and pork chop were cooked ok, and the only thing that tasted like it was actually cooked there. The buttermilk pie was ok for someone who is maybe diabetic because it wasn't sweet and again looked and tasted like it was made at another bakery and put there. All in all, the fried meats were ok, but all of my family thought the vegetables were bland and tasted "out of a can." I had high hopes for it, but it fell short for us. However, as I said earlier, it must be great to others because it was packed with people.

Tosha Williams

2024-02

Omg, the food was awful! I ordered beef tips and rice, mac n cheese, and fried okra.The rice was mushy, the gravy for the beef tips was from packets and had a strong artificial flavor, the okra was undercooked and still had a raw cornmeal taste from the batter and finally the mac n cheese looked and tasted like a bland overcooked mess. I am confused as to how this place stays in business; maybe it was an off day. To make the experience even less pleasant, they pass the credit usage fee of 4% to the customer.

Richard Hamilton

2023-12

Oh my ... Who doesn't like the Whistle Stop Cafe, errr, the Irondale Cafe! Yes we got sucked into going here because my wife and I love the movie. The story behind the life of Fanny Flagg and her writing the story just adds so much depth to the delightful experience. No the cafe is not anything like the set used for the movie, but don't let that stop you, in this day and age we already knew that wasn't going to be. But the spirit of the cafe and trains whistling by certainly bring back that love of cafe food. The food is delicious and yes we ate Fried Green Tomatoes and loved them. The friend chicken was wonderful. And the staff are part of the experience, good ol' southern, sweet and professional -- kind and charming. Just take a moment out of your life and go and enjoy a fun dining experience. Then go home and watch the movie again. Order the ribs, I hear they are a specialty.

Daunshay Jones

2023-11

I love the book & movie Fried Green tomatoes which is why i decided to eat here. If I’d known they served off a hot table, I never would have gone. The food was NOT hot, the fried green tomatoes were soggy & old, as was the catfish. Both did not seem to be fresh. The macaroni noodles were over cooked and the Mac was not seasoned. The turnip greens tasted as if they’d been poured straight from the can, no seasoning at all and the cornbread was very dry. The ONLY good thing was the lemonade.

Doug Allen

2023-05

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Mark Janus

2024-03

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CC D

2022-05

Southern fare served cafeteria style in a cafe with walls that display acclaimed visitors. Enjoy their veggie plate esp the fried green tomatoes with remoulade. The meat selections included buttermilk baked chicken, liver n onions or fried catfish, to name a few. Cornbread was blah and coconut pie just pie... but other varieties deserve a try. Long wait today.

Cyto Wing

2023-08

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Marcus Kirby

2019-05

The food here is amazing I tried a little bit of almost everything and did not taste anything I did not like. I highly recommend this place.

Gottfried Kibelka

2023-07

Open, clean dining room. Service at the buffet couldn't be nicer but a bit speedier (I am flip-flopping what's more important). Green tomatoes were as good as I remembered, slaw came "riced" but was not sweet and fresh, okra were a bit chewy, and the cornbread a tad dry. All in all a very enjoyable lunch place.Vegetarian options: Options are limited but they will politely answer any questions you might have about ham bones in the greens or black eyed peas. No fresh greens or salad on the menu. All is nicely (lengthy) cooked.

mimartin15

2023-08

This is one of my favorite go to's. I love bringing guests here. The food is plenty and plenty yummy! I usually have leftovers for later. Great selections. Desserts are good. Staff is friendly.I couldn't afford to eat here every day, but its a nice treat 😊

laura smitherman

2024-02

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Gerald Van Beek

2024-04

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Gary Nolan

2023-09

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Laura T

2022-05

Was going to eat there yesterday (Monday) and they are closed this week on vacation. Will reopen August 9th. Maybe can go soon and try it.