Would you eat Po’ Boys with a legendary werewolf-like creature from the Louisiana swamps, or would you rather sit on the beach watching the sun set as you dine? Alabama has all kinds of unique eateries that add an entertaining atmosphere to the dining experience.
In past lists, we’ve mentioned fun places like the Rattlesnake Saloon, built inside a cave, and the train-themed Derailed Diner, as well as Madison Station where you can eat inside an old jail. Click here to see a previous list. Before going, always be sure to check for changes in restaurant hours and situations during coronavirus restrictions.
NOTE: This is not a full list of themed restaurants in Alabama. If you’d like to submit ideas for future lists, email kkazek@al.com.
Supper Heroes
1812 Winchester Road NE, Huntsville, AL
256-929-1977
Supper Heroes in Huntsville, AL, is a comic-themed eatery. (Courtesy of Supper Heroes)
This family-style restaurant has a superhero theme – from collectibles along the walls to comic-book lined tables to a menu modeled after a comic book. It also has a fun and varied kids’ menu. Click here for information.
Funnel cake nachos at Supper Heroes. (Courtesy of Supper Heroes)
Bullpen Steakhouse
244 School St., Oakman, AL
205-622-3999
Bullpen Steakhouse in Oakman is a rustic, eclectic eatery next door to a Western town setting. (Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com)
The steakhouse, owned by Charles Richard “Bull” Corry, is not an ordinary restaurant. Its décor is like Cracker Barrel’s on steroids and it includes a homey barbecue drive-thru, as well. And then there’s the town Corry built next door. Events and concerts are held at the Western-themed town, which also serves as home to some miniature horses. Click here to read more.
Bullpen Steakhouse in Oakman is a rustic, eclectic eatery next door to a Western town setting. (Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com)
Cahoots Café
117 Main St. W., Hartselle, AL
256-751-4723
Cahoots Cafe in downtown Hartselle, Alabama. (Bob Gathany/bgathany@al.com)AL.com
The interior of this café in quaint downtown Hartselle is part dining room and part vintage collection/antique shop. The café, open for lunch only, has about 40 tables or booths tucked in amongst “vintage signs, lamps, retro shoes, 50s prom dresses, old photographs, old doors and much, much more,” a previous story on AL.com says. Click here to read more.
Inside Cahoots Cafe in downtown Hartselle, Alabama. (Bob Gathany/bgathany@al.com)AL.com
Mossy Grove Schoolhouse
1841 Alabama Highway 87, Troy
334-566-4921
This 1856 building was originally a school and is now a restaurant in Troy serving traditional comfort foods. (Courtesy of Mossy Grove Schoolhouse)
This simple building was used as a schoolhouse from 1856-1920 and was later used as a community center and various purposes. It is now a restaurant known for its farm-raised fried catfish and comfort foods. Currently open from 5-9 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays. Learn more here.
The Duchess and Little London Kitchen
162 Oxmoor Road, Birmingham, AL
205-249-1937
Little London Kitchen is the brick-and-mortar Homewood location of the Birmingham food truck housed in a double-decker bus known as the Duchess. Both serve, of course, traditional British foods. (Photo by Red Clay Media)
After starting a successful food-truck business in Birmingham inside a 1968 Leyland double-decker bus known as the Duchess, owners Bea and Matthew Morrissette opened a pub called Little London Kitchen in Homewood in 2019.
The 30-foot-long and 14-foot-tall bus and its brick-and-mortar counterpart are designed with British décor and serve British comfort foods. Check for updated dining hours here.
Click here to read more.
The Gulf
27500 Perdido Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL
251-424-1800
The Gulf in Orange Beach, AL, is a restaurant and bar built in scattered shipping containers. Many of the dining tables are directly on the white-sand beach beyond. There is also a gift shop. (Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com)
This really cool spot is created with shipping containers and, basically, a large expanse of sand. You can eat at a shipping container bar or out on the beach at The Gulf. The website says it’s “a seaside hideaway that exemplifies the casual chic atmosphere that draws people from around the globe each year. We offer fresh seafood fare throughout the year at two beachside locations. The beautiful waterfront setting make The Gulf more than a restaurant – it’s an experience that you’ll want to revisit time and time again.”
Dining on the beach at The Gulf in Orange Beach. (Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com)
Freight House
200 Railroad St. SW., Hartselle, AL
256-773-4600
The Freight House is located inside a historic railway warehouse in Hartselle, AL. (Photo by Wil Elrick)
The Freight House Restaurant is located inside a historic freight terminal along the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. The restored building was transformed into a fine-dining eatery, bakery and event venue. Click here for more.
The Freight House is located inside a historic railway warehouse in Hartselle, AL. (Photo by Wil Elrick)
Huggin’ Molly’s Abbeville
129 Kirkland Street, Abbeville, AL
334-585-7000
Huggin’ Molly’s is a theme restaurant in Abbeville, AL., based on a legendary witch. (Photo by Wil Elrick)
For mothers wanting their children to hurry home at dark, the legend of the witch-like Huggin’ Molly was a helper. For children, she was downright frightening. The legend of Huggin’ Molly is unique to the Alabama town of Abbeville, and though its origins are unclear, it was a story passed down through generations. Jimmy Rane, founder of Great Southern Wood Preserving, known to most for its product YellaWood, is an Abbeville native who opened a restaurant named for the legend. The family style eatery, filled with vintage signs, movie posters and collectibles, and an old-fashioned soda fountain offering ice cream and malts.
Inside Huggin’ Molly’s, a theme restaurant in Abbeville, AL., based on a legendary witch. (Photo by Wil Elrick)
Rougaroux
817 39th St. S., Birmingham, AL
205-518-6677
Rougaroux Cafe serves Po’ Boys and other traditional Cajun foods inside a small shack in Birmingham. It is named for a legendary Louisiana swamp monster and the figure of the monster greets guests at the door. (Courtesy of Rougaroux)
The Rougaroux is a small café named for a legendary Louisiana swamp creature. NOLAweekend.com says “The Rougarou is a beastly, werewolf or dog-like creature existing in the rich Cajun folklore along the swamps and bayous of Southeast Louisiana.”
The Rougaroux restaturant has its very own “Rougaroux” figure on the porch to greet visitors. Inside, the eatery brings “authentic New Orleans Po’Boys to Birmingham … serving our community with the best Cajun food outside of NOLA,” the restaurant’s Facebook page says.
The Rougarou swamp monster at Rougaroux Cafe. (Courtesy of Rougaroux)
Stacey’s Old Tyme Soda Fountain
121 W. Laurel Ave., Foley, AL
251-943-4254
Stacey’s Old Tyme Soda Fountain in Foley is as close as you can come to the original soda fountain experience. (Courtesy of Stacey’s Old Tyme Soda Fountain)
The historic building of the Stacey Rexall in Foley now houses a soda fountain as close to an original as you can get. Take a step back in time and enjoy ice cream and deli foods. Learn more here.
The Garage
2304 10th Terrace S., Birmingham, AL
205-322-3220
The courtyard at The Garage in Birmingham, AL. (Courtesy of The Garage)
The Garage is renowned for its fun atmosphere and the eclectic courtyard filled with all kinds of unique items. The café and bar is built inside an “architectural salvage shop courtyard,” its Facebook page says. It has received many accolades, such as being named by GQ magazine as one of “10 Bars Worth Flying For” and Southern Living’s and Garden & Gun’s lists of Best Bars in the South.
A sandwich at The Garage in Birmingham, AL. (Courtesy of The Garage)
Dining and Cooking