|

Where To Eat In Montgomery, Alabama

In Montgomery, you will find restaurants serving good old-fashioned southern food as well as upscale and nouveau creations. This is my shortlist of where to dine in Alabama’s capitol city. There are so many great places for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack!

Collage of pictures of food.

The city of Montgomery is the second-largest city in the state of Alabama and hosts thousands of visitors annually thanks to its world-class museums and the fact that it is the capital of Alabama. It’s easy to work up an appetite after exploring the city. I hope this list gives you some ideas on what place to try first! Bon appetit!

1. Cahawba House

For what has to be the best breakfast in Montgomery, head to Cahawba House which is within walking distance of the state capitol.

Woman holding a beignet covered in powdered sugar.
Cinnamon Beignets

Cahawba House is a very popular, low-key restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch.  People line up to place orders for Southern favorites like biscuits, Conecuh sausage, and beignets. 

Menu items include locally sourced honey, organic maple syrup, fried chicken, breakfast gravy, fried green tomatoes, meatloaf sandwiches,  pimento grilled cheese, chicken salad, and burgers.  You can also get a meat and three for only $10.

Biscuit with bacon, egg, cheese, and fried green tomato.

Don’t get discouraged by the long line- they know what they are doing and it doesn’t take long to get served.

Cahawba House is located at 31 South Court Street and opens at 6:30 Monday through Friday and at 9:00 am on Sunday.  They are open only until 2:00 pm and are closed on Saturdays.

Breakfast bowl with eggs, bacon, grits, and cheese.
Mommas Breakfast Bowl

2. Vintage Cafe

If you are craving something lighter and desire a breakfast that is plant-based, then venture out of the downtown area and head to Vintage Cafe.  Located in a former bank, this light and airy restaurant opens at 7:00 am and serves healthy options such as breakfast salads, fresh juices, and smoothies.   

Vintage Cafe building.

If you don’t have time to sit and eat, they have some grab-and-go items as well as a drive-thru.

Vintage Cafe is located at 416 Cloverdale Road and is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm.

Breakfast salads, a cup of water, and a bottle of kombucha.
Berry Salad and Smoked Salmon Salad along with apple better kombucha

3. Prevail

For your morning cup o’ joe or kombucha on tap, head to Prevail which is located just down the street from the steps of the capitol building.

The walkway to the counter at Prevail in Montgomery.

Prevail serves the best-rated coffee in Alabama in a building that has been renovated and has a modern-industrial vibe and is surrounded by Alabama history.

Glass of kombucha.
better kombucha

Prevail’s address is 39 Dexter Avenue #102 and it is open Monday – Saturday 7:00 am – 8:00 pm and on Sunday from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.

4. Filet & Vine

If you are in the Cloverdale area, say to visit the F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald home or to explore the fascinating architecture of the early 20th century, then head to Derk’s where you can build your own salad at their bar or select some soul-satisfying items from their hot bar.  Derk’s is located inside Filet & Vine, a market, deli, and bottle shop.

Salad in a plastic container.

Filet & Vine is located at 431 Cloverdale Road and is open Monday-Friday: 10:00 – 7:00 and Saturday: 7:00-5:00.

5. Dreamland BBQ

BBQ lovers will find that the Montgomery location of Dreamland hits the spot.  The environment is fun and lively and the menu is quite expansive compared to the original Dreamland. 

Dreamland BBQ sign.

The original menu items are available, such as slabs of ribs and white bread, but additional items like their fried okra starter, stadium nachos, BBQ sandwiches, wraps, salads, potato salad, mac n cheese, and even banana pudding are available as well.

BBQ Salad with red onion and two containers of salad dressing.
Smokehouse Cobb Salad

Dreamland is located at 12 West Jefferson Street and is open Monday-Thursday 10 am-9 pm Friday & Saturday 10 am-10 pm Sunday 11 am-9 pm.


6. Vintage Year

For dinner, you can’t go wrong dining at Vintage Year.

Vintage Year sign.

You don’t have to be on a date to enjoy the ambiance at Vintage Year, even though it has been named one of OpenTable’s 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America as well as Montgomery Advertiser’s Best of the Best Romantic Restaurant. 

Bloody Mary with lemon, lime, and olives.
Virgin Bloody Mary

The food is delicious and the presentation and service are exemplary.  It is no wonder that it has been mentioned in the New York Times, Forbes, and USA Today.

On the menu, you will find items such as Sautéed Gulf Prawns, Oysters on the Half Shell, Heirloom Tomatoes, Black Angus Filet, and Lamb T-Bone.  Vintage Year also has a Sunday Brunch menu and Tuesdays are Burger Nights.

Vintage Year is located at 405 Cloverdale Road and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 pm -10:00 pm and for Sunday Brunch from 10:30 am-2:30 pm.  Reservations can be made through Open Table.

Pasta dinner with shrimp.
Tagliatelle with Prawns
Pink mocktail with blueberries and garnished with thyme.
Mocktail Creation at Central

7. Central

After exploring Montgomery’s fabulous museums, a dinner at Central will be the pièce de résistance.  It’s located steps away from The Legacy Museum and the Hank Williams Museum. 

It has a cozy dining room, but the outdoor patio gets my recommendation as a great place for enjoying your meal, people-watching, and listening to the occasional live music that is played in the alley.

Seafood corndogs on a wooden board.
Seafood Corn Dogs

The menu offers innovative creations such as the Seafood Corn Dogs (pictured above), Fett Sow Fries, Pressed Beets (salad), Scallops Ala Planche, Peach BBQ Glazed Pork Chop, and Bricken Chicken. 

Bite of pasta on a fork.
Vegetable Pasta

And if you are still hungry after your main course, you can indulge in one of their fabulous desserts like Jake’s Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie or Strawberry Peach Cobbler made with sugar cookie dough and vanilla chantilly cream.

Central is located at 129 Coosa Street and is open Monday – Friday from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm and then at 4:00 the bar opens.  Dinner begins at 5:30 pm.  On Saturdays, they are open for dinner beginning at 5:30 pm.  Central is closed on Sundays.

8. Chris’ Hot Dogs

While a hot dog joint is not what we look for when we go out to eat, a trip to Montgomery calls for a trip to Chris’ Hot Dogs. Chris’ has been in business since 1917 and is the oldest family-owned restaurant in the city.

Historic marker for Chris' Hot Dogs.

I’d be lying if I said that they serve gourmet or upscale cuisine. What they do serve are hot dogs with their special sauce served in warm, soft buns.

Man taking a picture of hot dogs and French fries.

They also have fries and onion rings, along with a few more items on the menu.

Chris' Hot Dogs menu board.

Stepping into the dining area is like stepping into the past. Speaking of the past, previous clientele includes four presidents, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis Presley, and Hank Williams.

Chris’ Hot Dogs is located at 138 Dexter Avenue and is open from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm Monday – Saturday. (It is open until 8:00 pm on Fridays.)

Other Places to Eat in Montgomery

Montgomery is less than 200 miles from the Gulf of Mexico which means seafood lovers have a few options for fresh seafood dishes in the capital city. Among them is Wintzell’s Oyster House which is ranked #1 on TripAdvisor. Wintzell’s got its start in Mobile, where fresh seafood is in abundance, more than 75 years ago. Its Montgomery location is on Commerce Street at the Renaissance Hotel.

Number 2 on the TripAdvisor list of best seafood restaurants is Capitol Oyster Bar. The restaurant is a popular restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the Alabama River. If you like listening to music while you dine, be sure to check their calendar to see who will be playing live music and when.

Locations

Map thanks to Wanderlog, a road trip planner on iOS and Android

I was a guest of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce.  All thoughts, opinions, and grammatical errors are my own.  I ate all of the dishes pictured above (with the exception of the salmon salad – that was Jennifer’s) and give them all two thumbs up.


For more ideas of what you can do in Montgomery, check out the tours available at Viator.com.

Sharing is caring!

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. Hamburger King, near the interstate on N Decatur, has amazing breakfast sandwiches and burgers. They only take cash, and are well worth it. Check out Davis Cafe’ downtown as well for soul food. So many great spots in mom.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *