GW's Family Restaurant and Steak House

Hueytown, AL
$8-$15 Entrees

In the heart of Hueytown, AL is a small community. This community is not based on politics, religion, or income bracket. It is centered on the good, country cooking to be found at GW's Family Restaurant and Steakhouse. GW's is a meat and three by day but transforms into a steak and karaoke extravaganza by night. No matter what time you arrive, you will be warmly welcomed by a hospitable waitress and perhaps the owner himself. The decor is as country as the cooking. An artificial Christmas tree stays up year round. A largemouth bass peers down at the diners from his place of honor. A homey quilt adorns the wall. I saw this as an auspicious sign of the comfort food to come.

At age 17, my husband was once pulled over for going 34 in a 30 in Decatur, AL. The officer said, "Where are you going in such a hurry, son?" My husband said, "My 101-year-old great-grandmother is cooking Sunday lunch, and if I'm late, she'll kill me!" The officer scoffed, disbelievingly, and wrote out the ticket. The thing is, my husband was telling the truth (although he was not murdered that day). Mrs. Annie Rochelle cooked a massive, weekly Sunday lunch with love until the year she passed at 101. I did not meet her myself, but I imagine her cooking was much like that found at GW's.

Each day, the owner and staff (and any early customers who would like to join in) hold hands and say grace before the first plate of the day is served. A large, open Bible rests on a side table. The eyeglasses placed upon it signify that this Bible is actually read, unlike the dusty tomes found in many homes. For lunch, try the fried chicken, delicious dressing, and Italian flat beans. Their fluffy cornbread is literally the best I have ever had (sorry, Mom). However, GW's is BYOB (Bring Your Own Butter); they only serve bottled margarine. Now, I have this thing for instant mashed potatoes. The only bright spot in the harrowing experience of recovering from wisdom teeth extraction was the mass quantities of instant mashed potatoes I was allowed to consume. GW's serves instant mashed potatoes (collective gasp). But I'm not going to be the one to knock off a kudzu for it. Top off your feast with their cherry cream cheese pie ... Y'all. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

If you want a quiet dinner, go on Monday or Tuesday. If you want live entertainment (or, like me, you have a burning desire to sing "Sweet Child O' Mine"), go on Friday (Gospel Karaoke Night) or Saturday (Rock Karaoke Night). The steak is okay. The salad is okay. The oregano ranch dressing, however, is addictive. I took some home with me and wailed the next day upon discovering I'd left it in my purse, unrefrigerated.

No matter what their excellent qualities, no matter what their shortcomings, a diner at this restaurant will quickly realize that each customer, no matter who, is welcomed and served with love. Each customer will also leave as full as a tick. And that's something to be proud of.

3 Kudzu