Comfort food in "The Front Porch Capital of the South"

I am always surprised that there isn't more blogs and ect. found in a google search on the old beach route Alabama hwy 331. I have driven the famous "Route 66" and believe that this stretch rivals it pretty well. The road has a wealth of decaying icons paying tributes to the past glory days of the great American two lane. There are several one level motels, mostly abandon or turned into flea markets, multiple dead gas stations and a hand full of towns that have fallen victim to interstates and out sourcing. They're crumbling facades, rusty junk cars, sleepy old timers propped against brick walls (like out of the movies) make for interesting travel. A few of the many are Luverne, Opp, Florala and my favorite, Brantley "The front porch capital of the South".

If you drive down 331 main street, you will see exactly why it has this name. Every beautiful 1900 era house has a front porch that literally encroaches on the highway. Some of these houses are really nice and some are in disrepair. http://www.townofbrantley.com/

On our last return from Grayton Beach, after passing through Brantley for years and not stopping, I decided to stop into the Southern Foods Restaurant and smell the roses. Instead, we smelled home cooked squash, sweet potato, green beans, rutabaga and a big corn fritter.

The restaurant is on a corner in a cool turn of the century ( the last century,not this one) brick building. The ceilings are 18' white washed tongue and groove pine, tarnished with water stains from the past. The wall s are covered in black and white photos of everything from the BHS 1956 band, to photos of flag draped coffins at the train station which were returning from WWII. The Cullman connection in me made me note one photo showing what might have been the largest event in the past 70 years. Big Jim Folsom comes to Brantley March 12, 1954.

There is nothing particularly special about the place or the food, but it is definitely the place where the locals go. It was us, 4 bankers and 25 saw mill workers. I was able to find a photo of the same restaurant in the 60's. I suppose they have been cooking this same Southern sole food for a very long time. So, if you find yourself going South and don't mind being stared at, Stop in, drink a sweet tea and see whats on the menu.