Original Ben's Jr. — Restaurant in Fairhope

I do not doubt the reviewer who stated this restaurant had many cobwebs when she visited. I do want to update her review to say I searched throughout the entire restaurant, even in the restrooms and the kitchens, and found no cobwebs anywhere. Perhaps because of her review, the restaurant owners realized this issue and remedied it immediately.

We came here and ate here because of a suggestion from several locals. We are from Alabama originally and have lived in Indiana for the last 20 years. We honestly could not wait to get back to real Southern food! This restaurant does not disappoint. The menu also has catfish which I think no one else has mentioned. It is catfish done right. It is not battered as they do north of the Mason-Dixon. Thank God!

The inside of the restaurant? We were very curious about it, after reading many reviews talking about a homie, cozy, welcoming atmosphere. That can mean different things to different people. So I want to give a little more information as to exactly what the inside looks like.

The restaurant still has paneling. Probably the original paneling on the walls from the 60s? This does give the interior that brown, darkish atmosphere. As being one of the many who have already reviewed and mentioned they love this atmosphere because it is what restaurants were like when they and I grew up... yes, I am feeling comfortable here myself! The booths, flooring, tables, counters, and ceilings are straight out of a 60s diner. I feel very fortunate to be here because the staff, as stated so many times before, make certain everyone immediately feels they are part of a family even for first timers.

I hope this clears up the question of whether or not this wonderful restaurant is clean. It is! It is also straight out of the 60s. And that...

They make you stand in line, outside and then again inside, then order and pay at register (only one in use), then you take your seat and wait. We got there 15 minutes before opening and took 23 minutes before we were seated. I ordered Brisket plate with Cole slaw and baked beans and barbecue bread. The Brisket was served cold, they Cole slaw was tasteless, and the bread was fresh out of the fridge and was icy cold. The only warm thing on the plate was the beans which were not sweet but had a strong vinegar taste. My wife got a pulled pork sandwich with Mac and cheese as a side. Her sandwich was also cold but she said the Mac and cheese was edible, but just so. This was the worst dining experience I’ve had in years. Two ladies at the table next to ours also complained their barbecue was also served cold. I hope this restaurant succeeds because they employ many local people. But they need to massively improve the quality of the food and use a standard dining method of seating the customers immediately and having a waiter take their order at their table. And if they really want to excell, pass out critique sheets and ask their customers what they did right and what needs improvement. They would only have to do it for a month or two at the most before they would know what needs correcting. Again I hope they succeed, I am very pro small business. This happened on...

We visited this place based on the reviews that it had and its proximity to our destination. Please do not be misled by the beauty of my pictures. Both the beef brisket and the pork were chopped. This was not what I expected and should be expressed to those ordering the BBQ platter. The potato salad was less than desirable. The business, it seems, is a fixture to Fairhope and has a rich history. I have seen people compliment the "at home experience" of the place. If by "at home" they are referring to the cobwebs throughout (one with a huge beetle in it), filthy window shades, sticky floor/carpet and waiter who had his bare hands over the mouths of our drinks, I suppose it is indeeed "at home;" just not MY Home. My friend's seafood platter was okay. We are enough to satisfy our hunger and left so that our waiter could finish vacuuming. We would not recommend this place to tourists or locals and will definitely not be back. If anything, I would order the seafood platter to go. Then again, if the kitchen unseen is anything like the visual delights in the dining area,...