Gabriel's Cafe — Restaurant in Hoover

The bartenders displayed a horrible attitude and treated us with zero respect. They kicked us out, claiming my friend was “too drunk” and stumbling, without even considering the context or asking what was going on. My friend, who is of legal age and had been ID’d, was accused of being too intoxicated simply because he had his head down while talking to his girlfriend.

Despite my friend calmly asking for a moment to figure out our next steps, the staff escalated the situation. They screamed at him to leave and got uncomfortably close on the stairs, rushing him to the point that he lost his footing. This only fueled their bias, and they continued to yell.

They forced both of us out, threatening to call the cops unless I drove him home, even though he wasn’t actually drunk. To make matters worse, we had to leave another friend behind because he had already paid for a pitcher of beer, which they now expected him to drink alone.

This was an incredibly unprofessional and unfair experience. Is this really how you treat your customers?

Edit in response to owner:

When we arrived, my friend was not stumbling down the stairs right away as you claim. I was with him when we first got there, and he was smoking a cigarette openly with other guests at the bar, behaving respectfully and properly. He only stumbled because your staff was rushing him unnecessarily.

As for the ID situation, I personally saw him get ID’d when we arrived, and he presented it again when asked. To claim he refused to show his ID is simply untrue. No one in our group refused to leave, either. We made it clear several times that we were leaving, but we requested a moment to figure out where we were going. Instead, we were treated disrespectfully, as though we were unruly, all over an ID issue.

Perhaps instead of harassing customers who have already been in the bar for 20 minutes, you should invest in a doorman to check IDs at the entrance. Looking at your other reviews, this isn’t the first time ID issues have come up—it’s clear there’s a pattern, and it reflects poorly on your business.

What’s even more baffling is that I wasn’t ID’d a single time, even though I had already been drinking before my friend, who hadn’t had a drop, was accused of being “too drunk” and “not showing his ID.” This inconsistency highlights the lack of professionalism and diligence among your staff.

Frankly, we’re okay not returning to a place that treats its...

To the owner, you are a despicable human being. You are a coward. I don't know who you are or what you look like, but if you wanted the big black guy sitting peacefully in your bar to leave, you could've told me yourself and I would've left as quietly as I came in

I had been going to this bar for about 2 years for karaoke. Tonight, I came in and sat quietly, listening to people sing and enjoying the atmosphere as I usually do. I have never bothered anyone and I've never said anything out of the way to anyone.

I was getting ready to leave and pay my tab when a police officer walked up to me and said that the bar owner told him that I argued with him and that I was causing trouble. This was after I had only spoken to about 5 people and it was only happy greetings. I never argued with anyone.

I told the officer he had the wrong person. I don't argue or cause trouble.

He insisted that I was in an argument with the owner and that the owner wanted me out of the bar.

I don't know what type of bar owner would lie to a police officer about the patrons of their bar, but after tonight I realized that a person like me is not welcomed and does not belong at this bar.

Tonight was the most troublesome and traumatizing experience I have had at any bar. I was harassed for something that I never did and things that I never said. The officer was persistently telling me that the bar owner wanted me to leave.

I don't get out much and this bar was a small slice of happiness for me and a way to forget about the things going on in my life. I will never step foot...

Prior to this weekend I knew about Gabriels but had never been. My cousin's and I were in Hoover celebrating one of their 21st birthday's and all he wanted to do was go to a bar with pool tables. After a quick google search I decided Gabe's would be the best option... and it was! At the door we met Mama Cindy who was so sweet and funny! We grabbed a table and met our server Reagan. I cannot say enough good things about Reagan. She went above and beyond to make sure everyone in our party was comfortable, taken care of and having a good time. She spent time talking with us and really connecting to our family on many levels. Being different, especially in the South, is so scary and intimidating, and having someone like Reagan to be an ally and exhibit so much kindness meant more than she could have even realized. She is an asset so I hope you give her a big pat on the back! In addition, we met several other regulars who I wish I could remember their name right now but thank you to the two who played pool with us and the kind man who gave dart throwing lessons to my cousin and their wife. Also a big shoutout to the cook behind the scenes, the food was so good!! and all the other bartenders who took care of us. From the service, food and atmosphere, our family had a great time and already plan to...