Rattlesnake Saloon — Restaurant in Russellville

On 07/05/2024, my family and I went to the Rattle Snake Saloon, which is located near the southern tip of Tuscumbia, Alabama. The road to the saloon was winding and hilly, with a sign directing RV'ers to take an alternative route due to sharp inclines and declines. When we arrived, we parked in a gravel lot and waited for about 10 minutes for the "Saloon Taxi Pickup" truck to take us to the restaurant. The truck, which had been modified to accommodate passengers, could carry up to ten people at a time. We sat on benches without seat belts on both sides of the truck and it was a fun experience. We also met a friendly lady from Chicago during the ride that was also asking questions that we too wanted answered like where are we going- haha. Down a steep road to the Saloon we went!

Upon arrival at the Rattlesnake Saloon, we were directed to form a line, where anyone who wanted an alcoholic beverage was carded and received a hand stamp. The seating area had approximately 100 large round tables with hard plastic chairs, and a live band played three songs during the 2.5 hours we were there.

We had trouble choosing an appetizer from the menu, so we asked the waitress for recommendations. She suggested the Tombstone Platter, which she described as a large appetizer dish with a variety of items, so we ordered that along with a kids' burger, a Rustler burger, and a Saloon salad. The kids' burger was small and not well-liked by our daughter. The Rustler burger had a dry taste due to the bread and the meat patty was not as satisfying as expected for a 1/2 pound burger, although it was tasty. The appetizer bundle, or the Tombstone Platter, was disappointing too. It included deep-fried green beans, mushrooms, onion rings, pickles, wings, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and jalapeno wheels, which were very spicy. The mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and the Saloon Salad were the best items we purchased by far, while the other fried foods were bland with unappealing hard crusts. Once we were done we were supplied with to go boxes and bags and paid with card. We went back into the back of the truck and up the hill we went back to our vehicle.

Although the food and drink selection could be improved, the cost was relatively low, and despite the slow service for refills and food requests, the atmosphere was calm. The Rattlesnake Saloon reportedly offers walking trails and horseback riding, but we didn't see any of these activities taking place during our visit.

Overall, I would rate the Rattlesnake Saloon 3 out of 5 stars for its unique atmosphere. However, charging customers for transportation to the remote restaurant seemed unreasonable to us and the cigarette butts put out inside the wooden snakes next to our dinner table was quite distasteful. While it's not the worst place we've been to, there is certainly room for improvement in the food and drinks selection. We look forward to returning...

Rattlesnake Saloon is truly a one of a kind venue in the state. There are a few rules to enjoying your trip however. If you go with expectations, you’re very likely to leave disappointed. Do not arrive in a hurry, thirsty, overly hungry, needing to go to the restroom, etc. I say this because when you arrive you park your car, and then you have to wait on a taxi (pickup truck with seats in the bed) to take you down to the saloon. We went during an Alabama football game thinking the turnout would be lite, but still had a 50 minute wait for the taxi. When you’re waiting for the taxi you’re standing out in the Alabama sun and heat, so if you show up dolled up in makeup and a cute dress, be prepared to be humbled by the heat. After your 40-60 minute wait, you ride the taxi down to the saloon. The ride down is an experience, and the venue itself is very neat. Once you arrive, you’ll likely have to wait a few more minutes to be seated in the saloon. The “cave” is pretty neat and the venue itself is why you visit, not the food, the service, etc. For food, think decent concession stand food at your local high school football game. It isn’t bad, but if you’re coming for a culinary experience you’ll be disappointed. Most tables get a pitcher of your favorite domestic beer (cider is also available). The largest downside to me was a band that was playing so loud that you could not talk with anyone else in your party, nor could you communicate with a server without being 6 inches from one another. Luckily the band took a break eventually and people were able to speak, but I felt like the goal was to play music loud enough that the tables turned quickly instead of people hanging out long. Once you’re done the taxi takes you back to the parking lot, and you’re on your way. It’s an experience, and one worth doing. Loads of good people watching. If you’re reading this and you’re a girlie that saw Rattlesnake Saloon on your favorite attention seeking app and you think you’re going to visit and videotape you’re entire visit for online clout, be prepared to be the only person doing so. It’s not that kind of place.Think Talladega for clientele. Don’t plan on arriving much past 6, the kitchen closes at 7:30 or 8 I believe, so there’s a chance you’ll wait in line only to drink...

This is a horse event campground as well as having the saloon/restaurant in a quirky outside location under a cliff. Be prepared to sit outside, but otherwise comfortable, great staff and good service. During Covid-19, they were shuttling guests to the saloon in the back of a pick up, set up for that with bench seats and steps, etc. Rustic, but not a big deal and the driver, working for tips, was courteous and helpful with everyone.

There is a large deck seasonally open with bathrooms off the side as well as the main outside seating area under the deck and the inside saloon, (closed off during Covid-19). Covid-19 measures in place, everyone wearing masks when not seated and staff taking all precautions. Menus are even one time use paper print outs. I suspect the menu is slightly smaller in it's offerings at this time, but there was still a nice selection.

We ordered a signature burger and onion rings from the menu, splitting the 1/2 lb burger between us. They very nicely cut the burger and brought it to the table in two servings for us. The burger came with tomato, onion, and lettuce on it. All condiments were in single serve packets on the side. Bun was very thick and not toasted, burger was big and nicely cooked, but a little bland. Could have used some S&P during cooking, but that's a personal preference.

Onion rings were GREAT! They had a nice crust, real rings of onion, not bits and good flavor and quantity. I suspect the seasoned fries have a similar coating/crunch and flavor and would not hesitate to order those next time along with the onion rings.

It's worth checking out and for the experience. Probably a rocking place on Fri/Sat evenings in the warmer months. There was some live music when we were there on a Sun afternoon, but just one fellow playing guitar and singing. Not unpleasant. We did not check out the gift shop, but I imagine it has the usual tourist items. The gift shop is at the top of the hill before the road drops down to the restaurant/saloon and at that time people were not allowed to walk down or up the road between the two, so you had to let the driver of the shuttle know you wanted off at the gift shop, then wait for the next shuttle run to get from the gift shop back to the parking area...