For lunch this weekend, I tried out the South Huntsville eatery Bubby’s Diner. This quaint eatery is located on the busy Whitesburg Drive and is locally owned, boasting a unique set of charms for customers. The diner is themed as a traditional 1950’s diner and anyone looking for vintage nostalgia will love the fun décor that Bubby’s offers.
Eating at Bubby’s Diner
Upon initial entrance, you will find black and white checkered floors, bright red vinyl booths, and turquoise blue walls. The fun color palette definitely adds to the exciting vibe of the diner. Further inspection will reveal a fully functioning neon jukebox and walls decorated with vintage vinyl and celebrity posters from days ago. The restaurant offers a retro soda fountain counter with a tempting ice cream freezer placed to the side. The counter boasts stools with shiny chrome and red vinyl seats for an authentic fountain experience.
Doughnut Burger
Bubby’s has all the menu markings of a traditional diner, offering breakfast to dinner bites along with delectable desserts. Their trademark menu item is “the doughnut burger”, a juicy burger in between two grilled doughnut halves as buns! For my lunch meal, I chose a chicken salad sandwich with a side of their “Jeff” fries and peanut butter pie for dessert. Considering myself a chicken salad connoisseur, I was hesitant but excited to try their recipe and boy was I pleasantly surprised! The taste and consistency of the chicken was superb.
Chicken Salad
I’ve had many chicken salads that lacked flavor, but Bubby’s recipe rises above. Their salad’s shredded chicken is perfectly seasoned and includes juicy, sweet grapes for an added burst of flavor. The chicken salad comes in several options for the customer’s preference, including toasted wheat or white bread, tortilla wraps, croissants, and crackers. I love that their menu offers different choices to suit a variety of tastes and preferences.
Service
The waitresses offer superb customer service and customizable options for customers. I requested a slice of tomato to be added to my sandwich and they complied, free of charge. Along with my tomato, I opted for toasted wheat bread. Their bread was perfectly toasted and crisp and the tomato was bursting with flavor.
Jeff Fries
Some restaurants skimp on a scoop, but not Bubby’s. Their sandwich portion was huge, offering a hefty heap of leftovers for the next day. For my side, I chose their famous “Jeff” fries. These are French fries covered in melted pimento cheese and topped with bacon and jalapenos. WOW is the first thing I can say about these fries….and about the only thing I could say when I was stuffing my mouth full of them.
Who knew pimento cheese, jalapenos, and bacon would make for the perfect loaded fry? Apparently Bubby’s, as I’m convinced these are the best loaded fries in town. Those looking to tone down the spice can get a side of ranch to cool those scorching jalapenos. The fries maintained their crispiness and were seasoned to perfection. The melted pimento cheese provided the best savory bite possible.
The fresh jalapenos and crisp bacon worked together to make the perfect spicy and salty combination. I really cannot say enough about these amazing fries! Our waitress told us the origin story of the fries, as a family friend would always order this custom option. Everyone was so impressed that they decided to add this option to their permanent menu, and I can say that customers are so glad they did as they are now one of their most ordered options. After eating my fill of my sandwich and fries, it was on to dessert.
Peanut Butter Pie
Peanut butter pies come in many shapes and sizes, so I was excited to taste and see Bubby’s spin on the much loved classic. Upon receiving my order my heart rejoiced, this peanut butter pie comes with a chocolate crumble cake crust with peanut butter mousse as the topping. One bite of this dessert and I was in heaven, the dense chocolate crust was perfectly paired with the lightness of the peanut butter mousse.
My slice was, again, generous as I had more than enough to share with a friend. Bubby’s offers a rotating array of desserts, so you never know what special they might be offering in addition to their standard fare. Bubby’s is the perfect restaurant for a late-night drive-through after a long, stressful day at work or for a sit-down meal to enjoy the vintage ambiance. The food is tasty and the service is welcoming to all. It was heartwarming to see the family-friendly atmosphere that warms the restaurant, from the kind servers to the happy children playing the jukebox.
Bubby’s Diner
It’s apparent that Bubby’s cares about its patrons and employees. Recently, it announced on Facebook that it would no longer serve on Mondays to allow its staff time and space to give its customers the best. It also announced that new made-from-scratch daily meals would be released soon, so be on the lookout for those new offerings as well.
In addition to their restaurant, Bubby’s offers catered meals for holiday events to fit families who need the extra hand. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a good meal and a good time. It’s important to support family based locally owned businesses that support our community and economy. For more information be sure to check out Bubby’s on Whitesburg and their Facebook page below: https://www.facebook.com/bubbysdiner/
