| Worth the drive |
Serving
catfish and bbq at the crossroads of three counties
Fried catfish is one of the menu’s bestsellers.
Story and photos by Jennifer Crossley Howard \ You don’t even have to squint your eyes to see that Greenbrier Restaurant would look as at home in the 1950s as it does in 2016. Across the street, a cotton gin once operated, and the restaurant is still housed in its original squat cinder-block building. A spray painted mural wraps around its outside walls depicting the flat, green farmland that surrounds it. At first glance, it looks like high-class camouflage. Greenbrier Restaurant sits at the ru22 NOVEMBER 2016
ral crossroads of Morgan, Limestone and Madison counties, resistant to the pressures of chains and change since 1952. This place is all about the food. Greenbrier has thrived by serving simple dishes, and most ingredients are from Alabama, says owner Jerry Evans. “If it works and it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he says. Regular customers drive from as far as southern Tennessee to dine on catfish and barbecue plates and hushpuppies.
Greenbrier’s location on the edge of Madison County attracts local farmers, as well as players in Huntsville’s digital and aerospace industries. Silos and industrial parks pave the way to Greenbrier, which stands 30 feet from Rocket City limits. “We have blue collar, white collar, you name it,” Evans says. “We have a lot of people who eat with us basically every day.” The nearest competition is a postage-stamp sized Subway just off the I-565 Greenbrier exit. www.alabamaliving.coop