Evelyn's Cafe - Four Years Later

 Chuck and I are back in Columbus again visiting family.  Today we went to Evelyn's Cafe for lunch with Aunt Opal.  I was anxious to see what changes, if any, had occurred since our last visit four years ago.

As I expected, the changes were minor....and that, my friends, is a good thing! 

The first thing we noticed was that there is a bright new sign.

The other thing we noticed is that the screen door no longer has a rip in the screen.

Once inside, everything was the same as it has been for years.  No change at all that I could tell.  Same staff, same customers and the same wonderful southern food.

This is my lunch, a vegetable plate....cole slaw, rutabagas, tomatoes with okra, turnip greens and cornbread sticks.  A large sweet iced tea rounded the meal out....or maybe squared the meal off.

Here is Chuck and Aunt Opal checking out the menu while I was busy talking with folks and snapping pictures.

This man was introduced to me as a "true redneck."  I never found out why he was more redneck than any of us.  He told me he was from Clio, L.A.   "I've never heard of Clio in Los Angeles." I told him.  He said "Not Los Angeles, that is Clio, Lower Alabama."

If you are driving through Columbus and want to have a true southern eating experience....I recommend this cafe.

It is on Hamilton Road.  Located across the street from the lavender house.

And sharing the parking lot with Rosehill Seafood.

Already looking forward to returning to Evelyn's Cafe on a future trip.

Breakfast at Evelyns Cafe

One of my favorite places to visit when I return to Columbus is Evelyn's Cafe. I cannot tell you the exact age of this cafe, but it is very, very old.

Chuck, Aunt Opal, Uncle Bill and I went there for breakfast during our recent Columbus visit. To look at it from the outside you would never guess the treasure this cafe is. As you can tell from the picture, this restaurant has outlasted the nearby buildings.



Here is Uncle Bill, Aunt Opal and Chuck entering Evelyn's.

Yes, the front screen door has a rip. This just adds to the ambiance.


Once inside, you see the regular customers chatting and eating. There is banter that goes on between the customers and wait staff. It doesn't take long to get absorbed into the "homey" feeling of this place.


We grabbed a booth (seat yourself) and started thinking about our breakfast.


Here is the breakfast menu.


I ordered eggs, grits and one each of their types of sausages. A biscuit and coffee rounded out the meal.


If you ask inside the cafe...who's Evelyn? Other than being the original owner, our waitress didn't know exactly. Her name was Evelyn McGuffey. I found out there have been at least two owners since Evelyn. The next owner was Queenie Sands. The current owner, Sarah Adams, has run this cafe for 37 years.

Evelyn's is a happening place starting about 11:30 am each week day. They offer a working man's lunch that is very good. Their menu consists of a choice of meat and three vegetables. Otherwise known as a "meat and three." It is not unusual during the peak serving time to have people waiting in line for a table.

They also offer their menu for "take out." During lunch time there is a steady stream of patrons picking up their home cooked meals to go.

Here is a typical lunch menu. The current day's menu is on the left and tomorrow's menu is on the right. Notice on Thursdays menu under vegetables.....macaroni and cheese. Yes sir, we treat mac and cheese as a vegetable in the south!


This is probably the most used condiment during lunch. We call it pepper sauce. It is vinegar aged in hot peppers. It is poured on peas and greens.


These are the waitresses working the morning we went to Evelyn's. They are Glenda, Kathy and Beth. The most important thing is that they are wonderful, warm people. They are important in making Evelyn's so special.



Uncle Bill treated us to breakfast.



As we left the restaurant, I noticed this sign in the window. Columbus and Jordan High Schools are the two oldest high schools in Columbus. They are celebrating their 100th football game on September 5. I wish I could be there for the fun.


If you ever get to Columbus, Georgia, this is one cafe you will not likely find in the tourist guide. It is a hometown restaurant mainly patronized by locals. But you will get a TRUE "Southern Experience" if you seek it out.

Evelyn's Cafe is located in Columbus, Georgia at 2601 Hamilton Road, near Rose Hill Seafood.