About Minnie Lee's Soul Food Diner
Out on Highway 31 South in Decatur, Alabama, Minnie Lee's Soul Food Diner is the kind of place that has to be discovered — and once you find it, you never forget it. The building may not look like much from the outside, and the vintage decor inside might surprise you at first. Don't let that fool you. The food here is extraordinary.
Cook Linda has built a devoted following over years of work in multiple locations across the area. People who remember eating her food elsewhere have tracked her down to Minnie Lee's. Regulars have been eating her cooking for years and describe her simply as "the best cook ever." The food backs that claim up completely.
The menu is a full expression of Southern soul food tradition: fried chicken, fried pork chops, hamburger steak smothered in gravy, oxtail, barbecue ribs, salmon croquettes, and slow-cooked baked chicken — all paired with sides like hot water cornbread cakes, fried corn, candied yams, collard greens, and mashed potatoes that melt in your mouth. Meals come with your choice of sweet tea, unsweetened tea, lemonade, or Kool-Aid. That alone tells you everything about the vibe here.
For dessert, the banana pudding is legendary among regulars. Fried apple and peach pies, blackberry cobbler, and strawberry shortcake complete a lineup that makes it very hard to skip the sweet ending. This is Southern cooking done with love, skill, and generations of tradition behind every dish.
Why Guests Keep Coming Back
Hours of Operation
No reservations required. Free parking lot on-site.
Restaurant Details
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Map & Directions
Open in Google Maps →What Guests Are Saying
I had the fried chicken, cabbage, mashed potatoes and broccoli casserole. My husband had hamburger steak/gravy, mashed potatoes, and baked mac and cheese. We both had cornbread. There was nothing we did not like. This food is as close to my grandmother's cooking as I have ever found — it really took me back to childhood. They are very sweet, super nice folks. If you haven't been, what are you waiting for? Go!
I wanted to find a soul food spot off the beaten path. When I arrived, I knew I made the right decision. The atmosphere is inviting and feels like home. Don't judge it by the outside — you'll miss a treat. The hamburger steak was seasoned to perfection. The sweet potatoes were melt-in-your-mouth good. They have hot water cornbread cakes — delicious! All the memories of my grandmother flooded back with each bite.
I had the baked chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, mac and cheese, greens, and cabbage, plus cornbread and sweet tea/lemonade mix. All the food was absolutely amazing — I will most definitely be back. Good-size portions too. I only had a small amount left to take home, but it was plenty!
Linda is THE BEST COOK EVER! I love everything I have ever tried there. Her banana pudding is AWESOME too! There was a couple there one time who told me they had been eating her food for years and named two other places she had worked before. I discovered her through someone bringing plates to sell at EFP — best discovery ever. Prices are sooo affordable!