Lloyd’s Restaurant

“Y’all go right on in and take a seat,” is the guaranteed greeting at Lloyd’s. The smell of fried onion rings fills the air, and it is soon clear that everyone is treated like family here.

It’s been this way since 1937.

“We want something you feel comfortable going to, something from the past,” owner Eli Stevens said. “There’s not a lot of home-owned restaurants in Birmingham anymore like this.”

Lloyd Chesser opened the original Lloyd’s Restaurant in 1937 on the old U.S. 280, making it one of the oldest restaurants in Birmingham right along with the Bright Star in Bessemer. Stevens bought the restaurant from Chesser in July of 1971.

“My family was in the bread business, and we used to sell to them,” Stevens said. “Mr. Chesser wanted to retire, and they called me. So I decided to try it.”

 The restaurant moved to its current location in 1978. At that time, a horse farm was just about its only neighbor.

“It all depended on finding a suitable piece of property over the mountain, and this was the closest piece of property we could find,” Stevens said. “I bought enough property around me so I wouldn’t be boxed in.”

Stevens now finds it hard to believe 42 years have passed since he bought the restaurant. He said he has enjoyed watching the community sprout up around him and that business has been thriving despite months of construction on U.S 280.

There’s an obvious reason for their steady flow of customers. The menu has held the same concept since 1937, with only a few new twists. Sweet tea and lemonade are served out of quart-sized tumblers, and fried onion rings come with nearly every entrée. The menu has everything from fried chicken to smoked barbecue to succulent seafood.

“Onion rings and hamburger steaks are our big items,” Stevens said. “We also just added fried pork chops and some more vegetables.”

Stevens said the relaxed atmosphere and down-home feel allows him to offer something special to Birmingham amid the myriad of chains and franchises.

“Seeing old customers makes you feel good,” Stevens said. “It’s about maintaining friendly relationships. We try to run the business the way people remember.”

The customers are not the only ones who have been around since the early days. Members of the wait and kitchen staff have been with the restaurant for more than 30 years. Stevens said the key to doing it right is letting the customers guide the way.

“You don’t run the restaurant, it runs you,” Stevens said. “We do what it tells us to do. That’s why we’re here.”

The restaurant plans to undergo some remodeling soon, Stevens said, but that does not mean the place will lose any of its charm.

“We’ve seen all kinds of changes. We are proud to be able to do this,” Stevens said. “We hope to serve people for years to come.”