Almost everybody has a favorite fast-food chain – a place to grab a quick burger for lunch or a drive-thru taco late at night.
While national brands abound to satisfy your cravings, Alabama has its fair share of homegrown chains, most of which started as small, independent “mom-and-pop” shops before branching out.
As part of our Beautiful Alabama summer project, we’ve put together this list of 10 such Alabama chain restaurants, all of which began in the state and many of which remain in the same family.
(Note: For this story, we did not include barbecue restaurant chains, which belong in a category unto themselves.)
Foosackly’s, famous for its fried chicken fingers, originated in Mobile in 2000 and now has 14 locations in Alabama and two in Florida. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)Ben Flanagan
How it started: Co-founders Will Fusaiotti and Eric Brechtel, who went to LSU together, partnered to open their first Foosackly’s chicken tenders restaurant on University Boulevard in Mobile in April 2000. The chain’s unusual name was inspired by Fusaiotti’s hard-to-pronounce last name, and Fusaiotti figured “Foosackly’s” rolled off the tongue much better.
How it’s going: Although most of its 16 locations are concentrated in the Mobile and Baldwin County area, Foosackly’s has expanded into Tuscaloosa and Auburn, as well as neighboring Pensacola, Fla.
More info: foosacklys.net
One of the most popular chicken finger restaurants in the state, Guthrie’s has more than 30 locations in Alabama. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)Ben Flanagan
How it started: In 1965, Hal Guthrie opened a drive-in restaurant in the Winston County town of Haleyville, but it wasn’t until 13 years later that Guthrie began serving the fried chicken fingers and signature dipping sauce for which his family would become famous. In 1982, Hal and Melissa Guthrie’s oldest son, Chris, who was a student at Auburn University at the time, talked his dad into helping him open a Guthrie’s in the Loveliest Village on the Plains.
How it’s going: Guthrie’s, which is headquartered in Auburn, now has nearly 50 locations in nine states – mostly in the Southeast but as far away as Idaho and Ohio.
More info: guthrieschicken.com.
Guthrie’s celebrates a golden anniversary
Hero Doughnuts & Buns began at a pop-up event in Birmingham in 2016 and now has eight locations around the Southeast, including this one near Birmingham’s Railroad Park, at 1701 First Ave. South, Suite 135. (Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)
How it started: Birmingham chef Wil Drake debuted his French brioche pastry-style Hero Doughnuts at a pop-up event at Seasick Records in 2016 and opened his first brick-and-mortar location in Homewood the following year.
How it’s going: After partnering with the Pihakis Restaurant Group, Hero has rebranded as Hero Doughnuts & Buns and expanded its menu to include not just doughnuts but also chicken sandwiches and one of the best cheeseburgers around. Hero now has nine locations in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
More info: eatahero.com.
Jack’s Family Restaurants, which began in Homewood in 1960, has grown to include almost 200 locations in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Jack’s Family Restaurants; used with permission)
How it started: Jack’s goes back, back, back to 1960 when founder and Birmingham burger king Jack Caddell, inspired by the growth of the McDonald’s chain, opened the first Jack’s Hamburgers in downtown Homewood.
How it’s going: Now known as Jack’s Family Restaurants but still headquartered in Homewood, the fast-food chain has grown to about 200 locations in big cities and small towns throughout Alabama and neighboring states Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.
More info: eatatjacks.com.
Milo’s began in Birmingham in 1946 and now has 23 locations throughout Alabama.(Photo courtesy of Milo’s; used with permission)
How it started: Founder Milo Carlton, who served as an Army mess cook during World War II, and his wife, Beatrice, or “Mama Bea” to those who knew her best, opened their mom-and-pop burger shop in Birmingham’s Norwood neighborhood in 1946. Thirty-seven years later, the first Milo’s franchise opened near the UAB campus on Birmingham’s Southside.
How it’s going: Under the leadership of CEO Tom Dekle, the Milo’s brand — beloved for its burgers with pickles, onions and that magic sauce — has grown to include 23 locations around Alabama – mainly in the Birmingham metro area but also in Auburn, Montgomery, Jasper and Tuscaloosa.
More info: miloshamburgers.com.
The story behind Alabama’s famous Milo’s hamburger sauce
Sneaky Pete’s began in Birmingham in 1966 and now has about 30 locations in Central Alabama, many of which are in gas station convenience stores.(Photo courtesy of Sneaky Pete’s)
How it started: Pete Graphos – from the legendary Graphos hot dog family that included his brothers Jimmy and Sammy — opened the original Sneaky Pete’s hot dog shop on Birmingham’s Southside in 1966. His brothers later joined him in the business before branching out on their own. At one time, Graphos operated 24 Sneaky Pete’s locations before selling the business in 1986.
How it’s going: Sneaky Pete’s, which is still based in Birmingham, has about 30 locations around Central Alabama, most of those in gas station convenience stores. Also, Sneaky Pete’s Hot Dog Sauce is available online and at grocery stores around the state.
More info: sneakypetes.com.
Although a few new items have been added over the years, the Taco Casa menu has pretty much remained the same since the first restaurant opened in 1974, with burritos, tacos, enchiladas and sanchos. (Ben Flanagan/bflanagan@al.com)
How it started: Rod Wilkin, a Kansas native who came to Tuscaloosa to play football for the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant in the late 1960s, followed up on his dream of starting a Mexican fast-food restaurant and founded Taco Casa in 1974, opening the original location on 10th Avenue, near what is now Central High School. The little restaurant “under the biggest cactus in town” fast became a favorite of University of Alabama students.
How it’s going: Wilkin and his three sons (Rod II, Ben and Brett) and his son-in-law (Shannon Formby) continue the Taco Casa tradition 50 years later. That original location has long since closed, but Taco Casa has six stores in Tuscaloosa and Northport and a seventh in the Wildwood Centre in Homewood.
More info: tacocasa.com.
An Alabama tradition: Tuscaloosa’s Taco Casa
Taco Mama opened its first location in Mountain Brook in 2011 and now has 27 restaurants in five Southeastern states.(Birmingham News file/Linda Stelter)
How it started: Will Haver — who also owns Otey Tavern’s, a neighborhood bar and grill in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village — opened his first Taco Mama not far from Otey’s in 2011. He had no plans to open a second one. But all that quickly changed.
How it’s going: After word got around about Taco Mama’s hearty burritos, tart margaritas and fun, family-friendly vibe, Haver started branching out all over Birmingham and throughout Alabama. Taco Mama is now up to 27 locations, including restaurants in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
More info: tacomamaonline.com.
Taco Mama started in Alabama and became a Southern sensation
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe began in Birmingham, Ala., in 1998.(Joe Songer/jsonger@al.com)
How it started: Inspired by the small cafes they discovered on a trip to Greece, chef Keith Richards and his wife, Amy, opened the original Taziki’s Mediterranean Café in Birmingham’s Shops of the Colonnade in 1998.
How it’s going: From that one café, Taziki’s has grown far and wide to include about 90 locations in 16 states. Also, in 2015, Taziki’s became the first national franchise to receive the United States Healthful Food Council’s REAL Certification, which recognizes restaurants that go the extra step to serve their customers meals with nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables and whole grains; that emphasize local and organic ingredients; and that serve meals that are made from scratch using healthy cooking methods and a minimum of processed foods.
More info: tazikis.com.
Urban Cookhouse began in downtown Homewood in 2011, and that original location later moved just down the street into this space at 1920 29th Ave. South.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)
How it started: The husband-and-wife team of David and Andrea Snyder started Urban Cookhouse – a “buy local, eat urban” fast-casual concept that emphasized wood-smoked meats and Alabama-grown produce – in downtown Homewood in 2011.
How it’s going: The Snyders still buy from many of the same farmers and makers they started with – including strawberries and heirloom tomatoes from Harvest Farm in Cullman County and orange rolls from Millie Ray’s in Birmingham – but Urban Cookhouse, which now has nine locations, has expanded beyond the Birmingham metro area into Cullman, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Nashville.
More info: urbancookhouse.com.
NORMAN, Oklahoma — The stage was set for Oklahoma. Heck, the Sooners earned the right to set it. This was supposed to be the ushering in of a new era of postseason football for the No. 8 team in the country that had won 10 games in what was one of the toughest schedules this year.
No. 9 Alabama was even one of those teams that Oklahoma beat on its way to earning this spot. And Saturday night, all was going well for the Sooners. It was going so well, in fact, that after the first quarter, some Oklahoma fans might’ve peeked at flights and hotel rates for the Rose Bowl from inside Memorial Stadium.
And then the Alabama Crimson Tide curled and rolled the Sooners, 34-24, and are headed to Pasadena. After opening with 17 unanswered points, Oklahoma collapsed under the weight of that wave, becoming the only team in College Football Playoff history to blow a 17-point lead. And now, the Sooners have done it twice — before Saturday, in 2018 against Georgia.
[Best Teams in the College Football Playoff Era: Creating the Ultimate 12-team CFP]
Here are my takeaways from Alabama’s College Football Playoff first-round victory against Oklahoma on Saturday:
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Zabien Brown #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide stiff-arms John Mateer #10 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff first-round game on December 19, 2025. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson is an avid reader and listener of college football news. Following the largest comeback win in Alabama postseason history, Simpson took a moment to facetiously thank media members for choosing Oklahoma to win on Saturday night.
“I guess we can thank you guys for that,” an emboldened Simpson said. “You guys kind of wrote us off in a sort of way. So I appreciate that.”
After building a three-score lead, the Sooners watched the Crimson Tide recover a fumbled punt, pick off Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer and return it 50 yards to the end zone — all before their First Team All-American kicker Tate Sandell missed not one but two field goals in the final minutes to solidify the worst collapse in College Football Playoff history.
Meanwhile, the Alabama Crimson Tide will prepare to take on No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl for the CFP quarterfinal game. This team that punches back and played its best football with its back against the wall is one that the Hoosiers must prepare for on New Year’s Day.
[College Football Playoff Predictions: First-Round Winners to The National Champion]
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: John Mateer #10 of the Oklahoma Sooners is hit by Deontae Lawson #0 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter during the College Football Playoff first-round game on December 19, 2025. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
The Crimson Tide began down — just like they did against Georgia in the SEC championship game. But the last three quarters of Saturday’s game demonstrated Alabama to be just who it says it is: the kind of team that can open with a loss to a bad Florida State and also be the first team in six years to walk into Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, and come out with a win.
DeBoer’s task now is to find a way to make certain that the team that showed up at Georgia earlier this season and at Oklahoma in the first round is the same one against the Hoosiers. Linebacker Deontae Lawson said that’s his job too. But Bama’s best trait isn’t one that shows itself until it’s in a fight for its life.
“Man, I just think we’re a resilient team,” Lawson said. “And even though we were down 17-0, we didn’t really look at the scoreboard. Coach DeBoer always says, ‘Keep playing the game. The game will come back to you.’ … We just keep fighting.”
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Head coach Brent Venables of the Oklahoma Sooners speaks to an official during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide on December 19, 2025. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Let’s look at the bigger ones:
These are blunders. Errors that aren’t forced but self-inflicted. It’s difficult to win any game with those kinds of mistakes on your drive chart. It’s nearly impossible in a game of this magnitude, against a team as talented and as resilient as the Crimson Tide.
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Keon Keeley #31 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the College Football Playoff first-round game. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Oklahoma usually plays 50 Cent’s “Many Men” before the start of the fourth quarter. In an attempt to make a statement for its first CFP game at Owen Field, the Sooners brought the rapper himself out onto the field to perform the song for fans in a Hard to Kill Hoodie.
“I didn’t know it was live,” DeBoer said.
“I didn’t know who 50 Cent was,” Simpson said, “but I know that song.”
“We play that song at practice on Fridays,” Lawson said.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
Hello college football fans, and welcome to The Athletic’s live coverage of the 2025 College Football Playoff!
Yes, after a 2025 season full of an incredible amount of twists, turns, controversy and pure chaos, the second edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff gets underway tonight. Our opening matchup is a battle of blue-bloods whose first meeting this season contributed to that chaos, as No. 9 Alabama takes on No. 8 Oklahoma in Norman.
Follow along for live pregame build-up and the latest news, play-by-play updates and real-time analysis from The Athletic’s college football staff!
The College Football Playoff gets underway Friday night as Alabama heads to Norman to take on Oklahoma. But to ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, there’s even more at stake for Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer’s name has been the subject of rumors throughout the offseason in the coaching carousel. Most recently, he received questions about the opening at Michigan following Sherrone Moore’s firing for cause, though he made it clear he intends to be at Alabama in 2026.
However, Wilbon didn’t sound as convinced. He predicted Alabama would not only lose to Oklahoma on Friday night, but DeBoer would also be on a flight to Ann Arbor to take the Michigan job afterward.
“Let me tell you about … two schools that could be in the coaching carousel after [Friday night],” Wilbon said Thursday on Pardon The Interruption. “Because when Alabama loses to Oklahoma – let me say it again, when Alabama loses to Oklahoma – the coach of Alabama, half the people in the state will want to run him out. And he’ll be on the carousel – oh, wait, that’s a G5 being flown to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he has said, ‘Oh, no. I ain’t got no interest in that.’ He’ll have interest [Friday night].
“And then, Alabama will be in the coaching carousel because they’ll be looking for a coach. … The Alabama coach is going to have a job-on-the-line situation in 24 hours and then, headed to Michigan once he loses. And then, Alabama’s looking. Then, what are you going to say?”
During a press conference this week ahead of the College Football Playoff opener, Kalen DeBoer was directly asked if he intended to be Alabama’s head coach next season. He responded, “Yes.”
Earlier in that press conference, DeBoer received a question about the rumors surrounding him. He again spoke highly of his tenure at Alabama so far and made it clear he’s happy in Tuscaloosa.
“A lot of the same things I said before, a couple weeks ago, when asked really the same question, just feel completely supported,” DeBoer said. “My family loves living here. Just all the things that we continue to build on, love the progress. Haven’t talked with anyone, no plans of talking with anyone. So just, I think that’s a lot of what I said a couple weeks ago, and continues to be the same thing.
“Feel strong about it. And our guys, if there’s been any distraction, I haven’t seen it, haven’t felt it. I’m really proud of the way they’ve handled whatever noise is out there. And again, we probably all season long, have dealt with enough noise to where it wouldn’t surprise me on how they handle this.”
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