On the road to Dadeville
OPINION —
When I was growing up in Alexander City (“Eleck” City to the locals), there was a big rivalry between our city and Dadeville; our cities were and still are, separated by the Tallapoosa River Bridge.
Unfortunately, during my senior year at Benjamin Russell High School, our football team lost to Dadeville High School. That game certainly didn’t give any of us any warm, fuzzy feelings toward our rival.
However, in 1990, my feelings toward Dadeville completely changed. Why? I was assigned to Dadeville High School to complete my English education internship for my master’s degree from Auburn University.
During that internship, I taught 9th and 11th graders under the supervision of Ms. Annette Smith, who was an outstanding, compassionate teacher with a great sense of humor. She taught me so much and was very patient with me. Also, the students I taught and the rest of the school’s staff were wonderful as well. I fell in love with Dadeville High School; for me, the rivalry between our cities and schools disappeared.
Therefore, when Mike was on the Internet and found an interesting restaurant in Dadeville, I was ready to go.
Mike and I traveled to 114 N. Broadnax Street #2 in Dadeville to have lunch at Miller’s on Broadnax. When Mike and I entered the restaurant, we really loved the interior. The smell of new wood and the beautiful, old brick walls tied the present to the past; I loved the contrast. Also, the light fixtures were very attractive, and we enjoyed looking at the old pictures on the walls which illustrated Dadeville’s history.
Back in 1923, the building had been Miller’s Hotel. Last March, Dennis Kirkland, who lives locally, opened Miller’s on Broadnax (formerly the Fusion Grill in another area of town).
Kirkland, who was so welcoming and helpful, said that someone else is hoping to reopen the Miller Hotel this July; the hotel will be upstairs from his restaurant.
Kirkland said that his restaurant will serve hotel guests upstairs on a big patio. Guests will have a great view from there.
Gabby, our server, was a complete delight, being sweet, helpful and patient. Mike ordered the pulled pork platter and chose tater tots and coleslaw for his sides. I chose the Dakota, a handheld, which included a grilled (or fried) chicken breast, bacon, cheddar cheese, homemade ranch, tomato, red onion and romaine lettuce; I ordered French fries as a side.
While we were waiting for our food, Mr. Kirkland kindly gave us complimentary fried green tomatoes, one of the restaurant’s appetizers or starters. The fried green tomatoes were hand battered and were served with chipotle aioli and crumbled feta.
Oh, my two times. They were AMAZING; they were fully coated and were just the right level of crispiness. Also, I loved the chipotle aioli. As I’ve mentioned before in this column, since our parents taught us good table manners, Mike and I refrained from licking the plate, but it was difficult.
When our food arrived, we dug right in, and everything was really delicious. As we finished our wonderful meals, I chatted with another customer, Angela Smith of Hackneyville. “I love it here,” she said. Also, Mike and I heard a man behind us tell his server, “Everything was perfect.” Mike and I quite agreed with these other customers.
At the end of our meal, Mr. Kirkland surprised us with a complimentary piece of peanut butter pie to share. That scrumptious pie was slap your Grandma three times good. In fact, the pie alone made the short trip to Dadeville worth it.
Mike and I will DEFINITELY be coming back to Miller’s on Broadnax. Trust me, run and do not walk to this restaurant.
Besides our tasty fried green tomatoes, Miller’s on Broadnax serves other appetizers or starters, some of which include BBQ mac ‘n cheese, Buffalo chicken dip, pork wings, onion rings and fried mushrooms.
Other lunch items on the menu included loaded fries, salads, handhelds, platters, wings and freshly made gourmet burgers.
Entrees included prime cut ribeye, prime cut filet, premium pork ribeye, Southern fried catfish and a shrimp plate, among others.
Miller’s on Broadnax is open on Wednesday and Thursday for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 8 p.m.; on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday Brunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Miller’s on Broadnax makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!
Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear every other week in The Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com.