OPINION —
It’s hard to believe that 35 years ago this month, I began my 30-year teaching career in LaGrange, Georgia, and so did Mike, my then future husband. I’ve always heard that the older you become, the faster time passes; now I know that this is true. The years have flown by, and Mike’s and my last students are now seniors in high school.
During our first year of teaching, Mike and I worked on the same eighth grade team at Lee’s Crossing Middle School. We both taught a bright, kind student named Jeremy Whaley, who was really fun to teach.
Coincidentally, last month we met another bright, kind person named Jeremy Whaley; however, this Jeremy wasn’t our former student. Instead, he is the owner of The Camellia Café, which is located at 105 W. Columbus St. in downtown Dadeville.
I was happy to learn that this Jeremy was a distinguished graduate of Auburn University, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in hotel and restaurant management. Also, he is from Dadeville, which is just across the Tallapoosa River Bridge from my hometown of Alexander City. As I’ve mentioned before in this column, I fell in love with Dadeville when I completed my teaching internship for my master’s degree under Ms. Annette Smith, an outstanding English teacher at Dadeville High School.
Jeremy certainly chose the correct profession. His Southern hospitality gets an A+ from this retired English teacher. He was so warm and welcoming to Mike and me. Also, he gets bonus points for waiting on tables, even though he’s the owner.
Jeremy said he opened The Camellia Café in May of 2024. He moved back to Dadeville so that he could be near his dad.
Mike and I loved the casual, homey atmosphere of the café, and we thought it was cool to name it after Alabama’s state flower. We went to eat breakfast at The Camellia Café, and believe me, it did NOT disappoint.
Mike ordered Paw Roy’s Hearty Breakfast, named after Jeremy’s dad. He could choose from applewood smoked bacon, Conecuh sausage or sausage patties (Mike chose the Conecuh sausage) along with two eggs, biscuit & gravy and a choice of home fries or grits (Mike chose grits).
I selected Camellia Cakes, which included three scratch-made buttermilk pancakes served with syrup, topped with butter. I added Conecuh sausage to my meal.
Everything was slap your Grandma three times good. After eating his big breakfast, Mike said, “Now, that was done right!”
My pancakes were cooked perfectly, being light and fluffy. And as always, our Conecuh sausage hit the spot. I was as full as a tick, even though I left a few bites of pancake so that I wouldn’t look like a glutton.
I heard another customer say to Jeremy, “I don’t need a menu.” This regular customer’s name was Donna, and when I asked her about the café, she said, “It’s really good.”
The Camellia Café’s motto is “Southern Hospitality Routed in Southern Tradition.”
This Southern woman can promise you that this café’s motto is 100% correct. Mike and I will definitely be coming back here. Trust me, run and do not walk to The Camellia Café.
Besides our delectable dishes, other breakfast choices included the Sunshine Omelet, Country Meets Benedict, CBH & Eggs and the Yellowhammer, which is the state bird of Alabama; however, in this case, it is country fried steak topped with old-fashioned peppered white gravy and served with home fries.
The Camellia Café serves lunch, offering salads, sandwiches and Paw Roy’s meatloaf plate, which comes with creamy mashed potatoes and your choice of collards or black-eyed peas.
The café also serves dinner Thursday through Saturday, offering a fillet of beef, blackened redfish etouffee, bourbon salmon, chicken picatta and coffee-rubbed pork tenderloin medallions, among other dishes. Desserts include apple or peach cobbler served warm with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and flourless chocolate cake (gluten free) from The Grand Bakery. Reservations are accepted for dinner; call (256) 307-1114.
The Camellia Café is open for breakfast Thursday, Friday and Monday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 7 a.m. until noon on Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is served Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner is served on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The cafe is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Camellia Café makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!
This review was written for my Long Cane Middle School teaching family. I pray that y’all have a safe, fun and productive school year. I love you bunches!
Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” appears every other week in The Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com
