There’s an old saying about expensive restaurants that don’t put prices on the menu.
“If you have to ask how much things cost, you can’t afford to eat there.”
There’s a little restaurant in Brewton, Alabama, with no prices on the menu. Because you can pay whatever you can afford. And if you can’t spare a dime, no problem.
Food for the Needy
For the past five years, Drexell & Honeybee’s has been a shining beacon for those in need who could use a hot meal. The unique restaurant in this small town near the Alabama–Florida border has taken Southern hospitality to another level, offering traditional lunches three days a week. The customers number more than 100 on an average day. Some pay more than what the meal would normally cost, subsidizing those who can’t afford to leave anything in the donation box except a note of thanks.
It’s the brainchild of Lisa McMillan, a woman who got her inspiration to be a culinary guardian angel in a grocery store checkout line. While waiting behind an older woman who was digging loose change out of her purse, Ms. McMillan discovered that the lady could use a financial helping hand. She started cooking and delivering breakfast to her.
“Pretty soon, I had 27 other seniors on my route, bringing eggs, grits, and bacon while stopping at Burger King for 27 cups of coffee,” she said. Five years ago, Ms. McMillan and her husband, Freddie, took things to another level, spending more than six figures to turn an empty liquor store that was a major fixer-upper into a cheerful, welcoming restaurant complete with exposed brick walls and a gorgeous wood ceiling.
Now, it serves good old-fashioned Southern home cooking.
“I’m so happy God blessed me with the revelation. Money is only good when you can help other people,” Ms. McMillan said.
Kind Hearts, Gentle Hands
The McMillans generally start cooking at about 6 a.m. Mr. McMillan, a retired Marine master sergeant, is busy on this day making apple pies.
“My grandmother taught me how to cook. By the time I was 12, I could cook anything in the kitchen,” he said.
Mr. McMillan loved his wife’s original idea when she told him that she wanted to open a restaurant to help the needy. “I saw her motivation and said, ‘Let’s take it on.’ There’s great satisfaction in feeding people that really need a helping hand,” he said.
The restaurant could use some helping hands in the kitchen as well, since cooking for more than 100 customers is a ton of work for two people. Earlier this year, Ms. McMillan posted a note on social media asking for volunteers. Brittany Fuqua was the only person who showed up, donating her time every week. She does everything from washing dishes to helping serve the meals with a cheerful smile. “I love getting to know the people who come here. It’s really satisfying to help in the community,” she said.
While the cash in the donation box usually covers expenses, the McMillans sometimes have to dip into their personal funds to buy food. As is the case in any bad economy, charities are usually the first to take a hit, so donations have been down lately.
And since the cost of food has skyrocketed, the restaurant has become a lifesaver for some who can’t make ends meet. Bruce Spears comes every week.
“My Social Security check and part-time job aren’t enough. ... this place really helps. And nothing beats a home-cooked meal,” he said.
On this day, the menu board featured meatloaf, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, potpies, sausage, creamed corn, and red velvet cake. The only thing not listed was the most important: compassion.
But the memory that makes Ms. McMillan’s eyes well up has nothing to do with food. On a freezing cold day, she overheard a man telling someone he’d missed a sale on heaters that were selling for $20.
“I heard him say the only heaters the store had left were $40, and he couldn’t afford one. So I asked my husband if he had a $50 bill,” Ms. McMillan said. She gave the man the cash, not having any idea if the guy, who had never been to her restaurant before, would actually buy a heater or simply take the money and run. “I told him all I wanted is a receipt.” The man returned shortly thereafter and gave her the proof that he’d bought the heater. “Then he said, ‘Boy, the kids are sure gonna be happy when they get home from school and see this heater.’” The thought that she’d helped children living in a home with no heat warmed her more than any down coat.
As you leave the restaurant, there’s a donation box behind a privacy screen near the front door, so no one has any idea if you’ve paid for your meal or not, using the “left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing” concept. You can read some emotional notes posted above the box. One reads: “I don’t have any money, sorry. But God bless you for everything you do.” Another says, “It’s a blessing to know there are heavenly places on earth.”
Appropriate, since the restaurant is run by angels.
If You Go
If you'd like to visit Drexell & Honeybee’s, it’s open for lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and is located in downtown Brewton, Alabama, about an hour north of Pensacola, Florida. Donations are tax-deductible and may be sent to Drexell & Honeybee’s, 109 Lee St., Brewton, AL, 36426, and you can reach the restaurant at 251-727-2411 or DrexellAndHoneybees.com
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