Cafe 123

Cafe 123, formally Cafe One Twenty Three, occupies a storefront at 123 South 8th Street in the heart of historic downtown Opelika, a location the restaurant treats almost as part of its identity given the address matches its name. It has operated for years as one of the anchor fine-dining rooms in a downtown that has otherwise filled in with casual pubs, coffee shops, and boutique retail, and it describes itself directly as a fine dining restaurant serving Southern American cuisine with a classic French influence, with a full bar available.

That French-Southern pairing shows up clearly on the dinner menu. Starters range from crispy beer-battered asparagus finished with lemon zest aioli to smoked gouda crispy grit fritters served with buttermilk chive whipped cream cheese and jezebel sauce. A chilled shrimp cocktail leans on fresh horseradish and Mississippi comeback sauce, while a steak tartare built from beef tenderloin is dressed with capers, pickled mustard seed, and dijon aioli and served with grilled crostini and sunchoke chips. A dish called A Little Taste of the South gathers buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken skins, hot honey, sausage, pimento cheese, and fried green tomatoes onto a single shareable spread, and a table-side Caesar for two is prepared in the dining room rather than the kitchen.

Entrees push further into composed, French-leaning technique. A center-cut pork chop is chargrilled and paired with a grit cake, bacon-braised carrot, and pepper jelly glaze, while a grilled rack of New Zealand lamb comes with black-eyed pea puree and a balsamic-gremolata finish. Low country shrimp and grits combines pan-braised shrimp with fried crawfish, creamy grits, and sausage, and a brown sugar bourbon glazed salmon is plated with grits, a pickled green tomato chow chow, and crispy brussels sprouts. Filet mignon, a rotating prime cut of the day, and a fresh catch of the day are all priced at market rate, changing with what the kitchen brings in.

Dinner service runs Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m., giving the restaurant a longer evening window than many of its downtown neighbors, several of which wind down service earlier. Cafe 123 also publishes a dedicated wine list alongside its dinner and brunch menus, underscoring a focus on the full dining experience rather than just the plates leaving the kitchen.

Sunday changes the format entirely. Rather than dinner, the restaurant opens for brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., built around dishes like Till’s pimento cheese served with Conecuh smoked sausage and Wickle’s pickles, a tiramisu waffle finished with mascarpone whipped cream and coffee syrup, and a Southerner’s omelette layered with applewood smoked bacon, Conecuh sausage, and pimento cheese. A shrimp and grits plate, a fried chicken sandwich dressed with remoulade, and a burger made from ground filet and ribeye round out the brunch entrees, alongside a la carte sides like grits, biscuits, and Conecuh sausage. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, a common pattern among the city’s more chef-driven kitchens.

The restaurant’s name and address, both built around the number 123, have made it something of a downtown landmark independent of the food itself, a small piece of branding that has stuck with visitors and locals over the years. Its position on South 8th Street puts it within easy walking distance of the shops and other restaurants along South Railroad Avenue, making it a natural stop for anyone spending an evening in the historic district.

As one of the few restaurants in Opelika to describe itself outright as fine dining, Cafe 123 draws a mix of special-occasion diners and repeat regulars who treat the restaurant as their default choice for a more formal meal without leaving the city for Auburn or points further out. Reservations are recommended, particularly on weekends, and can be made through Resy or directly by phone.