This Greenhouse Restaurant In Alabama Is The Most Enchanting Place To Eat
By Lisa Battles|Published June 03, 2024
×
Lisa Battles
Author
Lisa has traveled the U.S. for over a decade, seeking out and sharing the stories of its most interesting places, people, and experiences. A journalism graduate of Auburn University, she has been a content strategist, editor, and writer for more than 25 years. Lisa has worked in community news, PR, and marketing with a focus on tourism, hospitality, and economic development. Besides following her curiosity around every corner, she's a devoted dog mom of two and advocate for animal welfare.
You don’t have to be a plant fanatic to swoon over Botanic, an expansive, lush greenhouse restaurant in Opelika, Alabama. And if you are, well, get ready to start making plans for a road trip.
Opened in late 2022, the food, gardening, and entertainment destination grew from the shared passions of husband-and-wife duo, King Braswell and Stacy Brown. You might recognize Brown’s name from her founding of the successful national restaurant chain, Chicken Salad Chick. Meanwhile, King has been a longtime local business owner, previously owning and operating a nursery, Blooming Colors, and a garden-themed restaurant, Crepe Myrtle Café.
People local to the Auburn-Opelika area are familiar with Botanic's location, which was previously the site of a catfish restaurant that closed in 2018. While King and Stacy dramatically transformed and expanded the facilities, they preserved and emphasized several features of the property that local families had grown to love, like the pond. These days, kids of all ages can still feed the fish, spy turtles, and greet the geese.
The showpiece and heartbeat of the entire operation is its massive greenhouse nearly overflowing with a ceiling of ferns and endless leafy rows and tidy displays. Do you have big dreams for your outdoor spaces? You can enlist the team for landscaping, hardscaping, and other services to bring it all to life. Surely when you see what they've done with their place, you'll be inspired to call them over to yours.
Note that you may run across a four-legged employee at the greenhouse or on the grounds now and then. While they may not be able to answer all of your questions, they're pros at sitting pretty. Looking to brighten your green thumb with new techniques and knowledge? Sign up for a class with the Botanic team or visiting guests. Be sure sure to step inside the Garden Shoppe, too. It's filled with all sorts of gift items, gardening tools, accessories, and garden-inspired art.
The Market at Botanic blends a casual breakfast and lunch counter with a curated, food-driven retail experience. You can choose among snacks, treats, and light meals that include pastries, soft-serve ice cream, smoothies, soup, charcuterie goodies, salads, and more. The shop stocks a selection of gourmet food products and works by local artists and makers.
While the Market has bistro tables, guests for breakfast and lunch also may sit in the lakeside dining area, which is enclosed and heated during cool-weather months. The space converts evening service use for The Grille, Botanic's fine dining component.
The Grille at Botanic welcomes dinner guests Tuesday through Saturday as well as a popular Sunday brunch buffet. Reservations via Resy are recommended to ensure a table, especially for larger groups.
On the menu, starters range from Nashville Hot Fried Oysters to Korean-Fried Lollipop Drumettes. As for entrees, from the sea come dishes featuring lobster, scallops, golden tilefish, and salmon. From the land, you can choose from chicken fried chicken or bourbon maple chicken, short rib rigatoni, ribeye, or filet mignon. And of course, the salad selection will not disappoint. This is a horticulture-informed destination, after all.
The half-dozen dessert options include a white-chocolate cheesecake with blueberry compote, a Southern classic bread pudding, banana pudding cheesecake, apple tart, honey vanilla pot de crème, and Mississippi mud pie.
And last but not least is the entertainment aspect of Botanica. The Patio Bar under the property's massive oak tree beckons guests throughout the spring, summer, and early fall – basically as long as it's warm enough to be pleasant out there.
The Patio Bar menu features small bites, craft cocktails, wine, and a selection of local and regional craft brews. Botanica books live music during patio season, creating an optimal outdoor vibe to enjoy a fun night out with family and friends.
You can see the full menus and hours for Botanic’s multiple operations on the Botanic website and stay up-to-date on live music and other events on the Botanic Facebook page.
So, are you plotting your trip to this greenhouse restaurant in Opelika, Alabama? Plan to stay and take in all the Auburn-Opelika area has to offer. Southern Living has named Opelika one of the best small towns in the South, and it’s the fourth fastest-growing community in the state as of late 2023.
Let us know when you go (or if you’re already a regular)! We’d love to hear about your experience.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
