Café Alice is one of those non-descript restaurants that exists in every strip center in every city around the country. In this case, you’ll find this glorified sandwich shop in the Windy Hill Shopping Center off Cobb Pkwy. It’s probably family owned (seemingly Asian in persuasion) and the idea of being “chef driven” is as foreign to the staff as nuclear physics is to me. They aren’t trying to win any awards or garner the attention of foodies near and far. No, it seems instead that this is one of those business run by people who want to do the best they can without any misconceptions or false hopes. Mind you, that statement is entirely assumptive.
While I walked in hoping to find a gem in the mist, my expectations were quickly adjusted by an eye jaunt of the walls and a glance at the menu (hello little bunny!). Casual at it’s core, the restaurant now occupies the space formerly home to a Mad Italian. It’s awash in deep browns and the disjointed feel created by sporadic planters and kitschy lights does little to set any particular mood. No, this is just a simple place with simple expectations.
The menu consists of sandwiches, basic fried goods (fingers), and pizzas (probably assembled from pre-purchased dough and the like). Everything is cheap (dirt cheap in fact) and there’s nothing for the adventurous foodie. Even stomach champions of the world would be hard pressed to spend more than $15 on a meal here. As such, after settling in on a ham sandwich with fries and a tea, my bill wasn’t even $5.
What showed up was your run of the mill hoagie sub with a side of fried taters. The stack was more than generous, with a good heaping sweet ham a touch of liquid condiments and sliced fresh veggies. It was all deeply reminiscent of something you might find in your own kitchen if you shop at Publix and assembled something at home. The bread was brought in, and though it didn’t strike me as anything other than mass produced, it had a soft yet slightly firm bite and probably came in the mourning of my visit. Again, this was a random meal, so it’s impossible to know how things roll on a consistent basis. Meanwhile, the run of the mill fries were nicely crisped and not too greasy.
Outside of the grub, the interaction with the staff was sparse, but sufficient. I was greeted quickly, given a couple of minutes to peruse the choices, and checked in on after the food arrived to make sure everything was okay. Just as it should have been.
So that’s about it for this little spot. It’s ridiculously inexpensive and while I won’t say it was particularly awesome … it’s hard to complain when the food was as acceptable as it was and the price point as low as it was. If you’re stretched thin for time and don’t want to hit up your local gut buster, Café Alice wouldn’t be a horrible option. Think of it like a place that serves food your mom might have packed for your lunch in hell err … middle school.
Cafe Alice Restaurant Address & Information
2092 Cobb Pkwy SE Smyrna, GA 30080 // 770.955.0300 