Busy Bee menu

If you love good times, laughter, camaraderie, trivia and good food, what could be more perfect than Thursdays nights at the Busy Bee Café in Cullman? Since last November, people have been coming from as far away as Birmingham to chow down on some great homestyle meals while competing in teams to answer trivia questions.

“A national entertainment company, Challenge Entertainment, contacted us about bringing trivia competitions to the Busy Bee,” explained owner and head cook, Kyle Spears. “They are connected to groups in 22 states, who will accrue points over the following months. In August, the teams with the highest scores will go to Las Vegas to compete against each other for a chance to win $100,000.”

Challenge Entertainment sends in a live emcee each week to quiz the teams, which are formed by customers and often change members from one week to another. The competition is lively, the laughter plentiful and the food, mouthwatering.

Some nights, Spears dishes up delicious pot roast, complete with all the trimmings. Last week it was homemade lasagna filled with six different cheeses, served with a garden salad and crusty garlic bread. The crowd-pleasing lasagna is full-flavored, filling and delicious. You never leave “The Bee” hungry.

Trivia and pot roast are not the only things that have folks driving into Cullman from bigger cities like Huntsville, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. The Busy Bee was recently awarded the prestigious honor of being named the No. 2 breakfast spot in the state by Alabama Living. The award-winning electric cooperative magazine reaches some 400,000 electric cooperative consumers, making it the state’s largest monthly magazine in circulation.   

Each year the magazine touts “The Best of Alabama” in a contest driven by reader submissions via a questionnaire sent out in the summer. This year, the January edition of the magazine published advice for newcomers to the state. Among other queries were the best place to get married and the best thing about living in Alabama.

In the “Best Non-Chain Breakfast Place” category, the Busy Bee was the runner up only to the famous Waysider Restaurant in Tuscaloosa. “It was a complete surprise to us,” said Spears. “One of our employees brought it to my attention.”

Spears was pleased to see that people from some of the larger cities in north and central Alabama have driven to eat breakfast at the Busy Bee just because of the magazine’s recommendation. “I really appreciate these first-timers and am honored and humbled that they would drive such a distance to dine with us,” he said.

The rest of Alabama may just be finding out about it, but breakfast at “The Bee” is a long-standing Cullman tradition. Redeye gravy, country ham, biscuits and eggs made to order have been standard fare here since 1919. However, their biggest claim to fame is still the Busy Bee Burger. “That’s our biggest seller, always has been and probably always will be,” he grinned.

“Everyone is invited to come out and play trivia from 6 to 8 p.m. and eat some great lasagna,” invites Spears.

For more information on Challenge Entertainment, visit www.facebook.com/northaltriviaChallenge Entertainment – Birmingham, or The Busy Bee on Facebook.

The restaurant is at 101 5th St. S.E. Cullman, Alabama; contact the staff for questions at 256-734-9958.

Hours of operation are from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; and from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.