1989 Baby Doe's Matchless Mine Restaurant Birmingham AL 

My daddy took me here for a "date" every year. I always got the same thing: beer cheese soup, lobster tail, and chocolate cake. What great memories.

Beer cheese soup was the best

I think about this restaurant from time to time... so glad you put this up. My sister worked there as a server in the early '90s. I got to eat there a few times as a kid. It was such a fancy place. I had never been in a restaurant like that before, there were all these levels and different rooms and nooks, it was like a maze. The food was so good, but I don't even remember the view! I do remember a room that had a big table in the middle with all these desserts laid out and you could serve yourself (was this just a brunch thing?). I was so shy, but I wanted all of the desserts -especially the chocolate cake. I had never seen a table full of desserts like that before, or since!

Thanks so much for posting this! Wish we had it for more places of yesteryear!

The Baby Doe's chain always had THE best views of any city, and then the buildings always succumbed to structural problems. So glad you got this video before it was torn down!

Wow great memories...we had some cool restaurants at that time. '89 I was working at Rossi's for lunch and Dexter's on Hollywood (by PTs) for dinner. Seems like the Ham had a more vibrant after hours scene at that time. Btw Baby Does made me think of the Golden Nugget & Joe's Ranch House... guess because they were good date pla es. Ok Rich you gotta do a report on Loahhmanns Village(sp?) and Mr Gattis on Fri night after Vestavia, Berry,Homewood, and SHADES VALLEY football games.. then everyone would migrate to the 2001 parking lot! Teenage tailgating at it's finest (and I believe it's becoming a lost art)

I remember going there on a few dates. Great view of downtown Birmingham on top of Red Mountain.

In going through my parents old photo albums, I found a postcard with a pic of the one in Kansas City. It closed because it was literally sliding down the hill. It was a chain and I don't think any are open any more. This may be the only video of any of these places available online. Amazing concept...too bad they all closed.

The 1993 blizzard damaged the restaurant and it never open again. It was torn down and the property was later bought by The Club.

Worked there while in High School. 1983/84. Was a great place to work. Yes, the beer cheese soup was good, so was the bread and the steaks were tasty as well. Lots of good memories of happy customers, fun waitresses and good tips... (fun times)

cool video i hate they tore it down i went up there after it closed down and thought it was all run down but thanks to your vid I know now that was the way it was supposed to look and the reason we didn't explore further was because a beware of dog sign. Now I'm wondering if that was a prop that was for the restaurant

I remember that place. I and my future, now current, wife ate there a couple of times in the early to mid 80's. A great place! A shame it's not around any more.

Thanks for the memories. Good times there.

How ironic that David Ruffin of the Temptations had just begun to sing "I Wish It Would Rain" and it actually DID .. there was another of this Baby Doe's chain on the Ship Channel in Houston that was just as unique as the one here in Birmingham. You could sit in their windows and watch the oil tankers come up from the Gulf of Mexico on the way to the refineries. They were special places back in the day.

I was head bartender there in 1990-91. Despite it looking like a dilapidated run down building, it was a dilapidated run down building. When it was cold outside, the wind would blow the cold into the building. We had to catch raccoons that got into the building down stairs in the banquet areas. But it was our wreck of a building and we had a great time working there. Like a little crazy family.

AffordBindEquipment Weirdest thing is I grew up in Birmingham, now live in Los Angeles and there's one of those in Pomona, CA in the desert outside of LA. Also on a hill lol. Google it "Pomona Valley Mining Co restaurant". Soooo weird.

Have been to stone ridge/Atlanta, Denver, and Birmingham Alabama locations. The views were spectacular. Sad they're all gone.

We had dinner here at my boyfriend’s senior prom. That was circa 1986. I remember the server spilled soup in a fella’s lap. What do you do. We all got a good laugh at his expense. That was probably the last of years at Baby Doe’s but I remember it like yesterday! Honorable mentions; The Burley Earl, Texas taco and chili company. They had amazing food. Grady’s Goodtimes located in Hoover just south of the city. The food and service was second to none! I worked there a summer after high school before college. The staff were like family. It was such a close knit bunch: Amy, Julie, Laura, Stan, Kelli & Jeff. One blonde server whom I adored. I can’t remember her name but she called me Jenny Penny. She was a few years my senior. We used to have a blast! We would leave Grady’s and head up to a place in place called “LewBo’s” they had 50 Cent margaritas on Thursday nights. They also served this dish called couch, potatoes. It was french fries with like a rotelle cheese sauce over the top. We were that place out until it got busted for underage alcohol sales. Then we had it on over to cabana café. Anyone still alive today has to remember that place. It came back around in the 90s that it wasn’t quite the same. I can remember that commercial that used to come on the radio. Do you remember it? Cabana café, cabana café. 🎶 . Anyway, what great memories. I had so much fun with the people who worked at Bradys good times. I also met an Italian guy there named Mike. He was from Chicago. I had long sense left Grady‘s. Probably a good three or four years down the line. But I met him. He was an assistant manager there. We began dating until he was transferred over to Atlanta to open another Gradys in the Atlanta market. he lived in Dunwoody for a short time. And then moved back to Chicago. It’s fun to think about memories and times when you were young and free. I miss Grady‘s. He remembers that cheese toast? The better and different nachos? Jacket potatoes? And that unbelievable chocolate bar cake? “just Savoring the good times” In funny quirky way. Says some cute guy name, Mike that used to work there too. and then another guy I think his last name was “Fulmer”He gave me a mixed tape/cd and it was fulmo’s greatest hits. He was Hoover/Pelham guy I think. So much fun looking back. Long live our fun, just savoring, “Grady’s Good Times”. I count myself as lucky having worked there for a short time. I still have friends from that place. And then I can remember faces so vividly. If you remember me, I was a hostess. Reply, let’s catch up. Edit: I remember the blonde girls name was Lynn. She had the prettiest blue eyes. Long blonde hair. She was one cool chick!

I worked there 1988 -89 as a Server Assistant. That was first job. I have some great memories of being in this building. Thanks for the video.

Oh this brings back such memories of going here when I was in my 20’s ♥️♥️♥️

I am a native of Birmingham and I first heard about this unfortunately about a young lady at the time was abducted and horrible things happened to her, however, I was too young to know about it in it's heyday, but it seemed like a cool spot and that my generation would've appreciated. By the way, we are called the "Magic City" because of this city progression over the years despite its turbulence during the civil rights era.

Yes, I know. You told me that and I put this vid up for you. Agreed, it was a cool place. I went there every chance I got. Sat out on the deck drinking a cold one and watching the airplanes. There was another one in Atlanta according to my wife. She has been there. Don't know if it's still around or not.

To answer why it's called The Magic City is directly related to what Baby Doe's represents. Birmingham is unique in that the 3 main ingredients to make iron are all in very close proximity. (One of which is literally under the restaurant, and visible on the walkway.) That and the population boom it brought via the employment opportunities was what earned it it's magic.

Make sure to see my post that I have replied to below with some of my honorable mentions from Birmingham. One mostly to include was Grady’s good times and no it wasn’t in Birmingham proper but Hoover. It was one of the best restaurants in town. Too many favorites. I hate that company left this area. They really did have one of the best menus around. I worked there as a hostess for a while. We would go on weight at about 515 and not come off the wait list until around 8 o’clock or 830 on Summer night. More below!

Kelly and Just watched again. You even videoed the exact area we sat when I proposed!

I miss it!

My family and I ate there in 1989! Great place!

A woman got abducted there in 83 watched the story tonight

Kelly and I got engaged there! That was by far one of the coolest restaurants I have ever been to! Shame it's gone!

Spent a lot of time and even more money there in my young and single years.

WOW! I went there the night of my high school graduation. And that view! I don’t know if you’re in radio Rick... but you should be!

I bussed tables there in the early 80's. Must not forget King Crab Legs every Tuesday night; all you could eat for 9.99. I still make the beer cheese soup on occasion but have to substitute the beer because Lowenbrau Dark is no longer available.....I use Red Stripe. Some friends an I visited this place when it was early in construction, at that time it was just skeletal structure made of large timbers sticking out the hillside. Very cool looking, had no idea what is was going to be.....to bad cell phones were around then. Thanks for sharing the video!

I do not know when the place burned. It was demo'ed shortly after that I believe. The paved parking area was all that was left when I visited there on a trip through B-ham back in 1999.

A very unique setting, but it was a national chain restaurant.

I went there in late 1989. I didn't know it was gone.

When did burn down this was the spot in Bham in the 80's

Remember this place well.

Many a date went there.

What is that place with the sattelite dish?

Many thanks, loved that place.