Al’s Place wins no architectural awards, but the simple sign and a leftover parade float can catch your eye from the highway. Image by Tom Adkinson

LAKES WALES, Fla. – Al’s Place barely was a blur in my peripheral vision as I zipped down U.S. 27 in central Florida. However, it was lunchtime, and the outlines of a knife, a fork, and a spoon on its modest roadside sign must have registered subliminally. Had I been driving slower, I might have noticed the sign’s text: “Food-Drinks-Good Times.”

This crowd of regulars at Al’s Place had food and beer orders the server almost knew by heart. Image by Tom Adkinson

I pulled a U-turn and soon learned that the unassuming one-story establishment indeed did deliver food, drinks, and good times.

U.S. 27 goes down the spine of Florida, if you can say that Florida has a spine. I-95 is to the east, I-75 is to the west, and Lake Wales is somewhere in the middle, sort of between Orlando and Tampa. You need a good reason to poke along through the countryside instead of flying down an interstate highway. My reason was to check out Lake Kissimmee State Park and perhaps Bok Tower Gardens, but Al’s Place came before I got to them.

One entrance to Al’s Place leads directly to a comfortable and welcoming U-shaped bar in a room decorated with college pennants and a modest-sized TV. Image by Tom Adkinson

Parking is cramped, so the nose of my rental car was almost touching the building. There were two doors. I chose the one on the right, which led immediately into a bar, where two of the dozen high-back stools were occupied. The noontime Florida sunshine barely penetrated this quiet, welcoming space. Budweiser and Michelob lampshades hung over the bar’s service area, a golf tournament was on the modestly sized flat-screen TV, and college football pennants hung on the walls.

The real dining space was around the corner. Windows let in some sunlight for people at a handful of tables and three stools that looked into the bar area. Wall decoration was an assortment of largely smart-aleck signs. (“The crab is in. Prepare to butter her up.” “Sarcasm now served all day.” “Husband daycare center.” “A good mood is like a balloon. All it takes is one prick to ruin it.”)

Patricia Meador, “owner and boss lady” at Al’s Place, was happy to emerge from the kitchen for a quick photo with a satisfied customer. Image by Tom Adkinson

As I eased into a high-top table, the main door opened as eight social security-eligible guys rolled in and filled up the biggest table in Al’s Place. It was clear they were regulars. One was wearing a t-shirt inscribed “Over 50 Years (of) Al’s Pizza/Real Food for Real People.” Seven of the eight nodded “yes” when the server asked who wanted a draft beer.

Their arrival inspired me to make a quick decision from a diverse, but limited menu. (“Good move,” said the server.) I didn’t want the Saturday chili dog special ($2.25), so I went healthy with a garden salad with grilled chicken breast. I wish I’d been there for Wednesday’s three-piece fish platter with coleslaw and fried ($12.99) or Thursday’s eight-piece shrimp platter ($13.99).

Something special is offered every day at Al’s Place, but remember to come with cash in your wallet at this comfortable restaurant/bar. Image by Tom Adkinson

A sign behind the guys’ lunch table proclaimed that Patricia Meador is the “owner and boss lady” of Al’s Place.

I asked the server, who was handling the entire establishment, whether she was Patricia. She said, “Nope. Patricia’s my mother, and she’s running the kitchen today,” adding that Patricia had bought the place from Al decades ago.

I prevailed on Patricia to emerge from the kitchen long enough for me to brag on her daughter, thank her for my salad, and tell her I wish I had something similar to Al’s Place near my home so I could slip in occasionally for a burger and a beer and luxuriate in a sense of small-town community.

Trip-planning resources: Al’s Place and VisitCentralFlorida.org

(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available at Amazon.com.