Lee's Grill - 12 Commerce Street

Lee’s Grill was on the east side of the street between Alabama National Bank and “The Union.” Not so very wide, but seeming to reach nearly through the block to North Court, Lee’s was owned and operated by Lee Pake. The food was OK, the service fast, but its real appeal was it convivial, yet cosmopolitan aura that catered to coffee cliques of railroad men, bankers, investment brokers, businessmen, shopkeepers and politicians. It was big enough to accommodate them all at one time, giving the place the flavor of a livestock auction and the New York Stock Exchange combined. In the years right after World War II, there were few places other than downtown for gatherings of such diverse groups, and for several decades Lee’s drew coffee drinkers and diners from all over town. – Remember When by Tom Connor