About Us

The Woodruff Family Story:

Cooking with Love in Jacksonville, Alabama

In the heart of Jacksonville, Alabama, the Woodruff family learned early that food was more than just nourishment — it was love, memory, and the glue that bound family together. At the center of that legacy was Annette Woodruff, a devoted mother and grandmother whose kitchen became the classroom for generations.
From her stove came the aromas of collard greens simmering low with smoked ham hock, golden fried chicken crisped in cast iron, sweet potato pies baked until the crust was just right, and biscuits fluffy enough to melt in your hand. But beyond the flavors, Annette taught her children and grandchildren what those meals really meant: a chance to gather, pray, laugh, cry, and grow closer around the table.
Annette believed that Southern cooking was about heart. She would often say, “Don’t just follow a recipe — put your love in it. That’s the seasoning people remember.” The Woodruff children stood by her side, learning how to measure by feel, stir with patience, and taste for balance. Those lessons became part of their lives, carried into every holiday spread, Sunday dinner, and backyard cookout.
As her children became parents and then grandparents themselves, they passed those same lessons on. Meals became traditions: Sunday dinners with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, fried catfish Fridays, BBQ Saturdays, and holiday tables where every dish told a story.
The opening of Jacksonville Homestyle Eatery is a continuation of that legacy. It’s the Woodruff family’s way of sharing the food and fellowship that Annette Woodruff instilled in them with the wider Jacksonville community. Each plate — whether it’s Southern fried chicken, peach cobbler, or cornbread muffins — carries the same blessing she once shared: love, care, and togetherness.
At Jacksonville Homestyle Eatery, when you sit down to eat, you’re not just a customer. You’re part of the family table that Annette Woodruff set generations ago.