By Jennifer Kornegay
Today, The Rawls restaurant in Enterprise is known for its steaks, oysters and creative cocktails crafted with seasonal ingredients. As of 2023, the eatery has new chefs and a new focus on elevated cuisine. But it’s in an old building.
Built as a hotel by the Rawls family more than a century ago, the Spanish-style structure served guests arriving in the area via train (the train depot is right out back, which was the original front entrance), and sometimes, the legacy left by all those visitors, its previous owners and hotel staff comes alive.
Photo Courtesy of The Rawls
“We have things that go bump in the night and during the day,” says owner Sam Gay. Faucets turn on by themselves, and doors open with no one visible pushing or pulling on knobs. The sweet smell of pipe tobacco floats in the air when nobody is smoking. And multiple people have seen an elderly man in a white shirt with suspenders — believed by some to be Jeb Rawls of the original owning family — wandering the halls. “It’s a little creepy, but whoever they are, they’re friendly,” Gay says. “Nothing really scary has happened.”
But the thought of this historic spot and beloved community landmark being lost is cause for alarm. And it almost was. After opening in 1903, the hotel was enlarged with two additional wings, including a grand ballroom, in 1928 and housed visitors to Enterprise for decades. After its hospitality days were done, it held a barber shop, a hobby shop and an eye doctor’s office until the late 1960s. Then, it sat empty for years, and by the mid-1970s, with its roof crumbling in, it was on its way to be condemned.
Before it was officially slated for demolition, a local named Hayden Pursely bought it and spent three years working room by room, renovating almost every inch of the building. His efforts saved the structure, and in 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999, Gay’s parents purchased it. Upstairs became office space, and downstairs, Gay and his mom opened a small deli. The Rawls restaurant was born, and over the next 20 years, it grew up and grew into the eating establishment it is now. “We steadily added items to the menu,” says Gay.
Gay had no intention of remaining in the restaurant business, but life had other plans. “I didn’t think I wanted to run a restaurant, but here I am,” he says, laughing. Now, plenty of others find themselves at The Rawls too, digging into dishes amid the intricate wrought iron, glittering chandeliers and rich wood beams, columns and carved accents of its expansive and elegant dining areas.
The allure of nostalgia
“When I was younger, I didn’t get why this place was important, but it does matter to people here,” Gay says. “People are constantly sharing with me the memories they’ve made here, birthdays, wedding events and other celebrations.” The space’s nostalgia is as appealing to many as anything on the menu. To preserve the allure, Gay and his family remain committed to keeping its historic aspects intact, even through several renovations.
“We want to it to look as close as possible to the original,” Gay says.
LeeAnn Capps, director of communications and corporate recruiter for Gay’s other family business, Navigator Development Group Inc. (which has offices upstairs), has fallen under The Rawls’ spell, and echoes Gay. “The more I’ve learned about the building, the more I love its charm,” she says. “It feels like time has stood still here, so with any work or additions, great care has been taken to make it match and look like it belongs.”
Some of the work unearthed interesting artifacts that opened a door to previously unknown elements of the building’s past. “When a plumber came out to run a water line for a new service area, he found an old bottle of liquor,” Gay says. “He kept digging in the same area and found a tunnel with a ramp that led to a trap door.”
During prohibition, illegal hootch was delivered and put into the tunnel where it rolled down the ramp to an area where the ladies’ restroom is now. “Then someone would lift the trap door and retrieve it,” Gay says. “I love these stories and love that this place is still here for our community as well as visitors to discover and enjoy.”
But in early 2023, Enterprise and The Rawls’ regulars endured a real fright. The restaurant shut down for months when the chef of 14 years left. And Gay didn’t rest and didn’t reopen until he found the right fit for The Rawls’ kitchen. He lured two chefs from Emeril’s in Destin, Florida, to the restaurant. Dawn Sabath and Tommy Wachter, both trained under famed chef Emeril Lagasse, brought an elegant touch to the revamped menu, which debuted when the eatery reopened in October 2023.
A risk paid off
“Like a lot of Southern towns, Enterprise can be fickle, so the decision to venture beyond traditional Southern-style cooking was a risk, but it has paid off,” Gay says. Indeed, despite a lack of items deep-fried and dipped in ranch dressing, diners have taken to selections like succulent pork belly with tangy Asian barbecue sauce, salty-sweet prosciutto and mixed berry salad, rich duck breast over sesame-garlic noodles and crab-crusted fresh grouper swimming in a thyme-scented beurre blanc.
The menu changes several times a year, but constants include the tender smoked prime rib – Gay’s favorite served only on Sundays – whose aroma perfumes most of main street, the German-inspired fare featured on the last Thursday of each month, plus chargrilled oysters and stellar steaks (juicy marbled ribeyes are standouts) anytime the spot is open. A large wine list complements the food, as does the space’s character, according to Sabath.
“This place has been a social hub in some form or another for 100 years, and that history is all here playing into the experience,” she says. The most obvious spirit currently hanging around at The Rawls is one of vibrant hospitality, and there’s nothing scary about that.
The Rawls
116 S Main St
Enterprise, AL
334-417-0668
therawlsrestaurant.com
Hours: Thursday-Monday, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
