Thirty years ago, Highway 231 was the easiest and quickest route for Southern vacationers anxious to get to those beautiful, sugary Florida beaches.� With school out from May through August, families packed up their automobiles with lawn chairs and beach towels to follow the familiar road that led through Montgomery County, only stopping occasionally at rest stops and favorite eating places.

One such convenient and well-liked spot was a restaurant that featured sweet barbecue, stew and other tasty dishes that would delight a car-full of hungry travelers.� It belonged to the uncle and aunt of Debbie Deese, and when they offered the idea of selling to Debbie who was working there, she says she "jumped in with both feet,"� wanting to continue the good business they appreciated.

It was a good business, even though the building was small.� However, it would be a walk-in customer who would launch their catering business with a single question.
As the customer enjoyed his barbecue plate, he called Debbie over to ask, "Can you cater this same food for an event to feed 100 people?"� It would be her first catering job.� Determined to make sure everything went perfectly, she took no chances in running out of food and almost tripled the quantity needed. �The customer was Emory Folmar who would serve as Mayor of Montgomery for over 20 years. She would cater another 300-person event for the mayor, as well as for many other clients in the area.
"As our business grew, we wanted to 'spruce up' the restaurant,"�Debbie shares."However the building did not belong to us, so we decided to look around for a larger location. It was Dad who found it."�

"When we learned that the old schoolhouse at Grady was going up for auction, Dad was there to make an offer. With only two interested participants, he won the bid that included the historic old 1910 schoolhouse building with its 2.2 acres of land."�
In 1985, Clarence "Red" Deese was a busy man.Up early each morning to work his farm until 10 am, he would leave for his job at the Montgomery Country Club where he worked until 5 pm.� (He was also well known as a barber.)
His interest in the new restaurant would add to his workload.

For almost a year, he helped with restoration and renovations on the school building, transforming and growing it into a working restaurant which would become known as Red's Little School House Restaurant.� Or, as it is simply called today, Red's.
"Our motto was 'fresh from the garden,' and Dad's garden got a lot bigger after the restaurant opened.� We supplied wonderful produce straight from his farm.� We still provide the freshest and best available.� We have the very best turnips in the world, so very popular with our customers.� We freeze the turnips in large ice bags, and on an average Sunday, it takes five bags to feed our lunch customers,"� Debbie says.� Now averaging 1,000 customers weekly, with 20-30% of the restaurant's business still in catering.

Red's regulars and local "foodies"� will debate their favorite dishes, with pies always in the top ten.� "Just like grandmother used to bake" is a truism at Red's.� Debbie's mom, Jeanette Deese was very active at the restaurant until she passed away in 2004, and many of the recipes prepared today were hers.� Chocolate, coconut and lemon pies, piled high with light and luscious meringue justify the calorie count.� Ten freshly baked pies are consumed daily, and last Thanksgiving, 99 pie orders were filled.

Along with pies, other specialties have added to Red's acclaim.� In the State of Alabama Tourism Department offering, "100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die,"� Red's Little School House is noted for the Apple Cheese Casserole ... a must-eat.� Some customers would add the specials such as Thursday's Dumplings, Friday's Catfish and Saturday's Chicken and Dressing.

Too many cooks do not spoil the broth at Red's.� Debra Walters, an 18-year Red's veteran, dishes up the hearty, cheesy casseroles, using recipes passed down for generations.� Martha Brown serves as manager, pleasantly ringing up your tab and encouraging your next visit.

Red's has always been a family-run business, but operating a successful restaurant is both demanding and time consuming.� When talk of Debbie's possible retirement buzzed around the family a few years ago, daughter Raeanne Culver got excited.� "I was disheartened at the possibility of the restaurant leaving the family,"� she remarked.� "I grew up in the business.� When I was just a kid, I used to wait on tables.� Too small to wear the checkered uniform, I would wear my Mom's smock as a dress."�
Raeanne, a licensed RN and mother of two boys, first began discussing the potential of taking over the restaurant with her husband Kelly Culver, the Southeast Regional Manager for IEM (International Environmental Management) and her brother, Bert, who currently lives in Mexico.� Although she loves nursing, and keeps current working once a month at Baptist Hospital in Montgomery, her heart was in the restaurant.� In 2007, with the support and confidence of all her family, it was agreed that Debbie would retain ownership while Raeanne became general manager.� The arrangement is working well for both women.�

"I am a 'number's person'�, says Raeanne.� Sales are better this year than last, and we continue to bring new things for our patrons.� For example, Wednesdays are now family nights, and kids under ten eat for $1.99 while enjoying special games and prizes.
Fridays and Saturdays are "steak" night, and we often run at full occupancy, about 155.� Our busiest day is Sunday, and normally has folks waiting in line.� �Our hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am - 9 pm, and Sunday, 11am - 3 pm.
"We are fortunate that we still draw customers from different states - we have one family from Tennessee who always plan their vacation so that they can stop here every year,"� says Raeanne.
Some things just don't need to change.