Lillian Pondera Plantation

Pondera, The Lillian Plantation, is a restaurant like no other. Inspired from the fictional characters, Peg-Legged Willie and his gorgeous gal nicknamed Hazel Eyes, the atmosphere is a blend of the Old West and Deep South, but with a pirate ship theme! (You can read the whole story on the website and on the menu).
The building is a piece of real history itself. The structure is designed with a log cabin exterior made from 500+ year old timber salvaged from Perdido Bay and the interior is filled with thousands of collectibles from the rafters to the floor.
When asked how many items are displayed, collector and builder, Tim Lett jokes “We stopped counting at 5,000!”
Mr. Lett built most of the restaurant by hand over the past 18 years and plans to help publish a book detailing the history of the contents. Pondera is like a small museum where you will see a variety of Civil War relics, autographed photos, collectibles from the 1800’s and nautical pieces, just to name a few. Customers are encouraged to walk around and look at items up close, not just from their seats at their table.
Ronald Halford, the new Executive Manager, emphasized that “it’s a vintage and antique showcase open for public viewing during dining hours”. So don't be shy, please take a tour!
There’s even a weekly ‘treasure hunt’ for folks to locate a specified object in the restaurant. First one to find it receives a free homemade dessert.
As for the food, on the menu you'll find classic breakfast, daily salad bar and homemade desserts plus quality steaks and seafood.
Located on Hwy 98 in Lillian Alabama, the restaurant looks forward to using local produce and products available from the surrounding farmland and waterways.
“We want to embrace the ‘farm to table’ concept by providing our customers fresh, seasonal foods supplied by our nearby communities”, expressed Adam Halford, General Manager.
Whether it be sweet corn from Cassebaum’s Farms, fish from Joe Patti’s Seafood or honey and blueberries from Hillcrest Farms, the goal is to incorporate these local foods whenever possible to enhance the quality of the dining experience.