About
The first Golden Rule opened it's doors in 1891,
just a short distance from where the Irondale,
Alabama location is today. The original building
was a roadside stop for travelers making the
journey to Atlanta. It served the public pork
plates, beer, sold cigarettes, and with the
invention of the automobile, occasionally did
automobile repairs. It also served as a gathering
spot for the locals in the area, and the Williams
family kept the restaurant in the family for close
to forty years. The picture of the original
building was taken in 1918.
In the late 1930's, Jabo and Ellene Stone
purchased the Golden Rule, and built a new
building shortly after acquiring the restaurant.
The original property was sold and Jabo bought a
large piece of land closer to the county line. The
Golden Rule was built on the edge of Atlanta
Highway. On the back side of the property he built
his home. Jabo's new building had a wood floor for
the customers in the front of the restaurant,
built like a deck, right on top of the ground ,
spanning the walls of the inside of the building.
As with the original building, this building
utilized a dirt floor for the kitchen. This
building remained a Golden Rule until the 1950's,
when setback guidelines forced Jabo to build
another building.
The new building was built farther away from the
Highway 78 so the Alabama Department of
Transportation could expand the highway. The new
building was equipped with neon signs and metal
awnings, the latest of designs for highway
visability! Modern equipment was added to the
restaurant and the birth of the barbeque sandwich
wasn't far behind. Jabo decided to retire in 1969,
so he asked Mr. Michael Matsos, owner of Michaels
Sirloin Room, if he was interested in buying the
Golden Rule. After several conversations, the deal
was done and Mr. Matsos agreed to buy the Golden
Rule for $10,000 (land, building, and all!). At
the time of the transaction, seventy nine years
old Golden Rule served Pork Plates, Pork
Sandwiches, French Fries, a Salad with a spoonful
of mayonnaise as dressing, Bottle Coke, Water, or
Beer. It is said that after a few weeks Mr. Matsos
was worried that he didn't get a good deal!
Not long after Mr. Matsos bought the Golden Rule,
another highway expansion affected the Golden
Rule. This time it was the Federal Government and
the Interstate 20 development. This time Golden
Rule built across Highway 78 right in front of the
exit ramp for the interstate. The Irondale
restaurant has been in this location for the past
31 years.