Our story
Joe's in Alabaster: a family kitchen on Weatherly Club Drive
Joe's Kitchen, Bar, & Bakery is a family-run Italian restaurant, full bar and bakery at 21 Weatherly Club Dr in Alabaster. Longtime guests still call it Joe's Italian. Same kitchen, same address.
How it started
Giuseppe “Joe” Bertolone and his wife Elvira, known to everyone as Mamma, ran a Joe's Italian in California. They moved to Alabama in 2007 to be near their daughters, and in 2009 they opened the restaurant on Weatherly Club Drive, cooking from Sicilian and southern Italian family recipes.
Two dishes run through that story: Mamma's strawberry cake and the Bianca Lasagna. When Bham Now covered the Cheapism award in November 2025, it pointed readers to both, along with the new bar.
Why the name changed
The kitchen, the address and the recipes stayed. The name grew to Joe's Kitchen, Bar, & Bakery because the building does more now: steaks, seafood and a raw bar, a full cocktail, bourbon and wine bar, and an in-house bakery for custom cakes and desserts. You will still see Joe's Italian on Toast, DoorDash and older articles. That is us.
What comes out of the kitchen
Italian-American plates for lunch and dinner: fresh pasta, pizza, seafood and steaks, with brunch on the weekend. The bakery handles birthday and wedding cakes. The same kitchen caters weddings, office lunches and private parties across the Birmingham metro and Shelby County.
The short version
2007
Joe and Elvira Bertolone move from California to Alabama, near their daughters.
2009
The restaurant opens on Weatherly Club Drive in Alabaster.
2022
The Alabaster Connection tells the family's story.
2025
Cheapism names it Best Old-School Italian Restaurant in Alabama.
2026
Shelby Living readers vote it Best of the Best in five categories.
Now
The name grows to Joe's Kitchen, Bar, & Bakery. Same kitchen, same address.
Catering and events
The same kitchen caters your wedding, office lunch or party.
Send the date and guest count. We reply within one business day.
or call (659) 222-9200