Otey's Rodney Davis celebrates 20 years

Otey's Tavern has been a staple of Crestline Village for close to 24 years, and one man has been to see almost all of it. Rodney Davis has been grilling, frying and having fun with the customers of Otey's now for 20 years.

Davis, 44, describes himself as "the kitchen manager," but Otey's co-owner Will Haver describes him as much more than that. "Rodney has been a joy to work with," he said. "His positivity and work ethic has helped create an outstanding work environment that I think everyone at Otey's has adopted."

"It's people like him that make a place like Otey's special," Haver said. "He can tell who the customer is by the ticket that comes in. He's just a very remarkable person, and we as a business and as a community are so lucky to have him."

Davis started his culinary career with Back Alley at 18 years old, and after a few years, some of his coworkers started helping Otey's with their food service. Soon after, they asked Davis to help out. He just didn't leave.

"I kind of just took over the food from there, really enjoyed the people at work and the customers coming in, so it just felt right," said Davis, "And it's been a joy ever since. The people in Mountain Brook have been so good to me. They are wonderful. They support me and Otey's—it's like a family."

"Whether it's a restaurant or some other business, you are only as good as your people," Haver said. "And we are fortunate to have the combination of our staff and our customers that make Otey's what it is."

Through the years, Davis' menu remained consistent. "People seemed to really like it, so I didn't want to mess with what they enjoyed," he said.

Often identified as one of the best hamburgers in the Birmingham area, Davis claims (with a smile) there's no secret; the burgers are just hand pattied and "made good". His personal favorite menu item is the blackened chicken breast with basil pasta. "I can't count how many I've had," he said. "I try to stay away from fried foods myself, and I love those spices on the blackened chicken."

Davis, along with Haver, both get a great amount of satisfaction in using Otey's as a vehicle to help the community with events such as Boiling and Bragging for Children's Hospital as well as Otey's Fest, benefiting the UAB Cancer Center. "It's special to be able to get involved with these great organizations and help those in need," Haver said.

How much longer Davis plans to keep serving the people of Mountain Brook? "As long as I have the energy to do it," he said. "And I've got plenty of energy."

Otey's Tavern is located at 224 Country Club Park in Mountain Brook's Crestline Village. Otey's serves lunch and dinner seven days a week and features live music and entertainment three to four nights a week. To learn more, read Village Living's restaurant showcase on Otey's.