If you haven’t been to (what was once) Rumors Deli lately, you’re in for a real treat. For starters, it’s now called Hank's Sports Bar & Rumors Deli (and has been for a while). It also has an expanded menu that you can’t find anywhere else. Such is the delight that is a true, locally-owned eatery.
Owner Aaron Coombs shared, “Rumors Deli was born in a tiny spot in the Warehouse District of Cullman, Alabama. When the doors opened on that hot day in July of 2000, the Harris family never dreamed it would have grown to where it is now. They always believed there should be a place where a sandwich was not just a sandwich, but the best sandwich you would ever eat. They wanted to build a family business that would teach people about work ethic. Little did they know... Rumors Deli would be a name that spread far and wide. On March 1st of 2021, the torch was passed to the Coombs family.”
He added, “After the Coombs family took over, we operated as-is for one year, before remodeling and extending the menu and hours and adding a bar.”
Now, thanks to the generosity of Will Dowdy, Hank’s has incorporated recipes from Dowdy's former restaurant, Brothers on Smith Lake.
“We were super excited and happy to know that Will trusted us enough to pass these recipes on to us. He came in and trained us (me, (General Manager) Kendrick (Boudreaux) and the rest of our management staff) himself, and we have become good friends with him,” said Coombs. “His recipes were a staple for my family, as Brothers was our family’s favorite place to go. It provided many good memories for family and friends. We still have family and friends that talk about the cheese sticks and many of Will’s other amazing recipes. Will is a great guy, and was an even better mentor during the training process.”
Coombs said his favorite recipe from Dowdy is by far the homemade cheese sticks.
“My favorite recipe is hands down the homemade cheese sticks,” he smiled. “After learning the process behind the cheese sticks, it made me appreciate them even more!”
And since we’re sliding headlong into autumn, I asked Coombs his idea of the perfect dish for fall.
“Honestly any of them are perfect for any time of year!” he said enthusiastically. “They are all good for sharing around the table and we’ve noticed that many families will come and order one of each and pass it around the table. We get enjoyment out of seeing families and friends bonding over shareable items because it is very much so how my family and friends like to spend our quality time. Good food, good sports and good music and conversation. It’s great!”
Hank’s Sports Bar & Rumors Deli also offers a variety of live, local entertainment and is active on social media. For the latest schedule and newest menu items, visit www.facebook.com/rumorsdeli or www.instagram.com/rumorsdeli.
Hank's is located at 601 Fourth St. SW in Cullman and very close to the new Flying Fifty Hotel. It's open Sunday-Tuesday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Wednesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.