Perhaps it’s not surprising that virtually everything in a Monroeville restaurant has an interesting story. After all, the small Alabama town is synonymous with one of literature’s most beloved stories, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Across from the old Monroe County courthouse that inspired the courtroom setting for Harper Lee’s novel is Prop and Gavel, a restaurant with its own inspired name.

“My father was a pilot. Airplanes were his passion,” said Tawny Carter, co-owner and executive chef at Prop and Gavel, in explaining the “prop” portion of the name. “Mom is the gavel. She’s an attorney and judge. And I’m the little ‘and’ sign, I guess.”

Within the restaurant are tables from a 1920s Belgian pub. The chairs are made from the shutters from the British Embassy in India.

The barrister burger is made from fresh-ground beef from the trimmings of filet and ribeye steaks.

It has earned a spot on the Alabama Tourism Department’s list of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die.

The verdict is in: Prop and Gavel’s barrister burger is one of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

Prop and Gavel is on Monroeville’s historic town square, across from the old Monroe County courthouse made famous by Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” (Chad Allen/Alabama NewsCenter)