Best Restaurants in Birmingham AL

If it were me and I had one dinner in BHM, I’d go to Highlands. There is a reason it recently won the James Beard as the most outstanding restaurant in America and that it was nominated ten years in a row. Great food but not stuffy.

Others will say Hot n Hot, Gianmarcos (one of my favorites), or maybe Bottega, or one of the new spots that have opened up.

For lunch, higher end you could do Ovenbird, Chez Fon Fon, Cafe Bottega or more. None are outrageously expensive. For less pricey lunch options, I’d consider El Barrio, the Garage (cool bar with solid sandwiches), Johnny’s, Carrigans (good drinks with good pub fare), Rodney Scott’s (whole hog bbq from a South Carolina guy that knows what he is doing), Post Office Pies, Saw’s, or the food hall at the Pizitz. A quick spot that I like downtown is the Miami Cafe. Good sandwiches and mofungo. Lots of options.

Lived there for three years recently.

Would recommend

El barrio
Hot and hot fish club
Gianmarcos wine bar (back of regular restaurant)

Others listed are awesome as well but these would be my preferences.

For Saturday Dinner I'd do one of these 3:

1. Highlands
2. Gianmarcos
3. Bottega

Highlands is probably the best restaurant in the city. Gianmarcos is one of my personal favorites, and one of the best bang for your buck restaurants in town. Both definitely want to get a reservation for though. Bottega has two sides to the restaurant, the dining room side and the cafe side. Cafe is a little more relaxed. Both sides have very good offerings. Menus should be online.

For lunch, i'd choose some of these:
1. El Barrio
2. Saw's Juke Joint
3. Rojo
4. Brick & Tin
5. Johnny's Restaurant
6. Davenport's Pizza Palace or Post Office Pies

El Barrio is another great bang for your buck spot. Mexican fusion restaurant. Amazing chorizo queso.


ETA: Another unique lunch spot if you want something a little simpler is The Garage. It is a kind of hole in the wall bar with a really pretty back patio. If the weather is nice, you can go there and grab a drink and they make really good sandwiches. Place is cash only so heads up there.

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With Dinner I want something really nice

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Highlands Bar & grill, without question. I'd also consider Bottega. Hot & Hot is another popular one, but I've never been that impressed with it. Gianmarco's will get some mention, but it's gotten kind of hit or miss for us. Last time we were there it was pretty bad - food and service wise. When they're on though, the best Italian food in town.

Lunch is wide open and really depends on what type of food you're looking for and what part of town you'll be in. Saw's is great for BBQ and has a few different locations. Automatic Seafood is a new place getting a ton of hype. El Barrio is a popular Mexican place. Niki's West is the quintessential cafeteria style meat & three.

Just popping in to say that I agree with pretty much every recommendation that's been posted. Some really great spots to eat here. Chez FonFon is the best bang for your buck in my opinion. Run by the same guy as Highlands (they're next door to each other) but nowhere near as pricey. They have the best burger I've ever had.

If you decide on Highlands then make sure you get a reservation far enough in advance.

Highlands for sure. They open reservations 30 days in advance and if you're planning on dining on a Friday or Saturday - they will not be available if you don't book the morning reservations open. Hot and Hot is also excellent but they are relocating and not sure when that is or if it will be open in September. As mentioned - El Barrio and Saws are both great. Johnny's in Homewood or Niki's West are both killer lunch options. Dyrons in Mountain Brook for Sunday Brunch.

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1. Highlands
2. Gianmarcos
3. Bottega

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These are probably the best 3 in town, although I would move Highlands to #3. If you do Bottega for dinner, go to the restaurant side. You can do the cafe side for lunch.

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Hit hit breweries and food trucks for lunch. Or rather, lunch at Saws in Avondale (even though I prefer the Juke Joint) then go to Avondale for some beers. Then go to TrimTab for more beers and see if they have a food truck out for a snack.

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This is a good suggestion, though I'd skip Avondale. Their beers are pretty meh, at best. Cahaba Brewing is close by and is a little better, IMO. Cahaba is a popular place for folks to bring their kids though, so just a head's up. Some people get turned off by that, and I've been there on a Saturday afternoon when it was like a chuck E Cheese. Trim Tab is the best in town though, but if you're scared of hipsters you probably won't like the vibe there. Their beers are great, especially their NE Style IPA's and sours.

They all have food trucks on the weekends pretty much all day, except Avondale. But Saw's and Post Office Pies are next door and you can bring food in to eat if you decide to go there. Ghost Train is also in the general area, but their parking situation kinda sucks so I rarely go there.