# Any can't miss grub between ATL and Birmingham, AL (or in B-ham itself!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965 "2013-06-14T03:17:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/1 "2013-06-14T03:17:06Z")
Saturday, I’ll be flying out to Atlanta and driving right into Birmingham. As I’ll get there in the evening, I’ll be looking for somewhere delicious to stop along the drive. Googling has been. . . less than helpful (apparently, it’s a pretty boring drive). Ideally, I’d like to get on the road and then stop, but I’m not opposed to something in ATL if it’s not too far off track. So, any ideas? ‘Good’ is my only qualification, but other than that, I’d love to hear some ideas. Then, I’ll be spending a week in and around Birmingham. I may end up making my way down to Selma or up to Memphis for day trips, but I’ll mostly be in and around Birmingham. Any ideas for good spots to hit up? I’ve got the Yelp app, but I trust you all so much more ;). ---
**Author:** ![Tara57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Tara57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tara57)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/2 "2013-06-14T14:30:10Z")
In Birmingham: Jim ‘N’ Nicks barbecue The Fish Market Milo’s Hamburgers for their sauce and sweet tea The Irondale Cafe was the real life Whistle Stop Cafe ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/3 "2013-06-14T14:46:55Z")
There isn’t a lot between Altanta and Birmingham proper. The biggest city you’ll pass on the way in to Birmingham is Anniston, which has some decent chain restaurants. I’m not terribly familiar with any local restaurants there. In Birmingham itself, it’s an entirely different story. There are a number of truly excellent restaurants in the city and suburbs, and several of them are located in a fairly small area (Southside, specifically Five Points South). The best, in my opinion, is [Highlands Bar & Grill](http://www.highlandsbarandgrill.com/). Don’t let the name fool you - Frank Stitt is an internatioanlly recognized chef who combines French cooking techniques with Southern cuisine. Reservations are _strongly_ recommended, and it usually books up a couple of weeks in advance. Also in the Five Points area is [Hot & Hot Fish Club](http://www.hotandhotfishclub.com/)and [Ocean](http://oceanbirmingham.com/ocean/). As you might imagine, both feature seafood prominently in their menus. Birmingham is just four hours from the Gulf Coast, and many restaurants here get daily shipments of fresh seafood. There’s one other restaurant that I’d recommend in the Southside area - [Bottega](http://www.bottegarestaurant.com/). It’s another Frank Stitt-owned restaurant, and you’ll see similarities in the menus between it and Highlands. There’s another restaurant that’s about 30 miles outside of Birmingham, in a little podunk town called Maylene. If you go there, you will immediately doubt any of the advice I’ve given you, because this restaurant is - I swear I’m not making this up - connected to a gas station and convenience store. It’s also - I swear I’m not making this up, either - one of the best restaurants in the Birmingham area. They don’t have a website, but you can see a menu [here](http://www.birminghammenus.com/foxvalley/dinnermenu.html). They’re known for their “steak and cake,” which features a grilled filet mignon paired with a crab cake. Again, the seafood on the menu is fresh. [The Bright Star](http://thebrightstar.com/)is a historic restaurant in Bessmer that features a fairly extensive menu. My mother-in-law absolutely loves this place, and will choose it immediately when we say we’re taking them out to dinner and ask for places they’d like to go. Coming down the gustatory ladder a bit, there are a multitude of really good places to eat that aren’t quite as highbrow as those I just mentioned. Barbecue, of course, is an art form in Alabama, and a couple of the best options there include [Dreamland](http://www.dreamlandbbq.com/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1) and [Jim & Nick’s](http://www.jimnnicks.com/locations/5-points/). Both of these are in Southside, although Jim & Nick’s has locations around the Birmingham area. If you want great fresh seafood without paying for atmosphere, [The Fish Market](http://www.fishmarketrestaurant.com/)is an excellent choice. They get the same fresh seafood as the high-end places, and cook it just as well, but they’re not as hoity-toity as the other places. Their website lists two locations, one in Hoover (about 20 minutes from downtown) and one in Greystone (about 20 minutes, as well, but in a different direction). There used to be one downtown, but I guess it’s closed. Mexican cuisine is well-represented here, with a wide variety of really good places to choose from. One I just tried this week which impressed me was [The Little Donkey](http://www.thelittledonkey.com/)in Homewood, just outside of Birmingham (about 10 minutes from Southside). [Mexico Lindo](http://www.mexicolindobham.com/)is near the Birmingham Zoo, so you could combine a zoo trip with a nice Mexican meal if you wanted. I’m not as well-versed on good Italian places in Birmingham, but there’s one my wife really likes - [Joe’s Italian](http://www.joesitalianonline.com/). It’s about 20 miles outside downtown Birmingham. I’m not an expert on Italian food, but I can tell you this place is absolutely slammed on weekend nights. I CAN attest to the quality of their desserts; their strawberry cake is amazingly good. As far as nice chain restaurants, there are places like Shula’s, Ruth’s Cris, and others, and of course we have a wide variety of mid-level options as well. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/4 "2013-06-14T14:54:15Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > There’s another restaurant that’s about 30 miles outside of Birmingham, in a little podunk town called Maylene. If you go there, you will immediately doubt any of the advice I’ve given you, because this restaurant is - I swear I’m not making this up - connected to a gas station and convenience store. Some of the best food I’ve eaten has been in places that could be described as such, but, after looking at that menu, that is not at all the kind of food I would have expected to be served. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/5 "2013-06-14T15:04:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Some of the best food I’ve eaten has been in places that could be described as such, but, after looking at that menu, that is not at all the kind of food I would have expected to be served. Yeah, it’s definitely a schizophrenic experience when you go there. I just realized I didn’t name the restaurant - it’s called Fox Valley, which is also the name of the unincorporated area in which it sits. And I swear, looking at it from the outside makes you think it should be called “Ma’s Diner” or “Good Grub” or something like that. For example, if **DiosaBellissima** does go there next week, she’s likely to see a fireworks trailer parked in the empty lot next to it, selling bottle rockets and firecrackers in preparation for the Fourth of July. That’s the type of establishment this is. But I swear on a stack of Bibles the food is incredibly good. My lovely and talented wife, **Aries28** , entertained some friends from Chicago there a few years ago, and they raved about it. They also enjoyed the barbecue at Jim & Nick’s, for what that’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Kokopilau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Kokopilau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kokopilau)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/6 "2013-06-14T15:15:40Z")
I’m less fond of Bottega than Sauron is, but I second the recommendation for the Hot and Hot Fish Club (the chef and co-owner beat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America a little while back). It and Ocean are pretty upscale and pricey, though. For Mexican, Mexico Lindo is good, but I really like [Rojo](http://rojo.birminghammenus.com/) too. Their chorizo tacos are amazing, and they have awesome guac. [Surin West](http://www.surinwest.com/) is also something of an institution when it comes to Thai food and sushi. And I still have a soft spot for [Silvertron](http://www.silvertroncafe.us/). Best chicken fingers in town. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/7 "2013-06-14T15:31:57Z")
I’m a big fan of Dreamland, but maybe I’ll try Jim and Nick’s on my next trip. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/8 "2013-06-14T17:04:03Z")
Wow, lots of great information from everyone, particularly **Sauron**. Thank you guys so much! I realize it’s heresy, but I actually don’t eat fish. That said, I’ll definitely be passing on the seafood recommendations to some friends who will also be traveling, because it sounds like those are some fantastic options! Being from southern California, I’m mildly suspicious of Alabama Mexican food, but I’m open minded. 🙂 In my ideal world, I’ll just eat my weight in BBQ and soul food over the week, then have to buy two plane seats coming back. Alright, maybe not _that_ ridiculously, but you get where I’m coming from. FWIW, I’ll be staying downtown, but spending my days over by Hoover. I will have a car, so driving for grub is no big, but anything in close proximity to those places would be a bonus for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/9 "2013-06-14T17:58:18Z")
I work just outside of Birmingham so if you want to meet up for lunch one day I would be happy to take you anywhere on the list or meet you. I don’t like seafood either so I feel you on that. Sauron is spot on with Fox Valley. It is maybe 2 blocks from our house and they have great steaks. They are not open every day however…I believe only Thursday–Saturday nights if memory serves. The Little Donkey is good and a bonus is it is right next to Steel City Pops which is a cool popsicle place that has a buttermilk pop to die for. Also have other interesting flavors. Also…if you have lots of downtime in the evenings we live about half an hour from Hoover and I would be happy to cook a Southern meal for you with fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and fried okra. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/10 "2013-06-14T18:08:24Z")
My corporate HQ used to be in B’ham but that was 2+ years ago so things may have changed. That being said all of the places that I would list have already been mentioned; Ocean, Dreamland, and the Fish Market. Ocean is worth visiting just for the cocktails. We went as a celebratory meal and out of the 8 guys at the table only one chose beer or wine over their cocktails and he very much regretted it. Dreamland is the only southern BBQ place that I’ve liked and I’ve tried all over Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. They have good meat and good sauce. Fish Market is exactly as its described above which is reasonably priced seafood cooked well. But since that’s not your thing you won’t miss much by missing it. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/11 "2013-06-14T18:11:26Z")
I have a soft spot for [Bogue’s](http://www.yelp.com/biz/bogues-restaurant-birmingham) in Birmingham, because my dad hung out there when he was in college. Great diner fare, great breakfast. I haven’t been in 20 years, but the Yelp reviews sound like it hasn’t changed. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/12 "2013-06-14T18:38:06Z")
Okay, your location plans help me with some other recommendations, then. I’ll admit up-front that I’ve never been to southern California, so I don’t know how the Mexican cuisine here would compare. We do have a sizeable Mexican population, though, so maybe that helps with our south-of-the-border cred. Mexican options in the area include: [Cozumel Grill](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g30763-d2349002-Reviews-Cozumel_Grill-Pelham_Alabama.html)in Pelham (about five minutes south of Hoover; note that the link goes to a TripAdvisor review site, not the restaurant’s site, which as far as I can tell doesn’t exist). This is one of my family’s go-to Mexican restaurants; we really like it, and the menu is extensive. They’ve got great homemade guacamole. [Two Pesos](http://www.2pesosmexicancafe.com/), also in Pelham. The only reason this isn’t higher on our family’s go-to list of Mexican places is that it’s about five minutes further away from us than Cozumel Grill. Some other restaurant options for you in the Hoover area: [Baumhower’s](http://www.baumhowers.com/hoover.php), which is a sports-themed restaurant founded by Bob Baumhower, who was a star with the University of Alabama and later the Miami Dolphins. It’s not outstanding, but it’s pretty good. As far as barbecue, there’s a Jim n Nick’s right off Hwy. 31 in Hoover, so you’ll still have easy access. In addition to JnN, you can also try: [Full Moon Bar-B-Que](http://www.fullmoonbbq.com/index.php), which is our usual go-to place when we don’t want Jim n Nick’s. [Johnny Ray’s](http://johnnyraysbbq.com/), which for a long time was THE barbecue place in Birmingham. There was some sort of family dissension, though (I think the owners got divorced, or something like that), and the quality went downhill a bit. Many people still rave about it, so it’s probably worth a try. Be sure to get a slice of lemon pie for dessert. [Golden Rule BBQ](http://www.goldenrulebbq.com/), which has been around for decades. Honestly, I’d probably give this a pass unless you’re just really hungry and happen to be right beside one. It’s VERY hit-or-miss. When it’s good, it’s a great BBQ place, but when it’s not, it’s frustrating. I’ve never had a _terrible_ meal there, but it wouldn’t be one of my top options. There are literally dozens of other barbecue places in the area, and some of them are probably outstanding; my lack of knowledge about them prevents me from referring them. Others may have more info or more experience with them. If you like Chicago-style pizza, [Tortuga’s](http://www.tortugaspizza.com/) is very good. The owners are Chicago natives, and the pizza has been compared (seriously!) to Gino’s East by some folks who ought to know. And I see my lovely and talented wife has weighed in as well, so if you’re up to eating Dark Lord food, just let us know. ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/13 "2013-06-14T18:43:57Z")
Dark Lord food is fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and fried okra? Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/14 "2013-06-14T18:46:12Z")
> [@Aries28](#): > > Dark Lord food is fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and fried okra? Go figure. That’s how the orcs got so big and strong. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/15 "2013-06-14T18:52:02Z")
Where does the Dark Lord stand on fried pickles? StG ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/16 "2013-06-14T18:57:50Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > Where does the Dark Lord stand on fried pickles? The first few times I heard of them, I thought they had to be one of the grossest things in the history of the universe. Then **Aries28** convinced me to try them (at the Fish Market, of all places), and I really liked them. I still can’t imagine what’s happening to my arteries when I eat them, but danged if they’re not tasty. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/17 "2013-06-15T01:38:21Z")
> [@Aries28](#): > > I work just outside of Birmingham so if you want to meet up for lunch one day I would be happy to take you anywhere on the list or meet you. > > SNIP > > Also…if you have lots of downtime in the evenings we live about half an hour from Hoover and I would be happy to cook a Southern meal for you with fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and fried okra. 🙂 You are so kind to offer both of these! Seriously, you’re wonderful. That plus **Sauron** laying all this good info in the thread, well, you guys are great. And while I’d love to take you up on the offer, the unfortunate reality is that I’ll be in down for the national high school debate tournament (I’m a coach) and I will have a gaggle of teenagers following me around like little smelly ducklings. Good kids, but I’d never thrust them upon strangers :D. Upside: now you know why next week, your fine city will be inundated with a bunch of nerdy kids dressed up like stock brokers. The biggest concern with the kids is making sure they get good meals, since they’re working so hard during the day and need as much brain food as they can get. Since they’re competing for breakfast and lunch, I usually try to make dinner a well rounded, “real” meal (as opposed to fast food or whatever). So, that’s why I started this thread! Well, plus, I mean, I like to eat good food when on the road, too! ---
**Author:** ![Tara57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Tara57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tara57)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/18 "2013-06-28T22:42:06Z")
May I ask how was the trip? I would love to hear where you ate and what you did. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cant-miss-grub-between-atl-and-birmingham-al-or-in-b-ham-itself/660965/19 "2013-07-02T19:33:18Z")
Sorry for just getting back to this, I’ve been busy busy! The trip was actually great. Birmingham is a lovely city with great folks. We even made a day trip over to Tupelo, Mississippi, then to Memphis and back again. Very fun. The Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham was AMAZING and a definitely can’t miss, btw. Anyway, we ate everywhere. Rather than just reviewing each thing here, I have already reviewed everything on[Trip Advisor](http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/diosabellissima) and [Yelp](http://www.yelp.com/user_details_reviews_self?userid=Ll_IZTr6GnZC8SfpEU-dKg)(the links go straight to my profiles on both— I basically copy and paste my reviews from one to the other). Feel free to friend me on either site if you use 'em! Anyway, thank you all to everyone for all the wonderful suggestions. We definitely utilized your advice and had some fantastic grub.