Guide to Birmingham Dining, vol. 2

In honor of Birmingham Restaurant Week (8/17 - 8/26), I thought this would be an ideal time to follow up on my last Guide to Birmingham Dining. I personally love restaurant week. It's a pretty awesome way to price consciously try out many of the restaurants you wouldn't ordinarily hit up on a regular basis (unless you are ballin out, in which case, we all know I am not). Each of the restaurants have a specially prepared menu they feature for restaurant week and most (especially dinner) are three courses. If you visit their website, you can choose from a $5-$15 lunch or a $10-$30 dinner.

So I figured I'd pick some of my favorite places in town who are participating this week that I haven't featured before. Ready? Here we go!


{one} 26
Cuisine: Eclectic fusion-type dishes
Address: 1210 20th Street South
What to expect: To feel far away from Birmingham when you sit in the pretty swanky and intimate interior of 26.
Pricing: $20±

Link to their restaurant week menu

{two} Slice 

Cuisine: Unique pizzas

Address: 2921 Highland Avenue 

What to expect: An upscale, yet also causal pizza cafe. It's kind of like a sports bar meets a somewhat fancy restaurant...if that makes sense. 

Pricing: $10-$20±
My favorite regular menu item: This little piggy

Link to their restaurant week menu

{three} Ocean 

Cuisine: Fresh Seafood

Address: 1210 20th Street South  

What to expect: The most incredible seafood dishes...ever.

Pricing: $30±

My favorite regular menu item: The pan seared scallops

Link to their restaurant week menu

{four} Highlands Bar & Grill

Cuisine: Southern with a twist

Address: 2921 Highland Avenue

What to expect: To rub elbows with a large percentage of the most influential people in Bham while eating delicious dishes created by award-winning chef Frank Stitt.  

Pricing: $30± 

Link to their restaurant week menu

{five} La Paz

Cuisine: Mexican

Address: 99 Euclid Avenue

What to expect: A busy, bustling and child-friendly restaurant in the heart of Birmingham's coziest neighborhood. 

Pricing: $10-$20±

My favorite regular menu item: Baja fish tacos

Link to their restaurant week menu

{six} Little Savannah

Cuisine: Southern with a twist

Address: 3811 Clairmont Avenue 

What to expect: A charming restaurant serving a menu created with only the most local and freshest ingredients possible.  

Pricing: $20-30± 

My favorite regular menu item: Shrimp and grits

Link to their restaurant week menu

Bon appetit! And enjoy restaurant week!

Guide to Birmingham Dining, vol. 1

Just in case anyone out there is planning on visiting or moving to Birmingham anytime soon and you need some food for thought, I figured I'd throw out some of my favorite restaurants I like to frequent. And yes, this is just volume one because there are so many good places to eat here. So expect a volume two, three, four later down the road.

{one} Rojo
Cuisine: Mexi-American
Address: 2921 Highland Ave.
What to expect: Hipsters and country clubbers—believe it or not. Oh and dogs.
Pricing: $10±
You should try...to get there early or late. I'm a firm believer that the only way to really experience Rojo is by sitting on the patio and to do this you have to find the "perfect" timing.

{two} Niki's 

Cuisine: Soul food (southern meat and three)

Address: 1101 2nd Ave. N. (& niki's west is at 233 Finley Ave. West) 

What to expect: A lot of vegetables to choose from in the buffet line.

Pricing: $10±

You should try...to go on your lunch break and know what you want before you get to the counter to order, they are usually in a hurry!

{three} Dreamcakes

Cuisine: Cupcakes and other desserts

Address: 960 Oxmoor Rd.

What to expect: A cute bakery with beautiful, creative delicious dessert concoctions

Pricing: $3±

You should try...the wedding cake cupcake. It's simply sugary deliciousness. 

{four} El Barrio

Cuisine: Mexican with a twist

Address: 2211 2nd Ave. N.

What to expect: Fresh, unique Mexican dishes and a long wait. This place is still hoppin, so get there early.

Pricing: $10-$20±

You should try...the vegetarian tacos. I'm the least healthy-type-of-eater out there and I love these. Omg, AND the cheese dip with chorizo. Do not leave without getting that!

{five} J. Clyde

Cuisine: Bar food/American and Southern fusion

Address: 1312 Cobb Lane

Pricing: $10-$20±

You should try...the chicken fingers and sweet potato fries. I know there are other things on the menu, but I honestly haven't made it past this option or the burger. 

{six} Davenport's 

Cuisine: Pizza

Address: 2837 Cahaba Rd.

What to expect: A kid-friendly restaurant with the best thin crust pizza ever. 

Pricing: $10-20±

You should try...the meat lover's special. (unless you're against eating meat, that is.)

Bon appetit!