re: Birmigham Restaurants

Post from the food board the other day:

Finer Dining:
1. Bottega Restaurant & Cafe (cafe is a little more casual side but still really good. If they have the blueberry tiramisu, get it)
2. Highlands Bar & Grill
3. Chez Fonfon (actually a pretty reasonable lunch spot with a real good burger)
4. Ovenbird (small plate design, sort of tapas-esque) Beef fat candle and the braised goat I highly recommend

Other very good options:
1. El Barrio (a more upscale Mexican fusion restaurant. Good margaritas, great chorizo queso, and I recommend the chorizo meatloaf). If the wait is long, give them your number and walk over to Collins bar or Atomic bar and grab a drink while you wait. Both are within about a block. They both are known for their cocktails, and bar tenders are pretty good at making something off hand if you just tell them what you're in the mood for. I recommend this to pretty much anyone coming to Bham. One of the best bang for your buck restaurants in the city. That queso though


2. Dram Whiskey Bar/Avo (two restaurants in one basically)
3. Saw's Juke Joint -BBQ joint. Pork n greens and smoked wings are killer. Burger and sweet tea fried chicken sammich are hard to pass up as well.

4. If you want a simpler night, you can head over to the Lakeview district and there are a couple options to eat and drink over there
-Babalu - tapas
-Slice - pizza
- Moe's BBQ - decent but definitely chain bbq and
usually good drink specials. Really good wings.
Good patio to sit on if weather is nice.
- Jack Browns - burger joint (burgers are a
little on the smaller side but really tasty, so I
usually make mine a double.)
- Hattie B's - Nashville hot chicken
- Five
5. Post Office Pie's
6. Fancy's on Fifth
7. Trattoria Centralle
8. Brick & Tin
9. Bamboo on 2nd (sushi)


There is also the Pizitz food hall that has a bunch of places in it as well as a full bar (I'd stay away from the taco place in there, was not impressed). Eli's is really good and authentic Jerusalem style food. Other bars you can go to that have good food as well include Carrigan's Pub and Paramount (arcade bar).

You can also check out some of the breweries - Cahaba Brewery, Trimtab, or Good People would be my suggestions. Each very often will have food trucks close by.


ETA: From the sound of what you are looking for, I would suggest these as the tops to try first:

1. El Barrio (can't go wrong with anything. Get the queso
2. Chez Fonfon (suggest the burger if there for lunch)
3. Dram Whiskey Bar/Avo Restaurant (really good and unique burgers. Parmesan truffle fries (get side of rosemary Ketchup) are killer as well
4. Bottega Cafe
5. Saw's Juke Joint (see recs mentioned above)
6. Trattoria Centralle
7. Fancy's on Fifth
8. Post Office Pies