These iconic dishes from some of Birminghams most popular restaurants are the signature bites that guests order off the menu more often than any other — and theyre what keep loyal customers coming back for more. Did your favorite make the list?
Birmingham is full of iconic restaurants. Some have been here since 1891, and some are newer but boast a loyal following that promises serious staying power. In all cases, these beloved Magic City eateries have signature dishes that consistently outsell all other menu items. Whether they’re simple down-home bites or complex elevated plates, these dishes take on lives of their own, garner nicknames, become closely guarded secret recipes, appear in countless media outlets, and folks order them in bulk for holidays and even weddings. Try as the chefs might to one-up or outdo his or her original creation, these iconic dishes remain at the top — the magnum opus of each restaurant. Let’s take a look at the Birmingham dishes that have stood the test of time.
Here are 10 of the best foods to try during your next visit to the city.01 of 10. Alabama Barbecue. Courtesy of SAW’S BBQ. … 02 of 10. Corn Dog. … 03 of 10. Oysters. … 04 of 10. Chicken and Waffles. … 06 of 10. Stone Ground Baked Grits. … 07 of 10. Fried Chicken. … 08 of 10. Popsicle from Steel City Pops. … 09 of 10. Pho Doc Biet.
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01 of 10. Alabama Barbecue. Courtesy of SAW’S BBQ. …
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02 of 10. Corn Dog. …
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03 of 10. Oysters. …
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04 of 10. Chicken and Waffles. …
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06 of 10. Stone Ground Baked Grits. …
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07 of 10. Fried Chicken. …
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08 of 10. Popsicle from Steel City Pops. …
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09 of 10. Pho Doc Biet.
Slice is known for creative, gourmet pies, cooked in a natural stone oven. The Soul Pie fuses Italy and the South with turnip greens, black-eyed peas, Conecuh sausage, grilled red onion, bacon, pepper jack, and cheddar cheese. Its a taste of Birmingham on a pizza.
Birmingham is a food town. Weve said it once and well say it again. Our Magic City continuously lands on national lists of “Underrated Food Towns” and “The Next Hot Food Cities.” It got us thinking–if a lot of people are traveling here for food, what are the dishes both they (and we as locals) need to be eating? We are big fans of Alabama Tourisms “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die,” but we wanted to make a list specifically for Birmingham that encompassed both the old and the new. As our city grows and more restaurants are incorporated, new dishes are solidifying their spots as essential, must-try items. Here are our picks for 55 dishes (in no particular order) that define modern Birmingham and its diverse food culture.
Theres nothing more comforting than a warm chocolate chip cookie. One of the original Church Street owners must have felt the same because she whipped up a batch of these chocolate chip cookies for her boyfriend as she was breaking up with him. Funny story aside, the cookies now have a cult following around town. The large cookies are buttery and soft, with huge chunks of chocolate inside and a sprinkling of sea salt on top.
This isnt your average fried chicken. Chef Chris Dupont elevates a Southern classic by using Joyce Farms chicken breast, pounded thin. The chicken is buttermilk-fried, resulting in moist, tender chicken coated in a golden-brown crispy breading. It is served over creamy, truffle mashed potatoes and a grilled crookneck squash. The dish is finished off with a rich, lemon beurre blanc that ties the elements together and makes this the best fried chicken youll taste.
These fluffy little pillows of goodness are delivered warm to your table before each meal at Jim N Nicks, and theyre addictive. The moist biscuits (shaped more like muffins), are laced with cheese and have sweet and savory flavors intermingling. The recipe is a secret, but lucky for us, the restaurant sells a mix to make them at home.
Escargot is a staple at Chez Fonfon. “It’s one of the best examples of a classic bistro dish we serve, and it’s a favorite at Fonfon,” says Chez Fonfon Executive Chef Frank Stitt. “We have these wonderful cast-iron crocks to hold the snails. We bake it in the oven under the broiler, and it comes out bubbly and sizzling.” Enjoy a decidedly European afternoon and enjoy escargot, a glass of vino and a round of bocce ball in the back courtyard at Chez Fonfon.
The mac ‘n’ cheese-filled Mac Melt remains a top-seller at MELT. It started as a special on the MELT food truck before they had a bricks-and-mortar restaurant. “I remember our chef said, ‘This will never sell.’ [MELT co-owner] Harriet [Despinakis] and I were not so sure. The first week we sold hundreds of Mac Melts,” says Paget Pizitz, co-owner of MELT. The scratch-made mac ‘n’ cheese uses a five-cheese blend that, when sandwiched between two slices of Texas toast, makes for a next-level grilled cheese. “When we opened the restaurant, there was no question about this sandwich being on the menu. We see folks adding all kinds of add-ons to this melt — egg, bacon, fried jalapeños, chorizo, pickles, tomato, even fried buffalo chicken. We love it! We will be selling the mac ‘n’ cheese melt forever.”
Thinly sliced beef carpaccio is placed atop a delicate layer of tangy horseradish cream, topped with a lightly dressed arugula salad and ribbons of shaved Parmigiano. The flavors perfectly complement one another. It’s such a classic that it is served both in the formal white-tablecloth Bottega Restaurant and in the adjacent, more laid-back Bottega Cafe.
These iconic dishes from some of Birminghams most popular restaurants are the signature bites that guests order off the menu more often than any other — and theyre what keep loyal customers coming back for more. Did your favorite make the list?
This New Orleans-style sandwich is made with Mr P’s scratch-made olive salad, freshly sliced deli-baked ham and Genoa salami cuts, as well as provolone cheese — all served on French loaf. Charles Pilleteri (or “Mr. P.”), owner of Mr. P’s Butcher Shop & Deli, doesn’t include the classic mortadella addition, as Charles didn’t favor the fattiness of that particular cold cut. So, consider Mr. P’s muffaletta a healthier version of the classic. “We give a very generous amount of meat. It is so much meat that a lot of people eat half of it for lunch and take the other half home for dinner,” says Mr. P. “I love the flavor of the olive salad, baked ham, Genoa salami and provolone cheese blended together in a sandwich.”
Birmingham, Alabama: Food and Places to Eat
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