Where’s the best place to eat at in Birmingham? It’s a question we’ve been asked countless times. Typically, our answer is “it depends.” Because with so many diverse options in our city, from a fried chicken sandwich brined in sweet tea to an expertly prepared bowl of spicy miso ramen, it really does depend on what you’re looking for. But for Birmingham magazine’s first-ever Restaurants Issue, we decided to give up the ruse, and definitively name our 10 favorite places to eat in the city. They’re not all necessarily the oldest, or the most expensive, or even the most decorated, but they’ve all got that “it” factor that keeps us coming back for more. These are the 10 best restaurants (in no particular order) in Birmingham right now.

Automatic Seafood and Oysters is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

1. Automatic Seafood And Oysters

Upon walking up to Automatic Seafood and Oysters, you might think you’ve been transported to a lazy beach town. Striped awnings adorn a bright white building; waiting diners lounge on Adirondack chairs on a grassy lawn. Automatic, the work of Alabama chef Adam Evans, was the most anticipated restaurant opening of 2019—luckily, it more than lived up to the hype. Loosely inspired by Evans’ previously place of employment, The Optimist in Atlanta, this restaurant embraces the immense bounty of the Gulf Coast. But don’t let its distinction as a seafood restaurant limit your expectations of the place. There are no fried combo platters or mounted marlins on the wall. Although the atmosphere at Automatic is decidedly coastal, nothing about it is trite. The large dining room features hanging wicker light fixtures, navy trimmed booths, and a curving bar showcasing a mountain of raw oysters on ice. Like a yacht club without the stuffiness, the restaurant is classic and elegant—two adjectives that also can be used to describe its food.

What Evans does best is elevate familiar dishes with techniques and flavors that impress even the most critical of diners. His signature quickly became the Duck Fat Poached Fish, which lends a layer of richness to firm fishes like swordfish and amberjack (the fish of choice varies with what’s available). Even the blackened fish option with garlic crab butter has been given such care and precision that it stands out beyond its description. As far as starters go, the Octopus a la Plancha is one of the best dishes on the menu. Incredibly tender and expertly grilled, a single tentacle is spice rubbed with harissa and served alongside cooling yogurt and a bright herb salad. Of course, oysters from the raw bar are a necessity while dining at Automatic. Selected from gulf, east, or west, a variety of bivalves satisfy a refined palate with preferences in brine, salinity, and creaminess. With a commitment to showcasing the best of the Gulf Coast paired with his expert culinary skills, Evans has brought something unique to Birmingham—and there was no question it would make our best restaurants list.

Who to Know: Adam Evans (chef/owner) and Suzanne Humphries (designer/owner/wife to Evans)

The Vibe: An elegant yet laid-back seafood restaurant with coastal appeal

What to Order: Octopus a la Plancha, Duck Fat Poached Fish

Hot Tip: Automatic occasionally features a lobster roll—one of the few you can find in Birmingham.

2824 5th Ave. S.

Trattoria Zaza is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

2. Trattoria Zaza

If you think the best pasta you’ll ever eat has to come from a fine-dining restaurant, think again. The line of people winding throughout (and sometimes out the door) of Trattoria Zaza instantly signifies that this fast-casual restaurant knows what its doing when it comes to Italian. Opened in 2009, Trattoria Zaza (formerly Trattoria Centrale) has been a downtown breakfast and lunch staple for more than a decade. Last year, it closed for five months to do a massive overhaul renovation and much-needed expansion of the space. When it reopened in late summer, there were new menu items alongside all the old favorites, as well as a major increase in hours for dinner and brunch service. The formerly dim restaurant now is bright and airy with high ceilings and a greenish-teal color scheme.

But, back to the food. Trattoria slings slices of al taglio pizza and piles plates high with pasta. An open kitchen allows diners to watch the kitchen staff pull massive pans of the Roman-style pizzas of the day from the oven. Pizzas run the gamut from three-cheese to unique veggie combos (think okra and corn in the summer) to meat-forward. And the pasta—oh, the pasta—trumps any fine-dining pasta with its carefully thought-out flavors and $7 price point. Lunch pastas include a spicy Penne all’Arrabbiata and a devilishly rich Fettuccine with Garlic-Pecorino Cream (in the summer, opt to add seasonal vegetables to this one). Daily special pastas keep things interesting. Dinner entrees change seasonally and are more robust, with dishes like orecchiette pasta tossed with spicy lamb sausage and gnocchi with pancetta. And Trattoria is still, of course, fueling the downtown breakfast crowd. Stop in and grab a homemade scone or frittata of the day—we promise the food is more than worth the wait in line.

Who to Know: Bryan Stanfield and Erica Schmidt (owners)

The Vibe: Chic fast-casual Italian cafe

What to Order: Fettuccine with Garlic-Pecorino Cream, Porkalicious Pizza (Fridays), Tiramisu

Hot Tip: Zaza does a daily pizza happy hour from 5 p.m.–6 p.m. that includes two slices, a salad, and a bottle or can of beer, all for $10.

207 20th St. N.

Johnny's is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

3. Johnny’s

It’s 11 a.m. on a Thursday, and on 18th Street in Homewood, there’s a line snaking from a second-story tenant down a set of stairs, spilling onto the sidewalk below. Moms with their toddlers, retired couples, and groups of co-workers all have come for Johnny’s. Sometimes called a meat-and-three, other times a Greek-and-three, the brainchild of Southern-Greek chef Tim Hontzas wears both titles well. And on the subject of titles, we’d be remiss not to mention Hontzas’ distinction as a three-time James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef South.

When Hontzas opened the restaurant in 2012, it was the culmination of his family’s long history in the restaurant industry. His Greek grandfather (and the restaurant’s namesake) Johnny Hontzopolous immigrated to New Orleans in 1921 before moving to Mississippi where he opened three successful restaurants. The family also owns famed downtown meat-and-three Niki’s West.

At Johnny’s, Hontzas does things a bit differently while staying true to the time-honored traditions of the Southern meat-and-three. For example, there’s no steam table line for guests to walk through; instead a chalkboard wall lists the day’s specials, where Southern dishes like fried catfish and hamburger steak peacefully coexist with Greek specialties like keftedes (Greek meatballs) and souvlaki. There’s even a nod to Hontzas’ Mississippi delta and creole background in dishes like grilled Conecuh sausage with red beans and rice and fried chicken livers. The same is true for the “three” side of the menu, where perfectly crisped fried green tomatoes and creamy macaroni and cheese play nicely with a slow-braised spinach and chickpea blend. With classic Southern dishes elevated via a chef’s touch, this is the place that will finally prove the irreplicable value of Southern cuisine to your snooty out-of-town relative.

Who to Know: Tim Hontzas (chef/owner)

The Vibe: Laid-back lunch spot serving elevated meat-and-three options

What to Order: Keftedes, Chicken Pot Pie, Spinach with Chickpeas, Cornbread

Hot Tip: Everything on the menu (minus the sliced bread) is made from scratch.

2902 18th St. S., Suite 200

OvenBird is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants in 2020. Photo by Cary Norton.

4. OvenBird

When OvenBird first came on the scene, people were fixated on one item: the Beef Fat Candle. This tiny tealight of rendered fat arrives at your table flaming and floating in a bath of sofrito. Albeit small, it packs a punch of flavor into its maybe five bites worth—and it lit a fire of intrigue in Birmingham diners. But if it’s the candle that brought them in, it’s chef Chris Hastings’ other dishes that kept bringing them back.

Hastings’ Spanish and South American-inspired restaurant cooks only over live fire, which means there are plenty of charred, grilled, toasted, and roasted items on the menu. But OvenBird is to be credited with one other especially important feat: successfully helping Birmingham embrace a small-plates restaurant. Divided into seven sections by type of food, the menu takes diners on a culinary journey that allows them to try a lot, taste a little, and expand their horizons. Items like Snapper Throats and seasonal Paella run the more familiar side, while dishes such as Bone Marrow, Bacalao (salted fish), and Seafood Fideos introduce far-reaching cuisine. Three or four dishes are recommended per person, so OvenBird is best enjoyed with a large group—you might just find yourself ordering one of everything. With this new way of dining, and a seemingly foreign palate, OvenBird proved that Birmingham is ready for a more advanced dining scene.

Who to Know: Chris Hastings (chef/owner) and Idie Hastings (owner/wife to Hastings)

The Vibe: Warm and intimate with Spanish and South-American cuisine; great outdoor area

What to Order: Beef Fat Candle, Bone Marrow, Deviled Eggs

Hot Tip: OvenBird does brunch during the Pepper Place outdoor market season.

2810 3rd Ave. S.

The Essential is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

5. The Essential

If there’s one person paving the way for female chefs and restaurateurs in Birmingham, it’s Kristen Farmer Hall. Owner and pastry chef at The Essential and the newly opened Bandit Patisserie, Hall has made a name for herself through her perfect pastries and thoughtful cuisine conceptualized with chef and business partner Victor King. Hall’s story is inspiring: a passion for baking led to a career that began with dropping bags of pastries on neighbor’s front stoops. When The Essential opened on Morris Avenue in 2018 (after growing out of a previous iteration known as Feast & Forest), Hall established herself as one of the top chefs in town—and one of just a few female restaurateurs in Birmingham.

The cafe is open for all three meals each day (except Sundays, which are brunch only), offering a breakfast menu in the mornings and a combined lunch and dinner menu from 11 a.m. onwards. With European cafe vibes, The Essential is not a large restaurant, yet it finds room for a banquette running the length of the dining room, several tables, a full-service bar/coffee bar, and an open window to the kitchen. A covered patio with French bistro chairs allows room for a few more tables when the weather is nice. But the restaurant is not small out of necessity—on any given day, you’ll find nearly every table to be full, and diners often are found milling around Morris Avenue’s cobblestone streets as they wait to be seated.

You can start and end each meal with what Hall is known for. Her savory pastries and breads dominate the appetizers, found in items like the Mushroom Toast (a creamy, umami-ridden delight on sourdough bread) and the Chicken Liver Mousse with buttermilk sage crackers. For the main course, King’s handmade pastas shine in dishes like rigatoni with chorizo cream and spaghetti with lemon butter, almonds, and Parmesan. A pastry is a necessity for dessert—whether it’s an Insta-famous pop tart or an apple turnover with salted caramel ice cream. With Hall’s growing arsenal of restaurants, she’s showing that women do have a place in Birmingham’s food scene.

Who to Know: Kristen Farmer Hall (owner/pastry chef) and Victor King (owner/chef)

The Vibe: European-style cafe serving globally inspired New American food

What to Order: Housemade pastas, Half Chicken Piri Piri, croissant

Hot Tip: Hall makes homemade brioche buns for the sandwiches on the menu.

2018 Morris Ave.

Highlands Bar & Grill is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

6. Highlands Bar & Grill

Ask any local where you absolutely must eat in Birmingham, and nine times out of 10, their list will begin with Highlands Bar & Grill. There’s a reason the restaurant was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s coveted Best Restaurant award for 10 years straight, finally taking home the big win at the 2018 ceremony. And that reason has a lot to do with Highlands’ decorated chef/owner and Alabama prodigal son Frank Stitt, who’s aptly nicknamed the Father of Southern Gourmet.

Anchoring a corner of Five Points South, the first glimpse of the 1920s, ivy-covered, Mediterranean building hints that what’s in store is something truly special. Inside, the cozy French-inspired dining room buzzes with vest-clad waiters tending to guests as if each were a personal VIP. With a background highly influenced by eating off his mother’s family farm in Cullman, and now his own farm called Paradise Farm, Chef Stitt’s menu works from the ground up—meaning ingredients come first, then Stitt creates a menu based off what the produce inspires.

Entree options introduce guests to meats that are less familiar but decidedly Southern. Pheasant – Two Ways, Veal Tenderloin & Sweetbreads, and Venison with celery root puree, carrot, and pomegranate all feature meats native to the region and sourced locally. Finishings of sauce poivrade, soubise, or au jus give the farm-to-table dishes the traditional French flair for which Highlands is known.

A huge part of Stitt’s genius is making the ordinary extraordinary. Take the Soft Scrambled Farm Eggs starter that’s elevated to the stuff of legends with the addition of umami-packed winter black truffles, salty lardons, and garlic croutons from housemade bread. Then there’s the ever-present Stone Ground Baked Grits appetizer, a melt-in-your-mouth mound of creamy grits surrounded by an angelic halo of white wine, sherry, heavy cream, and Parmesan. The recipes for Stitt’s most popular dishes have been shared countless times over the years via local and national publications (New York Times included), but there’s no substitute for experiencing the magic that is Highlands Bar & Grill firsthand.

Who to Know: Frank Stitt (chef/owner) and Pardis Stitt (owner/front-of-house operator/wife to Frank)

The Vibe: Southern food with a hint of French sophistication in a white-tablecloth atmosphere

What to Order: Stone Ground Baked Grits, Coconut-Pecan Cake

Hot Tip: The restaurant features an extensive wine menu of far-flung bottles hand-picked by Stitt. Let the highly knowledgeable servers recommend something based on your food selections.

2011 11th Ave. S.

SAW's Soul Kitchen is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

7. SAW’s Soul Kitchen

SAW’s Soul Kitchen is proof that if you can do one thing exceptionally well, you don’t need much else. For instance, the entirety of the restaurant consists of just six tables, an ordering counter, and a tiny kitchen. The magic happens out back, where pitmasters smoke meats to succulent, fall-apart perfection. SAW’s is best known for its pulled pork and smoked chicken (with Alabama white sauce) that you can get as a plate, on a sandwich, or stuffed into a giant potato. But where SAW’s Soul Kitchen excels over its counterparts (there are three other locations in the SAW’s family) is in its specialty dishes and experimental daily specials. Helmed by chef Brandon Cain, Soul Kitchen puts a subtle chef’s touch on a downhome barbecue restaurant.

The Pork and Greens is the perfect medley of Southern favorites: creamy cheese grits, tender collard greens, pulled pork bathed in a sweet-tangy sauce, and crunchy fried onions. It’s a balance of textures and flavors that only a chef could dream up. It became so popular that the restaurant now offers a Chicken and Greens option. Cain’s know-how also can be seen in dishes like the Sweet Tea Fried Chicken Sandwich (with a large and juicy tea-brined chicken breast) and the Smoked Wings that are slow-smoked, fried to order, and topped with both red and white barbecue sauce. Although it doesn’t look like much—and you’ll be eating off Styrofoam plates and using blue industrial paper towels as napkins—SAW’s is evidence that there is no correlation between good food and a fancy atmosphere.

Who to Know: Mike Wilson (owner) and Brandon Cain (chef/owner)

The Vibe: No-frills barbecue restaurant with limited seating

What to Order: Pork and Greens, Chicken with White Sauce

Hot Tip: “The Colonel” is a recurring special that adds pimento cheese and white sauce to the Sweet Tea Fried Chicken Sandwich.

215 41st St. S.

Blue Pacific is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

8. Blue Pacific

In the summer of 2015, our editor published an article titled “I ate Thai food from a gas station in Hoover and lived to tell the tale.” Almost five years later, that gas station is no longer a gas station (sometime during Blue Pacific’s record-breaking rise from obscurity to fame, owner Sam Aroon decided to gut the Hoover Food Mart convenience store to make room for more tables). What was once a quick-rising cult classic is now one of the city’s most respected restaurants for authentic Thai cuisine.

Yes, it’s cliché, but do yourself a favor and order the Pad Thai. Blue Pacific’s version successfully expels any ill feelings toward the dish as a result of overly sweet bastardizations served at Americanized Thai restaurants. The transcendent and defining flavor in Blue Pacific’s Pad Thai is wok hei, which translates to breath of a wok. The unmistakable and almost impossible to recreate charred aroma adds a level of depth that makes Asian stir-fry noodles so irresistible. Blue Pacific is one of the very few places in town that achieves wok hei. In this case, its rarity is a sign of its worth. And there’s plenty more to explore on the menu including curries (red, green, yellow, panang, masaman), dry stir-frys, the crispy rice laap dish, and outrageously crunchy chicken wings laden with fish sauce.

Though technically you can no longer say you’re eating the best Thai food in town out of a gas station, vestiges of Blue Pacific’s humble roots, including the still-stocked glass door beverage coolers and the unchanged Hoover Food Mart signage, remind diners that when it comes to Birmingham’s food scene, it’s best not to judge a book by its cover.

Who to Know: Sam Aroon (owner)

The Vibe: Bare-bones eatery for authentic Thai in a former convenience store

What to Order: Chicken Wings, Pad Thai, Pad Ka Tem-Prik Thai (sauteed meat with garlic sauce)

Hot Tip: Blue Pacific offers a different special each day of the week. We recommend Tuesday or Thursday for the beef or pork noodle soup, respectively.

3219 Lorna Rd.

Cayo Coco is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants in 2020.

9. Cayo Coco

Cayo Coco may be the newest branch on the Birmingham restaurant family tree, but what it lacks in age and experience, it more than makes up for in character and flavor. The restaurant and rum bar aims to introduce guests to the fantastical era of 1940s Cuba, often considered the pinnacle of Cuban culture for art, food, and drink.

To transport guests to their version of refined tropical paradise, owner Andrew Collins (of Collins Bar) and managing partner Josh Schaff had to be intentional. Alabama-grown palm trees reside on the outdoor patio. A teal bar boasts thoughtful details like a light installation made from woven baskets and brass accent tables. Follow the hallway into a small dining room that seats little more than 30 guests at a time. On one side of the room, palm-print, laser-cut brass overlays a backlit distressed teal wall; on the other, a bright orange banquette adds a pop of color to the moody atmosphere.

The intimate setting contributes to the “best-kept secret” feel. What Chef Haller Magee does with a small menu of Latin-inspired, Southern-infused eats contributes to the “best meal in Birmingham” distinction. The balance achieved in the Grilled Octopus appetizer is noteworthy. A savory basil-garlic marinade and the smoky char of a good sear bring out the sweet, tender qualities of well-prepared octopus. More balance is present in the dishes’ bitter-sweet-sour accompaniments of summer squash and grilled radicchio drizzled with lemon vinaigrette. Find a true taste of the tropics in the Pescado en Salsa de Coco, roasted Gulf fish (often red snapper) served on a bed of black beans and rice, with a slightly-sweet mango salsa. Be sure to dip bits of the flaky fish in the pool of enriched coconut sauce circling the plate. Pair a daiquiri with your meal, but don’t expect a sticky-sweet nectar to flavor your cocktail. Instead, white rum, Persian and key limes, and pure cane sugar combine for a refreshing drink. And since it’s a rum bar, the rum cake with coconut ice cream and rum-poached pineapple is a must. With plans for additional late-night and bar bites soon, we’re looking forward to even more of Chef Magee’s unique interpretations.

Who to Know: Andrew Collins (owner), Josh Schaff (managing partner/ bartender), Haller Magee (chef)

The Vibe: A cooler glimpse at Old World Havana with trendy, understated tropical finishes and Caribbean cuisine

What to Order: Grilled Octopus, Mofongo Balls, Lamb Shank

Hot Tip: If you’ve got a group (or an unusually healthy appetite), inquire about the Tomahawk Steak special—a 3-pound monstrosity that some are calling the best steak in town.

2015 1st Ave. N.

Shu Shop is one of Birmingham magazine's 10 Best Restaurants 2020.

10. Shu Shop

Few indulgences are as divinely satisfying as slurping up a steaming bowl of ramen at midnight. But we’re not talking about tiny flavor packets in your pajamas at home…though previously your kitchen might have been your only option given the early-to-bed nature of Birmingham's dining scene. Lucky for us, Shu Shop arrived on the scene in 2017—the savior we never knew we needed in the form of a late-night izakaya and ramen-ya.

The concept for the hip Theatre District spot is simple and born out of necessity. Owners Adeeba Khan (front of house) and Jason Templin (chef) first met at Sakura, a now-closed Japanese restaurant in Five Points. Khan had dreams of opening a bar and Templin a ramen house. The two united their visions and Shu Shop was born.

The narrow restaurant functions as a pick-your-poison hangout. Socialize at the drawn-out bar, or tuck into a dark booth with your bowl and snacks of choice. The Spicy Miso Ramen offers a complex broth made of multiple miso pastes, as well as fermented bean paste, housemade chili paste, ginger, garlic, cayenne, and onion. Templin’s braised and smoked chasu pork gives meat-lovers something to bite into, and the medley of toppings that includes buttery shiitakes, crispy hot and sour Brussels sprouts, and the luscious custard-like yolk of an ajitama egg (seasoned and soft-boiled) send this dish over the edge.

In Shu Shop’s case, its philosophy is also the moral of the story: You just can’t mess with perfection. Or as we say down South, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Who to Know: Adeeba Khan (owner/front of house) and Jason Templin (owner/chef)

The Vibe: Cool downtown hideaway for high-quality Japanese eats with sake

What to Order: Tonkotsu Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen

Hot Tip: If you’re a heat seeker, order a spice bomb to add to your ramen. But word to the wise: Add the bomb sparingly. The blend of Thai, American, and Mexican chilis contributed to the dish being named one of our 8 spiciest dishes in Birmingham in August 2018.

1830 3rd Ave. N.

This story appears in Birmingham magazine’s March 2020 issue. Subscribe today!