El Barrio is a modern mexican restaurant in Downtown, Birmingham.
El Barrio on 2nd Avenue North downtown Birmingham runs a modern Mexican menu called best Mexican restaurant in Alabama in 2024 by the convention bureau.
Why locals love it: Most tourists looking for Mexican on Highway 280 miss the downtown room that took best Mexican restaurant in Alabama 2024.
Tip: Walk in early; the room is reservation-free and the modern tasting menu pulls a downtown crowd by 7pm.
Address: 2211 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Saw's Soul Kitchen on 41st Street South Avondale is the 2012 Brandon Cain sibling to Saw's BBQ, mixing Alabama white sauce barbecue with soul-food sides.
Why locals love it: The Avondale 2012 sibling to Saw's BBQ runs a smaller room than the Homewood original, with a pork-and-greens plate locals defend hardest.
Tip: Order the pork-and-greens stuffed sandwich; the banana pudding has a smaller crowd than the Homewood location.
The Marble Ring on 41st Street South Avondale Birmingham is an intimate speakeasy entered through a phone booth, with 80 seats and a classic cocktail menu.
Why locals love it: Hidden behind a phone booth above the former Hot Diggity Dogs in Avondale; entry requires picking up the police-call-box phone.
Tip: Pick up the phone inside the police call box and a hostess will seat you; max 80 guests at a time.
Golden Temple on 11th Avenue South in Birmingham is the city's vegetarian anchor since 1973, with daily plant-based plates and the adjacent natural grocery.
Why locals love it: Birmingham's first exclusively vegetarian restaurant since 1973 sits next to Surin West in Five Points South.
Tip: The cafe runs lunch only Monday through Friday from 11:00 to 14:30; arrive by 12:00 for the daily plate special.
Niki's West on Finley Avenue West Birmingham has run the meat-and-three from a cafeteria steam table since 1957, opposite the Alabama Farmers Market.
Why locals love it: Tourists rarely cross the rail tracks to the Acipco-Finley district to find this 1957 cafeteria; locals queue for the catfish.
Tip: Get there by 12:30 for the fried catfish and turnip greens; weekday lunch is the peak.
Eagle's Restaurant on 16th Street North in Smithfield is the Black-owned soul-food anchor since 1951, with the Friday catfish and a multi-generation kitchen.
Why locals love it: The Smithfield Black-owned soul-food kitchen since 1951 sits a block from Acipco and most non-locals never find it.
Tip: Order the Friday catfish; closed Saturday and Monday so plan around the schedule.
Demetri's BBQ on 28th Avenue South Homewood Birmingham has run a Greek-American meat-and-three since 1973, continuing the 1961 El Rancho BBQ tradition.
Why locals love it: The 1973 Greek-American meat-and-three in Homewood is masked behind a barbecue sign; locals know it as a Birmingham lunch institution.
Tip: Order the Greek salad alongside the pulled-pork plate to taste the Greek-American crossover.
