Birmingham Restaurants

Birmingham offers a wide variety of dining options, with restaurants to suite any taste as well as any price range. Some of the most authentic food can be found in local establishments and can be sampled for as much or less money as the cuisine at the mainstream franchise restaurants. 

Local cuisine

The cuisine of Birmingham is representative of the Southern cuisine of the United States. Traditional Southern food includes salted pork and deep-fried chicken, with vegetable side dishes including green beans, turnip, collard greens and fried green tomatoes.

Sweet tea is an iced tea in which the sugar is added immediately after brewing while the tea is still hot, so that more sugar can be absorbed. The result is an extremely sweet drink that is often served with lunch or dinner. In many cases, this is the only kind of iced tea available, and anyone who prefers unsweetened tea may have a difficult time finding any.

Cornbread, okra, beans and gravy are other Southern staples. Popular desserts are peach and pecan pies as well as berry cobblers.

Where to eat

Dining options abound in the downtown area as well as in outlying regions. Many establishments offer a discounted lunch menu, with small portions being the norm. In addition to Southern and regional fare, there is no shortage of mainstream American and international restaurants, which are typically centred around Mexican, Greek or Italian cuisine.