Birmingham, Alabama

The best of Birmingham,
picked by locals.

Best of Bham is an independent guide to the Magic City: the best food, drinks, things to do and local pros, ranked by people who live here. No pay-to-rank, and every list shows when it was last checked.

Latest guides

Eat

Best BBQ in Birmingham

Golden Rule Bar-B-Q & Grill · Dreamland Bar-B-Que · Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q

Updated November 6, 2026

 Eat

Best Brunch in Birmingham

The Essential · Trattoria Zaza · Automatic Seafood & Oysters

Updated November 6, 2026

 Drink

Best Coffee Shops in Birmingham

Domestique Coffee (Dawn Patrol) · June Coffee · Seeds Coffee Co.

Updated November 6, 2026

 Drink

Best Breweries in Birmingham

Good People Brewing Company · Avondale Brewing Company · Cahaba Brewing Company

Updated November 6, 2026

Eat →

BBQ, brunch, meat-and-threes, date-night spots and everything worth driving across town for.

Drink →

Coffee shops, breweries, cocktail bars and patios across the Magic City.

Explore by neighborhood

Avondale

Birmingham's east-side hangout: breweries, music venues, Avondale Park and a strip of restaurants along 41st Street South.

Downtown

The city center: Railroad Park, Regions Field, the Civil Rights District, and a growing lineup of restaurants and loft-district bars.

Southside & Five Points South

Five Points South, Lakeview and the UAB area: some of the city's best-known restaurants, nightlife and late-night food.

Crestwood & Woodlawn

East-side neighborhoods with a growing food and coffee scene, historic homes and Woodlawn's revitalized main street.

Homewood

Walkable, family-friendly suburb just over Red Mountain, with Homewood's SoHo and Edgewood districts full of local restaurants.

Mountain Brook

Mountain Brook's villages (English Village, Crestline, Mountain Brook Village and Cahaba Village) are packed with cafes and local shops.

Vestavia Hills

Suburb over Shades Mountain, including Cahaba Heights and Liberty Park, with a deep bench of neighborhood restaurants.

Hoover

Birmingham's largest suburb: the Riverchase Galleria, Ross Bridge, Moss Rock Preserve and plenty of places to eat along US-31 and 280.

Highway 280 Corridor

The Summit, Greystone, Inverness and Chelsea: shopping, local standouts hiding among the chains, and lots of family dining along the 280 corridor.

Trussville

Fast-growing northeast suburb with a revitalized downtown entertainment district.

Pelham & Alabaster

Shelby County communities south of the city: Oak Mountain State Park, family dining and local favorites.