12 Alabama restaurants to put on your 2024 calendar

We’re just a few days into the new year, but we’re ready to hit the road and check out some new places to eat in Alabama, as well as revisit a few old favorites.

We’ve put together this list of 12 Alabama restaurants to put on your 2024 calendar — one for every month of the year — and we hope to hit them all this year.

Maybe we’ll run into you somewhere along the way.

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Dot’s Soul Food Restaurant in rural Hillsboro, Ala., always draws a crowd for lunch — especially on Sundays after church. (Bob Carlton/[email protected])

JANUARY: Dot’s Soul Food Restaurant in Hillsboro

Dot’s Soul Food Restaurant, which AL.com included on its 2023 list of Alabama’s Top 10 meat-and-three restaurants, is an off-the-beaten-path dining gem that’s tucked away in an otherwise inconspicuous, red-brick building in the small Lawrence County town of Hillsboro, just west of Decatur. All those cars and trucks in the parking lot give it away, though. Inside, the lunch crowd forms a long, steady line that typically stretches from the steam table to the front door, as guests patiently wait to be rewarded with some of Alabama’s most glorious soul food, including righteous fried chicken, transcendent mac and cheese and collard greens that made you want to shout, “Hallelujah!” By all means, though, save room for a slice of Dot’s classic caramel cake for dessert.

Dot’s Soul Food Restaurant is at 18152 Alabama Highway 20 in Hillsboro, Ala. The phone is 256-637-8002. For more information, go here.

FEBRUARY: The Rougaroux in Birmingham

A quirky, New Orleans-inspired eatery named after a Louisiana folklore legend that looks a lot like a werewolf, Birmingham’s The Rougaroux is home to some of the best po’ boys, muffulettas and gumbo this side of the Big Easy. The restaurant opened in 2017 in the “Pink House” in the alley across from the old V. Richards grocery in Birmingham’s Forest Park neighborhood, and the owners are expected to open their second location in the former Sneaky Pete’s space in Mountain Brook Village sometime this year. The po’ boys are the stars of the Rougaroux menu, and chef Ryan Champion offers both traditional (including fried oyster, fried shrimp and roast beef debris) and specialty (including oysters Rockefeller, blackened catfish and smoked chicken and bacon) versions of the classic New Orleans sandwich. The menu also Creole fries, red beans and rice, and white chocolate bread pudding. If you’re looking for a fun place to celebrate Mardi Gras, which falls on Feb. 13 this year, The Rougaroux is your spot.

The Rougaroux is at 817 39th St. South in Birmingham, Ala. The phone is 205-518-6677. For more information, go here.

Callaghan's Irish Social Club in Mobile, Ala. — Callaghan’s Irish Social Club has been a mainstay in Mobile’s Oakleigh Garden District since Woodrow Callaghan opened his namesake pub in a former meat market in 1946. (Bob Carlton/[email protected])

MARCH: Callaghan’s Irish Social Club in Mobile

If you’re making plans for St. Patrick’s Day, we can’t think of many places better to get your green on than at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, a legendary neighborhood watering hole and burger joint in Mobile’s Oakleigh Garden District. Housed in a former meat market, Callaghan’s has been a mainstay at the corner of Marine and Charleston streets since Woodrow Callaghan opened his namesake pub in 1946. Over the years, Callaghan’s has been recognized as the South’s greatest bar, as well as the home of the state’s best burger. Hand-patted and cooked on a flat-top grill, the Angus beef burgers are seasoned with a secret blend of spices and topped with your choice of American, cheddar, pepper jack, Swiss or provolone cheese. If you go on a Wednesday or Thursday, be sure to order the L.A. (Lower Alabama) Burger, a blend of ground beef and Alabama’s own Conecuh Sausage.

Callaghan’s Irish Social Club is at 916 Charleston St. in Mobile, Ala. The phone is 251-433-9374. For more information, go here.

Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen in Hoover, Ala. — Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen in Hoover, Ala., is the ideal spot for a casual dinner under the twinkling patio lights. (Photo by Sara Walker; used with permission)

APRIL: Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen in Hoover

When spring arrives and the weather starts to warm, you’ll be looking for a casual spot to sit back and enjoy a nice meal under the stars. Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen, the Italian-inspired restaurant that the husband-and-wife team of Brian and Erin Mooney opened five years ago in The Village at Brock’s Gap development in Hoover, is just the ticket — whether you want to grab a table outside under the twinkling patio lights or indoors in the vibrant dining room. The dinner menu strikes a nice balance between familiar and refined, with such sharables as beef carpaccio, short rib sliders, baked oysters and brick-oven-baked pizzas, along with entrees such as veal piccata, eggplant parmigiana, pan-seared scallops and one of our favorite dishes, chicken francese with Brussels sprouts and McEwen & Sons polenta.

Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen is at 1021 Brocks Gap Parkway, Suite 145, in Hoover, Ala. The phone is 205-538-5866. For more information, go here.

Pizza Ed in Guntersville, Ala. — Pizza Ed opened its second location at 373 Gunter Ave. in Guntersville, Ala., in August 2023. The original location opened in Hartselle in 2019.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])

MAY: Pizza Ed in Guntersville and Hartselle

The husband-and-wife team of Eddie and Chandra Gwin opened Pizza Ed on “a pie and a prayer,” as Eddie likes to say, in downtown Hartselle five years ago. Buoyed by its success, the Gwins opened a second Pizza Ed in Guntersville this past summer. The Pizza Ed menu features classic New York hand-tossed, Chicago deep dish, and thin-and-crispy Chicago tavern-style pizzas, which are made with Stanislaus tomatoes, Bacio cheeses and Fontanini sausages and pepperonis, among other toppings. Although running two pizzerias in two different cities keeps them hopping, in their spare time, the Gwins love to travel to some of the top pizza restaurants in the country to learn more about the craft and the business. That extra effort shows in every pie they serve, and in 2023, Pizza Ed topped AL.com’s list of the 10 best pizzerias in Alabama.

Pizza Ed is at 373 Gunter Ave. in Guntersville Ala. The phone is 256-486-3633. The original Pizza Ed is at 305 Main St. West in Hartselle. The phone is 256-502-9959. For more information, go here.

Jesse's on the Bay in Fort Morgan, Ala. — Jesse’s on the Bay, the Fort Morgan outpost of the popular Jesse’s Restaurant in Magnolia Springs, opened in April 2023.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])

JUNE: Jesse’s on the Bay in Fort Morgan

If you’re beach-bound this summer, let us recommend a visit to Jesse’s on the Bay, the Fort Morgan outpost of the beloved Jesse’s Restaurant in Magnolia Springs. The newest Jesse’s, which opened last spring, promises spectacular sunset views, a lively beach vibe and a menu that caters to both seafood and steak lovers, with blue crab and crawfish gumbo, diver scallops, pan-seared redfish and a dry-aged ribeye.

Jesse’s on the Bay is at 1631 Crosswinds Court in Fort Morgan, Ala. The phone is 251-965-3827. For more information, go here.

JULY: Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit in Montgomery

Owned and operated by Montgomery’s Bethune family since 1942, Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit played a key role in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and ‘60, serving as a gathering place for organizers of the movement. So, there’s a lot of history here. There’s also some great barbecue. The menu at Brenda’s is carry-out only, and it’s been that way for decades. Customers order at the take-out window and either eat in their cars or take their food with them. While Brenda’s is best known for its ribs, a close second is the pig ear sandwich, a hard-to-find soul food delicacy that is served on white bread and splattered with ketchup, mustard and hot sauce. “If we run out of pig ears, oh my God, we’ve got trouble on our hands that day,” Donetta Bethune, the granddaughter of founders Jereline and Larry James Bethune, says. “The customers are not going to be happy with us if we run out of pig ears.”

Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit is at 1457 Mobile Road in Montgomery, Ala. The phone is 334-262-9349.

Hunt's Seafood and Steaks — Hunt’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Dothan, Ala., began in the 1960s as a three-stool oyster bar but has since grown into a full-service seafood and steak restaurant that now seats more than 200 guests. Jared Boyd

AUGUST: Hunt’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Dothan

One of the oldest restaurants in Alabama’s Wiregrass Region, Hunt’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar has been in business since the early 1960s, when Billy Joe Reeves converted his full-service gas station into a three-stool oyster bar. In 1989, Reeves added on to the original building, attaching a seafood and steak restaurant. Now, Hunt’s seats more than 200 guests. Tim Reeves, Billy Joe’s son, is the restaurant’s second-generation owner. In addition to oysters, the menu includes shrimp, snapper, salmon, chicken, catfish, ribeyes and filets, as well as Hunt’s signature battered-and-fried grouper fingers, which have been featured on the Alabama Tourism Department’s list of “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die.”

Hunt’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar is at 177 Campbellton Highway in Dothan. The phone is 334-794-5193. For more information, go here.

SEPTEMBER: The Waverly Local in Waverly

Auburn football fans traveling to and from the Loveliest Village on the Plains this fall should make dinner or brunch plans at The Waverly Local, a destination restaurant in the tiny town of Waverly, just a few minutes outside of Auburn. Longtime friends Andy Anderson and Christian Watson, who grew up together in Auburn, opened their restaurant six years ago in the former home of Waverly’s old Yellow Hammer Restaurant, and folks in Lee County and the surrounding area took to it almost from the start. “I think Waverly just felt like it was missing something when this building sat empty,” Anderson said in a 2021 interview with AL.com. “We were excited to bring it back to life.” Guests are drawn by the restaurant’s nostalgic charm, its laid-back vibe and the inspired but unpretentious menu, which includes such appetizers as bacon-wrapped Wickles Pickles okra and such entrees as a grilled ribeye with horseradish cream, blue crab cakes and pan-roasted Atlantic salmon.

The Waverly Local is at 1465 Patrick St. in Waverly, Ala. The phone is 334-539-6077. For more information, go here.

The Waysider Tuscaloosa — The “Breakfast of Champions” menu at The Historic Waysider Restaurant in Tuscaloosa, Ala., features country ham with red-eye gravy, creamy grits, made-from-scratch biscuits and, on Alabama football game days, elephant-shaped pancakes.

OCTOBER: The Historic Waysider Restaurant in Tuscaloosa

A must-do on any hardcore Alabama football fan’s bucket list, Tuscaloosa’s Historic Waysider Restaurant — or simply “The Waysider,” as most people know it — is typically packed on home football weekends in the fall. The little red house on Greensboro Avenue is a shrine to Bama football history – from the Daniel Moore prints and framed newspaper stories that cover the walls to the little, two-seater table where the late, legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant used to sit and read the newspaper while he ate his breakfast. But folks come here for the food, not just the memories, and the Waysider’s legendary “Breakfast of Champions” menu features country ham and red-eye gravy, made-from-scratch biscuits, bottomless cups of coffee, and, on game-day weekends, elephant-shaped pancakes for the kids. If you happen to go on a Friday morning, you might run into Tide stars Jalen Milroe, Caleb Downs and Terrion Arnold, who are such loyal customers that owner Linda Smelley shipped them a batch of the Waysider’s famous biscuits before this year’s Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

The Historic Waysider Restaurant is at 1512 Greensboro Ave. in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The phone is 205-345-8239. For more information, go here.

NOVEMBER: Wildflower Cafe in Mentone

The quaint and quirky Wildflower Café, nestled atop Lookout Mountain in idyllic Mentone in the northeast corner of the state, is an Alabama treasure, a fun and funky restaurant renowned for its Roma tomato pie and strawberry crepes. But the inventive menu also includes everything from a spinach quiche and a chicken salad wrap to prime rib and wild-caught salmon. Presiding over it all is the Wildflower Café’s colorful owner, L.C. Moon, who makes sure that everyone who comes to her place not only gets fed well but also has a good time. She’s been known to get up and sing with some of the café’s musicians on occasion. “I love helping people to feel good,” Moon told AL.com in 2019. “When they come in here and walk in this space, they can just have a great experience. They get fed with food. They get fed with soulfulness.”

Wildflower Cafe is at 6007 Alabama Highway 117 in Mentone, Ala. The phone is 256-634-0066. For more information, go here.

DECEMBER: Purveyor in Huntsville

Known for its eclectic menu and electric vibe, Purveyor in downtown Huntsville offers an ever-changing, seasonal menu that’s inspired by locally sourced ingredients. So what you ordered last week might not be available next week. But a few dishes are so good they’ve earned a regular spot in the Purveyor rotation, including the Wagyu tacos, the crisp oyster mushrooms and the glazed Kabocha squash salad. Purveyor’s show-stopping dish, though, and one dish that never leaves the menu is the pork osso buco, a fork-tender pork shank that takes chef Juventino “Tino” Manuel more than three days to prepare. “The result,” AL.com’s Matt Wake writes, “is a tender as any meat I’ve ever consumed.”

Purveyor is at 201 Jefferson St. North in Huntsville, Ala. The phone is 256-419-2555. For more information, go here.