We don’t know about you, but we’re planning on eatin’ good in April. The hardest part of this? Deciding what to eat.

That’s why we wanted to share a couple of dishes from restaurants across the state we have on our radar for April. From Lenten lunches to classic cheeseburgers to cheesy, cheesy hushpuppies, these are meals we can’t get enough of.

(Here are our picks for March, FYI.)

And, as always, we would love to hear your suggestions. Send ‘em our way!

Smoked chicken thighs plate at Saw’s BBQ

Six locations in Birmingham metro area, including Saw’s Soul Kitchen, 215 41st. St. South in Avondale.

Many folks will tell you that Pork N’ Greens is the must-order dish at Saw’s BBQ. But they’re just plain wrong. As far as we’re concerned, the most delectable dish on the menu is smoked chicken. Or, to be more precise, smoked chicken thighs. Pork might be king at Saw’s, but smoked chicken is the undeniable queen of its cuisine — tender, juicy and luscious when served with both red AND white sauce. Order a plate of smoked chicken thighs, tossed in red sauce and drizzled with white sauce, and it just might be a revelation. You get white bread and two sides with the three-piece plate, too. We typically opt for turnip greens and mac and cheese, devouring every bite and wishing for seconds. — Mary Colurso

READ MORE: Birmingham’s best barbecue chicken

Cheeseburger and fries from Vicki’s Lunch Van

106 Coliseum Boulevard in Montgomery

There are a lot of wonderful fine dining restaurants in Montgomery, but this month, I’m recommending you pass all of them by and head to Vicki’s Lunch Van on Coliseum Boulevard instead. Despite the name, you won’t be ordering food out of a van — not anymore, anyway. That said, the casual, no-frills restaurant certainly isn’t what anyone would call fancy; their hamburgers, however, are what most people would call really, really good. Made with an 80/20 blend of Angus beef and patted out by hand before being cooked on a large, flat top griddle and topped with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles and cheese, Vicki’s serves up the kind of classic hamburger you can’t help but crave again and again. The long lines that form outside the eatery, which is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, and the fact that they’ve been known to sell out before closing time, is proof of that. — Amber Sutton

READ MORE: Alabama’s best cheeseburger is worth the wait

Lenten Lunches at Cathedral Church of the Advent

2017 Sixth Ave. North in Birmingham

How’s your Lenten abstinence going? What’d you give up this time? Grapico? Conecuh Sausage? Dreamland Bar-B-Que ribs? Hang in there. You’ve got less than three weeks to go. Meanwhile, you can nourish your body and feed your soul at the Cathedral Church of the Advent’s annual Lenten Lunches, which continue on weekdays through April 17 in the church refectory. The specials, which change daily, include lasagna, chicken tetrazzini, meatloaf, chicken cornbread dressing and chicken and wild rice soup – all made and served by parishioners at the church. The daily menu also includes some old favorites from Lenten Lunches past, including the chicken salad plate, the pimento cheese sandwich, the tomato aspic salad and the bing cherry salad. The lunches are available for dine-in or takeout from 12:15 to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. All proceeds benefit Restoration Academy, Maranathan Academy, and Lovelady Center. – Bob Carlton

Notorious P.I.E. at Goodland Pour House

933 Bob Wallace Ave. S.W. in Huntsville

Time for pizza anthropology. The food menu at Goodland, a gastropub that opened in late 2024, features their takes on Detroit-style pizza. Detroit’s one of my favorite cities. But I mostly subsist on rock and roll when there, so can’t vouch for Goodland’s authenticity. That said, what I had was “Make Pizza New Again” interesting. Rectangularly shaped and cut into quadrants. Thick doughy crust with delicately crispy edges. Goodland gives its signature pies fanciful names like Cool Runnings (Jamaican-themed), Lt. Dan (toppings include shrimp) and Shrooms Day Device (fungi-forward). I like the Notorious P.I.E. Stacked with mini-pepperoni, mozzarella, white cheddar, jalapenos. Drizzled with honey. With pieces of burrata cheese on top, visually it evokes some pizza boardgame. The contrasting flavors and textures made me feel like I won. — Matt Wake

Fish and grits on the Coast

What’s a breakfast, a dinner, a soul food staple, an exotic coastal luxury to some and to others a humble answer to the spiritual obligations of Lent? Shrimp and grits, of course, and April is a fine month to try it. The only problem, and it’s not really a problem at all, is that there are so many versions. The simplest take, and the one you’re most likely to get for breakfast, pairs fried catfish with plain grits, maybe with a sprinkle of shredded cheese on top. But as you can fancy that up as much as you want. The Original Oyster House serves “fried flounder and our famous cheese grits,” The Catch in Gulf Shores offers “Blackened grouper over a bed of creamy cheddar cheese grits, smothered in our rich Creole-crawfish cream sauce,” and the Sunday brunch menu at Dauphin’s includes a version that comes with grilled catch of the day, stone-ground grits and a view of Mobile from 34 floors up. Can’t settle on a restaurant version? Hey, it’s Lent. Especially in the Mobile area, if it’s Friday evening, there’s a good chance takeout plates of fish and grits are being sold from the parish center of the nearest Catholic church. – Lawrence Specker

T-Bone’s Philly Cheesesteak Pizza at Rocky’s Pizza

1924 11th Ave. South in Birmingham

In March, two classic Birmingham restaurant brands — Rocky’s Pizza and Milo’s Hamburgers – teamed up for a limited-time-only Milo’s Hamburger Pizza that was a huge hit at the Southside pizzeria. For April, the folks at Rocky’s are collaborating with their Five Points South neighbor, Anthony Crawford at T-Bone’s Authentic Philly Style Cheesesteaks and Hoagies, on a T-Bone’s Philly Cheesesteak Pizza. It comes with a cheese sauce base and is topped with shaved T-Bone’s sirloin steak and sauteed onions and peppers, drizzled with more cheese sauce and finished with chopped raw onions. The Philly pizza will be available starting April 1. – Bob Carlton

RELATED: A taste of Philly in sweet home Alabama

Carrot cake at Full Moon Bar-B-Que

Fifteen locations throughout Alabama

April makes me think about the Easter Bunny, and the Easter Bunny reminds me of one of my favorite desserts – carrot cake, of course! (Isn’t it everybody’s favorite?) But not just any ol’ carrot cake. I’m talking about the pecan-studded, cream cheese-layered carrot cake that has satisfied my sweet tooth since Eloise James started selling them at the original Pat James’ Full Moon Bar-B-Que on Birmingham’s Southside back in the 1980s. Eloise and her husband, Pat, may be long gone, but thankfully, she passed down her carrot cake recipe, and you can still get it by the slice, the half-cake or the whole cake at any of Full Moon Bar-B-Que’s 15 Alabama locations. Just make sure you save a slice for me! – Bob Carlton

RELATED: The secret behind this Alabama BBQ joint’s beloved cake

Stuffed Pups at Ro’s Grille

126 N. Jefferson Street in Athens

Last fall, my family and I stumbled upon Ro’s Grille in downtown Athens on the way to my nephew’s first high school football game of the season. We loved it so much we made it our pre-game tradition, and our love for the eatery has surpassed the gridiron season. Everything on the menu is delicious, fresh and reasonably priced, and we’ve always gotten the kindest, most gracious service every time we’ve stepped foot in the building. The restaurant serves mostly your standard American fare – burgers, steaks, catfish – with a bit of a twist, and I’ve yet to get a dish I haven’t loved there. I try to try something different every time, but the app never changes: The Stuffed Pups. Hushpuppies are stuffed with bacon, white cheddar cheese and a bit of jalapeno, and it’s unlike any other hushpuppy I’ve ever eaten – you may possibly get a cheese pull. Definitely order these. – Haley Laurence