Randall Woodfin asked Birmingham for restaurant picks; here are 10 favorites

Birmingham’s mayor wants to know: Where do people love to eat in the Magic City? As it turns out, Randall Woodfin only had to ask once to get more than a thousand responses to his question on social media.

On Friday, Woodfin did a little crowdsourcing on Facebook and Twitter, with one-line posts that simply said, “What’s y’all’s favorite restaurant in Birmingham?” If the mayor was looking for a lunch spot that day, he had no lack of suggestions.

Woodfin’s followers were quick to name their favorites, pointing to meat-and-three establishments with down-home flavor, upscale eateries with award-winning chefs, barbecue joints with savory signature dishes and more.

Here are 10 restaurants that were recommended most often in replies to the mayor’s query. Put these places on your bucket list, if you haven’t visited them already, and see the full list of suggestions for Woodfin here and here.

The cafeteria line at Niki’s West Steak & Seafood Restaurant features a daily selection of about a dozen desserts, including chocolate, coconut and lemon pies. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

NIKI’S WEST STEAK & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Where to find it: 233 Finley Ave. West, Birmingham.

Niki’s West is a beloved meat-and-three in Birmingham, open since 1957. “The restaurant has long been a must-stop for first-time visitors who want to get a true taste of Birmingham, while former residents who come home to see family and friends can’t leave town without going back to Niki’s West for a meat-and-three and a slice of pie,” says Bob Carlton of AL.com.

The extensive menu includes lemon pepper catfish, hamburger steak, Greek chicken, beef tips with rice, fried chicken breast, liver and onions, fried pork chop, country fried steak and more, depending on the day. Niki’s online menu lists seven or eight main dishes daily, plus more than 20 sides, including yams, fried okra, field peas, broccoli rice and cheese, pinto beans, creamed potatoes and turnip greens.

AUTOMATIC SEAFOOD AND OYSTERS

Where to find it: 2824 Fifth Ave. South, Birmingham.

Automatic Seafood opened in 2019 in Birmingham’s Lakeview neighborhood, and quickly developed a reputation for the quality and creativity of its food. This elegant and comfortable spot has earned kudos from Esquire magazine and Thrillist, along with a devoted following here. As a capper, Chef Adam Evans was named Best Chef in the South at the 2022 James Beard Awards.

“Chef Adam Evans is a genius with seafood and the cocktails are great,” Ian Cole told Mayor Woodfin on social media. “Automatic, hands down the best. Impeccable seafood selection and quality,” chimed in Keith Arnold.

EL BARRIO

Where to find it: 2211 2nd Ave. North, Birmingham.

“Most of our menu items are Mexican-inspired, created from an array of regional recipes,’ the El Barrio website says. “However, we are not of Mexican descent, nor do we claim our dishes taste like those you might have in Mexico. We do strive to make everything taste very good, though.”

One signature dish is the grilled chorizo meatloaf, with spinach, cotija-mashed potatoes, ranchera sauce and cumin sour cream. The menu also includes plantain nachos, carne asada, Al Pastor pork tacos, Gulf shrimp quesadilla and orange cake.

HELEN

Where to find it: 2013 Second Ave. North, Birmingham.

“Named in honor of (chef Rob) McDaniel’s maternal grandmother, a portrait of whom graces a dining room wall, the restaurant is consistently excellent and always innovative, with a menu that showcases dry-aged steaks and smoked half-chickens, as well as seasonal, sharable sides such as tomato pie and corn ribs,” said Bob Carlton of AL.com. “In 2021, Esquire magazine named Helen one of the best new restaurants in America, an honor that was hard earned and well deserved.”

Angel biscuits are a signature dish at Helen, served warm with a whipped cane syrup butter. “The biscuit is probably one of the most iconic things we have going for us from a food standpoint,” McDaniel told AL.com. “I’ve seen people get an order for an appetizer, one with dinner, and then another one for dessert. And then sometimes, one to go.”

Chicken and Waffles from EastWest — A chicken and waffles dish from EastWest. (Photo by Stephen DeVries.)

EASTWEST KITCHEN & BAR

Where to find it: 2306 Second Ave. North, Birmingham.

This Asian fusion restaurant, founded in 2017, is owned and operated by Colby Conklin. “It’s East meets West, the Eastern culture and the Western culture,” Conklin told Bob Carlton of AL.com. “We are doing things like taking a ribeye and doing a Mongolian ribeye, and taking a piece of tuna and making it tuna tataki.”

In addition to entrees and small plates, the menu also features rice bowls (served with duck, orange beef or teriyaki chicken) and steamed buns (with soft-shell crab, smoked pork belly or Korean beef). Sandwiches include a hot chicken sandwich with a garlic aioli and a Kobe beef hamburger with pickled shiitake mushrooms.

YO’ MAMA’S

Where to find it: 2328 Second Ave. North, Birmingham.

“Yo’ Mama’s, a hip lunch and brunch eatery, serves home-cooked style meals with Southern roots,” said Ben Flanagan of AL.com. “The restaurant is owned by Denise Peterson, along with her daughter Crystal Peterson, who also manages. They specialize in fried chicken with a few signature dishes like the Chicken & Waffle (Belgian waffles with homemade syrup, fruit toppings, all topped with six fried chicken wings) and the Chicken Plate (chicken wings flavorfully fried and served with fries, slaw and bread).”

Yo’ Mama’s is beloved in Birmingham, but received even more attention with a featured spot in 2021 on Netflix’s “Fresh, Fried and Crispy.” The restaurant plans to move to a new location at 2098 Fourth Ave. North, thanks to a $1.3 million investment from the City of Birmingham.

BLUEPRINT ON 3RD

Where to find it: 3000 Third Ave. South, Birmingham.

Restaurateur Dean Robb and chef James Huckaby are two of the prime movers at Blueprint on 3rd, which opened in 2018. “Robb and Huckaby have collaborated on an American-influenced menu that features regional favorites from around the country, including a Hangtown Fry po-boy, steamed mussels, a Blueprint poutine, and duck and dumplings,” said Bob Carlton of AL.com.

“Southern-rooted dishes include B3′s popular starter of house-made pimento cheese melted in a cast-iron skillet and served with rye bread from nearby Birmingham Breadworks. A summer salad shows off Sand Mountain tomatoes, with field peas, fried Vidalia onion, and avocado,” said Eric Velasco of Birmingham magazine.

CHEZ FONFON

Where to find it: 2007 11th Ave. South, Birmingham.

“When Frank Stitt opened his French bistro Chez Fonfon in May 2000, he envisioned a casual, energetic place where guests would come to enjoy escargot and house-made pate, braised lamb and grilled salmon,” said Bob Carlton of AL.com. “And a hamburger. Located in Five Points South, next door to Stitt’s internationally acclaimed Highlands Bar and Grill, Chez Fonfon is kind of the unfussy complement to the elegant Highlands, which is the precise reason why a burger seems right at home on the menu.”

The Hamburger Fonfon has been praised to the hilt, featured on “best of” lists from outlets such as FoodNetwork.com, Thrillist, The Daily Meal and more. The menu at Chez Fonfon also includes a luscious coconut pecan cake originated by Dolester Miles, winner of 2018 James Beard Award for outstanding pastry chef in America.

“We had a perfect dinner there, like, I mean totally perfect!” Ellen Louise Spence said to Mayor Woodfin on social media. “And they have a beautiful garden/covered patio out behind their dining room. Expensive but a wonderful experience.”

THE ROUGAROUX

Where to find it: 817 39th St. South, Birmingham.

“The Rougaroux is a kitschy, quirky restaurant serving a taste of New Orleans to the city of Birmingham,” the restaurant’s website says. “We serve real deal gumbo, boudin, po’ boys and more.” Weekend specials are a real treat here, with key ingredients that range from halibut to pork cheek to gator.

“The name of the restaurant is apparently a play on the Cajun folklore legend ‘rougarou,’ a werewolf-like creature that was believed to stalk the swamps around Acadiana and New Orleans,” said Bob Carlton of AL.com. “‘Roux,’ of course, is the browned mixture of flour and animal fat used to thicken gumbo.”

RED PEARL RESTAURANT

Where to find it: Super Oriental Market, 243 W. Valley Ave. Birmingham.

“Red Pearl has served traditional and regional Chinese fare longer than any other existing restaurant in town,” said Eric Velasco of Birmingham magazine. “Its menu includes several Americanized standards, but entices diners to stretch their culinary horizons.

“When visiting Red Pearl Restaurant, first take a detour to the seafood tanks in a corner of the adjoining Super Oriental Market. You may find gustatory inspiration among the swimming fish and lobsters; multiple types of live crabs, clams, scallops, shrimp, and other aquatic creatures; and even seasonal eel or bullfrog. Then, pause inside the restaurant to peruse photos depicting several of Red Pearl’s pork, beef, duck, chicken, vegetable, tofu, and seafood dishes. A nearby board lists specials that may seem exotic to some, such as yellow chive with blood pudding, and sautéed fish maw in pickled chili sauce. They’re a taste of home to the restaurant’s many Chinese customers.”

Recommendations for Woodfin also included: Gianmarco’s, Bottega, Tasty Town, Makarios Kabob & Grill, Taj India, Ocean, Saw’s BBQ, Shu Shop, The Fish Market, Cayo Coco, Le Fresca, Eugene’s Hot Chicken, The Essential, Surin West and more.