Birmingham is a food lover’s paradise, there’s no question about that. Award-winning dishes and hidden flavorful gems are scattered throughout the entire metro area. Lorna Road, Avondale, Lakeview, Pepper Place, and 5 Points South are just a few locations where you can find more delicious food options than your stomach can handle in a year, but one area may take the prize as the city’s food center-- Green Springs Highway. The diverse collection of delectable dishes can’t be beat. Here are 5 of our favorite Greensprings Highway restaurants...but it's almost guaranteed this list will have a sequel!
Tortas Locas! Crazy Subs
Everybody loves a good torta, and the kind people at Tortas Locas provide some of the finest tasting sandwiches in this city that we are blessed to call home. The large size of these “crazy subs” are only matched by their yumminess - but that’s not the only thing they serve. A wide variety of meals sure to excite the taste buds including chilaquiles, enchilada de mole, fish, burritos, tacos, and all sorts of hot plates make it easy to find a new favorite meal.
Red Sea Ethiopian & Mediterranean Cajun Classics
Ethiopian food provides some of the most delicious flavors found around the world, and Red Sea is the source of this tastiness for the genre in the greater Birmingham area. Traditional Ethiopian meals are offered alongside a variety of great seafood options including gator platters, crawfish po-boys, shrimp-n-grits, and more. Located in the Red Mountain Plaza Shopping Center down from Tortas Locas and next to the incredible Mediteraanean Food Market, we recommend you make a stop at this great restaurant.
La Perla Nayarita
Right down the road from Red Sea and Tortas Locas is La Perla, a Mexican seafood restaurant with some of the biggest plates and margaritas that you will find in Alabama. The seasoning, which is Cajun combined with even more spices, comes from the Mexican state of Nayarit. Some of the most popular meals include Perla-style prawns, big plates to feed the whole family, molcajete mediterraneo, lobster soup, and a 6 pack of beers that is served with ceviche all around the pack and shrimp on top.
Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking
This authentic Chinese restaurant would be more than enough on it’s own, but the fact that it’s located inside the biggest Asian international store in the city makes it a can’t-miss experience. Come for the Szechuan beef stew noodle soup or their famous duck meals, stay for the bubble teas and aisles upon aisles of delicious snacks, fruit, and limitless potential to find--or cook--a new favorite dish. Some of the nicest people work behind the counter and they are more than ready to create a delicious experience for you to write home about.
Taqueria El Sabor
There is no denying this writer’s love for a good food truck, and Green Springs Highway has plenty of options to choose from. One of the absolute best is Taqueria El Sabor, which is located in the Marathon gas station right next to Zanzibar International Bar & Grill. The tacos are certainly a favorite (campechano for me, please) but there are many options to choose from - so have fun with it!
A Food Utopia
This list only scratches the surface of the diverse, delicious food options that can be found on Birmingham's Green Springs Highway in Homewood. A short drive from downtown to the Lakeshore intersection will provide enough options to fill up the rest of your monthly food adventure plans and beyond - so have fun and keep munching by supporting your local entrepreneurs!
