Heading to Birmingham, AL for a concert, looking for places to dine out

February 23, 2017 5:51 PM

Where to eat in the Avondale neighborhood in Birmingham, AL on a Sunday afternoon in March before a show?

I’m meeting a friend in Birmingham, AL, on Sunday, March 12th to see Neko Case at Saturn. I’m driving in from Atlanta, she’ll be driving in from Huntsville. I’m going to stay the night at a hotel by the airport, so I’ll go there first, check in, meet my friend, and then we’ll head down to the neighborhood where the club is located probably around 4 or 5pm.

Where would be a good place to eat within easy walking distance (2 or 3 blocks max, I'm wearing a big orthopedic boot due to a torn ankle tendon) to the club? I’d like to find a good burger or maybe Mexican food, or possibly even pizza. Actually, I’ll take any recommendations except for seafood. I don’t drink so the beer selection isn’t important to me, but my friend used to home-brew so I assume she’s a fan of craft beers so if one place stands out for their beer selection, that would be good to know.

Also, if there are any MeFites heading to the show, let me know if you want to meet up at the venue or possibly beforehand and say hello. Or even if you’re not going to the show, maybe still drop by and say hi.

posted by ralan to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Best answer: Post Office Pies. Literally right across the street from the venue. Go to Avondale Brewery next door for post-meal beers.
posted by isauteikisa at 6:39 PM on February 23, 2017

Best answer: You can get a fantastic burger at Saw's across the street (check out #45), fantastic pizza at the aforementioned Post Office Pies (chef John Hall used to work at Per Se) or go barely a block to Taco Morro Loco. At Parkside, two blocks, you can get Thai fusion at Hotbox. The lemongrass fried chicken is great.

41st Street Pub has great cocktails and shuffle board. Have fun!
posted by dig_duggler at 7:04 PM on February 23, 2017

Best answer: Echoing the above: Saw's, Post Office Pies, and Hotbox are all great. Hotbox is in an Airstream trailer on the back corner of Parkside bar's outdoor area - the edamame hummus is great.

There's also Hot Diggity Dogs. They're on the corner by the park, above Fancy's On Fifth. (I've never been to Fancy's On Fifth, I think it's an oyster bar or something.) The Motherlode is a fantastic hot dog. Get some tots, too. Everyone loves tots.

The craft brewery in the area is Avondale Brewing, and it is average at best. But it has a nice patio, and is a good place to sit and eat your Post Office pizza, because you will not be able to get in the door there. The Swine Pie is probably the best pizza in town.

But the thing you must try, the item to eat that cannot be missed: the smoked wings and white sauce at Saw's. Chicken wings. Seasoned, flashed in hot oil, smoked, then slathered in a vinegary white BBQ sauce (a la Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur). OMG SO GOOD.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:29 PM on February 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Swine Pie or a tasty-sounding special at Post Office Pies or literally anything at Saw's (I usually get the pulled pork sandwich, but it sounds like the smoked wings are my next). The Avondale Brewing patio is really quite nice; I'd get just about anything to go and carry it there.
posted by hollyholly at 5:46 AM on February 24, 2017

Best answer: I should add that Avondale brewery can be fun (especially the open seating area in the back). You can bring in food from anywhere. Saturn itself has a great beer selection in the main bar and in the venue itself.
posted by dig_duggler at 8:36 AM on February 24, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I'm guessing from these replies that Avondale Brewery is cool with people bringing in outside food? That would be totally unthinkable anywhere I've been, but I like that idea and that may be the way we go.

Also, what would be the possibility of using a ride-sharing service from my hotel by the airport to the club and back? I don't like driving at night in unfamiliar places if I can avoid it.
posted by ralan at 1:35 PM on February 25, 2017

Best answer: Avondale Brewery was started by a couple of real estate guys who own all the land the nearby restaurants are on. They are DELIGHTED to have you eat that food in their courtyard.

Birmingham has Uber, which works well and is cheaper than a cab, but is, as you know, run by evil greed-muffins. Lyft is coming to town and may start any day now but isn't here quite yet, though there's a good chance they'll be functioning by the time you arrive. Getting a cab from the hotel to Avondale won't be a problem, but getting a cab back might be, because our cabs suck suck suck. There are no viable public transit options. Sadly, Uber's probably your best bet.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 4:06 PM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Update: Lyft is available in Birmingham starting today. So there you go.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 3:29 AM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]