The Thirsty Donkey island themed bar and restaurant in the Avondale district of Birmingham Alabama — *The Thirsty Donkey at 4100 4th Avenue South, Birmingham (Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now)*

A new island themed restaurant and bar is now open in the Birmingham neighborhood of Avondale. The Thirsty Donkey, owned and operated by Greg and Kathy Stein offers a relaxed tropical island experience (without the air miles) at 4100 4th Avenue South. Read on for more info and photos.

Bringing island life back to Birmingham

Garden of island themed bar and restaurant in Birmingham Alabama — *A tropical themed garden (Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now)*

The Thirsty Donkey was first opened by Greg and Kathy Stein in Coral Bay, St.John, U.S Virgin Islands in April 2017 after they uprooted their lives in Birmingham to move to a tropical island they’d loved since an anniversary trip years earlier.

Owners of new island themed restaurant in Birmingham Alabama — *Greg and Kathy Stein(Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now)*

“On September 6, 2017 Hurricane Irma came through and our building was ruined – so we decided to come back. We weren’t sure what to do. We’d sold everything before moving. Our landlord in Birmingham suggested we open the Thirsty Donkey in Birmingham and here we are!”
Kathy Stein, owner of The Thirsty Donkey

Island themed bar. Man pouring cocktail — *There’s a bar area, restaurant and outside dining (Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now)*

What’s on The Thirsty Donkey menu?

The Thirsty Donkey promises “great food in a great place that’s a lot like home … if you lived on a Caribbean island”.

Food – the menu offers small and large plates (with veggie and vegan options).

Try ‘Norma’s Cottage Pie’; ground beef, Guinness gravy, peas, and carrots, covered with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese ($10).

The Drunk Bay Mussels caught my eye; 1 lb of mussels in white wine garlic sauce; served with crusty bread for dipping ($12).

Drinks – the menu offers Island Cocktails in addition to spirits, cold beer and wine.

Greg and Kathy recommend the Painkiller: a blend of tropical juices, Pusser’s Rum, and freshly grated nutmeg ($8).

Orange and rum based cocktail on table — *Painkiller (Photo by Jon Eastwood for Bham Now)*

The Irmaria will ‘blow you away’ with tropical juices, light & dark Cruzan rum, your choice of Coconut, Mango, Banana, or Pineapple Cruzan topper ($9).

Brunch (Sunday only)

Signage advertising brunch — *Weekend brunch is available (Photo via The Thirsty Donkey)*

Hold up! There’s now two options for Sunday brunch in Avondale (along with Avondale Common House).

You’ll find $3 Mimosas and other drinks specials on the brunch menu and some great options for Eggs Benny served with a range of meat and veggie options ($10-$14).

Try them with Ahi Tuna for that island flair.

Eggs bendict on Ahi Tuna — *Eggs Benny on Ahi Tuna with Bacon (Photo via The Thirsty Donkey)*

Another delicious brunch option with an island twist is the Banana Bread French Toast … house-made banana bread, coated, griddled, and topped with banana liquor syrup, & whipped cream ($12).