BREAKING: Fodor’s ranks Birmingham among top 10 cities with a surprisingly good food scene

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing surprising to me about Birmingham’s food scene making this list. Well-renowned food and travel publication, Fodor’s, sung its praises for plenty of Birmingham staples. Keep reading for all the delicious details.

What an honor 😋

Fodor’s has been a trusted resource for all things travel for over 80 years. With more than 150 print travel guides, they’ve seen some things—including tip-top food destinations.

According to the list, “foodie or not, these small towns will have you licking your lips and patting your belly.” Yeah, I’ve done that a few times after leaving Hattie B’s.

Birmingham came in at #10, and they gave a few shoutouts to some spots near and dear to our hearts (and stomachs):

• Helen—for their biscuits with whipped cane syrup butter
• OvenBird—for their unique South American tapas
• Automatic Seafood and Oysters and The Fish Market—for their fresh Gulf seafood

Plus, they made sure to mention to our fabulous cocktail scene:

• Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar—for their menu highlighting agave-based spirits
• The Lumbar—for their science themed cocktails and their collaborative workspaces

The best part? That’s just scratching the surface of our incredible food scene.

All we do is win 🏆

Coming in the top 10 is not a shocker, especially with the prestigious awards Birmingham restaurants and chefs have received.

We have over 60 nominees and winners of the James Beard award, one of the nation’s highest culinary honors. Let’s highlight a few:

• Highlands Bar & Grill, Frank Stitt—Most Outstanding Restaurant in America (2018)
• Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar & Grill—Outstanding Pastry Chef (2018)
• Rodney Scott, Rodney Scott’s BBQ—Best Chef in the Southeast (2018)
• Hot and Hot Fish Club, Chef Chris Hastings—Best Chef in the South (2012)

To take a gander at the full list of nominees + winners, click here. For a so-called small town, it’s impressive.

Don’t call it a comeback

After we ranked 4th worst coffee city in America and Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen was less than thrilled about our food scene, this accolade shows everyone what we’ve really got.

Take that, Dana.

What’s your favorite spot in our award-winning foodie scene? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know.