Summer menu items in Birmingham you need to try—salads, sandwiches, lattes + more

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Hattie B's first salad
Birmingham restaurants have all the summer salads, sandwiches and drinks we could ask for. (Hattie B’s)

‘Tis the season for summer menus! Birmingham’s restaurant scene is unmistakably the best (in my humble opinion), and every season our favorite local spots pull out all the stops for the perfect special menu to celebrate all things summer.

From tasty salads and sandwiches to refreshing seasonal lattes and margaritas, we’ve got a full roundup of must-try summer menu items.

Summer menu @ Trattoria ZaZa

Somehow, ZaZa’s seasonal menus just keep getting better. They’ve got brand new daily specials, summer salads (we recommend the Caesar) and more.

I’ve got my eye on the panzanella.

Summer specials @ The Red Cat Coffeehouse

The Red Cat Coffeehouse knows how to make a seasonal menu! I’m obsessed with every salad and sandwich they’ve created, and the Avocado BLT keeps the streak going.

  • Summer salad: Spring greens, strawberries, cucumber, feta cheese and candied pecans with a housemade balsamic vinaigrette
  • Avocado BLT: Boar’s Head bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato served on Birmingham Breadworks sourdough

Don’t forget Red Cat’s drinks, though. This summer, the menu is stacked with:

  • Orange vanilla espresso tonic
  • White chocolate pistachio latte
  • Cascara coffee tea
  • Blackberry matcha lemonade
  • Ube lemonade

You can find me at either of Red Cat’s locations at least once a week.

Southern Salad @ Hattie B’s

Summer salad at Hattie B's
I can’t wait to try the first-ever Hattie B’s salad. (Hattie B’s)

Our favorite hot chicken restaurant in Lakeview rolled out its first-ever salad, and it looks delicious.

With bold flavor combos like sweet corn, sharp cheddar and bacon, you can top this salad off with grilled or fried chicken with your heat level of choice.

Bologna Sandwich @ Helen

bologna sandwich, Helen
Helen’s Tuesday special: A bologna sandwich! (Bham Now)

The Tuesday special at Helen is an upscale take on a Southern staple. I love a bologna sandwich, and I have a feeling Helen will blow the one I grew up on out of the water.

It’s served 11AM-1:30PM every Tuesday. Try it for yourself:

Tomato salad @ Hot & Hot Fish Club

The local-favorite tomato salad at Hot & Hot is back for the summer! Perfected by Alabama tomatoes, bacon, field peas and fried okra—get it while it’s peak season.

Octopus a la plancha @ Automatic Seafood

Automatic Seafood & Oysters Octopus
Octopus a la plancha (Automatic Seafood & Oysters)

If you ask me, Automatic Seafood can do no wrong. This summer, their menu boasts Octopus a la plancha, served with yogurt, shaved fennel from Ireland Farms and guajillo oil.

Seasonal guac + margaritas @ El Barrio

There are few things I love more than El Barrio’s watermelon margarita. Good news for me, it’s back! And it’s joined by a seasonal guacamole with strawberries, habaneros and candied bacon.

I’m planning my trip to try the new El Barrio location in West Homewood. See you there?

Summer drink menus

Frothy Monkey summer drinks specials
I’m ready to dig into the summer menu at Frothy Monkey. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

We can’t forget our local coffee shops. Each one more unique than the last, our Bham coffee spots sure know how to keep us coming back for more this summer.

Cala Coffee

Cala Coffee is no stranger to the unique (and tasty) seasonal drink specials. The summer “Cala U” is complete with:

  • Life’s a peach matcha
  • Fruit loop fog
  • Captain’s cold foam latte
  • Mai Tai shaken cold brew
  • Fruit basket lemonade

Caveat Coffee

Caveat Coffee’s summer collection boasts all the refreshing fruit combos. I can’t wait to try the watermelon lemonade!

  • Coconut cold brew
  • Honey peach latte 
  • Coconut iced matcha
  • Strawberry iced matcha
  • Peach chai latte
  • Watermelon lemonade iced sparkler

Frothy Monkey

More than dining—5 ways Frothy Monkey connects the Birmingham community
We love Frothy Monkey’s summer menu (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Frothy Monkey rolled out their summer drink specials a few weeks ago and I’m sure they’re just as delicious as they are beautiful—that’s the Frothy Monkey style.

  • Berry good thyme
  • Honeybee
  • Rattlesnake matcha

June Coffee Co.

Good luck keeping me away from June’s summer menu. That coffee soft serve is calling my name!

  • Matcha peachu
  • Ameri-cola
  • Violet hour
  • Summer tonic
  • Coffee soft serve (weekends only)

Whammy Coffee

Whammy Coffee
Whammy Coffee (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

One of Birmingham’s newest coffee shops is getting by nicely, and the summer specials are everything you could dream of for the hot Bham weather.

  • Double Whammy float
  • Strawberry matcha lemonade
  • Peachy green
  • Princess peach shaken espresso

If you need me, I’ll be trying all of these summer specials around Birmingham.

What’s your favorite local summer menu item? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know what we missed!

Callie Morrison
Callie Morrison
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