A new communal dining spot, billed as a place where people can gather together and walk away as friends, has opened inside the new 16th Street Baptist Education and Visitor Center (1512 6th Avenue North).

Called the Koinonia Restaurant, the space is designed to encourage locals and visitors to the Birmingham Civil Rights District to gather and eat a meal together. The new eatery is located behind the welcome desk near the center’s interactive River Wall.

Visitors gather in a modern lobby with a stained-glass art wall reading "10:22," while others look down from an upper wood-paneled balcony — (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Fellowship and “meat and three”

IMG 0324 New communal meat-and-three opens at 16th Street Baptist Church visitor center — Koinonia Restaurant inside 16th Street Education and Visitor Center. (Pat Byington / Bham Now)

Koinonia, which is the Greek word for fellowship, communion and partnership, serves up a traditional southern meat and three menu. For example, on the day we visited the following items were on the menu:

Meats: Fried chicken, hamburger steak, whiting fish
Veggies: Turnip greens, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob
Cornbread
Apple cobbler

The dining area, which encourages conversations, seats about 40-50 people.

What makes Koinonia Restaurant different?

Screenshot 2026 11 11 at 7.59.40 AM New communal meat-and-three opens at 16th Street Baptist Church visitor center — Koinonia Restaurant inside 16th Street Baptist Education and Visitor Center. (Patience Itson / Bham Now)

According to Dr. Terrence Brown, the Executive Director of the 16th Street Baptist Church Education and Visitor Center, Koinonia is meant to be more than a place to get a meal.

“This restaurant is a communal dining facility. It is the only communal dining setting in the city that we know of, and certainly within the civil rights district. It is designed for people to create community, for people to come together, maybe sit with someone that they don’t know, and allow food to generate the conversation, and hopefully walk away as friends.

Or at least after having experienced the tour (of 16th Street Baptist Church), or going to the Civil Rights Institute or visiting Kelly Ingram Park, that they can walk away knowing the world can be something better than what it is right now.”

Koinonia is open daily, except Monday

Brick building entrance with glass doors beneath a sign reading "16th Street Education & Visitor Center — (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Since its opening in October 2026, the 16th Street Baptist Education and Visitor Center has as booked 50+ venue rentals through the end of 2026.

The Koinonia Restaurant is open daily Tuesday-Sunday from 10:30AM to 4:00PM. It is closed on Monday.

In addition to the daily sit-down meals, the restaurant does offer a fast dining option and can cater special gatherings.

What do you think of this new restaurant within the Birmingham Civil Rights District? Tell us what you think of the space on social media by tagging us at @bhamnow

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