180 Main St., Suite 200, Patton Creek, Hoover, 985-7785
5071 Pinnacle Square, Trussville (just off U.S. 11), 655-6008
www.cajunsteamer.com
Outdoor seating available. Full bar. Wide variety of Cajun dishes with a lively atmosphere and friendly service, according to City Scene review. In addition to steamed seafood, there are salads, po-boys, fried seafood, a variety of entrees, and Cajun specialties such as Boudin, gumbo, and crawfish etouffee.

120 Bishop Circle, Pelham (just off I-65 near Oak Mountain State Park)
989-4040
www.ezellsfishcamp.com
Casual family restaurant with rustic fish camp theme known for fried catfish and hushpuppies. The Ezell family has been operating catfish restaurants in the state for more than half a century. Local boards had a lot of negative comments about Ezell's after it opened, including long waits, poor service, and complaints about food quality and serving size. However, City Scene's Deeana Crider gave it four out of five starts in a July review, calling the hushpuppies "exceptional, the real old-fashioned soft and pillowy kind. Catfish fillets "were breaded in a crispy cornmeal batter and were as good as any I've ever had." Fried crab claws, fantail shrimp, stuffed crabs, fries, cheese grits all got high marks, as well; boiled shrimp were reported slightly overcooked. Open for dinner seven days a week and lunch on weekends.

191 Main St., Patton Creek Shopping Center, Hoover
733-2002
www.firebirdsrockymountaingrill.com
This is a small, Charlotte-based chain of about a dozen locations featuring bold southwest flavors incorporated with aged steaks, chicken, and pizza. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant features the ambiance of a Colorado ski lodge with an open-air kitchen, large exposed high wooden beams and an expansive fireplace in the bar area.

5961 Chalkville Mountain Lane, Trussville
661-6005
Daily specials such as blackened Gulf shrimp over stone-ground grits, rainbow trout with basil pesto sauce, crab cake with lemon butter, Maine lobster ravioli. In-house-made fresh cinnamon rolls. Some non-fish items, including prime rib on Sundays. Chef/partner Nicola Bacchi is a native of Milan, Italy, and is known in this area for opening White Villa restaurant in Sylacauga, then was with Amore Ristorante Italiano.

103 Summit Boulevard
262-9463
www.flemingssteakhouse.com
It's a small chain, but we'll list it because Birmingham doesn't have much in the way of locally owned, independent steakhouses -- and it's very good, although when we went several years ago, we thought their much-vaunted list of 100 wines by the glass was overpopulated with mass-market offerings you can find anywhere.

2341 Hwy. 150, Suite 119, Hoover (north of I-459, near intersection with Shades Crest Rd.)
982-7797
City Scene 2007 review found the food inexpensive and good but the atmosphere chaotic. They do crawfish "better than anybody else." Soups were "terrific," fried oysters "the best ever." Mashed potato side was "the only miss of the evening." But it took forever to get seated; "the seafood was fried, boiled, grilled or blackened, but we were steamed." Almost nothing came out together.

731 29th Street South, Southside/Lakeview
252-5888
www.birminghammenus.com/lakeviewoysterhouse
Outdoor deck; full bar. Serving up what City Scene calls "its own style of coastal pub food... "If the dining is not fine, the attitude is fun, and the food is by-and-large better than average." Oysters every way you could want, from on the halfshell to Rockefeller, Bienville and Po-Boys. You can also get po-boys with shrimp, amberjack, fried slippertail lobster or Jamaican chicken breast. Entrees include soft-shell crab, swordfish, shrimp, amberjack, Jamaican grilled chicken or a chipotle-peppered ribeye. Atmosphere is funky meets Florida coast.

3340 Galleria Circle (Hoover)
982-0144
www.michaelssteaksandseafood.com
Michael's used to be a downtown institution, but we have not tried it since it was re-incarnated a few years ago. They serve lunch and dinner, with classic old-style cuts like prime rib, delmonico and steer butt, plus seafood entrees such as ancho-crusted tilabpia, citrus-grilled mahi mahi over grilled grit cakes, shrimp and grits, seafood risotto, and several other entrees plus burgers and sandwiches. Serving lunch and dinner.

233 Finley Ave. West (just north of Downtown, near Farmer's Market)
252-5751
All-day dining. Although it's better known for its steam table full of meat-and-three offerings, Niki's also offers old-fashioned seafood and steaks in a casual setting reminiscent of Gulf Coast restaurants of old.

1218 20th St. South (Southside/Five Points South)
933-0999
www.birminghammenus.com/ocean
Reservations suggested. Valet parking available. Popular restaurant from chef/owner George Reis from Kentucky with local Fish Market owner George Sarris, this upscale, chic restaurant, featuring fresh fish and oysters from around the world, draws rave reviews. Says City Scene: "The menu is inventive in its simplicity and the preparation exquisite."