Steak & Seafoodhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2008-03-06T17:47:17ZSquarespaceBirmingham Restaurants: Easthttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2008/2/25/fish-house-grill.htmlDeborah Lockridge2008-02-25T20:56:20Z2008-02-25T20:56:20Z661-6005
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.
]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Hooverhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/10/29/michaels-steaks-seafood.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-10-29T18:57:47Z2007-10-29T18:57:47Z3340 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.

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: 280 Corridorhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/flemings-prime-steakhouse-wine-bar.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-10-29T18:22:25Z2007-10-29T18:22:25Z103 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.

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Westhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/6/5/the-bright-star.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-06-05T01:52:41Z2007-06-05T01:52:41Z304 19th Street, Bessemer
(205) 426-1861
www.birminghammenus.com/brightstar/
Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Banquet facilities available. A true taste of Birmingham history. Started as a small café in 1907, moving to its present location in 1915. Great seafood, including Greek and Creole-style specialties, Southern classics like snapper almondine, and the best fried crab claws we've ever had. They also have steaks, veal and other entrees, but we've never gotten past the seafood. Everything's homemade, including wonderful salad dressings and mouth-watering pies. Reasonable prices. A November 2007 review in City Scene gave it five out of five stars, with high marks for the crab claws, shrimp remoulade, stuffed grouper ("truly superlative"), lobster and crab meat au gratin, fried snapper throats, baklava cheesecake, bread pudding. "The food is excellent and straightforward ... The recipes and preparations are tried and true and reproduced consistently and faithfully ... "If you've never been, you simply have to experience this Alabama landmark."

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Hooverhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/6/5/cajun-steamer-bar-grill.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-06-05T01:47:19Z2007-06-05T01:47:19Z180 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.

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Southhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/6/5/ezells-fish-camp.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-06-05T01:43:00Z2007-06-05T01:43:00Z120 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.

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Hooverhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/6/5/firebirds-rocky-mountain-grill.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-06-05T01:42:24Z2007-06-05T01:42:24Z191 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.

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Southsidehttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/6/4/the-fish-market.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-06-04T21:44:55Z2007-06-04T21:44:55Z612 21st St. South, Downtown/Southside
322-3330
www.thefishmarket.net/
For over 30 years, The Fish Market has delivered real, fresh seafood with a Greek flair for lunch and dinner at an inexpensive price in a no-frills atmosphere. Recently they moved into larger digs next door, with space for a larger market area and more live fish tanks and seafood display area. Huge selection; catering, carry out available. Consistently honored in local publication reader polls for its seafood.

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Hooverhttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/6/4/jubilee-joes.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-06-04T21:43:00Z2007-06-04T21:43:00Z2341 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.

]]>Birmingham Restaurants: Southsidehttp://www.bhamdining.com/steak-seafood/2007/6/4/lakeview-oyster-house.htmlDeborah Lockridge2007-06-04T21:41:18Z2007-06-04T21:41:18Z731 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.

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