Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham is one of Alabama's most highly regarded restaurants. It's a seasonal eatery that specializes in French-inspired Southern cuisine. It's also a must-see if you ever find yourself in the city!

Every day, the menu at this premium eatery varies. Baked grits, on the other hand, are something you can always count on finding here. Their most popular dish is their "crispy on the exterior, fluffy on the inside" grits. Lamb chops, crab cakes, and roast pig are among the other dishes that regular eaters appear to enjoy. And don't leave without trying the restaurant's award-winning pastry chef's creations!

In 1982, the chef-owned restaurant opened its doors. It appears to be exceptional in every way, whether in terms of food, service, or atmosphere. If you want to dine at Highland's Bar and Grill, you'll need to make a reservation well in advance.

• Website: highlandsbarandgrill.com
• Location: 2011 Eleventh Avenue SouthBirmingham,  AL  35205
• Phone number: 205-939-1400

This location called Wildflower Cafe in Mentone, AL is also one of the top restaurants in Alabama. It's a modest, welcoming cafe with a lot of artwork on the walls and a hippy air. Local musicians frequently perform live at the venue.

The Tomato Pie at Wildflower Cafe is well-known. This pie has received rave reviews and is highly recommended. It's even been featured in the press! Sandwiches, burgers, crepes, spaghetti, soups, and salads may all be found here. Desserts are also available at the cafe.

If you're looking for vegan or gluten-free options, here is the place to go. Wildflower Cafe is also known for being a welcoming environment. When you come here to eat, you should also check out the country store connected to it, where you can buy jams, jellies, candles, pottery, and jewelry.

• Website: www.mentonewildflower.com
• Location: 6007 Alabama Highway 117 / Mentone, AL 35984
• Phone number: 256/634-0066

Some may claim that this is the best restaurant in town, while others may claim that it serves the best burgers ever. Chez Fonfon is a cafe in Birmingham that serves predominantly French cuisine.

Chef Frank Stitt, who also owns the posh Highland's Bar and Grill, owns Chez Fonfon. This cafe, which serves lunch and dinner, first opened its doors in 2000. Locals and visitors alike rave about the burgers served here. The trout, steak, and sweets appear to be popular here as well. Chez Fonfon's diners are also pleased with the French wine provided.

Patio eating is available at Chez Fonfon, and the service is excellent. Another activity you can appreciate here is boule, a French grass game.

• Website: www.fonfonbham.com
• Location: 2007 11th Avenue SouthBirmingham, AL 35205
• Phone number: 205-939-3221

Rattlesnake Saloon in Tuscumbia is another of Alabama's greatest restaurants that includes some form of outdoor activities. You can go horseback riding or hiking. Rattlesnake Saloon is located in a peaceful area with an interesting environment. You can get fried jalapeos or onion rings to start your dinner, or burgers, hot wings, sandwiches, and beer. Although the food is limited, the location is fantastic. Because the restaurant is nestled beneath a cliff, you eat in a cave-like setting!

Another feature that distinguishes this establishment is that you arrive at a parking lot off the main road and are then shuttled to the restaurant in a taxi truck. The saloon is open from mid-February to the end of November, however it is not open every day of the week and has various hours depending on when it is open. So phone ahead and double-check when you're planning to eat there.

The cuisine, prices, portions, and service are all excellent, and there is a lodge next to the saloon if you wish to stay longer.

• Website: www.rattlesnakesaloon.net
• Location: 1292 Mount Mills Road, Tuscumbia, AL 35674
• Phone number: 256.370.7220

In 1994, Café Dupont opened in Springville, Alabama, in a refurbished storefront in the city's charming downtown. Chef/owner Chris Dupont was able to work closely with local farmers and producers because of the location, and he could practically walk over and select his own blackberries and watercress. His appreciation for locally grown food grew as a result of his proximity, and he began a long-term commitment to emphasizing local producers and products on his menu.

Café Dupont is a prominent supporter of the "slow food" movement, which aims to promote the pleasure of local produce and traditional meals, many of which are farmed organically. Many items from local purveyors, such as Michael Dean Farms in Leeds, which specializes in microgreens and various types of lettuce, and Wright Dairy in Anniston, which is run by Alabama's only dairy family that milks the cows, bottles the milk, and sells it right on the farm, are on the menu at Café Dupont.

• Website: www.cafedupont.net
• Location: downtown Birmingham on 20th Street Between 1st & 2nd Ave. N.
• Phone number: 205-322-1282

One of Alabama's top Italian restaurants is also in Birmingham. Bottega is the name of the store. Chef Stitt owns this restaurant as well as Highlands Bar & Grille and Chez Fonfon. The menu changes frequently to reflect seasonal vegetable availability, ensuring that only the freshest food is offered. Bottega Cafe, like its sister businesses, is noted for its high-quality food and attentive service.

Bottega's flavors are inspired by the wine bars and trattorias found throughout Italy, from Venice to Palermo. In a friendly and refined ambiance, the best aperitifs, wines, beers, cocktails, savory snacks, and sublime desserts are served. The food is inspired by Italy, with ingredients sourced from the American South and artisanal producers from the Italian countryside. In the historic Beaux-Arts edifice, the formal dining room first hosted visitors in 1988. Two years later, the Café opened in the next room, with a menu centered on wood-fired pizzas and other foods.

• Website: bottegarestaurant.com
• Location: 2240 Highland Avenue SouthBirmingham,  AL  35205
• Phone number: 205-939-1000

Seth and Crissy Champion founded the first Champy's Famous Fried Chicken in Chattanooga in June 2009, using a family recipe that dates back 40 years and a fondness for the food and culture of the Mississippi Delta. Champy's continues to provide fried-to-order chicken, hand-rolled Mississippi tamales, homemade sides and desserts, a fun beverage variety, and the finest ambiance in town after seven additional sites and millions of smiles.

Champy's attempts to provide a delectable menu that honors our 40-year-old family recipe as well as the Mississippi Delta's food tradition. They take the time to do things the right way, which means everything of the food they serve is created by hand, every piece of chicken is fried to order, and they serve it all with a fun, pleasant attitude that makes customers want to come back.

There's almost definitely a Champy's near you if you live, work, or visit the tri-state region of southeast Tennessee, northeast Alabama, or northwest Georgia. Visit one of their eight locations to enjoy the flavor and enjoyment of authentic Mississippi Delta comfort food and the greatest fried chicken you've ever had.

• Website: champyschicken.com
• Location: Alabaster, Daphne, Muscle Shoals, & Madison, AL

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, founded in Decatur, Alabama in 1925, is widely regarded as one of the world's oldest and most prominent barbecue restaurants. Bob Gibson worked on the L & N railroad and spent his weekends honing his culinary abilities in a hand-dug barbeque pit.

He became known for his Original BBQ White Sauce, in addition to his wonderful smoked meats. They've won 15 World BBQ Championships (Pork, Brisket, Ribs, Chicken) and 5 Memphis in May World BBQ Grand Championships over the course of five generations of pitmasters and over 90 years of barbecuing.

In a relaxed and crowded atmosphere, this barbecue restaurant serves brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, and smoked turkey. Mac 'n cheese, peanut butter pie, and their signature BBQ white sauce are also popular.

• Website: bigbobgibson.com
• Location: 1715 6th Ave SE (US Highway 31), Decatur, AL 35601 and 2520 Danville Road, SW, Decatur, AL 35603
• Phone number: 256-350-6969 and 256-350-0404

SpringHouse, located on a hilltop with views of The Stables, meadows, and forests, serves rustic, informal elegance to guests. Rough-hewn beams, hand-forged ironwork, and a spectacular open kitchen with a wood-fired oven and grill adorn the inside. A huge working fireplace sits in the center of the main dining area. Stone surrounds the covered patio eating area, which has big shutters that open to the pastoral vista. The upstairs loft dining space has a spacious balcony with ivy-covered chimneys and overlooks the main dining room. Guests are able to rent the WellHouse, a private 12-seat dining room connected to the restaurant by an underground wine cellar, for special occasions.

It's all about offering a whole dining experience at SpringHouse. Each piece works in concert to produce the most unforgettable occasions: a gorgeous setting and comfortable ambiance, a warm greeting and excellent service, a tailored menu and exquisite wines.

• Website: springhouseatcrossroads.com
• Location: 12 Benson Mill RoadAlexander City, AL 35010
• Phone number: 256.215.7080

The Hot and Hot Fish Club, located in Birmingham's creative sector at Pepper Place, combines Southern, French, and California cooking methods in a modern way. Pepper Place is home to a diverse group of tenants that have all perfected their trade, from artisanal food products and chefs to fashion and screen-printing, as well as creative agencies and wellness.

A chef's counter and open kitchen, huge windows, and exposed brick enhance the light-filled room. A 17-foot upholstered bench, highlighted by Greystone Italian marble tabletops and locally sourced hackberry wood, is suitable for relaxed, comfortable seating in the spacious dining room.

Chris and Idie Hastings, along with their crew, have built an extensive network of purveyors, foragers, and craftspeople since 1994. The James Beard Award-winning Hot and Hot Fish Club is a neighborhood staple that serves the freshest ingredients with polite service.

• Website: www.hotandhotfishclub.com
• Location: 2901 2nd Avenue South / Suite 110Birmingham, AL 35233
• Phone number: 205-933-5474