There’s no reason to ever be hungry in Birmingham. But if you’re not already, this will change that pretty quick.
- $420,000
- 2Bd
- 2Ba
- 1,281 Sq Ft
The "New York of the South" has plenty of nightlife, no matter your preference. Below we take a look at 16 of the best bars that Birmingham has to offer.
1. Best Wine Bar - The Wine Loft
The Loft wins the Birmingham wine battle because it stocks the otherwise impossible to find Taylor Fladgate 20 Years Tawny and its huge selection of dessert and port wines.
The Wine Loft2200 1st Ave N #100
205-323-8228
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 25 reviews
2. Best Beer Bar - Good People Brewing
A bar and a true brewery, Good People will gladly give you a tour of the fermentation tanks before you settle down to their famous Good People Oatmeal stout.
Good People Brewing114 14th St S
205-326-4229
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 82 reviews
3. Best Sports Bar - Paramount Bar
Craft cocktails, an arcade and huge flat-screen TVs make game time enjoyable. They are known to make daiquiris perfectly. You can always find a spot no matter your team preference, but be ready for a lot of back and forth in football season!
Paramount Bar200 20th St N
205-320-2824
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 86 reviews
4. Best Whiskey Bar - Dram
The Kentucky Hot Brown is the drink of choice for many standing patrons. You also get a unique atmosphere based around dark wood and country living. This bar has perhaps the most unique atmosphere along with the incredible selection of whiskey cocktails.
Dram2721 Cahaba Rd
205-871-8055
Yelp: 4 stars, 79 reviews
5. Best After Work Drink Spot - The J Clyde
The spicy Bloody Mary is a cocktail flavoring unique to the J Clyde, but most people come for the huge selection of domestic and imported beers. Any national brand you want, they will have, with a few crafts for fun!
The J Clyde1312 Cobb Ln
205-518-8078
Yelp: 4 stars, 178 reviews
6. Best Dive Bar - 41st Street Pub & Aircraft Sales
Friendly patrons and bartenders make this off-brand bar the spot for down home drinking. Ask for the Dark and Stormy. The Moscow Mule is also a local favorite that you cannot miss out on.
41st Street Pub & Aircraft Sales130 41st St S, Ste 105
205-202-4187
Yelp: 4 stars, 44 reviews
7. Best Cocktails - The Collins Bar
The Collins Bar isn't famous for its drink menu - it's famous for not having one. The bartenders match your specialty drink to the flavors that you specify in real time.
The Collins Bar2125 2nd Ave N
205-323-7995
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 54 reviews
8. Best Live Music - Tin Roof
Tin Roof Thursday through Saturday hosts the best local music in the area. The joint opens for lunch and boasts a full domestic and import beer selection.
Tin Roof2709 7th Ave S
205-323-4356
Yelp: 3.5 stars, 25 reviews
9. Bar with the Best Outdoor Space - Blue Monkey
The large patio makes the Blue Monkey a great place to have a under the stars. The Blue Hawaiian is a must have for a first time (and second and third time) visitor.
Blue Monkey1318 Cobb Ln S
205-933-9222
Yelp: 4 stars 48 reviews
10. Most Expensive and Worth It - Highlands Bar and Grill
Highlands Bar and Grill
2011 11th Ave S
205-939-1400
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 152 reviews
Call it expensive if you like, but anytime more than one patron describes a bar as a place that Frasier Crane would frequent, you might want to consider the investment of the experience. The wine menu is extensive - worthy of Crane himself.
11. Best Local Joint - Avondale Brewing
Everyone knows your name in Avondale. Try the Battlefield IPA or the Streetcar Kolsch for a unique flavor.
Avondale Brewing201 41st St S
205-777-5456
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 107 reviews
12. Best Day Drinking Spot - The Garage Cafe
Open five days of the week by 11 a.m., the Garage Cafe is Birmingham's spot to relax on a three-day weekend or a day off. Garage was featured in GQ and boasts a mean Bloody Mary. Cash only!
The Garage Cafe2304 10th Ter S
205-322-3220
Yelp: 4 stars, 70 reviews
13. Best First Date Bar - Parkside
Not too expensive and just enough action to fill in those awkward pauses makes Parkside the best place to work out the first date kinks. Order your favorite national brand of beer or wine under the Chinese lanterns.
Parkside4036 5th Ave S
205-595-0920
Yelp: 5 stars, 39 reviews
15. Best LGBT Bar - Al's on Seventh
You need to be in the know to know about Al's, but once you know, you will always go back. It is always packed whether it is karaoke or drag night, and the drink selection lends itself to vodka cocktails, which are always expertly made by the bartenders that everyone seems to know.
Al's on Seventh2627 7th Ave S
205-321-2812
Yelp: 3 stars, 6 reviews
16. Best New Bar - Tavern on 1st
Dionysus Enterprises refurbishes the old Raymond Rose building as an upscale but surprisingly unpretentious cocktail bar. The cocktail list is seasonal, as any upscale cocktail bar must be.
Tavern on 1st2320 1st Ave North
205-201-5005
Yelp: 4 stars, 9 reviews
Is there a really great Birmingham bar that is not on this list? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
