Category: Alabama

I was told by several Birmingham residents that I had to try Saw’s Juke Joint for some of the best Alabama BBQ and a huge selection of craft beers. Nestled in a quaint neighborhood, sits the renovated shopping center with Saw’s located right on the corner. Although everything is fairly new it still has old rustic charm. There are license plates on the walls from all over the United States. They have blue paper towel rolls on the tables that make you feel like you are in an old garage that’s been converted to a restaurant. It’s just a fun vibe. They have regular paper menus but there was no reason to look at those since everything is written on these huge chalk boards on the walls.

 

One of the menu items that I was told I needed to try was the stuffed potato. Unfortunately, when I went to order one I was told they sold out of all their potatoes. While I was extremely disappointed that I couldn’t try one, I realized that those clearly are a popular item.

I knew I would be able to find something else just as good on the menu. I saw the pulled pork sandwich and knew that would hit the spot. The pork was very moist, but not a lot of bark on the edges like I usually see. It melted in my mouth as soon as I took a bite.

I used their Saws sauce on the pork – which was more of a vinegar style sauce (like what you would see in Carolina BBQ). It make the pork have an extra kick.

While I didn’t get what I was expecting too, I received a pleasant surprise with the yummy sandwich. I will have to make another visit in order to try this stuffed potato that’s so popular.

Check out Saw’s history and their locations at www.sawsbbq.com

Not far from the restaurant (only 5 miles) is Vulcan Park so I decided to make a stop and check it out. It’s one of Birmingham’s top attractions. Vulcan Park, located on Red Mountain, is home to the famous Vulcan statue, a 56ft iron statue of the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge. The status sits on a 124ft pedestal that overlooks downtown Birmingham.

 

You can walk through the museum and learn about Birmingham’s history in the steel business. Also, learn about the sculptor of the statue and its debut at the St Louis World’s Fair.

Plan your visit at www.visitvulcan.com

Enjoy!

T

This is the 2nd post I am doing about Slice. I had to go back because there were so many choices on their menu.

I started off with 2 of their small plates: Baked Feta & Brown Butter Pasta.

The Baked Feta was amazing. I was able to watch it bake in the wood fire oven. It was a simple dish – olive oil with roasted garlic cloves, sun-dried tomatoes and topped with  huge slice of feta cheese. What made this dish so special was the crispy top of the cheese created by being in the piping hot oven.

The Brown Butter Pasta sounded interesting on the menu – angel hair pasta tossed with Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, roasted garlic, bacon, & fresh Italian spices. It was so flavorful, I wasn’t expecting it. This is definitely a dish I want to try and make at home.

The evening was finished off with a pizza – the “old School”. It was pretty big for a 12″ pie. It was loaded with pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, & grilled red onions (these were super sweet). I was so fun to watch the pizza being cooked right in front of me in the oven. The best part is I ended up having to take home the extra slices of pizza – which means I can enjoy Slice for lunch during the week.

This place is a MUST visit! www.slicebirmingham.com

Enjoy!

T

While enjoying pizza at Slice, Casey my bartender recommended I try a Lou’s Pub. Luckily for me Lou’s was just across the street. It’s in a great location in Historic Birmingham.

Lou’s is a quaint little bar  that is also a package store. This was something very unique and unexpected. They had a large assortment of craft beers that you could buy and try at home.

I asked the bartender what he recommended. He suggested the Bushwacker, this is what they are know for. So naturally that i what I tried. It was pretty good. It was the perfect dessert after all the pizza I ate at Slice.

Check out their website for a list of their events. www.louspub.com

Enjoy!

T

I received several suggestions from some locals to check out Slice. I knew it was a hot spot when they were packed on a Sunday afternoon. I sat at the bar so I got wonderful service from Casey! She makes a great Mimosa.

I started off with the “Fire Baked Wings”. They are marinated wings that are cooked in their wood fire oven. The flavor was fantastic. I made sure to ask for the wings to be well done so that the skin was extra crispy.

Being there on a Sunday, I was able to order their pizza by the slice which I love because I can try different options. My first slice was the “Super Cheese” – basically 6 different cheeses (Mozzarella, Provolone, Fortina, Parmesan, Feta, & my favorite Asiago). It was the perfect ratio of cheese to homemade sauce.  My second slice was the “Soul Pie” – which I felt was appropriate since I was in the South. This slice had everything – turnip greens, black eyed peas, sausage, bacon, onions, & cheese. I never thought that this combination of ingredients would be good on a pizza but I was wrong. They all worked so well together. It felt like a side dish that should be served at Thanksgiving.

There were so many different meal options on the menu I have to put this place on my list to come back to. Visit their website at: www.slicebirmingham.com to see all they have to offer.

Enjoy!

T