5 great meat-and-three restaurants in the Birmingham area

Meat-and-three is comfort food: classic, hearty and satisfying.

Folks in Alabama have plenty of options when they want a plate filled with country fried steak, Greek chicken, fried catfish, fried pork chops or beef tips and rice, surrounded by a plethora of yummy side dishes. (When mac and cheese is listed as a vegetable, you know you’re in the right place.)

Here are five of our favorite meat-and-three restaurants in the Birmingham area, from an iconic cafeteria on Finley Avenue to a dining institution way down on U.S. 280.

The cafeteria line moves quickly at Niki's West Steak & Seafood Restaurant in Birmingham. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

NIKI’S WEST STEAK & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Where: 233 Finley Ave. West, Birmingham.

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Mondays-Fridays.

Good buzz: Niki’s West is a beloved institution in Birmingham, open since 1957. “The restaurant has long been a must-stop for first-time visitors who want to get a true taste of Birmingham, while former residents who come home to see family and friends can’t leave town without going back to Niki’s West for a meat-and-three and a slice of pie,” says Bob Carlton of AL.com.

Try this: Macaroni and cheese — gooey, savory and satisfying — is a must-have side dish.

Menu includes: Lemon pepper catfish, hamburger steak, Greek chicken, beef tips with rice, fried chicken breast, liver and onions, fried pork chop, country fried steak and more, depending on the day. Niki’s online menu lists seven or eight main dishes daily, plus more than 20 sides, including yams, fried okra, field peas, broccoli rice and cheese, pinto beans, creamed potatoes and turnip greens.

Good to know: Be ready with your order as you approach the line at the steam table, or you’re likely to get fussed at by the folks on duty. They like to keep things moving.

More info: 205-252-5751 or https://www.nikiswest.com/

Johnny's Restaurant has been a hit in Homewood, Ala., since chef and owner Timothy Hontzas opened his popular "Greek and three" in 2012.

JOHNNY’S RESTAURANT

Where: 2902 18th St. South, Suite 200, Homewood.

Hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Mondays-Fridays and Sundays.

Good buzz: Johnny’s opened in 2012 and immediately earned a stellar reputation. Just one example: Chef Timothy Hontzas was one of five finalists for Best Chef in the South at the 2022 James Beard Awards. Hontzas was a semifinalist for the same award in 2017-2020.

Try this: “Greek meatballs with tzatziki isn’t your typical meat-and-three fare, but it should be,” said Haley Laurence, who helmed AL.com’s 2017 search for Alabama’s best meat and three. “The meatballs have the perfect hint of mint that gives it a fresh kick. It’s just heavenly.” Laurence also gave a big thumb’s up to the parmesan grit cake, calling this dish “the best grits you’ve had your whole life.”

Menu includes: Pot roast, chicken pot pie, meatloaf with chipotle BBQ, baked Greek chicken, hamburger steak and onions, fried catfish and grilled Conecuh sausage with red beans and rice. Sides include fried green tomatoes, mashed potatoes, turnip greens, purple hull peas, spinach and chickpeas, sweet potato puree with cinnamon maple butter, and fasolakia (stewed green beans and tomatoes).

Good to know: Hontzas likes to call his restaurant a “Greek and three,” reflecting the menu’s fusion of Greek and Southern cuisine.

More info: 205-802-2711 or http://www.johnnyshomewood.com/

Eagle's Restaurant in Birmingham, Ala., is famous for such soul-food favorites as oxtails, neck bones, turnip greens and candied yams.

EAGLE’S RESTAURANT

Where: 2610 16th St. North, Birmingham.

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays and Sundays.

Good buzz: Earlier this year, celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern included Eagle’s in a list of his favorite places to eat in Birmingham. “Nestled in the shadow of a nearby cast iron pipe factory and catering to its workers, no place speaks to Birmingham’s roots quite like Eagle’s,” Zimmern said. “It’s a no-frills, long-standing meat-and-three.”

Try this: Oxtails are a must-order at Eagle’s. “Turning a throw-away item like oxtail into something sublime and comforting is the essence of soul food,” Eric Velasco said in a 2015 story for Birmingham magazine. “Slow, wet cooking renders the tail of cattle into a rich and tender reward for the effort required to cook and eat it.”

Menu includes: Meatloaf, fried pork chops, baked chicken and dressing, oxtails, pig feet and ears, cube steak, fried chicken wings, beef tips and rice and more, depending on the day. Sides include mac and cheese, butter beans, steamed cabbage, candied yams, fried corn, turnip greens, rice and okra.

Good to know: Eagle’s, founded in 1951, is a haven for authentic soul food. Regulars tend to arrive early on Sunday mornings, to beat the crowd — and the line — that forms at the restaurant.

More info: (205) 320-0099 or https://eaglesrestaurant.com/

Patrons at the Irondale Cafe in Irondale, Alabama, on May 9, 2012. The historic restaurant was made famous by Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel, "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe."

IRONDALE CAFE

Where: 1906 First Ave. North, Irondale.

Hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sundays-Fridays.

Good to know: The Irondale Cafe was the inspiration for the Whistle Stop Cafe, the setting of Fannie Flagg’s 1987 novel, “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.” The book was adapted into a popular 1991 movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes.” Flagg’s aunt, Bess Fortenberry, bought the real-life cafe in 1932 and spent about 40 years running the place with the help of two friends, Sue Lovelace and Lizzie Cunningham. The current owner, Jim Dolan, bought the cafe in 2000.

Try this: Fried green tomatoes are a must-order, of course. According to the cafe’s website, they serve about 600 to 800 slices daily.

Menu includes: Beef tips and rice, buttermilk fried chicken, fried catfish filet with jalapeno hushpuppies, fried pork chop, fried chicken livers, country fried steak with brown gravy. Sides include creamed corn, carrot and raisin salad, butter beans, cole slaw, stewed cabbage, green beans and mashed potatoes.

Good buzz: “While most of the customers are regulars, guests come from all over the world to dine at the small-town cafe that Flagg put on the international map,” says Bob Carlton of AL.com.

More info: 205-956-5258 or http://www.irondalecafe.com/

The onion rings at Lloyd's Restaurant made the Alabama Tourism's list of 100 Things to Eat in Alabama Before You Die. Barbeque is shown with onion rings, corn and candied yams. (AL.com file photo/Beverly Taylor)

LLOYD’S RESTAURANT

Where: 5301 U.S. 280, Birmingham.

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays.

Good buzz: If Alabama had a restaurant hall of fame, Lloyd’s would make it on the first round. The restaurant dates back to 1937, making it one of the oldest continuing full-service restaurants in the Birmingham area. Longtime owner Eli Stevens (who bought the place from founder Lloyd Chesser in 1971) died in 2020, but the tradition continues.

Try this: “The onion rings are a staple on the Lloyd’s menu, and unless diners request otherwise, they’re served with every entree,” says Bob Carlton of AL.com. “Sliced thin and steeped in an egg batter and spring wheat flour before taking a dip in the fryer, these rings are more like strings.”

Menu includes: Hamburger steak, fried chicken livers, Greek style chicken, grilled catfish, fried tilapia, baked ham and more. Sides include creamed corn, fried okra, squash and onions, fried green tomatoes, candied yams, field peas, coleslaw and broccoli casserole.

Good to know: Lloyd’s is surrounded by shopping centers, fast food joints and other businesses on a suburban corridor that sees lots of traffic every day. When the restaurant opened, however, Lloyd’s was an outpost in the countryside, with Perrin’s Grocery across the street as its most visible neighbor.

More info: 205-991-5530 or https://lloyds280.com/