We’re all looking for bargains these days, as prices climb and budgets get squeezed. To help you find delicious deals at restaurants in the Birmingham metro area, AL.com is pointing to some must-try eateries — all offering menu items that cost $15 or less, minus tax and tip. Visit these restaurants and you’ll emerge with a full tummy and satisfied soul. Best of all, a meal there won’t break the bank. Here’s this week’s pick.
Where to go: 2835 18th St. South, Homewood. The restaurant is easy to find in Homewood’s downtown shopping area, between O’Henry’s Coffees and the Trak Shak.
What to expect: An unpretentious eatery that offers reliable lunch fare and satisfying meat-and-three specials by day, then turns into a bar (with live music!) at night. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, appetizers, classic meat-and-three dishes, sides and pies. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a neighborhood pub, and the wait staff is efficient and friendly — stopping just short of calling you “hon” as they take your order or hoist a pitcher to refill your water glasses. (See the full menu here.)
A four-vegetable plate at the Oak Hill Bar & Grill in Homewood, Alabama. This one has black-eyed peas, fried okra, collard greens and mashed potatoes and gravy.(Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)
Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 a.m., according to the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Recipe for success: Oak Hill Bar & Grill was founded in 1999 by J.D. Hill of Vestavia Hills. He’s a former law student who left school to apply his skills and smarts to the restaurant business. Mission accomplished with Oak Hill Bar & Grill, an institution in Homewood that’s been pleasing customers for 27 years and counting.
A club sandwich at the Oak Hill Bar & Grill in Homewood, Alabama. It’s made with turkey, ham, bacon and cheese between three pieces of toasted wheat bread. Diners also can choose sourdough bread.(Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)
Try this: You can’t go wrong with the Oak Hill cheeseburger, made with a half-pound of ground chuck, hand-shaped into a patty and topped with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles on a toasted bun. Regulars also praise the savory hamburger steak, a daily lunch special served with mushrooms, onions, gravy and two sides. On a recent visit, we tried the hearty club sandwich, piled high with turkey, ham, cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Although a little more bacon was in order — you never can have enough bacon — the sandwich still earned a big thumb’s up. It came with a choice of side dish, too. We went with a salad, after resisting the temptation for fries.
Prices: $5.25-$15.50 for appetizers, $9.25-$13.50 for salads, $9.75-$12.25 for sandwiches, $10.50-$27.25 for entrees, $9.25-$13 for lunch specials, $3.75 for sides, $4.50 for slices of pie. Most items on the menu cost less than $15, but there are a few exceptions, like the 14-ounce ribeye.
Lunchtime customers at the Oak Hill Bar & Grill in Homewood, Alabama. The restaurant is an institution in Homewood’s downtown shopping area.(Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)
Critical reaction: Oak Hill Bar & Grill has an overall rating of 4.2 stars (out of 5 stars) on Yelp, based on 61 reviews. “Great for a quick lunch in Homewood,” Jack C. said. “We got the fried pickles, Buffalo chicken wrap and hamburger steak. The fried pickles were thin and hot and crispy-great. The Buffalo chicken wrap was full of chicken and not too hot. The hamburger steak was cooked well and topped with onions, mushrooms and gravy. Mashed potatoes were excellent. We also got the lemon icebox pie and caramel pie, both of which were great. Parking can be a challenge in downtown Homewood, but service is quick once you’re inside.”
Lemon icebox pie at the Oak Hill Bar & Grill in Homewood, Alabama.(Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)
Good to know: There’s patio seating in front of the restaurant, along with bar seats and chairs and tables inside. Although it might be too hot in August for outdoor dining, we’ve seen plenty of folks relaxing and people-watching on the patio during the cooler months. Also, we had no problem finding parking spots on a Monday afternoon, but parking is at a premium when the shopping area gets busy. Plan accordingly to avoid frustration.
A sign outside the Oak Hill Bar & Grill at 2835 18th St. South in Homewood, Alabama.(Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)
More info: Call 205-870-8277 or visit the Oak Hill Bar & Grill website, Facebook or Instagram.
Cheap eats at Birmingham restaurants
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Dining and Cooking