On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
A fantastic restaurant with the perfect blend of southern, modern, Americana cuisine!
The grits with shrimp should not be missed, and are perfectly accompanied by a gravy with Taso ham - YUM! I really enjoyed the cucumber/shrimp salad & have since attempted to create my own version at home... not quite as good :-)
Every entree was fantastic & I should know, as I tried a bite of everything! The sides, beverages, and service were all amazing, and the ambiance was superb!
I cannot remember exactly the desserts we split, but I remember they were warming & wonderful {it may have had to do with the wine!}.
An amazing, upscale dining experience in South Birmingham; already planning my next trip!
Highlands was the culmination of our dining experience in Birmingham and I'm glad we saved it for our final night (the other dining nights included Bottega and Hot and Hot Fish Club). We dined at Hot and Hot on Friday and thought we had reached our apex. Not so. Highlands set a new bar. Simply spectacular. Every dish was wonderful so I'll just note what we ordered with a few comments.
Pre-dinner: We arrived early and had drinks in the bar. If there was a low point, it's that our drink server was more efficient than personable. In any other environment, I'm sure I wouldn't even mention this but he just didn't have the personality of our main server. On that note, the main server for our meal had been working at this restaurant since it opened (20 years ago?) and he couldn't have been more accomodating or excited about what he was doing. This was a special meal for us -- two couples who traveled to Birmingham to celebrate some special birthdays, and he is one of our fondest memories of the weekend. He made us feel special, pampered and had charisma and enthusiasm for what he was doing. I think he was the best server with whom I've ever had the pleasure of interacting.
Appetizers: beef carpaccio (tender, wonderful, and accompanied by the most amazing but not overwhelming horseradish sauce); baked grits (melt in your mouth); and, seafood salad (our server really sold this dish and he was right -- it melted in our mouths).
Entrees: rabbit (served on an incredible bed of grains); venison (a steak with a strong but not gamey taste and so tender); pompano (which so surpassed the Bottega version) and pork tenderloin (again, much better than Bottega; the best pork I've ever had).
Desserts: We had two but the sweet and salty cake was the standout. Chocolate, caramel, sweetness, saltiness -- simply a divine ending to the evening.
I really can't say enough about this experience. Go there for a special occasion or if you just want to be pampered and engulfed with an incredible experience. With a few bottles of wine it set us back around $100 each for the four of us, but it was a small price to pay for such an experience.
Great service, however the food wasn't as incredible as I had expected.
We had a couple of apps and none of them stood out. The grits were okay, so were the grilled figs. For entrees, the venison was a bit bland, but the ribeye was good. Desserts were chocolate cake, bread pudding, and cookies with bourbon ice cream. All were average tasting. The best part of our meal was the raw oysters. I didn't try them but the rest of my party really liked them.
The waiters were very attentive and took great care of us. It's a great place for a business date, not a very romantic atomsphere.
It is always a treat when I can eat at Frank Stitt's incredible restaurant and Friday night maintained my enthusiasm. My son and I enjoyed another of Mr. Stitt's meals that always prove to delight the tongue and soothe the soul. Always worth the trip from Atlanta.
We began with a dozen oysters, Apalachicola, you have to celebrate the south, and Wellfeet from Maine. Although the end of the season is near these were perfect and tasted like you were at the sea. His mignonette and mild fresh grated horseradish is superior.
We had to share the classic grits that are unparalleled in taste. What is amazing is, how does he get each ingredient to have taste when blending so many.
Our entrees, mine Vermilion Snapper over rice with crayfish and spring vegetables and fresh fennel and dill and my sons Lamb were perfectly prepared and presented.
The atmosphere is exactly what I enjoy in a fine restaurant. It is simply elegant, yet comfortable and people are having fun. The patrons are such an eclectic group with the common interest of great food.
I eat all over the world and this is one of in not my favorite restaurant. It is the perfect blend of classic French training meets southern cuisine.
Highland's is one of the best restaurants I've been to. I've only felt this way about one other restaurant I've tried and that's Makoto in Washington, D.C.
Because the menu changes at least every two or three days I don't feel it would be right to describe the dishes I had. However, I will say this. One always expects a well crafted ingredient/dish to taste a certain way i.e.very well. Here the ingredients taste much more intense. It's as if they were concentrated without actually being concentrated.
Combined with a artful interior of Art Deco light fixtures, early 20th Century reproduction advertising posters, and service which is top rate from the Maitre d' on down to the water boy, you will find Highland to be a memorable place. If it's just drinks you're looking for their bar has a nice clientele of young 20 somethings and *ahem!* my age peacefully co-existing and having a good time. Now, I'm not really a drinker but from what I understand their bartenders are Grade A. If they take as much care in mixing drinks like they do with their cooking then I imagine the drinks are liquid marvels.
Five stars more than earned.
I grew up in Birmingham and ate at Highlands probably 15 years ago. I went again Saturday night and had one of the best meals I've had in a while. Some might consider this restaurant on the expensive side, but living in Atlanta I found it to be very reasonable for the quality of ingredients and preparation, not to mention the overall experience provided by the great wait staff. At a restaurant of this caliber in Atlanta you'd be likely to find a snooty, cold wait staff and tragically trendy clientele, but the staff at Highlands is friendly, informative, unpretentious, with one of the elder waiters spending time to describe in detail how to prepare one of his favorite recipes, and the diners are obviously there to eat, not to be seen. Still, it was obvious that Highlands draws a lot of regulars, and after a meal there this is very understandable.
My starter was a scallop ceviche with fresh avocado and was amazing. My father ordered the tuna tartare which looked good enough that I'd return just to try that. My brother in law had a fried seafood appetizer which was just fantastic. I could have made a meal on the starters alone as there really were so many good choices.
I had the flat-iron steak as my main course. This was served medium rare (a bit raw in the middle) and was just melt in your mouth good. The roasted red pepper and mushroom combination on the side I believe was prepared with fresh thyme and really, while I love red peppers and expect them to taste great, Frank Stitt has done something with these that makes them taste new again. Great!
I had the bread pudding as a dessert and while it was good I was pretty full by then and had a hard time finishing it (very rich). My brother in law ordered the pumpkin cheesecake and it was hands down the favorite at the table.
If you enjoy fine dining and know you're going to be in Birmingham make a reservation and treat yourself to something special. You won't regret it.
Possibly one of the best restaurants I have ever been into. FIne southern cooking, with a little French flair. The menu changes ever few days, but the baked grits starter, with country ham, and wild mushrooms is amazing. I have had the Mississippi rabbit and it falls off the bone. The sweet potato gratin was also a new southern classic. The food here is very rich. The restaurant is nicely laid out with a huge mirrored bar and white tablecloths on the tables, and attracts lots of young professionals. I think the prices are reasonable, or even cheap, for what you are getting.
I was told that this is one of the best restaurants in America by several people and I have to say that upon eating there I have to agree. I've eaten at all of Frank Stitt's restaurants and have been nothing but 100% impressed with his places (I even ate at Watermark in Nashville as I heard the chef there had worked under Stitt).
I enjoy his restaurant so much that whenever I come back to Nashville to visit, I always do the mental arithmetic to see if I can do a make the several hour journey south and back. And sadly, more often than not I can't but that doesn't mean it isn't worth the trip.
Thats right kids, ALA-freakin'-BAMA. I was there and it was awesome.
Delicious high-end takes on some classic southern dishes, lovely ambiance. The first room is for your older, more serious crowd. The second has the bar, music is a little louder, brighter artwork...
I had the pork tenderloin - soooo good, a friend had the lambchops, another the flatiron steak, the other had a white fish, and yet another had a dish with scallops. All wonderful - I dont think our conversation touched upon anything other than how good the food was and everyone insisted that everyone else try theirs. Not hits and misses here, kids.
Apps were good, dessert was too, and this drink called simply The Orange Thing - sounds like sludge, but its not. Basically its fresh-squeezed orange juice, and i'm not sure what alcohol. Its good and they give you the shaker with the extra booze - nice bonus.
Waitstaff were great - this guy even knew about where the different oysters came from on the menu, he had all the details. Friendly, attentive but not annoying - just right.
Corking fee is like $10 or $15.
Get a touch dressed-up to go - you know, class it up a little.
Roll Tide! Go Bama!
This restaurant has some of the best steaks in the entire state. The last time I was there I got the fillet mignon, haricots vertes and creme brulee; great food here. The bread was fresh warm sourdough (surprisingly good). Overall the food was excellent, and the service was just perfect.
The original Stitt restaurant. A hidden gem in Birmingham! A wonderful fusion of French country cuisine using fresh southern ingredients. An excellent wine list that fits the food and nice bar to enjoy apps and martinis.
The menu changes weekly, even daily, so I can't just recommend something. I suggest looking for unique things that you won't find any place else.
The food is definitely some of the highest quality you will find in Birmingham. I had the grouper and it was very flavorful...and the chocolate dessert trio is worth trying. The atmosphere within the restaurant and it's location in 5 points make for a hard-to-find dining experience.
We ate a table for 2 that was extremely close to another table for 4, so we heard virtually all of their conversations. Unfortunately, it dampened our experience quite a bit.
It lived up to the hype as one of Birmingham's landmark places to eat...it's worth trying out, especially for a special occasion.
Amazing food. They have a new menu every day. Wonderful wait staff as well. I strongly urge you to make reservations prior to going or you will have to sit at the bar, which is fine though. You still get excellent service at the bar. The waiters are very educated on the menu and their wines as well. Food is to die for. I would recommend this place to take your partner for an anniversary, first date, birthday, engagement,or any other special occasion, or JUST BECAUSE!!!
Great Service! Great Food and it is right around the corner. People think because we are in Alabama we can not have great food. Well they are wrong and Frank Stitt proves it. Every time I go I am amazed! This place is a must whenever you are in Birmingham.
This is one of my two favorite restaurants in the country. Was there approx. 3 years ago now. Still can't forget the great food, great drinks, and great atmosphere. The fact that I was blessed with Frank Stitt's "Southern Table" cookbook afterwards has helped me re-live the memory ;-).
For all you people that Live to EAT.....you must go.
It is one of Frank Stitt's restaurants, and you will NOT be disappointed. A wonderful mix of French cuisine and Southern cooking.
Go next door to the "bar" for a more casual lively atmosphere or a more formal affair in the main restaurant.
Located in the Highland area of downtown Birmingham!! quaint and fabulous!! Don't hesitate just GO!!!
I agree! This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. Luckily I grew up in the fabulous city of Birmingham so I got to go here more frequently. Even after living in NYC for 6 years, I still think Frank Stitt is just as good as the best here. His dishes are creative and perfectly executed. I also love how he makes an effort to use foods that are indigenous to Alabama. The bar there is also a great spot to grab a drink and some oysters.
Birmingham, AL
Category: Seafood
Birmingham, AL
Category: Restaurants
Birmingham, AL
Category: Italian
Homewood, AL
Category: Barbeque
Birmingham, AL
Category: Barbeque
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
