Neighborhood guide
Where to eat in Lakeview & Pepper Place
Lakeview & Pepper Place has 10 locally owned places worth a trip, ranked below by how well-loved each one is and checked by hand. Automatic Seafood & Oysters, Ovenbird and Hot and Hot Fish Club lead the list. No chains, and nobody paid to be here.
Automatic Seafood & Oysters
Gulf oysters & whole fish. Adam Evans's seafood place in an old industrial building in Lakeview. He won a James Beard award. Start with oysters.
Michelin Recommended
Ovenbird
Live-fire small plates. Chris Hastings's live-fire small plates at Pepper Place. Michelin gave it a Bib Gourmand in 2025. Order a bunch and share.
Michelin Bib GourmandJames Beard Best Chef: South · Chris Hastings
Hot and Hot Fish Club
The summer tomato salad. Chris and Idie Hastings have run it since 1995. It's at Pepper Place now. Sit at the counter if you can.
Michelin RecommendedJames Beard Best Chef: South · Chris Hastings
Bettola
Scratch-made pasta. Italian at Pepper Place, with pasta made from scratch. Bham Now put it on its 25 best restaurants in Birmingham in 2026.
Mayawell
Tequila, mezcal & a rooftop. Neill Crook's agave bar in Lakeview, with Mexican-inspired food and a rooftop that looks back at the skyline. Order downstairs and carry it up.
TrimTab Brewing
Fruited sours & hazy IPAs. Lakeview brewery known for sours and IPAs. Big patio, dogs welcome.
Slice Pizza & Brew
Specialty pies & craft beer. Lakeview pizza and beer, the original of a small local group with spots in Vestavia Hills, Crestline and Homewood.
Lou's Pub & Package Store
A bar and a liquor store in one. Lakeview neighborhood bar since 1987 that's also a package store, which is rare in Alabama. Small room, regulars, cold beer.
Burning Tree Smokehouse
Brisket tacos. Barbecue at Pepper Place, opened in 2025 by a local pitmaster with decades of smoking behind him. The burger's good too.
Red Cat Coffee House
Saturday-market lattes. Coffee shop at Pepper Place with brick walls and big windows. Busy on market Saturdays.
Good to know
Where should I eat in Lakeview & Pepper Place?
Automatic Seafood & Oysters is the best-loved spot in Lakeview & Pepper Place — gulf oysters & whole fish. Ovenbird and Hot and Hot Fish Club are also worth it.
How many places are on this list?
10, all locally owned and ranked by how well-loved they are. None of them paid to be included.
Which have a Michelin or James Beard honor?
Automatic Seafood & Oysters, Ovenbird and Hot and Hot Fish Club.