As a Birmingham native I believe I have tried all foods exclusive to the city. My personal favorites are Travis’ Bear Burgers, Green Acres, and a new fave, Granny’s Fish N Grits. I loveeeeeee food and I will wait for these particular restaurants for hours if I had to- that’s how deep it is.
Travis’ Chicago Style Polish & Bear Burgers
Omgggggggg is all I can say! Travis runs his business out of a food truck that will pop up virtually anywhere, but his business cards list that he is at the flea market in Bessemer on Saturdays and Sundays, and at Platinum nightclub on Tuesday, Fridays, and Saturdays. I personally search for his truck during Magic City Classic weekend so I can grab a polish sausage, which comes loaded with bell peppers, ground beef, and a special sauce that is named on the menu as “Chicago style.” If you are looking to cut back on calories, Travis’ truck is not the place for you to go. Although I have not gotten around to trying it just yet, Travis has a burger on his menu called the “Grizzly Polar Bear” which comes with two pieces of sausage, 2 bear patties, and 4 slices of cheese. I couldn’t even tackle half alone. If anyone tries it can you record it and place it on YouTube? lol. Here’s a picture of the menu.
Granny’s Fish and Grits
OMG x2. I actually came across this food truck by social media – watching SnapChat stories, seeing posts on Facebook and Instagram, and just by word of mouth. While my mom and I were out and about with my little cousin, we decided to see what all the hype was about. Granny’s is a family-run food truck that normally sits just outside of Church’s Chicken, by a hang out called Birmingham Daiquiris. Granny’s sells fish, and grits, of course, but when I went, I tried the shrimp and grit bowl. Now, being that I am a Southern girl, I normally have to put about half a pound of sugar in my grits just for them to be satisfactory for me. This, surprisingly, wasn’t the case for Granny’s and I’m sure if I would have put sugar in it, I would have messed up the savory taste. I ate too fast and didn’t take a picture, so that should tell you how I felt about it. My mom tried the chicken, it was okay but way too much garlic, still edible however. For the baby, we just got grits, and that wasn’t enough for him so he was eating off of our plates also. Next time I visit Granny, I plan on trying the super bowl, which includes shrimp, sausage, and bacon. Yum!
Now on to the only indoor restaurant that I consider best, Green Acres.
It’s something about a 4 piece all the way with salt and pepper that makes my heart smile. Green Acres sells chicken, fish, and other fried foods that you can swallow down with a lemonade-fruit punch mix and slices of cake- delicious. I like Green Acres because it gives me nostalgia of my childhood, when I would go to the hair salon with my mom while she was working and we would take a lunch break to pick up chicken for everyone. The people are always friendly, and there are different locations around the city, so that no matter what side you are on, you are always close to a Green Acres. My uncles always make Green Acres their first stop when visiting Birmingham, even before family, so you know it’s serious!