Highlands Bar Grill - Birmingham

I really hope Highlands reopens to the public soon! You can tell a lot about a restaurant by how well they execute the basics, and the best dish I've ever had in my 58 years was their heirloom tomato salad. It's been years since I last had it, but I can still remember the incredible taste - sliced heirloom tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a light vinaigrette drizzle. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! Despite dining at many James Beard award-winning restaurants across the US, I always come back to this dish as my favorite. While Highlands is closed, I'll continue to enjoy meals at Chez FonFon's next door. Please reopen soon, Highlands!

If there is a restaurant that is a Birmingham institution among the wealthier crowd, there is literally only one name that locals would bring up, and it is undoubtedly Highlands. Not that there aren't other nice restaurants, but this spot has proven itself over time and is ran by a chef that most Alabamians are quite proud of. Opened in 1982, Highland's is a place that put Birmingham on the map in a positive way at a time when the post industrial iron period was about to wind down and transform the city. Frank formalized his cooking techniques by working in kitchens of San Francisco and France, creating a medley of American Southern and French cuisine that is difficult to find elsewhere. It was not a time when it was common to see a chef from Alabama going to study cooking in Europe, thus the story was already an anomaly. Frank Stitt was trying to pioneer sustainable agriculture and farming well before anybody in Alabama knew what in the world that actually meant or for that matter, cared. One of the signature items is the baked grits that has been around since the restaurant opened. It's a tasty grits preparation and without a doubt, something to try. The pheasant was spectacular, fairly lean and with a crispy delicious skin, served with grits and green beans. Pastries here are created by Dolester Miles, who has been in the job for well over 30 years. The opera cake is absolutely spectacular, gentle and complexly layered. The basque cake is peachy and moist, with a crispy delicious exterior and Chantilly cream. Not only are these likely the best desserts to discover in Alabama, but may be some of the best to be found in America. The attentiveness got derail was clearly evident. As far as service, generally fine, but not particularly attentive. The waitress did not seem in much of a mood to welcome people to the establishment. Many items on the menu were running out by 8:30pm on a Saturday night. Nobody was particularly impressed with the flounder that got substituted for the grouper. And then there are other questions, why would you run out of grits? They know they are always filled to capacity and ingredients to make grits are not immediately perishable. Highland's has by this point in Birmingham's history become a classic. It's evident that most people here have been around for decades working at their jobs and serving the rich crowds of Mountain Brook. It's a place of great food and shows many combinations of ingredients that are nearly impossible to find elsewhere, let alone be executed this well.

This restaurant in Birmingham is probably the best and most renowned, helping to establish the city as a culinary destination. I just wish they would reopen after the pandemic. Birmingham's loss, I absolutely love it!

Highlands is not simply going to dinner, it's a dining experience. Will B had given me a heads up that we had reservations here so I did a little investigating. After finding out more about Chef Frank Stitt and his ties to Charlestons Sean Brock, I knew I was in for a memorable meal. I'd say the most memorable dish was that Grilled Pork Belly with watermelon. It was such a unique take on this common southern staple. I couldn't get enough of it. Another favorite was the Stone Ground Baked Grits. The texture of the grit cake was great and the saltiness of the prosciutto paired perfectly with it. For entree's, I got a taste of the Veal and the Grass Fed Ribeye but my entree was the Seafood Medley. I loved the mix of prawns, lobster, and scallops. I expected my seafood dish to be a little lighter than my cohorts veal and steak but I do wish there was a little more on my plate. Mostly I'm being greedy because it was delicious and I wanted more. We finished up with profiteroles which were a different take compared to what I'm used to. While I expected one dark and one white coated pastry, I was pleasantly surprised by the three small rolls stuffed with ice cream and drizzled with a light chocolate sauce. A perfectly sweet ending for the three of us. We sat in the bar area which has a little bit more of a casual vibe but we still felt like we were being served at a fine dining restaurant. Our table was in a high traffic area but our server was so on top of things we quickly forgot about it. Overall it was an excellent dinner.

I've eaten at my fair share of James Beard Award winning restaurants, but Highlands stood out for its total lack of pretension paired with impeccable service and beautifully prepared food. My husband and I booked a last minute trip to Birmingham and were able to call to snag a reservation for a table in the bar, which was dark, cozy and frankly felt more intimate than the dining room. Our waiter was a consummate professional and Pardis Stitt offered true Southern hospitality, warmly greeting diners as if we were all her dear friends. The menu changes frequently, but rest assured that you really can't go wrong. While every dish was delicious, the one must from our meal was their ever present baked grits. It's always on the menu for good reason: it is pure comfort on a plate with the salty ham and earthy, buttery mushrooms surrounding the fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside grit cake. For a perfect rendition of a classic, the Bois d'Arc Farm salad was another winner stilton, pears, and bacon, oh my! I thoroughly enjoyed my tile fish that followed while my spouse nearly licked his pork chop plate clean. We were comfortably full, but couldn't resist the classic coconut cake, which was a sweet finish to a memorable meal. Thank you for a warm Alabama welcome, Highlands.