Neighborhood guide
Where to eat in Homewood
Homewood has 20 locally owned places worth a trip, ranked below by how well-loved each one is and checked by hand. Johnny's Restaurant, Saw's BBQ and Savage's Bakery lead the list. No chains, and nobody paid to be here.
Johnny's Restaurant
Greek-and-three & keftedes. Timothy Hontzas's meat-and-three, with Greek dishes alongside the Southern ones. Lunch line moves fast.
Saw's BBQ
Smoked chicken with white sauce. The first Saw's, a small room on Oxmoor Road. Smoked chicken with white sauce.
Savage's Bakery
Smiley-face cookies & meltaways. Homewood's bakery since 1939. It closed in February 2026 when the owner retired, and the owner of O'Carr's across the street reopened it a month later.
GianMarco's
Old-world Italian & a deep wine list. Family-run Italian with tablecloths, nightly specials and a big wine list.
Demetri's BBQ
Pork plate & Greek-dressed slaw. Barbecue opened by Demetri Nakos in 1961, on 28th Avenue since 1973 and run now by his son, Sam. It's in the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame. Opens early for breakfast.
Little Donkey
Smoked meats & fresh-pressed tortillas. Mexican food with some Southern in it. Smoked meats, tortillas made in house, long margarita list. A local group took it over in May 2026.
O'Carr's Delicatessen
Deli lunch & Memory Lane ice cream. Deli lunches on 18th Street since 1975, with a retro ice cream parlor next door.
Big Spoon Creamery (Edgewood)
Ice cream sandwiches. The Edgewood shop from the Big Spoon folks, right across the street from Edgewood Creamery. Try both and pick a side.
Paramount (West Homewood)
Burgers, wings & Skee-Ball. The second Paramount, at West Row, with Skee-Ball, claw machines and a long draft list. A hallway connects it to El Barrio.
El Barrio (West Homewood)
Mexican-Southern plates and margaritas. The downtown Birmingham favorite, now in Homewood's West Row development. Mexican and Southern cooking mixed together.
Salice
Handmade pasta. Italian bistro in downtown Homewood, run by chef Rita Bernhardt. It used to be Luca Lagotto; same kitchen, new name and owners.
Jinsei Sushi
Creative rolls & nigiri. Sushi bar on SoHo Square with a lot of specialty rolls and a decent sake list.
Pizzeria GM
Neapolitan-style pies. Italian bistro next to Patriot Park from the GianMarco's family. More on the menu than pizza.
Dave's Pizza
Jumbo pies & lunch slices. Family pizzeria in SoHo since 1990, near Samford.
ZOZO's Kitchen
Greek salads and chicken kabobs. The Cassimus family started the original Zoe's Kitchen in Homewood. This is them again, independent and family owned, in the same SoHo space.
SoHo Social
Patio drinks on SoHo Square. Where Homewood goes after work. Busy patio, plates to share.
Edgewood Creamery
Old-fashioned scoops in Edgewood. Old-fashioned ice cream shop in Edgewood. Get a cone and walk the neighborhood.
Seeds Coffee
Homewood-roasted espresso. Roaster in downtown Homewood. Lots of plants, comfortable chairs.
The Daily Edition
Coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Neighborhood coffee shop in West Homewood. Good for an early meeting.
Caveat Coffee
Pour-overs off the main drag. Small coffee shop a block off 18th Street, with a drive-through window if you're in a hurry.
Good to know
Where should I eat in Homewood?
Johnny's Restaurant is the best-loved spot in Homewood — greek-and-three & keftedes. Saw's BBQ and Savage's Bakery are also worth it.
How many places are on this list?
20, all locally owned and ranked by how well-loved they are. None of them paid to be included.