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.

10 places · ranked by how well-loved they are · last checked October 2026 · See them on the map →

1. 1

   Automatic Seafood & Oysters

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$$$ · 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

2. 2

   Ovenbird

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$$ · Steaks & Live Fire

   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

3. 3

   Hot and Hot Fish Club

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$$$ · Seafood & Oysters, Southern & Soul

   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

4. 4

   Bettola

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$ · Italian

   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.

5. 5

   Mayawell

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$ · Bars & Drinks, Mexican & Latin

   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.

6. 6

   TrimTab Brewing

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $ · Bars & Drinks

   Fruited sours & hazy IPAs. Lakeview brewery known for sours and IPAs. Big patio, dogs welcome.

7. 7

   Slice Pizza & Brew

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$ · Pizza

   Specialty pies & craft beer. Lakeview pizza and beer, the original of a small local group with spots in Vestavia Hills, Crestline and Homewood.

8. 8

   Lou's Pub & Package Store

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $ · Bars & Drinks

   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.

9. 9

   Burning Tree Smokehouse

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$ · Barbecue

   Brisket tacos. Barbecue at Pepper Place, opened in 2025 by a local pitmaster with decades of smoking behind him. The burger's good too.

10. 10

    Red Cat Coffee House

    Lakeview & Pepper Place · $ · Coffee

    Saturday-market lattes. Coffee shop at Pepper Place with brick walls and big windows. Busy on market Saturdays.