Panera Bread

Stopped by Smiley Brothers for lunch. Nice little restaurant with an old world vibe. Excellent wine…read morechoice, fresh cheese, dry aged ribeyes and fresh cut steaks. We were greeted promptly and took a few minutes to look at the menu. I LOVE roast beef, so it peaked my interest. My wife chose the Smiley burger. We placed our order and grabbed a seat. Place was quiet even though it was probably 75% full for lunch. Roast beef was served hot in toasted sour dough. Cheddar, tomato, lettuce and horseradish topped the generous portion of roast beef. Bread was crisp and the beef was hot and juicy. Horseradish gave a nice tangy flavor. My wife's Smiley burger was hand patted. Juicy and perfectly cooked. Bun was soft inside and nicely toasted in the outside. Bread and butter pickles, onion, tomato and lettuce topped it off. But the star of the show were the fries cooked in beef tallow!! Hot and salty, crispy and a deep flavor. I would come back just for the fries. Although a little bit pricey for lunch, it was excellent! Staff were friendly and attentive! Would highly recommend and will definitely be back! Thanks for an awesome lunch and excellent experience!

Smiley's is a specialty butcher shop, restaurant and deli that I heard about from someone. They…read moresaid they had one of the best burgers so I went to give it a try. This place was packed for lunch. The sandwiches I saw being made looked delicious. The Smiley cheeseburger was $15.95 and to add fries and soda was $6.95 so almost $25 for a burger combo. The burger was good. It tasted like it was cooked in a cast iron skillet and the fries were shoestring fries. That is my least favorite fry but the taste was really good. The staff was nice and was very efficient in how they ran everything. I definitely wanna come back and try a deli sandwich

Rueben

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Inside

Jersey Mike's Subs

3.3(23 reviews)

1.5 mi

I frequently eat at Jersey Mikes, this location was truly the dirtiest location I have EVER been…read moreto. Trash over flowing, every table dirty, no one cleaning up the sandwich station. Food still tasted fine, minus the bread being chewy. The workers were polite enough... but sitting on their phones instead of cleaning the place up. Other Jersey Mikes locations are usually going above and beyond!

I made a mobile order that was supposed to be ready for pick up at 6:01. I got to the store about…read more6:05 to pick up my order. I went in to the pickup station and did not see my food. Not one employee greeted me or asked me my name for the pickup order. After about 10 minutes one employee thanked me for my patience but never ask for my name. Almost 20 minutes of waiting the same employee finally asked my name and handed me a bag that had been ready the whole time! This is the worst customer experience I've ever had. Our food was soggy and cold. I will definitely not be back!

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The Copper Train

4.6(57 reviews)

0.5 mi

Copper train is a lovely spot for breakfast, lunch, or just reading a book while enjoying a…read moredelicious pastry. This small shop is cozy and inviting, with tables or a section with a couch and armchair. The staff is always sweet and helpful. The food is always fresh and delicious. My favorite item has the be the everything roll, which is soft, fluffy, and delicious! Their coffee and tea drinks are also tasty. Support this local business!

Nice place for quality sandwiches, soups and salads. They do burgers on Thursday and Friday which…read moreI'll try next time. I ordered the Train Wreck sandwich that came with chips and a side-I chose BLT Pasta salad. Was all really good. My wife ordered the same sammich but had the broccoli salad. Again, all well done. We always ask the acid test question.....would we order these items again. We both agreed we would. Didn't sample any of the baked goods but they looked solid. I questioned the staff multiple times on multiple menu questions. All answered attentively and with concern. One staff member answered my queries and was so hospitable I my wife and I both thought she must be part of the ownership. Nope, just a lovely person who likes her job and offers great hospitality. An employers dream employee......a true ambassador for your business. So rare and so glaringly obvious! We will be back. Well done.

Breakfast Menu

Lunch Menu

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Kids Menu

Chubbfathers

4.4(275 reviews)

1.6 mi

Coming from NY, its hard to find a burger joint that hits the spot…read more The service at this joint is impeccable, the owner is extremely nice i wish he had a Birmingham location. However i will drive constantly from Birmingham to Alabaster just to eat their burgers! Highkey recommend if you want a filling, sloppy, and amazing burger served with a side of... "you will be back"

The service was great, but the food could have used some improvement. My husband ordered the…read morehamburger steak and gravy and I ordered the fish fillet. He was satisfied with his meal, but I was not.

Inside

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Jimmy John's

2.8(33 reviews)

1.0 mi

I am not a Jimmy John's fan so I was not happy eating here. I totally wanted something else…read more Anyway, so we are here. The young kids running the store were cool. I had the Italian (#9) I believe l. I can't remember what my guest had. Overall, the sandwiches were fine but I was speechless when they told me they didn't have any salt & pepper in the place! Like, what ?! How ? Anyways, this is ridiculous in my book. The inside of the shop was clean. I loved the signs on the bathroom doors, probably my fav part of this visit. I don't know if I would come here again. Probably not but the food and service was decent.

I placed a mobile order for a beach club unwich. I realized that I forgot to take the cheese off on…read morethe app. I can the store and they were so kind about updating my order. I picked up through the drive-thru. There was a small line, but it didn't take long to get to the window. The staff member at the window was super nice! My sandwich (wrapped in lettuce instead of bread) was perfect for a lunch experience with my current goals.

Order counter

Thick oil & vinegar

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Hit Different BBQ and Grill

4.7(43 reviews)

2.0 mi

This past Friday, I was dropping off donations at The Foundry, and noticed that Hit Different was…read moreright across the highway. I jumped at the chance to try this place out because of the reviews of other Yelpers. The restaurant is sitting on the corner of Pelham Parkway and County Road 68 East, across from The Foundry Superthrift Outlet and Dollar General, and next door to TherapySouth. It is a nice sized place and the atmosphere is welcoming. I was helped by Dyron, who seemed like he never knew a stranger. He was so kind to everyone, including those on the phone. I even heard him say, "So we got your dad covered - what can I get started for YOU?" He was excited when he found out I was a "newbie". I love the menu. Each item has some form of "hit" in the name - slappin', crackin', slammin', and more. I ended up with the "Bussin' Burger" and a side of fries to go (since I was heading back to work). The food is cooked upon ordering, so my meal was nice and hot when I left. And I am here to tell you, the name of the burger was totally accurate! It was delicious - seasoned very well, and the perfect amount of toppings. The fries were good, but that burger - so good! No wonder Hit Different is a 2026 Shelby County Small Business of the Year Nominee! They deserve it and then some! Do yourself a favor, listen to the other Yelpers, and head down Highway 31 for an amazing meal at Hit Different! I am going back!

We went to Hit Different the other day for lunch and it was so good! My pulled pork sandwich was…read moreperfectly seasoned and had tasty barbecue sauce on a nice warm not soggy bun! The okra was ok, it could have used more seasoning. The Mac and cheese...man that was tasty. Thick and hot with long strings of cheese. One of the managers came by and checked on us and was telling us about the menu for the next time we come. I can't wait to go back! Check em out!

Inside at the ordering counter (if you are taking it to go)

Burger + 4 Cut Wing (BBQ) Combo

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Outside picture

Firehouse Subs

3.0(30 reviews)

0.7 mi

10/10 subs every time; i get a fairly customized sub and it always comes out correct…read more I place my order and its typically done under 10 minutes, which is a lifesaver! And the staff there is awesome! They always treat me well, and the vibes are always good!! It seems like a happy bunch of coworkers together. Highly Recommend This Location!

After leaving facility visiting God son we did not want a heavy meal, so we decided on this spot…read more Calm for a Saturday evening. Checkout was a breeze, atmosphere was also quiet. Our order was delivered quickly. Sandwich was a bit pricey, but oh well.

Medium Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub

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Los Angeles Burrito

4.5(121 reviews)

1.9 mi

We have heard about this place from social media and we had a free Saturday we wanted to check this…read moreplace out. Listen, it did not disappoint. The food was amazing. We enjoyed getting to try each other's entree dish. The service was super kind and the location had a very clean and relaxed ambiance to it. There was a small wait for food but I would gladly wait again for this delicious food and amazing customer service. We will be back soon!

Get ready for some good food. Your going to be greeted with the warmest smile. You can dine in,…read morepickup, or take out. The food is made to order non of that premade stuff here. The tacos are very good we like onion and fresh cilantro The rice and beans seasoned well. The dinein space is cozy. With an extra salsa station.

Bacon breakfast burritos and a steak torta with fries.

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Brother Paul's BBQ

4.9(14 reviews)

0.5 mi

Amazing greens Snoutstanding Brunswick stew…read more A nice crowd for a Tuesday A great spot

I absolutely loved my first time coming to Brother Paul's BBQ! I literally found out about this…read moreplace so randomly. It was a pleasant surprise! The staff is great here. The food is outstanding!!! Easily some of the best smoked meat I've had in a really long time! I had the large rib plate with potato salad & collard greens. My mom had the large pork plate with bbq beans & Mac & cheese. And lastly , I had some banana pudding to go. It was freshly made & yummy! Brother Paul's bbq is a cozy, casual spot in Alabaster , Al. There's street parking and a private lot available. I highly recommend checking out this spot with all the daily specials and their robust menu ... you'll find something delicious to enjoy!!!!

Interior

Cute table decor

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Large rib plate

Birds And Burgers

3.7(91 reviews)

1.2 mi

A nurse at Shelby hospital across the street gave us recommendation so we gave it a try. The…read moreburgers were so well prepared and came with sweet potato fries. Meat was thick, juicy and cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious. Only downside was the size, maybe 3 1/2" or 4". .

Delicious chicken tenders and burgers. Fries were great too, and the banana pudding was yummy…read more Service was fast and friendly. The venue is small without a ton of indoor seating, but there is a nice little covered outdoor area.

Outside

The Hawaiian Burger Brussel Sprouts

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Large hair in ranch

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Holli D.

120

205

15 years ago

I stop at this location often before or after work meetings I have in Birmingham. This location is fast, clean and offers friendly service. A little pricey for lunch...around $10 for the salad I like, but there are cheaper items on the menu. My favorite is the Thai Chicken Salad...it's packed full of soy beans and chicken! Gets super crowded right at noon.....so get there earlier or later if at all possible! read more

Angela H.

9 years ago

Went in for breakfast sandwiches order one on a croissant.... it was black and burnt and im sure the cook knew yet he just felt it was okay to serve a paying customer something he would not eat read more

Panera Bread - sandwiches - Updated September 2026

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McAlister's Deli

3.0

(54 reviews)

I get a lot of to go orders for McAllister's and I don't usually have a problem…read more But today when I got my grilled chicken sandwich, the chicken made me gag. It tasted like bad chicken. I've never had this type of experience before, so I was very surprised. I always get the potato salad and it is always great, but the sandwich was not edible. I did send some feedback to the restaurant on their app. I suggest you get the app because you do get points and it adds up for discounts or free food or drink I was disappointed. My sandwich was ruined, but at least I have my potato salad.

Still waiting on my food. 4 employees visiting with each other while I sit here twiddling my…read morethumbs. No one else waiting so there isn't a rush. Now they're singing ‍. Just don't come here.

Urban Cookhouse

3.5

(52 reviews)

Excellent first experience coming here! Staff was friendly & helpful, food was delicious, and had…read moreplenty of indoor & outdoor seating, even during lunch rush. Would have been nice to have steak cooked to temperature, but was still fresh and flavorful despite it being served well done.

I love that they are based here in Alabama, and that they strive to use the freshest, local…read moreingredients. I ate inside for the 1st time and enjoyed it. The service was good and my meal was delicious as it normally is. I ordered the Down Home, sub salad for the broccoli salad. They did forget my orange roll but were apologetic when I told them and gave me two for my trouble. This location isn't far from me so I frequent it often.

CAVA

3.5

(66 reviews)

So, I'm a huge fan. But I had to take a break after CAVA delivered, multiple time over multiple…read moreday, terrible lentils. So hard and dry that they ruined my meal multiple times times. So I gave them a lot of politely negative feedback on the issue and took a break. Today I decided to give them another chance. Today them lentils were just fine, and the rest of the meal was excellent. I like to do a custom build, power greens, lentils, spicy side sauces, red pepper hummus, Harrisa and Tzatziki, Then salmon for the meat (Harrisa chicken is also excellent). Lots of veggie topping and Shug sauce rounds it out. Today it was fresh, spicy and flavorful. They offer a ton of healthy options, and so many ways to customize your meal. If they haven taken to heart delivering good lentils (as it appears they have), then I'm back in for regular visits. Healthy and tasty food don't always mix but CAVA makes it happen. As to the ambiance it's a bit spartan and no padding on the seats but there's plenty of indoor space and a bit of outdoor seating too. Service from the folks behind the counter has been mix, but for the most part, they're friendly.

Stopped by CAVA after the gym. Super clean restaurant, fresh ingredients, and really nice staff…read more Love how customizable the bowls are. Freshness, portion size, and price are all a 10/10. Mixing the garlic dressing and the balsamic date vinaigrette is my go-to. It just elevates the bowl!

Zoes Kitchen

3.3

(57 reviews)

I absolutely love Zoe's! Growing up, my mom would bring me their food to go for lunch because it…read morewas healthy and I loved it! It's also full of protein and so yummy. The service is incredible. The staff is always so welcoming and kind. They know my name & greet me everytime I see them. The overall ambiance is so nice & they are super quick & clean! It's so easy to go in and order quickly to go, or nice to dine in or sit outside & enjoy the Crestline village surroundings. I love Zoe's so much!!! 10/10 recommend- one of my favorite restaurants of all time. Chicken kabobs, pasta salad, Mr. Pibb & yaya's chocolate cake may be my death row meal. LOVE all the staff :) it's home!

I've frequented Greek restaurants in Birmingham since the 80's. The man managing this Crestline…read moreZoe's is rude, hostile, and dismissive. He needs to take that haughty and superior attitude out of the Deep South in a hurry. I've lived in Denver for 8 years. He can just pack his bags and head to the place of no etiquette. I will purposely avoid this location and go to ZaZa's in Cahaba hts where Alex and his team treat us with respect and civility. If I was Miss Zoe, I'd have a serious sit down with this manager and ask him if he understands how customer service works.

The Cheesecake Factory

3.4

(700 reviews)

Tried out happy hour at The Cheesecake Factory, which runs 4-6 PM Monday through Friday. Got off to…read morea rocky start -- my friend and I both ordered the whiskey smash and unfortunately found flies in our drinks. Not a great first impression, but the staff handled it well and swapped them out right away with no hassle. Customer service really saved the moment. After that things turned around and became more lively. We ordered the brussels sprouts, crab bites, Mojitos and Long islands, and everything was solid. It's a nice happy hour menu with a good variety, and there were definitely other items on there I'd want to try next time if I'd been hungrier. Docking a star for the drink mishap, but the recovery and the food afterward make this worth coming back for.

Placed a pick up order online yesterday and utilized my bday cheesecake reward with any purchase…read more The young lady who assisted me at the counter was sweet, but she did come out of the side room/closet located next to the register visibly eating (still chewing while assisting me). The banana cream cheesecake grabbed my attention again since it is one of the few selections that doesn't taste overly sweetened. Very happy with my choice. I opted to have the chicken katsu bowl as my purchased item. Chicken katsu is typically lightly breaded, however, this was heavily breaded and was not on par with what I had seen online for Cheesecake Factory. My order didn't really have any of the glaze and there were maybe all of 6 edamame beans. I will say the portion of mushrooms, rice and cucumbers were generous. The breading of the chicken itself was seasoned nicely, but the protein was hard to enjoy with the breading to chicken ratio. I do believe this dish has potential to be really great with some tweaks in the execution.

CAVA

3.7

(68 reviews)

I have been vegetarian for almost 13 years and this spot gets it right every time. They are very…read moreconsiderate to military families and military members. You can point out the obvious cause almost every weekend you will see a camouflage outfit or some sort of military uniform. I always try a new combination of a meal when I come there and I switch up what I drink from the dispensers from time to time, and I can always say I enjoy the taste of the food and the experience of the ambience.

Food? Skimpy portion of overcooked overpriced mediocre salmon. Out of multiple ingredients…read more Service? Insufficient staffing. Server repeatedly scratching head while wearing serving glove, then serving food. No use of polite phrases. No ice for beverages. Ambiance? Very sticky dirty tables in a utilitarian box.

CAVA

3.8

(61 reviews)

We were in town for a work meeting and this was close to the building, and since my co-workers…read morehaven't had this before, I vouched for it and they enjoyed it. We were going for a light meal but our bowls ended up being heavy. I ordered brown rice and black lentils, then added a bunch of toppings and tzatziki sauce and the grilled chicken. It was pretty good. The bathrooms were atrocious though... I think it's so busy that nobody has time to get to clean the crappers. I think they were unisex too, but forget.

This place gives me a lot of mixed feelings. I love that it's a healthier option and it doesn't…read moremake you feel stuffed after eating but the portion sizes are so small. Especially if you order delivery like DoorDash. I can't tell you how many times they have forgotten things. The chicken & salmon taste good but you just need more. The greens are usually fresh. The blueberry lemonade was very tart and not sweet at all. Overall I believe if they gave you more food it would be better. The inside of the store is very clean I will say.

Clean Eatz

4.2

(28 reviews)

YOU NEED TO EAT HERE. I cruise yelp reviews to see if I…read moreshould eat somewhere or not. This is a place you should select YES PLEASE. Let's address the elephant in the room: this place is healthy.... Which usually yields some preconceived notions about how the food will taste. Honey, you need to leave those at the door cause the food is legit. If you did a blind taste test of the food, guessing the macros, you'd never get it right- It's GOOD. Well seasoned, fresh, no kind of stale old health food flavor. They make their own sauces apparently. And these aren't the half hearted attempts like that one time you did Whole30 and tried to make homemade ketchup. These are professional grade. You're gonna be looking for some extra packets to stash in your purse like your MawMaw used to do. Prices are very reasonable, portion size is great, there's outdoor seating. You're able to customize your order easily (add more protein, make it low carb, etc). There's also meals in their freezers you can take home. And they have regular weekly meal plans where you order your food ahead of time, collect your order, refrigerate, and heat it up in the microwave through the week. On this eat-in occasion, I got the turkey burger with sweet potato fries and my friend got the chicken pesto wrap with pasta. It was hot, the service was excellent, and we didn't feel miserable when we left. We will be back here for sure!

I enjoyed my dining experience at clean eatz. The staff were very helpful and attentive. I went…read morewith the Warren Turkey Burger Bowl and my dad chose the Teriyaki Burger. I felt full but not stuffed which I love. I was really happy that for the drinks options they don't provide regular sodas!! Clean eatz all away around. I did pick up a few of their to go options and can't wait to try

Jack's Family Restaurant

3.2

(10 reviews)

This location recently opened. I had already been in for some breakfast on the go but had not…read moregotten to eat lunch there until today. The dining area is nicer than your typical fast-food place. It's nice that they deocrate it for the holidays, too. They were pretty busy, so not all of the tables had been wiped down, but we found one that worked. We did have to ask for napkins as the dispenser was empty. (We've since been back around the same time of day, and all the tables were clean and the napkins stocked.) Pretty good burger for the deal if you use their app. I also like that you can get a less-fastfoodish option of chicken and veggies if you want.

Food always fine if it ever gets to you. I've had to wait in store 40 minutes then avoid if there…read moreare more than two cars in the drive though. They've now started having everyone park to create the illusion you'll get your food fast. It's taken over 20 minutes to get a chicken biscuit and gravy biscuit.

Chopt Creative Salad Co.

4.1

(39 reviews)