Let me start by saying for 2 years I have been a Paramount Bar Fan. We used to live literally across the street from it. My reviews of late are focused on take-up vs. eat in for obvious reasons. That will also be the focus of this review. The best way to say what I have to say is inconsistent food taste and quality. No idea why, did not seem that way years ago when we ate in. This deserves an explanation. Yesterday night, my wife and I simply did not want to cook. So I went online and ordered our favorites from Paramount for curbside pick up. Simple enough. We ordered two bun-less standard burgers with bacon and one order of chicken wings. Let's start with the Burgers. I think Paramount puts some lamb in with the beef when they make the burgers. Some times it tastes GREAT and when there is to much of that flavor, it tastes awful. Kind of reminds you of spoiled meat. I am NOT saying the meat was spoiled, just to lamby flavor. On to the chicken wings. In the past, we ordered "Hot" wings. Always good and very keto if that makes a different to your diet. This time, we did "Jerked". Awful, we tossed them and the burgers out. That is what I am talking about when I talk about consistency. Is it still a place I will go back to, YES. Just no time soon. I forgive them simply because of what they and other places have had to do to stay in business. Eat well and stay healthy. read more

I consider myself a wing connoisseur and when I tell you this place has the best wings I've ever had, I am saying it with tears of gratitude and absolute awe. I am just stunned and how perfect they are and how amazing they taste read more

This is an updated review to the one I left years ago. Excellent service at the bar. Cold beer. Attentive. The grilled cheese sandwich, top 5 I have ever had...and I am a connoisseur of them. Fun back area with some games as well. Totally coming back read more

Awesome staff and delicious food!! Burgers, Onion rings and accompanying sauce were off the chain!!!! I've been craving it for 3 days now. I live 5 hours away but would drive back just to eat it again! P.S. Cutting onion rings in half is a clever idea. Very dippable in that mouthwatering Horsey sauce! Well done! read more

Great burger and a cool atmosphere. I had the basic cheeseburger and onion rings. Burger was packed full of flavor and had a really tasty sauce. Onion rings were good but not my favorite. I had some of my dad's fries and these were the side to get. I'm always somewhat hesitant to eat outside when downtown bham because of panhandlers but we had a fine experience this day sitting outside. Staff was super friendly and brought everything we needed. I'll definitely be back to try more things on the menu. read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Paramount has always been one of my go to spots in Birmingham. It's a staple. They have some great qualities. Great food, great drinks, and a great arcade. If you add all three of those traits together you have one of the best places to eat, drink, and play in Birmingham. The food is of great quality. It is not "bar food." It is top notch. Along with having a great menu, they have one of the largest vegan menus in town. During the day this is a great quite lunch spot. Into the evening it starts to get a little crowded. It is sometimes tough to eat dinner there after 6pmish due to the crowd. I usually eat the El Capitan. either in burger or hot dog form. It is the protein, bacon, pico, jalapeños, and avocado. Due to covid Hours have changed a little bit. The menu is condensed down a little more. However they still have everything I've always loved. Service, Quality food, great drinks, and a great arcade. Even if you don't want to go out to eat. I would highly suggest grabbing Paramount to-go. read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - El Capitan Burger - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Excellent onion rings. Brunch was too busy to get in, though. Good place for a Saturday or Sunday (later) afternoon. Ambiance was fine for a sports bar. read more

We loved it!! We took our young kids for lunch on a Saturday. The food was delicious, and the service was phenomenal. I had the southern burger, and my husband had the hot chicken sandwich. It was the perfect portion. We weren't sure about bringing the kids but it was a great decision since it was a welcoming and inclusive environment. We will definitely be back! read more

This is a good bar in downtown B'ham with good food & a few TVs for viewing your fav sports . I enjoyed devouring their tasty poutine . It was poutine style fries covered in my fav, CORNED BEEF! I must say I demolished it & it was worth each bite. In the back of the bar they have a few ole skool arcade games to help you burn off your meal. It brought back such great memories playing street fighter, galaxy, & pac man which are all games from the 90s. Go have fun & enjoy a great meal read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Corned beef poutine - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

So much fun, and such a cool vibe. For 80s kids that grew up with arcades in malls who now like to have a beer with some pinball, it's a dream come true. read more

Paramount is a great place to get food/drinks and hangout! We came here on a Thursday night and waited about 30 minutes to be seated, which wasn't too bad. We just went to the back and played games till we were called. I loved the classic arcade games in the back, especially skee ball, pac man and pinball. There's a change machine and an ATM if you don't have coins. The games are pretty cheap, average or 50 cents to $1. I ordered the Ed, Edd and Eddy, which is one of their signature cocktails. I got it with cranberry vodka and it was tasty. I loved the tin can they served it in, very cute. My boyfriend was in town visiting, so he tried a local Birmingham beer (Yellowhammer Cheatin' Heart). I'm not a beer person but they've got a good selection of beers here. The food was pretty decent too. We got the Sawmill fries and Jamaican jerk wings. The fries were good, I liked the pickled peppers but was ambivalent about the sausage. I wish they were hotter/crispier when we got them. The wings were okay. I prefer saucier wings and these were a dry rub. The mango habanero was also way too sweet. But the garlic aioli sauce was good! My boyfriend got the Forester burger, which he enjoyed. The mushrooms were yummy! Overall, we had a great time at Paramount and I'd definitely come back again! read more

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Gotdamn the burgers are good. Wasnt expecting such a good burger where they play games .

This place is super cool. I love that it's low-key and unpretentious, but has high-quality food. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the "poutine." They really should just call it loaded fries, because whereas it's not bad, I was expecting it to be like Canadian poutine, and it's just not. I freely admit to being a bit of a pedant about food, but poutine uses thicker cut potatoes, twice fried to get the right texture, and cheese CURDS that melt partially when you add the hot gravy. Poutine is all about the texture-- without those elements, you've just got a frat party gut-bomb in progress. There's also a seasoning in the gravy (I'm writing this review late, so can't remember what it was-- maybe marjoram? Sage?) that's overpowering and at war with the whole thing. At $11 for a pile of fries with string cheese chunks in it, it was a disappointment. Anyway, onto the good: their burgers are absolutely amazing. My favorite is the mushroom Swiss one, but the El Capitan is a close runner up. Their beef patties are very moist and perfectly seasoned. In fact, they're so good I've never tried a hot dog here, even though I love a good hot dog. I really like that they do onion petals instead of rings, so you get that nice fry on them and they're not messy to eat. Their horseradish sauce should be its own food group. The last time I was in, the service was great. We were in a hurry and the food was prompt and the server was very attentive. I don't think I've ever actually played any of the games, although I do like classic arcade games. Seems like a good reason for a repeat visit. :) read more

Hubby and I have been in Birmingham since 2015, and I can't imagine why we haven't been to the Paramount Bar. Fun place with good bar food. Hubby had the Paramount burger...it was LOADED. He said it was delicious. I had one of their other burgers, and it was equally as good. As others have posted, their fries are very good. We will definitely go back. read more

Honestly this is my favorite cheeseburger in the city. The You're My Boy Blue Burger is great for those who love blue cheese and even for those who don't. 10/10. read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - You're My Boy Blue Burger - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Daniel and Samo We're great servers and soo charismatic! They made it a joy to eat here even though my husband made us leave early before I could play some ski ball. The hamburger on a bed of greens was amazing with mushrooms and Swiss cheese keto style. Best onion ring ever!!!! Crunchy sweet and huge. No I can't eat it on Keto but I had to try a bite. The naked wings were great and comes with carrots and celery and a delicious ranch. read more

I took my 12 year old twins for lunch and some play time in the game room. The food was outstanding, service was awesome and they were particularly engaging with the kiddos. The vibe was cool too. Everyone had a great time and can't wait to go back. Twelve is a hard age to find something that makes everyone happy, but Paramount did it for sure! read more

Updating review after a few additional visits... Promptly being seating and receiving your meal goes a long way in my book. Paramount seems to consistently deliver in these regards, even during the pandemic. As far as the food -- it's still (somewhat) elevated bar food, but its guaranteed to hit the spot. The Southern Burger is a nicely sized offering that's packed with varying elements of flavor. The onion rings aren't exactly circular/cylindrical, but I can ignore the shape considering that they're perfectly battered and salted; crispy and packed with flavor. Decent selection of beers, although you may have to ask a couple times to figure out what's actually on tap. read more

Wow! Best burger I have ever had. The flavor of the meat was to die for. We also had the nacho fries which were also delicious. The vibe here is totally trendy hipster. Super cute and funky. They have an arcade and photo booth. Too bad we are leaving Birmingham today, or we would definitely be back. My husband really enjoyed their IPA'S. read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

We enjoyed our experience at Paramount. We sat outside where service was a little slower. Very friendly waiters and waitresses and our food was great! Playing skee-ball and basketball in the arcade room after our meal was an added bonus! read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Southern Burger and Fries - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Perfect quick spot for happy hour. We sat at the bar and had attentive kind service. The chicken sandwich and onion rings hit the spot after traveling. read more

This is my go to place downtown for a burger but for for the past 2 times this week, it wasn't. So glad I tried something else on the menu! Food:::: always yummy, average price in the area! Service:::: our server is awesome..she was pleasant, quick and she is totally cute. Location::: it's not a hard place to find and the atmosphere is very chill. Many peeps in downtown go here because it's quick and good is great! read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Stopped in after Furnace Fest 2021 cause it was so close to my hotel. Fast friendly service and the margaritas tasted so good after sweating all day. The three hand sandwich was delicious. The corned beef shaved very thin complimented the Cole slaw but the jalapeño pit it over the top . There weren't many places open Sunday evening so glad their doors were open read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Three hand with onion rings delicious - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Super fun vibes from Paramount! It's smack dab in downtown Bham, a little difficult on parking, but great place to gather for good food and fun games. We got burgers, poutine fries, and lotsa drinks. Then we played games in the arcade and took photo booth images! read more

Way toooo busy. The "arcade" left something to be desired. We didn't try the food so can't vouch for that, but I'm assuming it's great due to the large crowd! We probably wouldn't go back unless they were much less busy. read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - a pinball game in a pinball arcade - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Let me tell you. I'm a wing snob. I've eaten wings all over the globe. Big, small, buffalo, BBQ, tangy habañero, you name it, i've eaten it everywhere I have ever traveled. The wings at Paramount are out of this world! They're the best wings i've ever eaten. Slowly smoked to perfection, then fried to crisp. You have to order them. If you don't enjoy them, you need to step up your game! Did I mention the bar staff is awesome as well?! You have to visit this spot if you are in town! read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Barrio wings - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Great food, great service my friends and I had a blast last weekend. The next time we are in town we will definitely be going back.

We were here visiting the historic sites and decided to venture out. The place seemed intriguing and there was a wait. We went to the arcade area to get a table instead of waiting. The wings and onion rings were awesome but the fries were lacking. You have to figure out the menu yourself because the staff needs retraining on how to answer a customer's question about the products they are serving. All in all we enjoyed the atmosphere but we will not visit again when we come back to the area next month due to lack of customer service. read more

Decided to try his place after a friend said they had the best wings. False.. but I'm not giving it 4 starts because of the small wings. I'm giving it 4 starts because as soon as we walked in. The service was amazing! From the hostess greeting us to our waitress bringing us water within seconds of being seated. Atmosphere: very chill spot. Loud music. If you walk towards the back by the restrooms they have an arcade gaming area. They do have outside seating which is enjoyable on a nice breezy day. Food: I had the wings. 15 bucks for 10 wings so I expected them to be bigger than average. Unfortunately the wings were extremely small. Flavors were there. I ordered the hot & the Jamaican jerk, but the mango-habanero dip. Sooo good. The tacos. The tacos. The TACOS!!! The backyard tacos are the best I've had in Birmingham. Crispy pork, ancho Chile, summer corn, Mayo, and fete cheese all inside a warm corn tortilla. I highly recommend trying them!! If you're not a pork person they also have chicken as an option. My wife ordered the standard burger. Exactly how it sounds, bur she absolutely loves sweet potato fries. They don't serve fries. Instead they do sweet potato chips.. wow!! So good. The flavors and crisp. Definitely recommend. Overall if you have some time to kill and you're in the mood for some bar food. Check this place out!! read more

Great lil arcade bar in Birmingham. I check in each time I'm in town for work. I only tried the onion rings and it was crisp to perfection. The up up down down drink was really good. I had 2 of those. They also had a lycee ipa that wasn't too hoppy and was good. Overall, this is a chill spot to visit, catch some grub, a drink, and a game. read more

We picked a place for lunch with top reviews since we were in town. I was sold with the pimento. I ordered the hot dog with ham, pimento and fried pickles while my husband ordered the paramount burger. It's a big burger with eggs, patties, fried risotto, etc. We also got a basket of fries. The thing I liked most was the antibiotic, free range chicken, and good quality ingredients. The menu isnt huge but everything sounded good. The pimento was really good. But it didn't have a pot on the hot dog. So I asked the waitress and she was so nice and brought me a small dish of it. (Perfect amount). My husband enjoyed his food and I did too. It was so so good. We will definitely come back! read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I had a pretty good experience here during "Eat in the Streets" on Friday night. The service was good and the drinks were good. I can't really speak to the atmosphere of the restaurant, because I sat in the street, but it seems to be a cool place. My only gripe is that the wings weren't fried hard enough for me, and tasted like they had warmed them up in a microwave. But they were still flavorful. Maybe next time I will check out the inside. read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

We were staying at the Westin and we did not get great vibes from the chain restaurants in the Uptown shopping area. We found the Paramount on Yelp and walked over. As we walked up, we saw several people standing outside waiting for pick up, always a good sign. Once inside, it was just a short wait while a table was cleared. We had our kids with us and there was another family or two inside eating. The staff was amazing and super friendly, the place had a really cool vibe and decor. We got a basket of fries and onion rings, both were awesome. The horsey sauce that comes with the onion rings was a big hit! The three hander was really good, my son said the burger was the best he's ever had, the grilled cheese was great, the wings were a little over done, but not bad. Overall we had a great experience and hope to get back soon!! read more

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Welp, if I can say anything positive about quarantining, it is figuring out which restaurants do great takeout and exploring which businesses I haven't written reviews for. Another shocker on not writing a review yet for a downtown establishments. Great service, delicious food, cold beer and best of all... a TON of competitive games. If you know me, you know that all of these things are very high on my priority list. The burgers are great. The wings are fantastic. The entertainment can go on forever... if you love to win!! When you walk in, there is a huge wrap around bar right in the main room. There are some tables. But I have only really sat at the bar. It is usually very full the times I have gone. And I have not been or done take out since quarantining. In the next room are the games. Tons of them. So be sure and stock up on those quarters!! Fantastic Birmingham establishment that I will keep coming back to. read more

This place never disappoints!!! Today I had the Standard , added Bacon, and the hot sauce! It was phenomenal! Juice, thru & thru! It wasn't runny tho, like some places you go and need 100 napkins to clean up the grease!! Paramount has found a way to turn freshly ground chuck into a patty for the Gods! The basket of fries are always enough & seasoned to perfection as well!! The other picture featured is a monster. I can't remember the name of this burger, but it has: 1. Fried Egg 2. Two beef patties 3. Corn beef brisket 4. And many other trimming! You will not be disappointed when you visit. Also, be sure to save some time to play the games. They offer free and quarter machines. read more

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Lively spot with delicious "bar food" and great place to catch a game. When I say "bar food" I mean fresh and delicious burgers; amazing wings; and freshly prepared sides, all bursting with flavor. I'm a blue cheese fan so I lean to the "You're My Boy, Blue" Burger (love the arugula) and I give a 10/10 to the lemon, rosemary, and pecorino wings. The fries and onion rings are both tasty compliments. Like Germany, they serve the fries with mayo, not my personal favorite, but a unique twist. If you are looking for a tasty app, try the "Great Balls of Fire" (fried risotto balls with bacon, jalapenos, and cheddar). I also think it is worthy to note they have recently established a commitment to all-natural, humanely raised animals (no hormones, antibiotics), which makes you feel a little better when eating a burger or wings. They also have a really nice selection of beer and cocktails. I've never ordered a cocktail, because it feels like the type of place you should order a beer, and I have never been disappointed. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor is usually a bit more lively and outdoor is "chill". I like both. The service can leave a bit to desired. We've always been seated quickly, but have had inconsistency with prompt service. It's always friendly, just not always prompt. It is also fun to step into the back and get lost in the fun of the arcade games. Pac Man is my favorite (who doesn't love it). read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I visited a friend in Birmingham over the weekend and we went to Paramount for lunch. I guess it can be called a sports bar because there are a lot of TVs but it wasn't as rowdy as some sports bars can be. I ordered a traditional daiquiri (rum, limes, and sugar), and it was made perfectly. Whoever the bartender is on Saturday during the late afternoon is awesome. For food, I ordered the fried risotto balls; I think they are called "Great Balls of Fire" but I'm not sure. They are bite-sized balls of creamy risotto with a little bacon, jalapeno and something else. They are delicious and not spicy. As someone who eats spicy food often, these went down easy. I also ordered the Southern hot dog with pimento cheese and chow chow. The hot dog was a hot mess (see photo) but it was very, very good although I was hoping for a spicier chow chow. Overall, two thumbs up. This is a place I would visit again and definitely a great go-to for a quick meal if you're in downtown Birmingham on a weekend. It's also one of the few places that are open; B-ham's downtown is almost a ghost town. Yelp 100 #55 read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Southern hot dog w/ pimento cheese and chow chow (looks awful but tastes great) - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The service isn't the best but the food is amazing. When I say that, I mean they're a little overwhelmed with the lunch crowd. They're very kind and attentive but know what you want or the questions that you want to ask when they come to you. Only go during lunch if you have time to sit and savor the meal. The grilled cheese is my absolute favorite and the bartenders are awesome! I told the bartender the feel that I was going for and he hit the nail on the head! The wings are about the best and the fries are pretty good too. read more

The vibe is great and so is the service. Not speedy, but understandable because it was packed. Overall a great place to chill with friends and have a drink and play! read more

A few friends suggested we meet here for drinks one evening after work. I got there around 4:45, and only a few people were at the bar. I grabbed a table, and was immediately greeted and asked for my drink selection by one of the waiters. He explained the drink and food specials for happy hour. He was super pleasant while I waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. I did not have food there, but a friend had the wing basket, and he said they were pretty good. I noticed the Alabama hummus made with boiled peanuts.. I will be back to try that! It was pretty quite the night we were there... I'm guessing the rain probably kept people from coming out. Not the fault of Paramount ;) read more

Paramount - Downtown Birmingham - Boiled peanut hummus?!? I'll be back to try this! - Arcades Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama