Situated between downtown and 5 Points is Lakeview District, one of Birmingham’s most bustling areas for entertainment, retail, design and food. Still evolving, Lakeview is also soon to feature many new urban dwellings with Iron City Lofts, a 100+ apartment project, overlooking Pepper Place and Sloss Furnace, and the recently proposed Metropolitan Apartment project slated for around 240 apartment units. With a full-service salon (Dragonfly Salon), a fabulous event venue (the AVON Theater) and a new workout studio (Neighborhood Barre joining Iron Tribe and Crossfit Rebellion) on the exercise scene, this community has tons to offer the Birmingham community! What’s more, there’s a lively array of restaurants and nightlife options to boot, making this a hot destination for a fun night out. Here are a few of our favorites:
Nightlife galore in the Lakeview District! Image credit: blog.al.com
DINING OPTIONS
With everything from authentic stone pizza, Southern bar-b-que and good old-fashioned burgers, the dining options cover the gamut in Lakeview. Babalu Birmingham, the newest addition to the area’s restaurant mix, opened earlier this week underscoring the fact that this is an area on the move. Here are some delicious options for eating out in Lakeview:
Brand new to the Lakeview scene, Babalu opened October 20. Our Memphis editor is a huge fan of the Memphis location, so we can’t wait to check it out!
Slice offers authentic Italian pizza baked in a natural stone oven.
On Tap is a great place to watch the game.
FIVE has a unique concept offering five dinners, five white wines and five red wines plus a full bar.
FIVE has a great patio! Image credit: facebook
Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint
Jack Brown’s
Occupying the space that was once Sol Y Luna, Jack Brown’s offers more than 100 craft beers and a creative burger menu. Image credit: facebook
Mia Luna opened last spring across from Slice Pizza and offers a diverse Italian menu.
BREWERIES
Beer lovers, listen up! Lakeview boasts three distinct breweries located just a few blocks apart from each other. Trim Tab Brewing opened last year in the former Barber Motorsports motorcycle warehouse and is known for their Pillar to Post Rye Brown Ale. The tasting room also serves as an art gallery featuring the work of local artists. Cahaba Brewing Company, named after the iconic river whose waters flow through the area, was founded in the summer of 2011 and serves a line of small-batch beers with an emphasis on consistent, hand-crafted quality. And then there’s Hop City, which may not brew their own beer, but they have everything you need to brew your own. Plus, they carry a huge selection of beer—more than 1,200 to be more exact—and 1,000 wines in the retail section. Growlertown, the bar area in the back, has more than 60 craft beers on tap available for tasting or to enjoy by the pint or growler.
With a great selection of beer and wine plus more than 60 beers on tap for tasting and purchasing, Hop City is a popular destination.
Growlertown provides patrons a place to hang out and enjoy all that Hop City has to offer.
Trim Tab Brewing is the latest brewery to open in the Magic City. Image credit: robwalkerarchitects
Cahaba Brewing has a large tasting room with a cool industrial vibe. Image credit: onboardthegravytrain
LIVE MUSIC VENUES
In addition to the restaurants and microbreweries, there is a diverse lot of music venues in Lakeview. Cover bands, Southern rock, jazz, honky tonk, bluegrass and more can be heard almost every night of the week. Here’s where to head:
Innisfree is a great place to hear a cover band, dance and mingle with the mostly 35 and younger crowd.
Oasis
With live music most every night of the week, Oasis is a friendly neighborhood bar with a warm atmosphere.
Tin Roof originated in Nashville and has since expanded to more than 10 other cities. Live music, karaoke, bingo and more make this a lively spot to spend an evening.
Enjoy all the exciting venues—old and new—that Lakeview now has to offer!
Find even more great places for a night out in the Birmingham SB Guide.
