10 hole-in-the-wall restaurants to visit across Alabama
Reading time: 4 minutes
The definition of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant may be different depending on who you ask.
It may be a place you’ve never heard about. Maybe it’s the spot where you just walk straight into a kitchen and get a box or bag to go. Or it could be the building that looks more like a rundown shed.
But no matter what, it seems like places like that always serve the best food. And we have a lot of those places here in Alabama.
We could never roundup all of them but let’s get started with 10 of our favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants from across the state.
Do you have a favorite hole-in-the-wall spot not on our list? Let us know tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
Antojitos in Tuscaloosa
- Location: 623 Hargrove East, Tuscaloosa, AL
- Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11AM-10PM | Friday-Saturday, 11AM-11PM
- Our order: While there is plenty on the menu worth trying, I like to keep things simple when I visit. The chorizo street tacos are hard to beat especially with a bottled Jarritos.
- More info
Ash + Oak in Mobile
- Location: 1455 Monroe St, Mobile, AL 36604
- Hours: Sunday, Tuesday-Friday, 4-10PM | Saturday, 4PM-12AM
- Our order: It didn’t take me long to find something on the pizza menu. Six slices of spicy pepperoni could always make life better.
- More info
Cozy Brown’s in Eight Mile
- Location: 4395 St Stephens Rd, Eight Mile, AL 36612
- Hours: 6AM-6PM, daily
- Our order: The menu changes a lot at Cozy Brown’s but the breakfast is simple and delicious. Just walk in and order yourself a large breakfast bowl with some conecuh sausage.
- More info
El Chido in Montgomery
- Location: 152 N Burbank Dr, Montgomery, AL 36117
- Hours: 6AM-9PM daily
- Our order: Hidden in the back of this grocery store is an authentic Mexican dining experience but their food selection goes beyond that. I recommend the pupusas if you’re looking to try some Salvadorian food.
- More info
Grumpy Dog in Wetumpka
- Location: 200 E Bridge St, Wetumpka, AL 36092
- Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10AM-4PM
- Our order: The original grumpy dog may be the best way to go still but if you want a little more food, go with the conecuh which comes with chili and caramelized onions.
- More info
La Colonial in Huntsville
- Location: 1222 Jordan Ln NW, Huntsville, AL 35816
- Hours: 9AM-9PM, daily
- Our order: Once again, you can’t go wrong with anything on this menu but one of the more popular and certainly more unique orders will involve some of the birria egg rolls.
- More info
Looking for other spots around the Huntsville area? See the guide to hole-in-the-wall restaurants from Hville Blast.
Pirate’s Cove in Elberta
- Location: 6664 Co Rd 95, Elberta, AL 36530
- Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8AM-9PM | Friday-Sunday, 8AM-10PM
- Our order: You don’t get to claim to have the best cheeseburger on the planet without it being at least pretty good. Pick any of the specialty burgers on the menu served with the house-made sauce and potato wedges.
- More info
Proud Willie’s in Auburn
- Location: 422-B S Gay St, Auburn, AL 36830
- Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 4:30PM-12AM | Friday-Saturday, 4PM-2AM
- Our order: A late night spot in a college town is always special but the food also doesn’t have to be too complicated. Keep things simple in your first trip by getting the Willie’s Western sandwich.
- More info
RDs Smokehouse in Harvest
- Location: 1811 Nick Davis Rd, Harvest, AL 35749
- Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday, 10:30AM-7PM | Wednesday, 10:30AM-2PM
- Our order: Not every barbecue joint’s go-to dish is the ribs but when you find a place like RDs, you’ll want to try it. And whether its a half or a full slab, save some space for the cobbler.
- More info
Tony’s Hot Dogs in Pelham
- Location: 1922 Montgomery Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35244
- Hours: Monday-Saturday, 5:30AM-3PM
- Our order: This has been a go-to spot of mine for years so it’s hard to recommend just one thing. And while hot dogs are in the name, I lean towards one of their giant burgers with a side of onion rings.
- More info
Check out a list of 18 hole-in-the-wall restaurants around the Birmingham area from our friends at Bham Now.
Do you have a favorite hole-in-the-wall spot not on our list? Let us know tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
