al's deli & grill

who hasn't been to al's?. its al's. it is completely different than any other restaurant in birmingham. most go just because it is al's. i recommend their pita sandwiches and hummus. great experience dining in the heart ofuaband southside. well worth the visit and money.

college food?. i am currently auabjunior & i personally do not like this place. i keep hearing from friends and otheruabstudents about how this place is the best restaurant to eat at if you're a college student. i think they only believe that because there is only so many times we can eat taco bell and 'diner' food until it gets old. however, their tuna roll sandwiches made me sick three times and their chicken fingers are not as "heavenly" as everyone makes them out to be. if you're drunk at 2am then i guess their food is tolerable. if you're sober and it is 6pm their food is not tolerable. maybe i am missing something, but then again maybe i just have better things to do at 2am....

this is the go to place for alluabstudents after sunset. the owner is always so friendly, the food is good and the prices very reasonable. big patio for outside seating. this restaurant became a must visit place in the area.

it's all about the atmosphere. okay, the food here isn't great, but al's is a birmingham staple anyway. why? it's because at any given time, day or night, the place is packed with the perfect cross-section of birmingham residents:uabstudents, on-duty cops, off-duty doctors and nurses, one or two sketchy characters to liven it up a bit, and everyone inbetween.

grab a weld magazine from the rack in the front, get in line, and expect to wait to place your order. i usually get the gyro pronto (pita wrap with freshly sliced gyro, fried egg, and melty "cheese") or a mahi-mahi sandwich (giant portion of mahi served hot on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, and special sauce). some people swear by the chicken fingers, but i think that's just out of nostalgia... they're the same flat, dry, frozen chicken tenders you'll find in any high school cafeteria. the other crowd favorite, the loaded bakers, are well worth every penny. share one with a friend and you'll both have to wear your fat pants for the next week and a half.

if you sit inside, you'll get a lovely view of a long line of rear ends at eye level who are all waiting to place their order, and if you sit outside, you'll share your meal with the pigeons, but it's all part of the charm. service is usually quick and friendly, and you really can't beat the prices for the amount of food you get. visitors to birmingham might be a little confused as to why al's rating is so high, but they can go somewhere else... al's is a landmark venue, and no one can call themselves a local unless they've eaten here after midnight!

i have eaten at al's mediterranean since i was a student atuabmore than 10 years ago. it has always been a good place to eat and very poplar. they are open 24 hours and the food is just plain old good. the place lacks refinement and is sometimes a little skeezy but that's only because of the volume of business they do there it's that good. i've always enjoyed the gyro and their chicken fingers and fries. for fellafel stuff i prefer purple onion, that's just me.

love al's. i love their chicken gyro & the turkey roll up. my favorite item on their menu is the chicken fingers. they are the best ive had since being at uab! the old black man is rude, but at leastuabstudents get a free drink. also try their mint sweet tea, its good!

bakers and gyros "oh my". this place is great right atuaband in soutside, they have bakers for almost anyones fancy, they are fabulous (more or less a meal for two), they have by far the best gyros i have had in birmingham for sometime.

average & ok. this restaurant is in a great location, which is theuabarea/downtown. it has a great selection of entrees. they also have a very small dining area but is ok if you get there in a non crowded time. try it out at least once and form your own opinion. enjoy.

classic.. you can not go wrong with the bbq chicken baker. i'm a student atuaband my mouth waters every time i'm walking those couple blocks towards al's.

i find it incredible that people enjoy this garbage. the meat is always dry, the salad is never fresh, and i guarantee half of their ingredients are jarred or canned. for a place that is open 24 hours, always busy, and so close touabi can understand the lack of quality and freshness, but that's how they chose to conduct business and it seems to be working. only fast food and chains succeed in the south of course.

late-night staple -. al's - friggin' love it - mostly for the atmosphere, but the food's pretty good too. my friends and i usually drop on the place during the warm months to sit outside and people-watch, shoot the shiz, grab a bite, and all-around chill. it's located in southside so the clientele is generallyuabstudents and employees, but others from all over the city visit as well. as a result, you kinda get a college hangout-kinda feel to the joint, which is pretty cool for those of us moving well past the college years. lol the cuisine is mediterranean/american, so you can do gyros, falafel, burgers, potato bakers, chicken fingers, etc. - essentially something for everyone. and the later the better - 24/7 operation, and there's no such thing as too late. the staff is friendly, and despite some of the people looking kinda sketchy sometimes, al's is pretty safe, with the occasional policeman hanging around sometimes for a meal during shift or just hanging to talk with the workers.

long story less long - al's is a great late night spot for some good grub that's not deep-fried, or only suitable after 1am (i'm looking at you, krystal's). trust a night owl. see ya out there! ;)

a true college hangout-but don't let that fool you, this is great mediterranian food at budget prices. the wraps are great. my fav late night snack on southside is to get an order of grilled mushrooms and an order of rice. their grilled fish is a great choice here. al's falafel is a great lunch choice. now remember-- the clientle is primarily college folk, so don't expect cloth napkins or silver. for what and where it is--auabhaunt, it is also a southside late night gem.