Top Restaurants in Hoover, Alabama

Cajun Steamer

Cuisine: Cajun, Creole
Price: $$

Sometimes listed with a Birmingham address, Cajun Steamer could easily be located in the big city. Lucky for anyone nearby, it isn't, instead reveling in its unexpected suburban popularity right in Hoover itself. Sample the local specialties with and order of the crawfish etouffee or the jambalaya. For a unique taste of the South, check out the blackened alligator po boy with a side of cheddar cheese grits. Though the wait can be long at times, during the summer nothing beats sitting out on the restaurant's patio with a cold beer, enjoying the weather and slowly working through a satisfying Cajun meal.

Jim 'n Nick's Bar-B-Q

Cuisine: Barbecue
Price: $$

Jim 'n Nick's Bar-B-Q might have a lot of locations, nearly 30 at the last count, but yet each of these restaurants manages to have a family-owned feel. The Hoover location is no exception, boasting careful attention to service and aura of friendliness that only a true Southern restaurant can really create. For a comparatively light meal, try one of the barbecue chicken or pork sandwiches or really fill up on a half rack of the spare or baby back ribs. With meats hickory smoked over the course of 12 hours, the food at Jim 'n Nick's is not only delicious; it's authentic Alabama barbecue. Plenty of sides round out the meal, with options ranging from a dish of collard greens to a plate of cinnamon apples to a bowl of bar-b-q baked beans.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

Cuisine: American
Price: $$

Located in the Patton Creek Shopping Center just like Cajun Steamer is, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill offers a full menu of traditional American favorites. Steaks are the highlight of the restaurant, but there are also chicken, seafood and pork dishes to provide variety. Vegetarians will be hard-put to find anything to eat here, but that holds true for many restaurants in the region. A fancy, mountain lodge-style interior is plenty nice for business dinners or romantic occasions while still proving perfectly warm and accepting of families and casual gatherings.

Bonefish Grill

Cuisine: Seafood
Price: $$

Although it's a national chain, Bonefish Grill serves up excellent seafood fare that rivals the dishes of any Birmingham seafood restaurant. Incorporating the dishes and traditions of places around the world, it's possible to get amazing fusion dishes like shrimp tacos or bacon wrapped Atlantic sea scallops as well as the simple pleasures of fresh fish cooked over a wood-burning grill. Located at the Riverchase Galleria mall, the restaurant has a lovely, upscale atmosphere coupled with the friendly, attentive service that makes a meal at Bonefish a true pleasure from beginning to end.

Tortuga's

Cuisine: Pizza
Price: $$

While Tortuga's serves up thin crust pizzas as well, it's famous for its massive Chicago-style stuffed pizzas that are absolutely stuffed with bread, cheese, sauce and toppings. Order just a cheese pizza to dip in the marinara sauce or go for a combination pizza like the carne special which is packed with pepperoni, sausage and bacon. Some two inches of layered ingredients comprise this super-sized wonder, which takes 45 minutes just to cook. Still, the wait for this family-sized pizza is worth it and a small salad or order of garlic bread helps take the edge off in the meantime.