The Best Seafood Near The Essential, by the Record

Wahoo salami and cobia sausage are the calling card at this airy raw bar and seafood lunch spot in downtown Birmingham. The team behind the neighboring restaurant Helen runs it with the same eye for Gulf Coast ingredients and seasonality, turning a raw bar into something closer to a feast. The New York Times put it on their restaurant list, and the Michelin Guide awarded a Bib Gourmand. Come hungry enough for small plates and dessert.

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The name comes from the sprinkler company that occupied the space before, which is either a great origin story or a reminder that Birmingham contains multitudes. Adam Evans, a James Beard Award winner, runs this seafood restaurant out of a 5,000-square-foot room in Lakeview, with a raw bar up front and a menu built around regional fin fish, Southern sides, and the kind of collard greens that make you reconsider every other collard green you've had.

1. James Beard Awards 2022 · Winner · Best Chef: South · Adam Evans
2. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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