The Fish Market Restaurant on Birmingham’s Southside has been around for about 30 years, and they cook up excellent seafood. The seafood is some of the freshest in Birmingham, inexpensive, tasty, and has a Greek twist. It is unlike any seafood destination in Birmingham. The fish and other seafood items are imported from all over the world.
George Sarris, the brainchild and founder of this dynamic restaurant, knows what the people of Birmingham likes, and he keeps us coming back for more! The Fish Market Restaurant has grown from a tiny store front to a large warehouse that appears to be three floors, but the restaurant only occupies the first floor.
Birminghamians love this place so much, that George currently has several shuttle buses that transport people from various offices downtown and brings them to lunch at The Fish Market.
Diners can eat inside in one of two dining rooms, or on the large covered outdoor patio.
The restaurant also has a private dinning room for events.
The bar is huge and boasts flags from around the world. It also has a large flat screen television that is viewable to everyone. Normally, customers are watching some type of sporting event.
During my visit I was very impressed with the large wine selection this restaurant had. I think that any “wine aficionado” would love this!
There is never a dull moment, while waiting in line to order food, guests can view the live lobsters and tilapia.
If customers want to cook their own seafood, they can go to the fresh uncooked seafood market area, and get their choice of fish or shellfish to take home.
When mom and I visited The Fish Market Restaurant, we sat at the bar. (If you sit at the bar, a waiter takes your order. If you sit at a table you have to stand in line to place your order) One reason I enjoyed this seat was because I could see the workers opening and cleaning oysters; this was live entertainment in itself.
Our waiter came to take our drink orders, while we looked at the menu. This was my first visit since they changed the format of the menu; it’s much easier to read now because the writing is larger and it is divided into different categories. After about 10 minutes, we were ready to order.
I got the new “Alligator Sausage” which came with fresh homemade sourdough bread and a homemade spicy mustard dipping sauce. My side items were Green Beans and Greek Potatoes. I also had the “Fried Shrimp” with hushpuppies.
I really enjoyed all of my food! The “Alligator Sausage” is new to the menu, and I was one of the first people to try it; I told one of the managers that it should be a keeper. If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve thought that I was eating pork sausage, because it almost tastes the same. Anyway, the spicy mustard dipping sauce complimented the alligator well, but I didn’t use it that much. I didn’t want the bread because I thought that it was gonna be like any other sourdough bread, however, I was fooled. After biting into it, I discovered that it was still warm and it had a fresh baked taste. I’m happy that I decided to taste it! And as always, my Greek Potatoes and Green Beans were excellent. The Fish Market’s Green Beans are cooked with more spices than how other restaurants prepare them. Lastly, the “Fried Shrimp” were cooked in a tasty batter and they were simply awesome!
Mom had the “Fried Rainbow Trout” which was battered in cornmeal. And it came with hushpuppies and a baked potato.
My mom loves to get her fish cooked in the cornmeal batter ( you have to request that). She had no complaints; she eats at The Fish Market often so it was nothing new to her.
We enjoyed listening to a live band, as we ate. The band only performs on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday nights.
After we finished our meal and paid the bill, we browsed through the large selection of unique Greek dishes (pots, pans, vases, bowls) which are imported here from Greece and Turkey. You can find these dishes scattered throughout the restaurant and they are for sale.
For those dessert fans, The Fish Market Restaurant has many choices for you to choose from. Two examples are cheesecake & baklava.
Our visit to The Fish Market Restaurant was filled with excitement and good seafood. I feel that there is something on the menu for everyone, and the prices vary upon what you order; but the majority of the prices are reasonable. I also feel that you can’t say you’re from Birmingham, unless you’ve been to the The Fish Market Restaurant; so I suggest you go there and eat some good food!
