Bright Star Restaurant in Hueytown

We loved it! I have lived in Birmingham my whole life and never been to this restaurant. The food was great and the service.

Food was so so service was so so. Went for my wifes 60th birthday party. Place is really going downhill in my opinion. I have been here three times in the past year none of which have been a good experience.

While in town for a family members funeral I visited Bright Star twice. Once personally and again as guest of my aunt to show hospitality to those attending the funeral. Bright Star rose to the occasion beautifully. Thank you.

I have always loved eating at the Bright Star. The past two times I have eaten there it has been so disappointing.My last visit the hostess sat us without leaving menus. After 10 mins I finally flagged a waiter down and asked for menus. Our server, Peyton was excellent, the food was not. The fried crab claws were over cooked, dried out and cold. Also the serving was smaller from all the past times I have ordered. My aunt got the fried snapper throats which were also over cooked. The sides were good.The time before the food took a very long time to be served and when it was served it was cold. The service was awful.

My Wife and I made reservations for 10/29/22 I have read some of the comments and I totally disagree with all of the negative comments. Our experience was excellent the staff, the Food, atmosphere it was well worth it.

I really enjoyed my food and the service was A1 if u havent been to Bright Star yet you should.

A very pleasant atmosphere and good food. As one with Celiac disease, I was very pleased that our server was well aware of gluten free needs and was very helpful in selecting menu items I could eat and what modifications they could make.

The Bright Star is a long-time favorite of ours. We had lunch at the Bright Star again yesterday because we were in Birmingham and near Bessemer. The food, the atmosphere, the service, and the overall experience is always wonderful. I have been going to this restaurant since I was a child and I hope to be able to go from time to time from now on.

I had heard of this restaurant for years, and finally was able to go. I can honestly say it was fabulous. My wife and I are both lovers of good food, and Bright Star is a place we will certainly go back to, even with it being 110 miles away. Not only was the food great, but the service was great, and the nostalgic decor added to the experience. If we didnt live so far away, we would visit at least once a month.

Very cool place. I believe its the oldest or one of the oldest in the state. Interesting atmosphere, variety of foods, great desserts.

Great snapper, salmon and slaw.. All sides are wonderful. Service is always top notch. Loved this place for years. Never disappoints.

Just left Bright Star. As always the food was top notch but very disappointing that along with raising prices they have cut portion of the slaw. Very little slaw in comparison to what they used to serve. Ok I get price increase but portion now was pathetic. Also I went for the Snapper Throat and it was not on the menu today. People come for the slaw and Snapper throats. Big disappointment.

Excellent food great service beautiful decor. Will go back. Loved Greek salad and the bread pudding enough we split . Excellent

Tonight was,mine and my husband first time eating at the bright star for our anniversary. Weve heard good things about the restaurant and was,excited to finally get the chance to try it out. And so happy to say it did not disappointed😁. The atmosphere was perfect very historical and charming.love how one room look like you were on a train very cute and cozy. The service was phenomenal.we got prompt service on refills every time and food came at a decent time. Oue waitress was extremely nice and very helpful with our questions. The food was absolutely amazing i ordered the boiler seafood sampler the fish was so good it melt in your mouth. Shrimp was jumbo and very fresh tasting.My husband got the texas special with steak,and snapper, his steak was delicious so tender and cooked to perfection. (I had a couple of bitesof his steak.his fish was just perfect. Needless to say we loved everything about this place it was better then what people have said. Well worth the money. best steak hands down. We eat out alot we love traveling and trying new places to eat and this place topped at number one with us. We will definitely be coming back more often pls dont change a thing. We are already been saying what we gonna try on the menu next. Our dessert was also very delicious i had the baklava cheese cake hubby had bread pudding both was amazing thank you for the great food and service our anniversary dinner was perfect ❤❤

We had a wonderful Birthday dinner for our sister Saturday night-8-27. The food was incredible , so good. And Brett H. took excellent care of us. The Bright Star is a great place. Highly recommend .

Lunch for two, fiftieth wedding lunch. Food was delicious! Salmon and veggies. Old historic building. Great service. Worth the trip. Significantly more expensive at night. Worth the trip!!

Everything from our reservation text reminders to the service was exceptional and professional. Our server Brett H. was prompt and attentive, his timing was just right. The food was as expected excellent as always. This visit was a special occasion and Bright Star helped make it extra special.

Excellent restaurant for terrific local fare! Wonderful history making it an absolute must go when youre in Bessemer!! Great drink selection, great staff and dont forget dessert!!

A laid back and everything is cooked to perfection kind if place. Make sure to get the fried green tomatoe appetizers. Ive had about everything on the menu and its all great. Alabamas oldest restaurant.

After living in the Birmingham area for over 25 years and never going here, I met my parents here for lunch when they came to visit. I had the Fried Oyster and they each had the Fried Jumbo Shrimp! 😋😋😋

One of my favorite restaurants in the world. I have eaten all over the world, but nowhere is more consistent than the BS. Lee is the best waitress I have ever had, and she provides the best experience for my family and friends.

Loved the Night in New Orleans they have every year. They are the oldest family owned restaurant in the US! Every time I have gone it has been an amazing experience.

Food was ok. Of the four if us, three of us were not thrilled with what we ordered. I imagine in its heyday, it was amazing. Menu needs updating. The lemon pie and bread pudding were to die for. Its definitely an historical landmark. Their server, Linda, is incredible. Shes so friendly and helpful and great to talk with.

Waitress was lovely & took pictures of our group of 9. All the food was excellent. No complaints that I heard. Loved my trout almondine! It has been a long time since we went there but we will go again soon!

Myself, my son, mother, and sister all ate shrimp and grits. We could not pass on dessert. Peanut butter pie and coconut pie. Delicious!! Food and service is exceptional!A+++

Wonderful Dining experienceGreat food we had seafood platter and mushroom for appetizers we were there with our Granddaughter she had Chicken and her Husband had Steak.

Lobster & Crab Au Gratin is Amazing!! Our server Jack was great.

We came in today June 19’th Father’s Day and the service from kitchen was horrible. We had a party of 10 and we placed our order got our salad and then a table with someone who works on one of the news channels sits down with a party of the same size and orders their food and gets their food 90 minutes before us. They got special service from the kitchen because of who they was. This was not the fault of the sever but of management and kitchen.I would leave negative stars if possible.

It was the first time I took my friend there. He is very picky about food. He had the Broiled Snapper and I had the Snapper Almondine. Every bite was delicious. I even got a Lemon Icebox pie. Fantastic Everyone in the south should come and try this restaurant. Its been in business since 1907. They must be doing something right.

It lived up to my expectations! We went for Saturday lunch and had great food and good service. There were a lot of big parties and we were one of them. The Greek Style seafood is recommended.

First time visiting Bright Star Restaurant and it certainly wont be our last time. I cant believe in the 7 years weve lived in the Birmingham AL area that we hadnt visited this historic restaurant. Everything we had was amazing, our waitress was top notch, and it was just such a cool place to be. Make sure to take a few minutes and see all the pictures and articles on the walls, showing a little history of this place. The original murals and marble only adds to the historic value of the Bright Star. Cant wait to go back again!

Classic, oldest in AL, etc... growing up in Tuscaloosa Id always heard about it and finally had a meal here for dads birthday.I would compare it to a "fancy & cleaner" version of City Cafe. YMMV.

We celebrated our 22 year wedding anniversary on April 1st at The Bright Star. They were moderately busy. We had a reservation and were seated as soon as we arrived. The staff was welcoming and our waitress was very friendly.Several things happened while we were there that were customer-related and the staff handled them well. A man fell out of his chair as he slid back away from his table to stand up. Our waitress and several others ran to help him. Our waitress also had an issue with another tables food and the owner came out and took our order so she could tend to her other table. It was a great display of good management and the owner being willing to do what is needed to help his customers and his staff.The last time we ate at The Bright Star was more than 15 years ago. They offer old-world charm with traditional Greek-style options and an updated menu that blends old and new. The cocktails from the bar were delivered promptly and were perfectly delicious. I had the Texas peach martini that was decorated with a fresh jalapeno Alice, and my husband had a whiskey sour.We highly recommend The Bright Star.

We came up from Biloxi and went to Tannehill state park. A man who worked there told us we had to check out this place. Im so glad he did! We had no idea what to expect, but this place is amazing! Its been there since 1915..the oldest restaurant in Alabama. They play 40s and 50s style music. I ordered the fried snapper throats and she had the bacon wrapped filet. The snapper was just falling apart it was so tender. I had to try her filet and it was incredible! The zucchini and squash was delicious as was the baked potato. I got some bread pudding to go and it was delicious! Our waitress was Stephanie and was extremely nice! If we are ever back in the area..this is definitely the first stop!

What an iconic place to dine. Established in 1905. Food was outstanding. Try the snapper throats and an appetizer of fried claws. Service was great. Had the privilege of sitting at the legendary Bear Bryants table. He was a regular.

Recently went here with my husband and his parents. Between all of us we had the ribeye, filet mignon, and the seafood for 2. Everything was delicious! We couldnt help but share bites of everyones plate! We went on a Friday evening with a reservation at 7pm. It was pretty busy, so the reservation helped. The wait staff were REALLY sweet, and perfectly professional without losing any of their sweet southern charm! They had a "half-off bottle of wine" list that was wonderful! We shared a bottle of rosé. The price was decent for an upscale eatery (no dress code though, so that was nice lol). I would definitely recommend and will be going again!!

Visited the Bright Star today and I absolutely had the best food,waiter, and just a nice time. I recommend going and having peanut butter pie. Everything was perfect truly enjoyed myself. Also it has alot of history painted on the walls. Alot of sports cover the walls. Truly a nice spot to check out. I had a wonderful experience. And absolutely recommend going. The food was hot n fresh n alot for the money. I took food home there was so much on my plate. Thanks for the experience Bright Star we truly enjoyed ourselves. 😉

Always a treat to eat here. Definitely worth the drive. The only disappointing thing is they changed their french fries to Frozen ones from the hand cut. Other than that everything was on point and always amazing

The bright star was great as usual. We had a group Christmas party and couldnt be happier. The service and food were excellent!

First day in town and so glad Bright Star was our lunch destination. It was everything I love in a restaurant - local family owned, rich in history, with amazing food. It was perfect for our business lunch but I could definitely see coming here with friends, family or colleagues for a variety of occasions. Everyone was friendly and hospitable and the whole experience was just lovely.

It was wonderful.It has not been around since 1907 for nothing.Steaks and seafood were delicious.Must go before you die.

A certified American Classic in historic downtown Bessemer, Alabama! This huge restaurant serves up a delectable assortment of gulf coast seafood, delicious Alabamian steaks, southern classics, and Greek inspired dishes. Fried green tomatoes, gumbo, snapper, and steaks are all standouts as well as their amazing icebox pies. Service is exceedingly friendly and fast, full of southern hospitality. The decor is classic American elegance with hand painted murals throughout, a real sight to behold! If you are in the Birmingham or Bessemer area be sure to pay a visit to this American classic!

(Submitted with full awareness that this may cut against the grain. I found out about Bright Star from an interesting online article I received the day prior and, while passing through, decided to detour and check it out. BLUF: Youre paying for the experience of dining at an institution of historic significance and should try it out for what it is, however, it is overpriced, food was over/undercooked and allowed to sit too long, and service is lacking at best... far from the "high class" you may read from others. The food was on the low side of decent but the history of the establishment garners favor from cattle farmers and the James Beard organizations. We enjoyed the experience of learning about Bright Star, but quickly tired of eating substandardly-prepared selections - Texas Special (hot potato, hard and dry room temp fish and Crabmeat Au Gratin, perfectly-cooked and flavorful but lukewarm tenderloin), Stuffed Snapper (lukewarm and dry), Fried Seafood Platter (soft/doughy and lukewarm- none finished (photos edited). Each plate deserved to be returned. After reading the history on the placemat and taking in the atmosphere, fresh bread and delicious salads, it was downhill until the Bread Pudding & Baklava Cheesecake came which we took to-go because we just wanted to get out of there. All said, our server was horrible from the approach and our opinions may have been slightly more favorable but, ultimately, miscooked lukewarm food killed it. They had a good flow of people and I can appreciate the pride locals may have but this type of experience wouldnt cut it in larger, more sophisticated markets. Great presentation; could be 5 star with quality adjustments in service and delivery. Two adults, one teen, $160 including modest tip, and a doggie bag that will likely go out to whatever resides in the woods behind my house. Box checked; based on this single experience, it is recommended for the history, not the food.

Can’t rave about this place more! I’ve driven by it quite a few times and heard great things. My boyfriend and I decided to try it last night for a date night. This place is HUGE and gorgeous! I love the fact it has been open for over 100 years. The stained glass is so cool to look at.We started with an appetizer of Greek style oysters. Ummm yummm so flavorful and delicious! I ordered the broiled seafood platter w/ a sweet potato and gumbo soup. The seafood platter comes with 1 crab cake, 1 filet of fish, oysters, scallops and shrimp. I had it made Greek style that was offered on the side. My boyfriend had the same thing except he got the fried seafood platter and a baked potato. The gumbo has a bit of a kick and we loved it!We never get dessert but decided to. I ordered the baklava cheesecake and my boyfriend ordered bananas foster. The bananas foster comes with ice cream and it’s layered with caramel, bananas and whipped cream. So delicious! I LOVE baklava and cheesecake so the combination is a no brainer. It is a must try!Our waitress was amazing! We were apparently extremely thirsty camels last night as she kept refilling our beverages. She chatted with us a bit about certain things but she was very attentive and on top everything. She even had 2 large parties and a few small tables but she didn’t miss a beat.I’ve officially decided I’m taking my out of town guests here for their birthdays in September. Can’t wait to go back and try more of their amazing food!

The Bright Star is an extremely well-known restaurant throughout Alabama, for good reason. You can’t beat the Bright Star experience. The service is wonderful, every item on the menu is delicious, and the environment is very unique.I have been around 5 times now and almost always get the Stuffed Snapper. It is absolutely fantastic. This past time, I tried the seafood gumbo as well. It is great too. The rest of my family didn’t think it was true gumbo because it wasn’t very “seafood-y” due to being made with light fish, but it is worth a try.Not pictured in this review is their famous bread pudding. It is easily the best bread pudding and probably the best dessert period that I’ve ever had. They unfortunately did not have any when I went, which was disappointing, but when they have it, it is a MUST try!If you are ever anywhere near Birmingham, AL, try the Bright Star. Even if you aren’t, it is well worth the drive. It can be very pricey but you pay for more than just the food - you pay for an unbeatable experience.

Its been a long time since Ive been to the bright star restaurant. Was passing the Bessemer today so I decided to stop being to eat tonight. There was a very long wait to get into reservations are recommended if you know in advance youre going. The food was great tonight I had the Snapper and shrimp special. I think the grand lemon Martini was the best

The menu is delightful. The food is very well prepared and delicious. The service was excellent. They set the bar very high for other restaurants. The decor is beautiful. We really enjoyed our lunch there!

My first visit, and I certainly hope it will not be the last. I was greeted very warmly at the front hostess stand, even without a reservation. Was seated very quickly and the service remained outstanding all evening. The waitresss recommendations were outstanding, food very well prepared and all for an extremely reasonable price. I stayed with all fish, and was not disappointed.

One of my all-time favorite restaurants. This place is a true gem. Its not a small place by any means but it feels very intimate. The lighting is perfect. I always have steak or fish when I visit. Ill often order the trio that comes with another dish as well. If you like dessert, everything on Bright Stars dessert menu is to die for. Ill often only eat a few bites of my entree and take most of it home just so I can enjoy one of their delicious desserts. If youve never been here, youre really missing out. I dare anyone to try it and not go back a second and third time.

This was our first visit. Im in love with this place. The history, the food, and the staff are all wonderful. I had the country fried steak, fried okra, rice and spinach casserole, and pickled beets. My boyfriend had country fried steak, okra, and mashed potatoes with gravy. We ordered peanut butter pie and lemon pie for dessert. The restaurant ambassador came to our table and talked with us and showed us the Alabama room. What a delightful lady. I truly enjoyed talking with her. I highly recommend the Bright Star.