NOW SERVING AT TWO LOCATIONS
HIGHWAY 280 & DOWNTOWN
A TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN
HIGHWAY 280
5511 Highway 280
Suite 114
Birmingham AL 35242
205-593-4945
DOWNTOWN
2015 5th Ave N.
Birmingham AL 35203
205-730-9003
About Us
Our Chef and Staff
Family owned and operated , Chef Delgado has been bringing the Caribbean flavors of his childhood to the Birmingham metro area for 9 years . Born in Puerto Rico and raised in the little Havana neighborhood of South Florida, he recreates the flavors of the Islands in every dish we serve. We treat every guest like a member of our family, hence our motto is "we are building a family not a business" . Come join us and experience a taste of the Caribbean.
Special Events and Catering
We specialize in delivery for businesses and residents in the downtown and Greater Birmingham areas.
Our restaurant is also available for private events: weddings, business lunches, dinners, cocktail receptions, and more. We would love to discuss how to be a part of your next event.
Press
Grab interest
THE NATION
Join OZY as we travel through all 50 states to uncover the challenges and meet the innovators reshaping a country that's more divided than ever. view series
“It tastes just like in Miami,” says Jenny Layton, a local biology professor. Her mother, Lisa Estes, agrees and raves about the marinated steak, part o
THE NATION Join OZY as we travel through all 50 states to uncover the challenges and meet the innovators reshaping a country that's more divided than ever. view series
“It tastes just like in Miami,” says Jenny Layton, a local biology professor. Her mother, Lisa Estes, agrees and raves about the marinated steak, part of the Puerto Rican plantain dish mofongo, the most traditional meal at Miami Fusion Cafe. “Just delicious,” Estes says.
Of course, they aren’t in Miami… or New York or Los Angeles or some other hub known as a culinary mosaic. No, this 5-month-old restaurant is in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, the heart of the Old South. To cope with increased demand, hours have expanded at the café, where Luis Delgado, its Puerto Rican chef and owner, serves up Cuban sandwiches next to Dominican-, Jamaican- and Nicaraguan-inspired dishes. “We give flavors of all the islands. We’re not a Puerto Rican restaurant — we’re a Caribbean restaurant.”
When Delgado first arrived almost a decade ago, the Miami-born Puerto Rican felt like he had to chaperone restaurant goers out of their comfort zone. “When we came into the scene, people didn’t know what an empanada or tostada was,” he explains. That’s changed drastically. But rapid growth in the restaurant scene could also present problems. Delgado worries that too much choice too quickly could scare off casual diners, leading them to retreat back to the familiar.
For Layton, it’s hard to keep up: Her list of restaurants to check out just keeps growing as her friends make more suggestions. “It’s just a really cool time in Birmingham,” she says. The table is set here — and nowadays, all are welcome.
Go There
- Miami Fusion Cafe: 2015 Fifth Ave. N, Birmingham, AL 35203
- Highlands Bar & Grill: 2011 11th Ave. S, Birmingham, AL 35205
- The Pizitz Food Hall: 1821 Second Ave. N, Birmingham, AL 35203
- Hot and Hot Fish Club: 2180 11th Ct. S, Birmingham, AL 35205
- Ovenbird: 2810 Third Ave. S #200, Birmingham, AL 35233