Some of the best rooms in Birmingham have no sign you would notice. One bar has a brick wall for a door and a pogo stick for a handle. One is a cellar under a set of outdoor steps. One is a taco counter inside a gas station.
Here are the ones we could source, with how to find each door. Every direction below comes from the place itself or from a local news story.
Birmingham bars behind a door you have to know about
| Place | What it is | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Pogo Cocktail Bar | A cocktail bar in the Armour House downtown | Go into Armour House at 2309 1st Avenue North and head down to the first floor, or use the Morris Avenue door. The door is a brick wall with a pogo stick for a handle |
| Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar | A cocktail cellar under Founders Station downtown | Look for the red neon pilcrow sign between the buildings at 2015 1st Avenue North, under the big outdoor steps, and take the stairs down. No password is needed |
| The Lodge at Fairway Social | A hidden bar inside Fairway Social in Parkside | Ask the host at Fairway Social, 114 13th Street South, for a scorecard. Find the secret entrance and crack the code to open the hidden door. You must be 21 or older |
| Carrigan's Public House | A pub at The William downtown, open since 28 October 2025 | The front door is in the alley between 2nd and 3rd Avenues North. Walk into the alley from 19th Street North, across from McWane Science Center, or from 20th Street North, across from Trattoria Zaza |
| The Garage Café | A bar with a courtyard in Highland Park | Find 2304 10th Terrace South. The courtyard is outside, through the bar |
Birmingham rooms on a roof, in a basement or inside another building
| Place | What it is | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Moon Shine | A rooftop lounge for ages 21 and up, on top of the Elyton Hotel | It sits on the roof of the Elyton Hotel at 1928 1st Avenue North, 16 floors above the street |
| The Roof at The Redmont | The rooftop bar of the Redmont Hotel | Go into the Redmont Hotel at 2101 5th Avenue North and ride up to the 14th floor |
| Habitat Feed & Social | A restaurant on top of the Grand Bohemian Hotel | It is the restaurant on top of the Grand Bohemian Hotel at 2655 Lane Park Road in Mountain Brook Village |
| Upside Down Plaza | A basement spot in Five Points South | It is in the basement of Pickwick Plaza at 2012 Magnolia Avenue South |
| Mom's Basement | A bar with foosball and Pac-Man in Avondale Mills | It is on the lower level of the Avondale Mills shopping center at 4411 3rd Avenue South, below the storefront that was Sheppard's Pet Supply |
| Dave's Pub | A pub in Five Points South | It is on the ground floor of the Terrace Court apartment building at 1128 20th Street South |
| Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema | A cinema with its own bar in the Pizitz Building | The cinema and its bar are inside the Pizitz Building at 1821 2nd Avenue North. You do not need a movie ticket to walk in for a drink |
Birmingham restaurants inside a gas station, a grocery store or a food hall
| Place | What it is | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Grandé Mexico | A taco counter inside a Shell station | Walk into the Shell station at 2236 Highland Avenue. The taco counter is inside |
| Tom and Jerry's Chevron | Hot dogs at the counter of a Chevron station | It is the Chevron station at 2188 Highland Avenue. The hot dogs are at the counter inside |
| Mac's One Stop | A food counter inside a Chevron station | It is the Chevron at 400 19th Street South. Order at the counter inside |
| Mi Pueblo Greensprings | A restaurant inside a Mexican grocery in Homewood | Go into the Mi Pueblo grocery at 216 Green Springs Highway. The restaurant is inside the market |
| Mr. Chen's at Hometown Supermarket | A restaurant inside a supermarket in West Homewood | Go into Hometown Supermarket at 808 Green Springs Highway. The restaurant is inside the store |
| The Louis Bar | A bar in the middle of the Pizitz Food Hall | Walk into the Pizitz Food Hall at 1821 2nd Avenue North. The Louis is the bar in the middle of the hall |
Birmingham spots that are easy to drive past
| Place | What it is | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle's Restaurant | Soul food since 1951 | It sits at 16th Street and 26th Avenue North, one mile south of Clayton Park. Walk in and order, or order online for pickup |
| Green Acres Cafe | A takeout storefront for wings and sandwiches, started in 1958 | The storefront is at 1705 4th Avenue North. It is takeout only, so order at the counter and go |
| Golden Age Wine Garden | A wine garden downtown | The wine garden is at 2021 2nd Avenue North. There is a parking deck across the street |
Two doors that older guides still send people to have changed. The Morris Avenue Carrigan's closed on 6 September 2025 and reopened on 28 October 2025 at The William, 1913 3rd Avenue North. Hot Diggity Dogs, the hot dog shop that was the cover entrance for The Marble Ring, closed in January 2020. A March 2026 listing now offers the former Marble Ring space for lease, so we took that bar off this list until someone confirms it is open.
Know a door we missed? Tell us. That is how this list gets longer.