There are many great things to do in Huntsville, a high-tech city that has played a vital role in the development of space technology for the past 60 years. Nicknamed the ‘Rocket City,’ Huntsville has a rich history that spans from the 19th to the 21st century, ranging from the heritage of the state’s first English-speaking city and the hardships of the American Civil War to the incredible development of the space industry. When it comes to romantic wining and dining, Huntsville has a great selection of charming and elegant restaurants from which to choose.
1. 1892 East Restaurant & Tavern
Located in the historic Five Points neighborhood of Huntsville, 1892 East Restaurant & Tavern is a casual bar and grill that serves distinctive New American cuisine made with the highest quality local, organic ingredients. Combining historic traditions with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, the restaurant serves a seasonally changing southern-inspired menu featuring sublime dishes like blackened tenderloin, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, stuffed trout, and cassoulet. The full-service bar offers a wide range of libations, including local and imported craft and draft beers, globally-inspired wines by the glass and the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Browse our things to do in Alabama guide for more ideas.
720 Pratt Ave NE, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-489-1242
2. Commerce Kitchen
Part of the Boyce Restaurant Concepts' portfolio, Commerce Kitchen, is a contemporary, sophisticated restaurant that specializes in down-home Southern cuisine and creative cocktails. The restaurant features a beautifully appointed dining space influenced by turn-of-the-century style with modern décor and an intimate ambiance. Seasonal menus feature classic dishes of New American cuisine prepared with locally sourced ingredients and artisanal products such as roasted harissa salmon, buttermilk fried chicken, Gulf shrimp, and Falls Mill grits, and braised beef tagliatelle. The full-service bar offers a wide range of libations, including local and imported craft and draft beers, globally-inspired wines by the glass and the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Explore weekend getaways in Alabama for more travel ideas.
300 Franklin St SE, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-382-6622
3. Cotton Row
Nestled in the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square, Cotton Row is part of the Boyce Restaurant Concepts' portfolio and serves modern American cuisine in an elegant environment. Set in a historic three-story brick building that was built in 1821 along the cotton exchange, the restaurant features a stunning main dining space with centuries-old brick walls, rough-hewn wood and brick accents, comfortable banquette seating, and a full-service bar with industrial shelving. A charming sidewalk patio is perfect for alfresco dining and a basement wine cellar with thick walls, a low timber ceiling, and rail steel tables. Chef James Boyce creates sublime dishes such as braised black Angus beef short ribs with McEwen grits, J.T. Pollard cornmeal-crusted Apalachicola oysters, and Kodiak Island Alaskan halibut with abalone mushrooms. An extensive wine list features 500 labels is available to enjoy with the cuisine by the glass or bottle, along with handcrafted cocktails made with top-shelf spirits and a range of craft beers.
100 Southside Square, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-382-9500
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4. Hildegard's German Cuisine
Located in the Pama Shopping Center on Whitesburg Drive, Hildegard’s German Cuisine is a low-key, casual restaurant that specializes in traditional German cuisine and imported beers. Established over a decade ago, the locally-owned and operated restaurant serves a variety of German cuisine, such as schnitzels, sausages, sauerkraut, and Laugen Bavarian pretzels. Dishes are crafted from scratch by hand using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and authentic German recipes and are accompanied by imported German beers and casual wines from around the world. Browse our places to visit in Alabama guide for more ideas.
2357 Whitesburg Dr, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-512-9776
5. Nick's Ristorante, Huntsville
Nick's Ristorante is an upscale Italian restaurant with elegant surroundings that specializes in Northern Italian cuisine, fresh seafood, and prime steaks in a warm bistro-like setting. The warm and welcoming dining room has comfortable décor and a friendly, vibrant ambiance, and a casual cigar lounge is ideal for relaxing over drinks and cigars. The menu features traditional Italian fare cooked from old-country recipes with such as antipasti plates of bruschetta, meats and cheese, handmade pasta and wood-fired pizzas, ample helpings of gnocchi and house-made sausage, and 100% certified Angus beef steaks and grilled vegetables. A wine list offers easy-drinking wines to complement the food, along with imported and local beers, and desserts shouldn’t be missed! Nick's Ristorante is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
10300 Bailey Cove Rd SE, Huntsville, AL 35803, Phone: 256-489-8280
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6. Ol Heidelberg Cafe
Located in the University Place Shopping Centre, Ol’ Heidelberg is a traditional German restaurant that has been serving authentic German cuisine since 1972. Owned by the Schrader family, the restaurant is one of the oldest and most recognized restaurants in Huntsville and has been drawing both locals and visitors alike with their outstanding cuisine, fine wines, and gracious hospitality. Signature dishes on the menu include Wiener Schnitzel, Schnitzel Cordon Bleu, Beef Rouladen, Pork Stroganoff, and Goulash, and sausage platters heave with Bratwurst, Knackwurst, Rauckwurst, Bratwurst Heidelberg, and Bratwurst Jarlsberg. The fare is accompanied by imported German beers, and casual wines from around the world.
6125 University Dr, Huntsville, AL 35806, Phone: 256-922-0556
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7. Phuket Thai Restaurant and Sushi
Phuket Thai Restaurant and Sushi brings the varied tastes and flavors of the Far East to the heart of Huntsville with authentic Thai cuisine and fresh handmade sushi. Boasting a modern dining space with minimalist décor and a cosmopolitan atmosphere, the restaurant has gained a reputation for serving best Thai cuisine in town with a menu of traditional Thai cuisine. Dishes range from soups, salads, and handmade sushi to pad Thai, curries, rice and noodle dishes, satays, fresh seafood platters, and house specialties such as Spicy Catfish, Grilled Ribeye with Chili Dipping Sauce, and Drunken Noodle Seafood.
475 Providence Main St NW Ste 102, Huntsville, AL 35806, Phone: 256-829-8800
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8. Purveyor Huntsville
Purveyor Huntsville is the latest addition to downtown Huntsville’s dining scene and offers an unrivaled dining experience like no other. Located in The Avenue, Purveyor serves upmarket American fare and a variety of local craft beers, unique bourbons, and exclusive one-of-a-kind wines in a stylish, brick-lined space with a romantic ambiance. The restaurant boasts a lively, comfortable dining space with wood, copper, and brass accents, a long wooden bar, and tables made from a single, enormous oak tree, luxurious burgundy velvet high-backed banquettes, and a century-old stained-glass door from a church in Alabama. The bar serves an extensive selection of local craft beer, casual wines from around the world, and classic handcrafted cocktails.
201 Jefferson St N, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-419-2555
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9. Terranova's
Terranova’s offers a genuinely original Italian experience with a menu of authentic Italian cuisine, a wine list of globally-inspired vintages from around the world, and gracious hospitality. Perfect for a romantic dinner or celebration of love, Terranova’s is helmed by owner Dan Oliver, who utilizes fresh, organic ingredients from local purveyors to create mouthwatering dishes of Italian fare such as house-made pasta, prime meat, and fresh seafood and crisp salads. Signature entrées include fettuccine alfredo, chicken marsala, chicken scaloppini, lasagna, spaghetti, and a seafood platter of blue crab claw meat, sauteed shrimp, and bay scallops known as Lombardi. Desserts include strawberry tiramisu, Italian cream pie, cannoli, and a chocolate creation called Mount Vesuvius. The full-service bar offers casual Italian wines, craft beers, and creative specialty drinks.
1420 Paramount Dr #1, Huntsville, AL 35806, Phone: 256-489-8883
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10. The Bottle
The Bottle is a sophisticated, upscale bar and eatery that serves seasonal New American cuisine with Southern accents and French influences in a sleek dining space. The French-influenced eatery specializes in fresh seafood and prime steaks with signature dishes of jumbo lump Maryland style crab cakes, Hereford Choice beef steaks, rack of lamb, and freshly shucked raw oysters. Chefs Andy Howery and Chris McDonald creates seasonally changing menus of delicious dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients and regional produce. The cuisine is accompanied by local and imported craft and draft beers, casual wines by the glass and the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails.
101 Washington St NE, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-704-5555
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11. Connors Steak & Seafood
Located in the Bridge Street Town Centre, Connors Steak & Seafood specializes in dry-aged steaks and fresh seafood, as well as house-made pasta and gourmet salads. The family-friendly restaurant features several dining spaces with modern décor in dark wood, fireplaces, and large windows with beautiful lake views. Appetizers range from pan-seared ahi tuna, truffled devil’s eggs, and batter-fried mushrooms followed by entrées of the finest prime steaks, succulent chops, and fresh seafood and creamy pasta dishes. The cuisine is accompanied by local and imported craft and draft beers, casual wines by the glass and the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails.
345 The Bridge St # 101, Huntsville, AL 35806, Phone: 256-327-8425
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12. Four Leaves Asian Restaurant, Huntsville
Four Leaves Asian Restaurant is a modern restaurant that brings the tastes and flavors of Asian to the heart of Huntsville. The contemporary eatery features a spacious dining room and a sushi bar where expert sushi chefs prepare sushi, sashimi, nigiri and rolls with fresh, local and imported ingredients. Entrées range from General Tso's Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Kong Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Green Curry Chicken, and Spicy Mango Shrimp. The menu also features Bento Boxes of soup, salad, seasonal tempura, teppanyaki, hibachi, sashimi, California rolls, and other fresh seafood dishes. The bar serves a variety of teas, juices, mocktails, and coffee.
7044 University Dr. NW A, Huntsville, AL 35806, Phone: 256-429-9393
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The 12 Best Restaurants in Huntsville, Alabama near me today according to local experts are:
- 1. 1892 East Restaurant & Tavern
- 2. Commerce Kitchen
- 3. Cotton Row
- 4. Hildegard's German Cuisine
- 5. Nick's Ristorante, Huntsville
- 6. Ol Heidelberg Cafe
- 7. Phuket Thai Restaurant and Sushi
- 8. Purveyor Huntsville
- 9. Terranova's
- 10. The Bottle
- 11. Connors Steak & Seafood
- 12. Four Leaves Asian Restaurant, Huntsville
More Ideas: Burritt on the Mountain
Burritt on the Mountain is a historic mansion and park overlooking Huntsville. The mansion on site was the retirement home of William H Burritt. This eccentric home, built in 1934, does not adhere to any one architectural style, but is a mix of art deco, beaux arts, federal and classic revival design. The wood and stone home, built in 1934, was uniquely shaped to take advantage of the surrounding views. The mansion is complete with historical artifacts, including the restored DeSoto automobile belonging to Dr. Burritt.
The museum hosts rotating exhibits, most of which educate guests on the history and culture of northern Alabama. A historical area of the park offers six authentic early 19th-century structures, including a church from 1884, originally located in downtown Madison, Alabama, a blacksmith shop, and an old schoolhouse building. A Tennessee barn from the 1890s is also part of the exhibit, as is the Joel Eddins House, an authentic log home from 1810. Costumed interpreters educate visitors on farm life in the early 1800s through demonstrations, hands-on activities, and conversations. Authentic artifacts and live animals such as goat, sheep, horses, and chickens bring the farm exhibit to life. Visitors learn about each animal’s purpose on the farm as well as Dr. Burritt’s penchant for goat’s milk later in life. Nature trails surrounding the park offer hiking on a variety of terrain. The Rock Bluff Trail circles Round Top Mountain, an outcrop of the Monte Sano plateau, and offers spectacular views. Discovery trails connect Rock Bluff with some of the Monte Sano State Park trails, such as the Trough Springs Trail or the Big Cove Turnpike Trail. Hikers may pass historical coalmines, limestone rock formations, wildflower fields, and wooded forests. The nature trails are popular with birders and are listed on the Huntsville and Madison County Birding Trail. A welcome center near the museum’s main parking lot provides restrooms, water, and snacks for hikers.
History: William Henry Burritt was a homeopathic physician born in Huntsville in 1869. When his wife Josie passed in 1933, he inherited the majority of her estate in Huntsville, where he built himself a retirement home on 167 acres known as Round Top Mountain. Dr. Burritt lived in the home, farming and raising goats, until his death in 1955. Having no heirs to pass the estate to, he instead donated the mansion and property to the City of Huntsville to become its first museum. The 19th-century historic park was added to the land by the city between 1964 and 2007, in the interest of preserving the structures and educating the public. Dr. Burritt’s mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The Joel Eddins House, a 19th-century hall and parlor log home in the historic park, is the only other structure in the park to be listed on the National Register, and received this designation in 1996.
Ongoing Programs and Education: Visitors can browse through the mansion, historic park, and trails on a self-guided tour or guided group tour. Historical demonstrations take place in the historic park each Saturday, including blacksmithing demonstrations, wool spinning, and more. For children, a variety of day camps, school group tours, and curriculum guides are available. For adults, Folklife Workshops teach traditional skills and crafts such as leather working and basket weaving. Distance learning programs bring video conference workshops to both kids and adults. Featured events include the Folklife Festival, which showcases artists and craftspeople working in traditional 19th and early 20th-century crafts and arts. The family-friendly festival offers demonstrations, traditional Appalachian dancing, and open hearth cooking. Spring Farm Days offer family-friendly activities such as old-fashioned games, quilting, and canning contests. Interactive demonstrations include sheep shearing, the use of antique farm equipment, butter churning, and mattress stuffing. Blues with a View is an outdoor summer musical performance. The sunset concert offers food, drink, and entertainment. Guests roast marshmallows, enjoy dancing, and the view. The winter holidays bring a variety of events to the museum, such as Kris Kringle’s Candlelight Christmas, a visit from Santa at the mansion, and the Sander’s Family Christmas Play, an annual musical celebration. Holiday Magic Dinners are an annual fundraising event that offers chef-catered dinners in the mansion as well as at one of the cozy log cabins in the historic park.
3101 Burritt Drive SE, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-536-2882
More Ideas: EarlyWorks Children’s Museum
Located in Huntsville, Alabama, EarlyWorks Children’s Museum caters to the education and exploration of children. Through EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, children have the opportunity to learn about history, specifically Alabama’s history, in a fun and exciting way.
Since EarlyWorks Children’s Museum was founded, the museum has actively promoted the education and exploration of children. EarlyWorks Children’s Museum encourages children to learn about various subjects, specifically history, in a fun and engaging way. This museum was designed with children in mind, and the notion that most kids learn the best with hands-on activities. Thus, kids are encouraged to touch, climb, and examine, and explore at EarlyWorks Children’s Museum.
Since every exhibit at EarlyWorks Children’s Museum is hands-on, and interactive intensive, it’s hard to depict with words what lies in EarlyWorks Children’s Museum. Between that notion, and the notion that exploration should be new and curiosity sparking, there is little to no information about what is inside that EarlyWorks Children’s Museum.
Although little is known about what exactly lies within the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, visitors can expect a unique and extremely interactive experience. One of the highlighted attractions at the museum is the Talking Tree, which reads stories to visitors. Another fun and anticipated attraction is the giant-sized instruments that kids have the opportunity to explore and play with. If your child enjoys building and transportation, then they will love the Kidstruction Zone that includes a 46 foot Keelboat and a Hardware Store.
Other interesting attractions that can be found within the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum includes a full shopping area, where kids have the opportunity to play shop, as well the Federal House, which allows children to try on period clothing from the 1800s, which is a one of a kind learning experience for a children’s museum.
Although most of the interactive attractions are catered towards children five and older, there are a select amount of attractions for pre-schoolers. One of these attractions is Biscuit’s Backyard, which is an area full of gardens, stores, and fun activities like karaoke that are fun and easy for toddlers and their parents. The activities within Biscuit’s Backyard promote the fundamentals within touch-and-learn curriculum.
Since the entire EarlyWorks Children’s Museum is overall one large educational opportunity, the specialized educational programs at EarlyWorks Children’s Museum is minimal. EarlyWorks Children’s Museum does provide specialized tours for large groups or field trips. While the participants in the tour will still get to explore what they want throughout the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, a specialized tour guide will create fun activities and stimulations throughout the museum that the entire group can participate in and enjoy. Thus, their experience at the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum is enhanced. Also, tour guides are trained to relate information from the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum back to what is being taught in school. So, students can connect what they learn at the museum to the classroom, and realize that information can be learned in new and fun ways.
The other popular educational opportunity at the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum is the overnight adventure. During the overnight adventure, participants have the opportunity to explore and interact with the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum in a new way. The overnight stay starts with a welcome dinner and then begins with a mystery game that will take a few twists and turns to solve. Through the historic mystery, participants can expect to travel in the keelboat, survive a mine explosion, explore a haunted log cabin, and search through the old courthouse. After solving the mystery, participants will sleep in the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum in a sleeping bag. When they wake up, participants can enjoy a continental breakfast and discussion about the mystery they just solved.Also, participants can walk away with a free t-shirt and a free ticket to the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum during the museum’s regular hours of operation. It’s important to note that the Overnight Adventure program requires a minimum of thirty people. Also, while all children must be accompanied by an adult, one free chaperone ticket is provided for every ten student tickets.
404 Madison St SE, Huntsville, AL 35801, Phone: 256-564-8100
