Alabama's Oldest Restaurant Is A Family-Run Charmer Serving Greek Southern Comfort Food

For the last 118 years, The Bright Star Restaurant has captured the hearts (and stomachs!) of its many patrons. Known as Alabama's oldest restaurant, The Bright Star sits in the city of Bessemer, a 20-minute drive away from the artsy city of Birmingham and 45 minutes from Tuscaloosa. With mouthwatering flagship dishes, such as the Greek-style snapper and steak, and a friendly staff focused on treating customers as family, the Bright Star — now a historical landmark in Alabama — is definitely a must-stop spot when traveling through the American South.

The Bright Star has grown from just a 25-seat establishment back in the day to a whopping 330-seat restaurant at 304 19th Street North. And just like America's oldest family-owned restaurant, it boasts a deep, century-old family history. Its original founder in 1907 was Tom Bonduris, who was later succeeded as head of the business by his cousins from Greece, Bill and Pete Koikos. Nowadays, Nicky Koikos, Stacey Craig, and Andreas Anastassakis — all blood relatives — continue running The Bright Star.

The Bright Star has also earned many prestigious awards throughout the years thanks to its one-of-a-kind food as well as its first-class service. These awards include the Alabama Restaurant of the Year (2011 to 2012) and the James Beard Award, among others. According to customers on Tripadvisor, The Bright Star offers excellent food, served with a side of unforgettable Southern hospitality.

The Bright Star starts its days welcoming a fresh stock of seafood straight from the Gulf Coast — where Alabama's underrated seafood capital stands. The many signature dishes at the restaurant, such as roast beef and seafood gumbo, combine Southern and Greek cuisines for a unique culinary experience not found anywhere else.

One of the restaurant's star dishes, though, is the fried snapper throats, which go back to the 1930s. Just as the name suggests, the meal consists of the fried throats of the snapper, a part of the fish normally thrown out as leftovers. However, the ingenious owners and chefs of the Bright Star discovered that the tender meat around the throat's bones could make for a fantastic meal. Soon after, the fried snapper throats became a beloved permanent item on the Bright Star's lunch menu, and in 2008, the dish was featured on Garden & Gun magazine's "100 Southern Foods You Absolutely, Positively Must Try Before You Die" list.

Of course, The Bright Star offers much more than just seafood. Some other items on its menu include Greek-style beef tips and chicken with a side of rice pilaf, among others. Appetizers such as the seafood gumbo cups and bowls are other customer favorites. However, no Southern meal would be complete without a slice of pie for dessert. Fortunately, the Bright Star's menu features lemon, chocolate, and pineapple cheese pies, as well as traditional pecan pies to finish off your meal with a bang.

The Bright Star's main dining room is decorated with elegant marble floors, hand-painted murals, mirrors, stained-glass booths, and other charming details. The murals were painted by a European artist long ago in exchange for housing and food, and they have gone through some restoration throughout the years. The room's sleek elegance transports customers back to the 1900s, without feeling dated.

Vintage wall photos add to the place's nostalgic and historical feel, while the menus that were used during the 1930s and 1940s can also be seen framed in the Bright Star's lobby, adding to the restaurant's iconic 20th-century nostalgia. Once you've had your fill of fried snapper throats and other Southern-Greek dishes, it's time to explore Bessemer. 

The city is home to one of the state's most popular amusement parks, Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure, as well as being filled with tons of opportunities for shopping. Hotels near the Bright Star include the Best Western Plus Bessemer Hotel & Suites, with rooms starting at around $70 per night.  Another option is the Hamilton Inn Bessemer, with nightly rates starting at around $83. Bessemer can be easily reached from the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport just a short 20-mile drive away.