By Hanna Raskin
February 1, 2023
There’s nothing wrong with Bloody Marys and biscuit towers, but long before the South was brunch-obsessed, these restaurants had mastered hearty breakfast standards. Their skill is still on display most days of the week.
Fife’s Restaurant
Birmingham, Alabama
After Bogue’s closed in 2022, following an eighty-four-year run, Birminghamians weren’t sure where to go for breakfast. But Fife’s has been there nearly all along, having opened in 1959. The homey restaurant shifts to cafeteria service for lunch, but scrambles eggs and flips pancakes to order. Devotees are divided on sides: Some favor thick-skinned smoked sausage, while others are partial to sweet country ham.