At the corner of 3rd Avenue and 19th Street in historic downtown Bessemer, a neon sign crowns Alabama’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, illuminating the sidewalk below. Its red, shining letters read “The Bright Star Restaurant.” Behind The Bright’s Star’s shaded windows, Elvis croons, “Are you lonesome tonight?” and the warm glow of golden chandeliers reveals wood-lined murals of the old country.
The time-capsule restaurant was opened in 1907 by Greek immigrant Tom Bonduris and has been a cultural staple of the Bessemer community ever since. Over the course of a century, what started as a small café serving the members of a bustling mining town grew into an award-winning, nostalgic dining experience. Some of The Bright Star’s accolades include a Classic Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2010 and being named Alabama’s best local restaurant by Southern Living in 2023.
Being that historic landmarks and good food are of particular interest to me, dining at The Bright Star has been on my to-do list for quite some time. So, this past Friday, my friend Katelyn Hadder, a fellow Samford student native to the Birmingham area, and I traveled to Bessemer to experience all the restaurant had to offer at our credit cards’ expense.
The Bright Star’s menu features a variety of dishes, ranging from premium steaks to Greek-style chicken and seafood to Southern staples like fried chicken and hamburger steak. We began our meal with one of the Southern staples: fried green tomatoes topped with steamed Gulf shrimp, remoulade sauce, and house-made tomato salsa. The fried green tomatoes were the perfect thickness, with a fresh flavor and delicate, fried crust that did not spoil the rest of our supper. This paired well with the shrimp and the tangy and creamy remoulade sauce.
For our entrees, we followed the recommendation of our very accommodating waitress, Kristin, and ordered The Texas Special and the Fresh Florida Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp. The Texas Special is a rich, savory dish featuring Greek-style red snapper and beef tenderloin with Lobster and Crabmeat Au Gratin. The red snapper’s light and lemon-dressed flavor paired well with the butter-rich steak and softly sweet Lobster and Crabmeat Au Gratin. We ordered the Fresh Florida Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp fried and stuffed with crabmeat dressing and were very satisfied with our decision. Like the Texas special, the flavors melded in a savory balance that never felt too heavy to stomach.
After finishing our decadent and generous servings of appetizers and entrees, we split two slices of The Bright Stars’ famous pies for dessert. The lemon ice box pie and peanut butter pie were both incredible, and despite eating a slice the size of my head, I left the restaurant wanting more.
The Bright Star’s legacy and success make it one of the pillars upholding Greater Birmingham’s foodie-city status, and I hope that all Samford students take the opportunity to experience that legacy during their time here. In a magical metropolitan area where culture and history are as rich as the cuisine, The Bright Star shines among the best.
Staff Reporter
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