You’re walking through Town Center Colonnade, and that specific, yeasty smell hits you. It’s heavy on the garlic. It’s definitely heavy on the baking dough. If you’ve lived in Birmingham for more than a week, you know exactly where that’s coming from. Pies and Pints Birmingham has become this weirdly consistent staple in a city that usually prides itself on "Keep It Local" grit and James Beard-awarded fine dining.
But here’s the thing. It’s a chain. Well, a "regional boutique chain," if we’re being fancy.
Usually, Birmingham foodies turn their noses up at anything that started in West Virginia, but this place has stayed packed since the day it opened its doors in the Liberty Park/459 area. Why? Honestly, it’s because Birmingham is a beer town that occasionally forgets to eat, and Pies and Pints figured out the exact math of craft taps versus weird pizza toppings.
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The Identity Crisis That Works
Most pizza joints want to be New York style or Neapolitan. Pies and Pints Birmingham doesn’t really care about your authenticity standards. They do this hybrid sourdough crust that’s surprisingly thin but has enough structural integrity to hold up things like grapes or cashews.
Yeah, you heard me. Grapes.
The Grape Pie is basically the litmus test for whether or not you're a "regular" here. It sounds like a mistake—red grapes, gorgonzola, and rosemary. It's the kind of thing you order on a dare and then realize, halfway through your second pint of TrimTab Paradise Now, that it’s actually a stroke of genius. The sweetness of the fruit cuts right through the funk of the gorgonzola. It’s polarizing. Some people think it’s a crime against Italy. Others won't order anything else.
Why the Beer List at Pies and Pints Birmingham Matters
Let’s talk about the "Pints" half. Birmingham has a massive brewery scene. You’ve got Avondale, Good People, Cahaba, Ghost Train—the list goes on. If a restaurant moves into this zip code and puts Bud Light on the primary tap, they’re dead in the water.
Pies and Pints survives because they actually curate.
They don't just slap a few locals on the menu to look "neighborhood-y." They rotate. On any given Tuesday, you might find a high-gravity Scotch Ale sitting next to a super-limited sour from a brewery three miles down the road. The staff usually knows their stuff, too. You can ask, "What’s not going to overpower this spicy Thai pizza?" and they won't look at you like you have three heads. They'll probably point you toward a crisp pilsner or a specific IPA that handles the heat.
The bar itself is the heart of the Colonnade location. It’s loud. It’s industrial. It’s got that specific "after-work-at-Grandview" energy where half the people are in scrubs and the other half are in business casual, all trying to forget their emails.
The Menu Is a Fever Dream of Toppings
If you’re looking for a plain cheese pizza, sure, they’ll make it for you. But you’re kind of missing the point.
- The Thai Pizza: This one uses a spicy peanut sauce base. It’s got shrimp, toasted coconut, and lime. It’s messy. It’s aggressive. If you hate cilantro, stay far away.
- Pineapple? No, Chipotle Chicken: They use a chipotle crema that actually has a bit of a kick. It isn't that "Midwest spicy" that’s just black pepper; it actually lingers.
- The Steak and Mushroom: This feels like the "dad" pizza. It’s heavy, savory, and uses caramelized onions to do the heavy lifting.
They also do these charred wings. Most places deep-fry wings until they're basically leather, but here they’re dry-rubbed and baked. They come out with these blackened bits that are salty and smoky. Honestly, sometimes the wings are better than the pizza. Especially if you get the sriracha ones.
What People Get Wrong About the Location
The Colonnade isn't exactly "downtown cool." It’s a shopping center off Highway 280. For anyone who doesn't live in Birmingham, 280 is our version of Dante’s Inferno. It is a legendary stretch of traffic that can turn a ten-minute drive into a forty-minute existential crisis.
People assume Pies and Pints Birmingham is just a "convenience" spot for the suburban crowd. But that’s a lazy take.
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The reality is that the Colonnade location acts as a bridge. It’s where the people living in Vestavia or Mountain Brook meet their friends who are coming from Inverness or Chelsea. It’s central. It’s accessible. And unlike some of the spots in Avondale or Five Points, you can actually find a parking spot without wanting to scream into the void.
The "Boutique" Factor vs. The Local Legends
Birmingham has incredible pizza. You have Post Office Pies in Avondale with their wood-fired crust. You have Davenport’s in Mountain Brook for that old-school, thin-cut nostalgia. You have Filling Station.
So, where does Pies and Pints fit?
It fits in the "I want a really good beer and a pizza that isn't greasy" category. It’s cleaner than a dive bar but more relaxed than a formal sit-down Italian spot. It’s the middle ground. It’s where you go when you can’t decide if you want to be healthy (they have surprisingly good salads with house-made vinaigrettes) or if you want to consume 2,000 calories of carbs and craft malt.
The service is hit or miss, though. Let's be real. It's a high-volume spot. On a Friday night, the kitchen can get backed up. You might wait forty minutes for a large pie while you’re staring at the tap handles. If you're starving, order the pork nachos immediately. They come out fast, they use black beans and jalapenos, and they'll keep you from getting "hangry" while the oven does its thing.
Not Just for Pizza Lovers
One thing that gets overlooked is the sandwich menu. The Garden Grinder is a sleeper hit. Most people ignore it because, well, "Pies" is in the name. But they use a focaccia-style bread that they toast until it’s crunchy, and the balsamic reduction they put on it is legit.
Also, if you're gluten-free, Birmingham is a tough city. A lot of the local pizza spots have "okay" GF crusts that taste like cardboard. The Pies and Pints GF crust is actually decent. It doesn't shatter into a million pieces the moment you pick it up. That matters.
A Note on the Atmosphere
It’s loud. If you’re looking for a romantic, quiet date spot where you can whisper sweet nothings over a candle, this isn't it. The acoustics in there are... let's say "energetic." Between the industrial ceilings and the constant clinking of pint glasses, you’re going to be talking at a slightly elevated volume.
But that’s part of the charm. It feels like a community hub. You’ll see families with kids (yes, it’s kid-friendly, they have high chairs and the "classic" pizzas for picky eaters) sitting right next to a group of guys watching the Braves game on the TVs above the bar.
The Logistics of Visiting
If you're planning to go, here is the ground truth.
Lunch is the secret pro move. You can get a slice and a salad combo that is actually affordable and won't leave you in a food coma for your 2:00 PM meeting. Dinner? Get there before 6:00 PM or be prepared to hang out at the bar for a while. They don't take traditional reservations in the way a steakhouse does, so it’s first-come, first-served.
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The prices are fair. You aren't getting a $5 Little Caesars pizza, but you aren't paying "fine dining" prices either. A large specialty pie is going to run you in the mid-to-high $20s, but it’s enough to feed two or three people easily.
What to Do Next
If you’ve never been to Pies and Pints Birmingham, or if you’ve been avoiding it because you think it’s "just another chain," give it one fair shot.
- Skip the Pepperoni: You can get that anywhere. Try the Chicken Gouda or the Pine and Swine (pineapple and bacon, don't judge).
- Check the Chalkboard: The tap list changes faster than the printed menu. Look for the "High Gravity" or "Limited Release" sections if you want something unique to the Birmingham beer scene.
- Park in the Back: The front lot of the Colonnade is a nightmare. There is almost always a spot if you loop around toward the side.
- Order the Wings: Seriously. Even if you're there for pizza, get a small order of the charred wings.
This place isn't trying to be the most "authentic" Italian experience in Alabama. It’s trying to be a place where you can get a weird pizza and a world-class beer in a comfortable booth. In that specific mission, they are absolutely nailing it.