"A Highlands-trained chef's farm-to-table counter where the brisket panini took Alabama's best-sandwich title — go midday before the boardroom."
About brick & tin
The braised-brisket panini lands at $17, white barbecue sauce soaking into the pain de mie, and it is the reason most people first walk into brick & tin. Southern Living named it the best sandwich in Alabama, which is a tall claim in a state that takes barbecue personally. The room itself is a counter: you order at the register, you carry a number, you sit at a shared table under exposed brick and pressed tin.
What separates it from a deli is the sourcing. Produce, beef and bread are tracked to named local purveyors, the salads change with the season, and the soups rotate daily. For the wider Alabama scene, see our Birmingham dining guide, and for the smoke-and-sauce context behind that brisket, the Alabama barbecue and smoked-meat guide.
The Kitchen
Mauricio Papapietro runs the kitchen, and his pedigree is the tell: he was chef de cuisine at Frank Stitt's Highlands Bar and Grill, the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant winner, before opening brick & tin in 2009 to do fine-dining sourcing at lunch-counter prices. That training shows in the details. The braised-brisket panini pairs slow-cooked beef with caramelized onions and Alabama white barbecue sauce; the Chick & Tin sandwich and the Alabama summer salad of heirloom tomatoes with a field-pea, sweet-corn and basil toss round out the core menu.
The brisket panini runs $17 at the downtown location at 214 20th Street North, with most plates landing between $13 and $20 once a soup or salad is included. Papapietro's group has held the city's attention long enough to expand to Mountain Brook and, in 2026, Cahaba Heights. For sandwiches with a comparable French backbone, compare it against Chez Fonfon.
The Room
This is a daytime room, bright and casual, with roughly forty seats split between a window counter and communal tables. Conversation is easy; the soundtrack is the register and the panini press, not a playlist turned up to dinner volume. There is no dress code, no host stand and no table service. Lunch builds fast between noon and one, so a Highland Park regular will tell you to come at 11:30 or after 1:15. It reads as a neighbourhood lunchroom that happens to be run by a fine-dining alumnus.
Best for a Business Lunch
Book brick & tin for a working lunch when you want the food to be serious and the logistics to be invisible. The order-at-the-counter format means no waiting on a check when the meeting is over, the brisket panini travels well back to a desk, and the bill stays modest enough to expense without a second thought. It also suits a solo diner with a book: the communal tables make eating alone feel normal. For the wider shortlist, see our guide to the best restaurants for a business lunch, and the best tables for solo dining.
Not for
Not for a sit-down dinner or a date night. brick & tin is a counter-service lunch room that closes by early evening, with trays and shared tables, not tablecloths and reservations.
Frequently Asked
Is brick & tin worth it?
Yes, for what it is: a chef-driven lunch counter, not a special-occasion dinner. The braised-brisket panini earned Southern Living's best-sandwich-in-Alabama nod, and the farm-to-table sourcing is well above deli standard thanks to chef Mauricio Papapietro's Highlands Bar and Grill background. Go in expecting an excellent $13–20 lunch rather than a tasting menu and you will not be disappointed.
How hard is it to get a table at brick & tin?
There are no reservations. brick & tin is order-at-the-counter, so the only friction is the midday queue, which peaks between noon and one. Arrive before 11:45 or after 1:15 and you will walk straight up. Online ordering is available for pickup if you would rather skip the line entirely.
What is the dress code at brick & tin?
There is no dress code. It is a casual downtown lunch counter, so office wear, gym clothes and everything in between are equally at home. Seating is at a window counter and communal tables, which keeps the whole thing relaxed and quick.
What should I order at brick & tin?
Start with the braised-brisket panini with white barbecue sauce, the sandwich that made the place. The Chick & Tin and the seasonal Alabama summer salad of heirloom tomatoes and field peas are the other two to know. Each panini comes with a soup or salad, and the soups change daily, so ask what is on.
Is brick & tin good for a business lunch?
Yes. Book it for a working lunch when you want good food and zero logistics: you order at the counter, you are not waiting on a check, and the bill is easy to expense. See the rest of the city in our Birmingham dining guide for dinner-weight alternatives.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at brick & tin
Counter service. Walk in or order online; open lunch through early evening.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address214 20th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203
NeighbourhoodDowntown (214 20th St N)
CuisineFarm-to-Table American
Price$13–20 per person; brisket panini $17
Dress CodeNo rules
SeatingCounter & communal, ~40 seats
ReservationWalk-in; no reservations
