ALABAMA EATS: El Barrio’s Southern spin on Mexican cuisine (Video)

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June 18, 2014

(Video Above: The Alabama Eats crew checks out El Barrio)

Set on downtown’s quickly emerging 2nd Ave. North, El Barrio offers an exciting, Southern spin on Mexican cuisine. With its urban design and locally sourced ingredients, the restaurant seeks to bridge the gap between the typical Mexican restaurant and a bustling bar and grill.

Just one step inside and your eyes are met with warm distressed wood, custom iron work and inventive lighting, all contrasted by a huge wall of vibrant Mexican street art. Their fresh, inventive menu is brimming with bold flavors and regional classics.

“The philosophy that we try to bring to our restaurant is that you get top-notch service in that our staff does a great job of knowing the ingredients without being pretentious, without being in a stuffy environment,” said Chris Cullen, one of El Barrio’s owners. “You get some higher end cuisine at a little bit of a lower price. In some of our dishes there’s a little bit of a Southern spin — some classic Mexican ingredients done a little differently.”

Not hungry? No worries. Belly up to their outstretched concrete bar or gather with friends in the front lounge area and enjoy a seasonal margarita or local craft beer.

Alabama Eats’ host AJ Johnson hit El Barrio this week to find out why it’s one of the hottest restaurants in Birmingham’s re-emerging downtown area. As you’ll see in the video above, it didn’t disappoint.