10 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know About The Bright Star, Alabama's Oldest Restaurant
By Jennifer Young
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Published March 04, 2020
Alabama is home to many incredible restaurants, including The Bright Star in Bessemer. This award-winning restaurant has been serving customers since 1907, which makes it Alabama’s oldest restaurant. It’s also one of America’s best historic and most iconic restaurants. Even though these facts are well known, there are many you might not be familiar with. Listed below are 10 facts about The Bright Star that just might surprise you. Check them out!
1. When The Bright Star first opened for business in 1907, it was just a small cafe with a horseshoe-shaped bar.
2. Back then, it only offered 25 seats for its customers. Today, there are more than 300 seats waiting to be filled seven days a week.
3. The Bright Star specializes in Greek-influenced steak and seafood, and interestingly, its Broiled Seafood Platter was included on the list of "100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die."
4. For all new customers, this historic restaurant offers a free cup of its famous seafood gumbo, which has been voted the best gumbo in the Southeast.
5. According to the Alabama Cattlemen's Association, The Bright Star serves up the best steak in the state. (2012)
6. The restaurant's fresh Gulf seafood is delivered daily. It doesn't get much better than that, especially if you're a seafood lover.
7. The Bright Star has definitely seen its fair share of celebrities walk through the doors, including Sandra Bullock. Others include professional athletes, politicians, comedians, and more.
8. The restaurant's beautiful floors and hand-painted murals will definitely take you back to the early 1900s, the era in which the restaurant began.
9. In 1914, after outgrowing three previous locations, The Bright Star moved to its current spot in Bessemer.
10. And in 2010, it was the first Alabama restaurant to receive the James Beard Foundation's "America's Classic" award. The James Beard Foundation (JBF) Awards is widely known as "The Oscars of Food."
For more information about The Bright Star, you can view its website
here and its Facebook page
here . Hours: Everyday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch); Sunday-Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (dinner); Friday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (dinner); Bar Service, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Have you ever dined at The Bright Star in Bessemer, Alabama? If so, what did you think? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.
For additional information about The Bright Star, you’ll want to take a look at the following article: The Oldest Restaurant In Alabama Has A Truly Incredible History .
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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304 19th St N, Bessemer, AL 35020, USA