The Bright Star never disappoints! The staff is the best in the business. Leigh is fantastic and always goes above and beyond. The food is delicious. We love going to The Bright Star!!
Dana Smith Aycock
So Happy my Mother and I made a trip to Birmingham and drove down to Bessemer . It was our first time to Eat at the Bright Star . I can’t say enough how much we enjoyed our Dinner . Jenny S was our waitress and she was magnificent ! What a Great Experience ! We will be back .
RonF
Well let me ay this I am 53 years old and have lived here all my life and can't believe that I went for my first time the other night. I will be back soon . If I had known the food was that good I would have been there a lot sooner. I can't wait to get back.
DaveE
I decided to take my wife to the Bright Star for our 25th Wedding Anniversary dinner. The food was good, but not great. The bread in the basket was stale. The entrees we're vastly over-priced for what we received. It has a big-time reputation, but the current restaurant is hardly worth the money. We drove about 75 miles (round trip) for the night at the Bright Star, but it was probably my last time to go there, unless someone else is paying. I was hoping our table service would be impeccable/professional, but I found it to be no better than what I would get at Chilis, or Lone Star Steakhouse. Nothing wrong with the service, but it wasn't a notch above (like the dinner prices) like I was expecting.
JohnP
Once again outstanding in all respects! After a personally perceived slow and slight decline in food quality and service the Bright Star has made a wonderful turnaround and once again ranks as one of the 2 or 3 top restaurants in the Birmingham Metro area. More than worth the issue of going to Bessemer to visit them. I've always loved the atmosphere there that evokes memories of the classic restaurants of days gone by. The food at the Bright Star offers something different for every tastebud from bland to wow, and the entire staff are all well schooled to make your dining experience second to none. Yes, I really like this place and I'm sure you will too.
Exceptional
This is advertised as the oldest restaurant in Birmingham which I guess is trying to indicate that it has been good enough to stay around for a while. We thought the food was very good and the service was outstanding. The place itself though left a bit to be desired. It came off feeling a lot like a diner that had been chopped into multiple areas. Calling numbers and names over an intercom made the diner feel even worse. If you are looking for a place for a nice quite romantic diner, find somewhere else. If you are looking for a diner with very good food, good drinks and exceptional service at almost fine dining prices, this is the place.
DaBubba
Never a disappointment! All four entrees were great, we just had too many enticing choices. Our server was obviously a long timer. Her teasing guidance was very welcome and helpful. Not living in the Birmingham area, it has been a while since we have been to The Bright Star. It was worth the wait and we won't be gone so long again!
Birthday64
We had a great dining experience at the Bright Star. Reservation was made and we were seated at the exact time. Our server did an outstanding job. The food was wonderful and everything served at the just the right time and temperature. Would highly recommend the Bright Star for fine dining at a reasonable price. An overall great experience and we will definitely be making a return visit.
Japerl
We hadn't been in on a couple of years but the food and service were wonderful. The fish was delicious and plentiful. Our server, Amber, was attentive and instrumental in our dining experience.
I easily ate twice my weight here Friday night. I had the stuffed mushrooms and the baked jumbo stuffed shrimp. It was the BEST seafood I have had. Had I not eaten so much during my mail meal, I would have quickly ordered a dessert as well. I highly recommend this to any person or group. It was such a neat part of Birmingham history, the service was wonderful, and again, the food was out of this world! I will definitely be going back.
All you have to say is "want to go to the Bright Star ?" And people you don't even know will say yes! Old school (108 years) can't be found anywhere else. Great food, ambiance and service! Great lunch too.
KenP
Hard to go wrong at Bright star. Focus is on food and great service rather than fancy silverware and linens. You'll see a wide mix of dress here. Snapper Almondine superb. In the middle of run down Bessemer. Well lit and felt safe outside though.
Katywompass
We scheduled our table ahead of time and basically walked right in to our table in Coach Bryant's Room at that! Food is always wonderful and service is excellent. The crab claws when in season are huge. They're the best in the state!
Ktcpiano
It's wonderful to experience people who truly take the utmost pride in their work, and you see this immediately upon entering The Bright Star. The food is reliably excellent, and the service is personal and attentive. The crowd on Father's Day was insane, but they handled it efficiently. The food came from the kitchen quickly, and the quality was high. The service also remained strong in spite of the fact that the restaurant was wall-to-wall with people.
I haven't been to bright star in a few years but it doesn't seem the same. Made reservations for 1pm and didn't get seated until 1:30. I was not the only one who had to wait with reservations. I understand fathers day was a busy day but, what's the point of reservations if they are not organized to do it? The food was average. Had the sirloin beef tips over rice that tasted like beef stew meet in some gravy over rice. For the price, I expected better than what I would make in the crockpot and serve to my family faster work. I can't speak for the other dishes (they didn't appeal to me to order them) and maybe they were better. The place was so crowded the staff looked uncomfortable trying to move around to do their jobs. The staff was very friendly and attentive. They get five stars for their service in such hectic conditions.
The Bright Star never disappoints! The staff is the best in the business. Leigh is fantastic and always goes above and beyond. The food is delicious. We love going to The Bright Star!!
So Happy my Mother and I made a trip to Birmingham and drove down to Bessemer . It was our first time to Eat at the Bright Star . I can’t say enough how much we enjoyed our Dinner . Jenny S was our waitress and she was magnificent ! What a Great Experience ! We will be back .
Well let me ay this I am 53 years old and have lived here all my life and can't believe that I went for my first time the other night. I will be back soon . If I had known the food was that good I would have been there a lot sooner. I can't wait to get back.
I decided to take my wife to the Bright Star for our 25th Wedding Anniversary dinner. The food was good, but not great. The bread in the basket was stale. The entrees we're vastly over-priced for what we received. It has a big-time reputation, but the current restaurant is hardly worth the money. We drove about 75 miles (round trip) for the night at the Bright Star, but it was probably my last time to go there, unless someone else is paying. I was hoping our table service would be impeccable/professional, but I found it to be no better than what I would get at Chilis, or Lone Star Steakhouse. Nothing wrong with the service, but it wasn't a notch above (like the dinner prices) like I was expecting.
Once again outstanding in all respects! After a personally perceived slow and slight decline in food quality and service the Bright Star has made a wonderful turnaround and once again ranks as one of the 2 or 3 top restaurants in the Birmingham Metro area. More than worth the issue of going to Bessemer to visit them. I've always loved the atmosphere there that evokes memories of the classic restaurants of days gone by. The food at the Bright Star offers something different for every tastebud from bland to wow, and the entire staff are all well schooled to make your dining experience second to none. Yes, I really like this place and I'm sure you will too.
This is advertised as the oldest restaurant in Birmingham which I guess is trying to indicate that it has been good enough to stay around for a while. We thought the food was very good and the service was outstanding. The place itself though left a bit to be desired. It came off feeling a lot like a diner that had been chopped into multiple areas. Calling numbers and names over an intercom made the diner feel even worse. If you are looking for a place for a nice quite romantic diner, find somewhere else. If you are looking for a diner with very good food, good drinks and exceptional service at almost fine dining prices, this is the place.
Never a disappointment! All four entrees were great, we just had too many enticing choices. Our server was obviously a long timer. Her teasing guidance was very welcome and helpful. Not living in the Birmingham area, it has been a while since we have been to The Bright Star. It was worth the wait and we won't be gone so long again!
We had a great dining experience at the Bright Star. Reservation was made and we were seated at the exact time. Our server did an outstanding job. The food was wonderful and everything served at the just the right time and temperature. Would highly recommend the Bright Star for fine dining at a reasonable price. An overall great experience and we will definitely be making a return visit.
We hadn't been in on a couple of years but the food and service were wonderful. The fish was delicious and plentiful. Our server, Amber, was attentive and instrumental in our dining experience.
I easily ate twice my weight here Friday night. I had the stuffed mushrooms and the baked jumbo stuffed shrimp. It was the BEST seafood I have had. Had I not eaten so much during my mail meal, I would have quickly ordered a dessert as well. I highly recommend this to any person or group. It was such a neat part of Birmingham history, the service was wonderful, and again, the food was out of this world! I will definitely be going back.
Restaurantji Recommends
All you have to say is "want to go to the Bright Star ?" And people you don't even know will say yes! Old school (108 years) can't be found anywhere else. Great food, ambiance and service! Great lunch too.
Hard to go wrong at Bright star. Focus is on food and great service rather than fancy silverware and linens. You'll see a wide mix of dress here. Snapper Almondine superb. In the middle of run down Bessemer. Well lit and felt safe outside though.
We scheduled our table ahead of time and basically walked right in to our table in Coach Bryant's Room at that! Food is always wonderful and service is excellent. The crab claws when in season are huge. They're the best in the state!
It's wonderful to experience people who truly take the utmost pride in their work, and you see this immediately upon entering The Bright Star. The food is reliably excellent, and the service is personal and attentive. The crowd on Father's Day was insane, but they handled it efficiently. The food came from the kitchen quickly, and the quality was high. The service also remained strong in spite of the fact that the restaurant was wall-to-wall with people.
I haven't been to bright star in a few years but it doesn't seem the same. Made reservations for 1pm and didn't get seated until 1:30. I was not the only one who had to wait with reservations. I understand fathers day was a busy day but, what's the point of reservations if they are not organized to do it? The food was average. Had the sirloin beef tips over rice that tasted like beef stew meet in some gravy over rice. For the price, I expected better than what I would make in the crockpot and serve to my family faster work. I can't speak for the other dishes (they didn't appeal to me to order them) and maybe they were better. The place was so crowded the staff looked uncomfortable trying to move around to do their jobs. The staff was very friendly and attentive. They get five stars for their service in such hectic conditions.