Alpha Charlie Grill

from Bham Family - August 2022

Ward Williams gives advice

Now Boarding: Alpha Charlie Grill

A new plane-themed restaurant lands near the Birmingham airport

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DANIEL HARP

A new culinary spot from Brian Kemp, owner of Kemp’s Kitchen in Gardendale, recently took flight near the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport. Alpha Charlie Grill, an airplane-themed establishment complete with old jet parts and a tongue-in-cheek menu, is fun and delicious.

Inventive entrepreneur Brian’s latest venture is located on East Lake Boulevard offers up-close views of takeoffs and landings, where, says marketing director Daniel Harp, “You can feel the building shake when a big jet takes off.”

Though patrons can certainly wave to passengers high above them, there’s plenty of plane parts and pieces inside the building to hold your attention, too. Chairs, tables, and a bar crafted from jet metal anchor the space; a set of functional exit doors signals the way to the restrooms. Look up, and you’ll find the roof of a plane with lights and exit signs. An airport tower with a wind sock and working lights, from Mobile Regional Airport, stakes claim on the restaurant’s patio along with crowd-pleasing cornhole to pass the time before the food comes.

All the aviation features are a fun draw for

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families, especially kids who love to watch the planes. Their meals—child-friendly fare like chicken fingers and grilled cheese from the “CoPilots” menu—are served in plane-shaped meal boxes with a cookie. Because of its proximity to their operations, Alpha Charlie serves lots of military during the week, as well.

For the big flyers, Alpha Charlie has a selection of appetizers from the “Taxi” section that includes Cheese Curds and Tarmac Fries (fried pickles). The “Take Off” offers a salad, wrap, and soup du jour—“Puddle Jumper”— while “In-Flight” choices range from sandwiches to pizza and burgers (there’s a black bean option for vegetarians). The Refueler has been a top seller, with its bison burger patty and Havarti cheese. The massive Warthog addition, halfpound cheeseburger topped with brisket and slathered in barbecue sauce, is definitely large enough to share.

Though you might be to stuffed from the main meal, grab a made-from-scratch dessert to go from Alpha Charlie’s offerings like coconut pie or strawberry cake.

The ”Redeye” breakfast menu is fun and filling, with the Waffle Flight and PreDeployment Breakfast (eggs, meat, and bread), plus an omelet, tacos, and biscuits and sides to round out the choices.

Currently serving breakfast hours through late lunch, Alpha Charlie hopes to extend their hours to dinnertime soon, and they’re also available for event bookings. Either way, if you find yourself on a little layover, be sure to pop in for some flight sighting and good food soon!