The summer of ‘24 in Calhoun County has been quite a scorcher. While it’s true that the concrete around here could literally fry an egg, the restaurants of Anniston, Alabama are promising to sizzle up some savory specials in their kitchens as we enter the 2nd Annual Downtown Anniston Restaurant Week 2024! This food-inspired celebration of culinary talent in Anniston will kick off Sunday, August 18, and run through Saturday, August 24. From brunches to lunches to dinners to desserts, plan on dining out at one or more of the participating restaurants to sample something new to their menus, get a discounted meal, or register for the chance to win prizes! 

A lot can change in a year in any downtown district looking to attract locals to all it has to offer. What’s amazing about Anniston’s 2nd Annual Restaurant Week 2024 is that in addition to seven of the restaurants that participated last year – Classic on Noble, Peerless Saloon and Grille, Besitos Mexican Kitchen, Effina’s Downtown, Coldwater Brewpub, Rack and Roll Billiards & Sports Bar, and Full Bellie Deli – four new places opened their doors or signed up to be a part. They include Below Zero Creamery, HMC 15th Cafe, Sinclair Social, and Lulu’s Place. Each of these 11 restaurants will put their best entrees forward during Restaurant Week with their menus available for perusal through Calhoun County Insight’s Restaurant Week Page.

Karla Eden of Main Street Anniston heads up the coordinating of this event, describing it as, “…a week where we’re taking the time to really highlight our restaurants and what we offer because not everyone knows what downtown restaurants we have. We’re blessed with the fact they are all locally owned instead of chain restaurants like some of the surrounding areas.”

Karla shared with Calhoun County Insight that a couple of new features will be added to the event to encourage feedback in order to track the economic impact of it on the area, as well as improve upon and grow it in years to come. One is a participant survey. Once customers dine at a participating restaurant during Restaurant Week, they will be able to scan a QR code on their ticket at check-out, which will take them to a survey. Answering the questions in the short survey will automatically enter them in a drawing to win prizes such as gift certificates and more. There will be table tents in the restaurants as well with details.

The other way to enter the drawings is by taking one or more photos of the food you ate while dining during restaurant week, creating a Facebook post, and including in your post the following hashtags: #ANNISTONEATS, #RESTAURANTWEEK2024. Prizes will be announced the Monday after Restaurant Week has concluded.

Participating Restaurants

Whether you are in the mood for some Southern comfort food, a smokey barbeque sandwich, a rustic Mexican plate, elevated Italian cuisine, a seafood feast, a classic American burger, or a decadent dessert, you need to know who is serving what during Restaurant Week. Check out our list of the restaurants taking part in Restaurant Week 2024 below, along with a brief description of each (Note: by clicking on the active headings, you’ll be taken to their Facebook pages to check their hours of operation, addresses, or gather additional details}.

Besitos Mexican Kitchen – Anniston: Traditional Mexican cuisine featuring authentic family recipes on classic favorites like burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, chimichangas, street tacos, fish tacos, and more. They will be running their Restaurant Week specials each weekday at lunch from the hours of 11:00 am – 2:30 pm. Learn more about them in our exclusive article here.

Below Zero Creamery: The newest cafe on the block specializes in rolled ice cream delights. They will have special discounts during Restaurant Week, and you can read our detailed account of all they have to offer here.

Coldwater Mountain Brewpub: This restaurant which sits on the edge of the Chief Ladiga biking trail offers original and local draft beer as well as a host of menu items from steak to seafood to salads to sandwiches and more. Learn more about them in our exclusive article here.

Classic on Noble: This Anniston favorite has offered the best in elevated fine dining-style cuisine, with their renowned Sunday Brunch being a staple for many years.

Effina’s Downtown: Tomato Citrus Scallops, Blackened VooDoo Redfish, Seafood Penne Pasta, and Ribeye & Shrimp Parmesan are just some of the enticing Italian specials you will encounter at this established Italian restaurant.

Full Bellie Deli: For an off-the-beaten-path deli, this one sure packs a punch in the loose meat sandwich department! Learn more about them by reading our review here.

HMC 15th Cafe: This local Anniston eatery offers generously-topped salads, flavor-packed wraps, pita bread sandwiches, and box lunches at affordable prices.

Lulu’s Place: This restaurant featuring elevated Southern cuisine and seafood dishes has quickly established itself as a go-to choice for a romantic night out on the town. Read the article here for a closer look at what they have to offer, as well as a review here.

The Peerless Saloon and Grille: This historic restaurant at the corner of 10th and Noble is not only one of the oldest restaurants in Calhoun County–it’s the oldest operating bar in the state of Alabama, established in 1899. It offers a variety of American classic dishes, and will offer a “Cluck, a Surf, and a Turf” special during Restaurant Week 2024. 

Rack and Roll Billiards & Sports Bar: This sports bar not only offers a fun night out on the town to enjoy billiards, dart throwing, and live music, but it also offers mouthwatering bar food, from fried favorites to classic sandwich and burger fare. Find out more about them in our exclusive article here.

Sinclair Social: This recent venue, built within the old Sinclair gas station next door to the Peerless Saloon on 10th Street, is a unique bar that provides parking for local food trucks, as well as a backyard area with lawn games, a stage for live music, and more. Read all about this bar in our exclusive review here.

Restaurant Week Specials

As you make plans to eat out during Downtown Anniston Restaurant Week 2024, you’ll want to consult the following guide on available specials running. Please note that some restaurants are still planning their menus, but once they do, you can find them at Calhoun County Insight’s Restaurant Week Page.

Below Zero Creamery:

•  Purchase two Large, get 1 Medium Free
• Purchase two Medium, get 1 Kids Cup Free

Besitos Mexican Kitchen – Anniston

• Pollo Classico (Monday lunch) – $11
• Fajita Bowl (Tuesday lunch) – $12
• Street Tacos (Wednesday lunch) – $11.55
• Enchiladas de Mole (Thursday lunch) – $10.55
• Classic Burrito (Friday lunch) – $10

   

Coldwater Mountain Brewpub:

• The “Steak, Bake, and Brew” – a 12oz ribeye topped with compound butter, a side of a baked potato, and a 16oz beer to go with it – $25.99
• BEER Choice for the special: Any House/Coldwater-brewed beer

Full Bellie Deli:

• Featured dish: Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad, Garlic Bread, Sweet Tea – $10.49
• Dessert of the week: Strawberry Shortcake – $3.99

Lulu’s Place:

• Build Your Own Lunch/Dinner Special (all week)
• Lunch choices: Side salad, fried green tomatoes, or deviled eggs AND Cobb Salad (add salmon or chi8cken), Lulu’s Burger, or Shrimp Po’boy –  $20
• Dinner choices: Fried green tomatoes, Cup of Gumbo, Deviled eggs, side salad, or Crawfish eggroll AND Airline Chicken, Salmon, Flat Iron Steak, and choice of dessert – $35
• Saturday and Sunday: Brunch – Lulu’s Breakfast $10 (add Mimosa Flight for an additional$10)

The Peerless Saloon:

• Chicken Tenders: Fried, grilled, blackened, or tossed in one of their signature sauces w/choice of one Southern side item – $9.99
• Haystack: 7oz handmade fresh ground beef patty, slice of Swiss cheese, fresh cut lettuce, tomatoes, and fried onion pedals on a toasted brioche bun – $11.99
• Shrimp and Grits: Succulent, perfectly seasoned shrimp sauteed in their signature shrimp sauce atop creamy, buttery grits – $11.99

Rack and Roll Billiards and Sports Bar:

• Sampler Platter: Fried Green Tomatoes, Banana Peppers, Deviled eggs, Onion Rings –  $9.99
• Bacon Chicken Ranch Sandwich with Fries – $10.99
• Southern Fried Chicken Salad – $8.99 

Make Your Dining Out Plans

Remember, the 2nd Annual Downtown Anniston Restaurant Week 2024 runs from this Sunday, August 18 through Saturday, August 24. You can plan your visit to one of Anniston’s participating restaurants accordingly, remembering to keep an eye on the Restaurant Week Page for food specials. We also encourage you to support these restaurants by expressing your experiences with the hashtags #ANNISTONEATS and #RESTAURANTWEEK2024. Lastly, don’t forget that by making a Facebook post of your personal experience with those hashtags, or taking the restaurant survey at the end of your meal, you can be entered in prize drawings.