Through the rest of 2026, the main construction story in Avondale is 41st Street South, which is losing two traffic lanes. The newest places to eat and drink opened somewhere else. Taiwan Street Food is on 3rd Court South. Lucky Stranger is on 5th Avenue South. The Broken Knife came back on 40th Street South. All three are a block or two from the strip that people usually mean when they say "Avondale."
The city is rebuilding 41st Street in place, and that work is expected to run well into next year. Meanwhile, the new business energy is spreading into the blocks around it. Below are the details, starting with the street itself.
41st Street is being rebuilt, and it will take a while
The City of Birmingham's 41st St S Streetscape Improvements project began construction in May 2026. The state's bid documents put the construction corridor at 41st Street from 1st Avenue South to 5th Avenue South, about a third of a mile. That stretch covers the heart of the business district.
The city lists these planned features:
- Bike lanes linking Avondale Park and the Hugh Kaul Trail
- New, much wider sidewalks along the whole stretch
- New pavement
- High-visibility crosswalks and pedestrian crossing beacons at key crossings
- Intersection upgrades
- More on-street parking
- Street lighting
- Landscaping and rain gardens to handle stormwater runoff
The biggest physical change is the roadway. AL.com reported in March that the street will go from five lanes to three, with room shifted to the wider sidewalks and bike lanes. The same report said construction was expected to take about 18 months. Counted from a May 2026 start, that points to late 2027. Treat it as an estimate, not a firm deadline.
AL.com also reported the low bid at about $3.3 million. Federal funds cover 80% of the cost, and the city pays the other 20% plus any overruns. The Alabama Department of Transportation's February 27, 2026 bid tabulation lists Gillespie Construction, LLC as the low bidder at $3,289,372.27.
In practical terms, you'll be living alongside an active work zone on the neighborhood's main street through the coming holiday season and into 2027. The new openings below happen to sit just outside that zone.
Where the new tables landed
Three spots opened or reopened in Avondale between July and early October. Each one moved into a building that had already been a neighborhood favorite, and none of them is on the stretch of 41st Street under construction.
| Spot | Address | What was there before | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Street Food | 4350 3rd Ct. S | Lag's Eatery | Soft opening October 5, 2026 |
| Lucky Stranger | 4036 5th Ave. S | Parkside on Fifth | July 24, 2026 |
| The Broken Knife | 101 40th St. S, at Elysian Gardens | Reopening of a returning favorite | Reported reopened in early August 2026 |
Taiwan Street Food, off Crestwood Boulevard
This is the newest one. Bham Now reported that Taiwan Street Food launched on Monday, October 5, 2026, in the former Lag's Eatery space at 4350 3rd Ct. S. It's just off Crestwood Boulevard, next to Gatos & Beans and near Cahaba Brewery. The owner is Stephen Kao, who also owns Christopher House Antiques. The kitchen is open to view.
The menu centers on stir fry, soups and classic appetizers. Bham Now named these favorites:
- Beef noodle soup
- Crispy chicken with rice
- Stir-fry shrimp and vegetables with rice
- Dumpling soup
- Potstickers
- Edamame
During the soft opening, Bham Now listed hours of Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Saturday and Sunday. It also said the patio was open for fall. Soft-opening hours often change as a restaurant settles in, so check the current schedule before planning a weekend visit. Since it's on the Crestwood Boulevard side, it's an easy weekday lunch for anyone living around the line between Avondale and Crestwood.
Lucky Stranger, on 5th Avenue South
Lucky Stranger took over the former Parkside on Fifth at 4036 5th Ave. S. Bham Now included it in a July roundup of coming-soon businesses and said it would open that week. On July 23, SoulGrown reported the opening date as Friday, July 24, under a headline saying the bar already felt like one of Birmingham's favorites.
Parkside on Fifth was a long-running neighborhood bar a short walk from 41st Street. Keeping that building lit means 5th Avenue South keeps a bar of its own while the main strip is under construction.
The Broken Knife, at Elysian Gardens
Bham Now reported in August that The Broken Knife, which the outlet called a cult-favorite sandwich shop, had reopened at Elysian Gardens, 101 40th Street South. As of that report, it served weekday lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. while the owner worked toward weekend and evening service. Those are the August hours, so confirm before you go.
One new spot is near Crestwood Boulevard, one is on 5th Avenue South and one is on 40th Street South. Avondale's dining scene is filling in around its main street.
One planned spot on 41st itself
The strip still has projects in the works. AL.com reported in May that a neighborhood lounge and grill called Retro is planned for 430 41st St. S, Unit A, in a space that previously housed popular Avondale bars. According to AL.com's report, owner Rex Cole described Retro as a neighborhood lounge and grill at a May 12 city committee meeting, and in a separate social media post said the project still had hurdles to clear and no opening date was ready to announce. For now it's on the someday list. Whenever it opens, it will be on a street with wider sidewalks, new lighting and fewer traffic lanes than the bars that came before it.
Halloween week and November on 41st Street
Even with crews working outside, Avondale Brewing at 201 41st Street S and The Upstairs at Avondale at 201B 41st Street S still have a full calendar. These dates were listed on the brewery's calendar and tickets page heading into late October:
- Thursday, October 29, 6–8:30 p.m.: Pumpkins & Pour Halloween Candle Making Event at Avondale Brewing
- Friday, October 30, 6–10 p.m.: Rocky Horror Masquerade Ball at Avondale Brewing
- Saturday, October 31, 8–10 p.m.: All Get Out at The Upstairs at Avondale
- Tuesday, November 3, 7–10 p.m.: Thundercat's Distracted AF Tour at Avondale Brewing
- Saturday, November 7, 7–10 p.m.: Scattrbrain & The Unwavering Self Doubt Tour at The Upstairs
- Wednesday, November 11, 7–10 p.m.: Feng E at The Upstairs
- Thursday, November 19, 7–10 p.m.: Hot Mulligan at Avondale Brewing
- Saturday, November 21, 6:30–10 p.m.: Stephen Wilson Jr. at Avondale Brewing, listed as sold out
Halloween week stacks three straight nights at the 201 41st Street S complex, Thursday through Saturday. The brewery sits inside the 1st-to-5th Avenue construction corridor, so build in a few extra minutes for parking and getting around the work zone on show nights. If you're coming from the new spots, Lucky Stranger on 5th Avenue South and The Broken Knife on 40th Street South are both a short walk from the brewery.
When the work wraps up, the city's plan calls for bike lanes running from Avondale Park toward the Hugh Kaul Trail, wider sidewalks between the bars and restaurants, and more on-street parking along the strip.
If you own a home on one of the blocks around 41st Street and want to talk about what the streetscape work and the new businesses nearby could mean for your plans, Jennifer Grostick and Chuck are glad to help. Chuck's construction background is especially useful when a project like this is going on next door. Browse our Avondale neighborhood page or contact us anytime.
