The Birmingham Lunch Club (and a very special guest) visited popular UAB burger joint, Becky’s Burgers South , located on University Avenue and 20th Street. This establishment has been in town for a number of years and is popular with the hospital staff and university students.
Brad: Becky’s South is a dive tucked in between Five Points and UAB. As I have grown tired of writing these reviews, I will be succinct:
Parking – a bitch on a weekday. Bring change.
Food – average. Burger was overwhelmed with BBQ and SHREDDED?! cheese? Ugh. And Ryan Seacrest has more flavor than the mac n cheese. Water tasted like a pipe and they had no lemons.
Price – Not too high ($8.50) but not worth it.
Atmosphere – I have found more inspiration – and relaxation – in a gas station toilet.
Love prison but hate the food? Stay on your best behavior and go to Becky’s South. You’ll feel right at home. “Brooks was here.”
Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Bros
Greg:I have driven past Becky’s Burgers on University many times in my day and always been curious about it. I like a good burger and have heard good things about this place. It looked pretty small from the outside, so I figured we were going to run into an issue with seating. There was a nice table outside, but it was taken. There was some bar seating inside for 5, so we grabbed that. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a drink. I made it out around $8.50, quite a steal. The food came very quickly and smelled great. The fries, while hot, were pretty greasy. I didn’t enjoy those at all. However, the burger was incredibly good. This was a fresh made patty with lots of goodness cooked in. Fresh toppings and thick bacon made this one a winner. I was most impressed with the size of the meat and the flavor within. I decided to get some dessert. They were out of a couple of options they had listed on the menu, so I settled with Strawberry Short Cake. I was charged $82.50 for this cake (which was refunded), but we all make mistakes. The staff was incredibly friendly. All things considered, this was easily one of the top 4 or 5 burgers in Birmingham. The sides were lacking and it isn’t the most comfortable place to eat a lunch. But the burger alone is worth a takeout visit. Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Bros
Kristin: I’m the “lady that stays with” Greg. The guys of the BLC were kind enough to take pity on a lonely mom whose baby just started Kindergarten and let me join in this week. I’m always up for trying new restaurants downtown, and once you venture inside Becky’s you definitely get the big city feeling of small square footage. There were enough burger choices to add variety to the menu, plus a few other non-red meat options. I went with the small Smokehouse burger – grilled onions, cheese, bacon and bbq sauce. The meat and onions were cooked perfectly, the cheese was melted just right and the bbq sauce was well flavored and tied it all together. I tried a similar assemblage at a popular burger place a couple of weeks ago and the bbq was so gross it rendered the burger inedible. Becky’s version was great so I will definitely get the Smokehouse again. The only problem was the side selections. There were plenty of options listed, but they were out of every one that I selected, so I just had the burger and water. There were quite a few desserts options as well, but they were out of what I wanted. As for the atmosphere, getting your order to-go is probably the best option – while the silver-painted restroom door is cute and the staff friendly, we took up four of the six seats available inside and left with the lovely French-fry grease aroma on our clothes. Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Bros
Blake: I’ve been looking for Birmingham’s Best Burger for a long time. I think I’ve found it, but I’m never afraid to allow new contestants.
Becky’s is a “hole in the wall,” a room likely no more than 10 feet wide and, maybe, 20 yards deep. Seating is extremely limited inside, and we didn’t spot the alley seating until after we had left. If you have .50, parking isn’t really much of a problem, and you probably need to walk the block to burn off your meal anyway.
The service at Becky’s was incredibly fast. We situated ourselves at a bar-type dining area in the rear of the restaurant. At about $7, I got the patty melt and fries with a lemonade. I added a slice of red velvet cake at the end and kept it well under $10 total.
The seating situation was awkward, but then, I think most people grab it to go at Becky’s. An easy walk to UAB’s hospital areas and surrounding businesses, I don’t believe most of the clientele is “dine-in.” The burger was phenomenal, easily a noteworthy contestant for Birmingham’s best. It’s not, but it deserves a spot in the conversation. The fries were kind of soggy, and based on our conversations, it seems like sides were a huge let down. The red velvet cake was very good.
I’d go back to Becky’s because it’s close to where I live. I think there are better burgers, but that list isn’t long. Offhand, Becky’s is probably in the Top 8-10. The consensus is that the sides weren’t memorable (as mine was not), that the seating is uncomfortable and that it takes a little more effort to reach than it may be worth. That is, unless you work in the neighborhood. Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Bros
COMPOSITE BRO SCORE: 2.875 Bros