SLIDE Cafe

SLIDE Cafe has built a loyal Birmingham following around a simple idea: shrink brunch classics down into sliders and let people order several at once. The cafe sits on 20th Street South in the Five Points South district, in the same general neighborhood as some of Birmingham’s most established restaurants, and it has carved out its own identity with a menu built around scratch-made buttermilk biscuits, waffles, and smash burgers rather than a traditional plated brunch.

The slider format runs through both the brunch and lunch menus. On the brunch side, a bacon egg and cheese slider and a steak and egg version, made with slow-smoked brisket, sit alongside a sunrise slider loaded with bacon, Conecuh sausage, fried egg, and cheddar, all built on a scratch buttermilk biscuit with a house-made brown sugar glaze. A biscuit and gravy slider and a chicken and waffle option round out the format, giving diners a way to sample several different breakfast classics in a single sitting rather than committing to one large plate.

Beyond the sliders, the signature skillets bring scrambled eggs, scratch-made potatoes, peppers, and onions together with add-ins like smoked bacon, fried chicken, grilled salmon, or a plant-based sausage for a vegan version. The chef’s favorites section leans further into Southern and coastal flavors, with a seafood omelette built around salmon, shrimp, and lump crab, plus a shrimp and grits and a crab cake and grits, both finished with a Cajun roux sauce over creamy cheese grits.

The lunch menu keeps the slider format going with a run of smash burgers, including a PB&J burger with peanut butter and blackberry habanero jam, a smokehouse burger with white barbecue sauce, and a double vegan burger built on a plant-based patty. Wings and tenders come in several sauces, from barbecue to Caribbean jerk, and a spinach dip served over fries or nachos is one of the kitchen’s more shareable options. The bar program is just as extensive, with a long list of specialty cocktails and a full range of mimosa flavors for weekend brunch.

Being located in the Five Points South area puts SLIDE Cafe within walking distance of several other well-known Birmingham restaurants, part of a dense concentration of independent dining spots around the Five Points Circle intersection that draws crowds throughout the week and especially on weekends.

Even with its playful slider concept, the kitchen leans on scratch cooking throughout, from the buttermilk biscuits and waffles made in house to the house-made sauces that top nearly every item on the menu, including the brown sugar glaze, the blackberry habanero jam, and the sweet heat sauce. That attention to from-scratch preparation is what separates SLIDE Cafe from a typical fast-casual brunch spot, even as its slider-and-shareable format keeps the overall experience feeling casual and social.

The restaurant’s location on 20th Street South puts it directly in the mix of Five Points South dining options, close enough to walk to several of Birmingham’s other well-known restaurants after a meal. For visitors who want to sample a wide range of brunch flavors in a single sitting rather than committing to one large plate, the slider format at SLIDE Cafe offers one of the more inventive approaches to weekend brunch currently operating in Birmingham.

The restaurant also offers catering, private party bookings, and gift cards directly through its website, making it a practical option for groups looking to bring the slider format to an office event or a birthday gathering rather than only dining in. Online ordering through Toast lets visitors skip the wait for takeout, and the restaurant’s cocktail and mimosa program, which includes flavored mimosa towers meant for sharing, has made it a popular stop for weekend groups celebrating birthdays or bachelorette gatherings in the Five Points South area.

SLIDE Cafe serves brunch and lunch Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservations can be booked online through the restaurant’s own Toast reservation page, and online ordering, catering, and private party bookings are all available directly through the cafe’s website.