When the world shut down five years ago during the Covid quarantine, Hoover Restaurant Week (HRW) was born. David Cohen, long-time Hoover resident and owner of The Whole Scoop, wanted to help our local restaurants. With the help of Mathew Allen who was working for the Hoover Sun at the time, the two came up with the idea for Hoover Restaurant Week “Curbside Edition,” where residents could pick up a specially selected meal from their favorite local eatery.
What began with less than 20 restaurants that first year, has grown into a beloved summer event featuring a plethora of Hoover eateries. From breakfast to dinner, there are plenty of featured menu items and cuisine styles sure to tempt your tastebuds. No longer a need for the curbside edition, the event runs from July 18-26, with all specials exclusively in-house at participating restaurants.
Two of those participating restaurants are Biscuit Belly, in the Stadium Trace area, and Saw’s BBQ in Riverchase.
Saw's BBQ
“We love to participate and support the City of Hoover. We are proud to be a part of Hoover Restaurant Week, and love when the residents get involved, read about our restaurant and concept, visit and experience the hospitality we are known for,” says Jimmy Farhat of Saw’s BBQ. Saw’s BBQ has participated in Hoover Restaurant Week for the last two years and will be featuring a Smoked Chicken Thighs Plate during the event.
If yummy savory brunch is more your taste, be sure to check out Biscuit Belly’s Brekkie Bowl—a bowl of home fries or cheesy grits topped with sautéed spinach and mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese and poblano-tomato sauce. Pile on the extras by adding protein, an egg, or avocado! “We love to participate in Hoover Restaurant Week for a couple reasons—it brings exposure to our restaurant and fellow restaurateurs, as well as helps highlight diversity on our menu,” claims Andrew Adams, a co-owner of Biscuit Belly and a third-year participant in HRW.
“HRW shows off everything that is good about Hoover, locally owned businesses run by our neighbors. It is truly ‘Southern Hospitality, Hoover Style,’” says Cohen. And we at Enjoy Hoover can’t help but agree.
This year, the event will increase to feature nearly 50 local restaurants. All restaurants will be included on the Hoover Restaurant Week website at www.hooverrestaurantweek.com and on their Facebook page. A listing of their featured menu items will be available as well. The event is open to all full and limited service restaurants, but generally does not include fast food restaurants or food trucks. Kickoff for the nine-day event is Friday, July 18th on WBRC, with live segments starting at 7:30 am. “HRW is a labor of love for Enjoy Hoover and myself, and we have a committee of volunteers that assist in making it all happen!” adds Cohen.