Huntsville’s international food scene comes down to one thing: who lives here. The space program and the research parks pull in engineers and their families from dozens of countries, and plenty of them have cured their homesickness the best way there is: by opening restaurants to share their home cooking with the rest of Huntsville. So Rocket City eats a lot bigger than sweet tea and cornbread, reaching into Thai, Nigerian, Filipino, Romanian, and a dozen other kitchens, most of them a short drive apart.
Mexican Food and Taquerias
Nowhere is Huntsville’s food deeper than its Mexican bench, which runs from sit-down platters to a roving taco bus.
Phil Sandoval’s is the sit-down end, family recipes and all. Known for tacos al carbon and queso blanco. Find it on University Drive, margarita in hand.
Taqueria El Cazador came up the other way, from a taco bus, and kept the prices to match. The pastor and lengua are worth the drive, and a newer Stovehouse spot offers the same menu as the truck.
La Colonial hides its taqueria at the back of a Mexican grocery, which is where the good tacos usually are. Order the carnitas at the counter and grab a Jarritos from the cooler while you wait.
Caribbean and West African Food
Caribbean cooking grew partly out of West African kitchens, and Huntsville has both, across three family-run spots.
The best known is Tamarind Island Grille at MidCity’s The Camp, once known as Mangos. Its jerk chicken carries real heat, and the vegan menu has a delicious range. Grab a patio table before you explore MidCity.
M&K Jamaican is the family-run pick for ox tail braised until it slides off the bone and Rasta Pasta that sneaks up on you. It's so good. Portions run big, so plan on a takeout box.
On the West Africa side, Ike’s Kitchen up north off of Blue Springs Road was Huntsville’s first Nigerian restaurant, and owner Ike likes to walk newcomers through the menu. The jollof rice and egusi soup are the anchors; the suya is what to order if you enjoy a little heat,
Asian and Indian Food
Asia is the widest stretch on this tour. Its stops scatter across the city.
Let’s start with the newest, Dragon Alley, a pan asian street food spot in MidCity dressed up like a neon Hong Kong backstreet circa 1995. It won’t make sense until after you’ve done it, but you have to order the green beans.
For something with some roots, Phuket has done Thai and sushi in The Village of Providence for two decades under Chef Tukky. Go for the khao soi’s coconut curry broth, or the drunken noodles for spice.
Downtown, Namu turns out modern Korean on Holmes Avenue, from bulgogi to still-bubbling kimchi jjiae. The fried chicken offers the perfect crunch under a glossy glaze. Tug a rice cake out of the cheese tteokbokki and the mozzarella stretches halfway across the table. Show up hungry.
Out by Research Park, Viet Crispwich bakes its own baguettes daily, and that perfect bread is where it starts for each bahn mi. Pair one with a Vietnamese coffee thick enough to stand a spoon in.
Inside Lowe Mill, Pacific Pearl Kitchen is the only spot in town cooking both Filipino and Hong Kong food, from sisig to lumpia to Hong Kong black pepper beef. It sits in the largest privately owned arts center in the country, with studios to browse after lunch.
The subcontinent shows up at Veda Indian Cuisine & Bar on University Drive, one of the few Indian kitchens in town with a full bar. The masala dosa and butter chicken lead a menu with a deep vegetarian range.
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Food
This corner runs on charcoal and fresh pita, from Lebanon to Persia.
Fresko Grill, at Stovehouse, does modern Mediterranean fast casual. The falafel is what regulars swear by, with the shawarma and tabouli close behind.
Al Shish Palace keeps it traditional with Lebanese shawarma off the spit and pita hot enough to steam when you tear in. Bring a group and lean into the mezze.
5 A’s, up in Harvest, runs its kitchen between Greece and Persia, so a gyro and a plate of saffron chelo kabob can share a table. The entire menu is halal. Make sure to save room for the baklava.
Italian, German, and European
Europe here leans German and Italian, and some of it goes back decades.
SaZa Serious Italian is the Italian Anchor, out in Town Madison, where most of the menu traces to Chef Joe DiMaggio Jr’s grandmother. The rigatoni bolognese is the one to get; Its sauce is roasted for five hours. Their patio suits for a long dinner.
The German side runs deep enough for two tables. Ol’Heidelberg has held the tradition since 1972, dating to the Von Braun era. Order the Bavarian Pork Schnitzel under mushroom gravy and leave room for Black Forest Cake.
The most unexpected stop is Pofta Buno International, inside Lowe Mill, cooking Romanian and Eastern Mediterranean, from sweet and savory crepes to a Bucharest-style shaorma wrap. The name means ‘enjoy your meal’, and owner Nicoleta makes sure you do.
One Street, the Whole World: The Jordan Lane Food Crawl
If you’ve only got one afternoon, spend it on Jordan Lane. Locally owned international kitchens line up for about a mile, close enough to graze from Seoul to the Mediterranean without moving your car more than once.
Sitar Indian Cuisine heads the strip with a North Indian lunch buffet and a chicken tikka masala that ranks as the city’s best.
At I Love Korea, the bibimbap comes in a sizzling stone bowl and the lunch boxes stack bulgogi over rice.
Viet Cuisine is the pho stop, it’s broth is rich and its spring rolls cold, a standby for years.
La Alameda runs an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet, a bargain built for a satisfying lunch.
Jamo’s Cafe closes the strip with Mediterranean plates. It’s kibbeh and hummus cooked from family recipes.
A Food Crawl through Stovehouse
Stovehouse, an old stove factory turned open-air food garden off Governor's Drive, gathers a global lineup under one set of shade sails.
Kamado Ramen turns out ramen and takoyaki in a room done like an anime set.
Seoul Good Korean Fried Chicken brings the crackly wings and sweet and spicy tenders, with Korean Shaved Ice to cool off after.
Fresko’s Mediterranean plates and Taqueria El Cazador’s tacos are here too, so one table can run from ramen to shawarma to street tacos.
More Clusters to Explore
A couple of neighborhoods make it easy to double up: Dragon Alley and Tamarind sit steps apart in MidCity. Pacific Pearl and Pofta Buna share the Lowe Mill roof. The rest are worth their own trip. Pick whichever corner you’re near and start eating
