Where To Find The Best Street Food In Birmingham

Birmingham, smack dab in the middle of England, is a West Midlands city that receives over 40 million tourists every year. That, coupled with over two million locals means that Birmingham has tons of things to see and do. You can visit world-class museums, take an invigorating hike, shop for everything under the sun, and frequent the vibrant nightlife without leaving the city limits.

Not only does Birmingham have some awesome attractions for tourists, it also has a flourishing dining culture and thriving street food scene. Birmingham has several venues that host street food events regularly and there are many ways to sample a number of different cuisines all in one place. From food collectives to social clubs to food festivals, Birmingham will feel like heaven for foodies, especially those obsessed with street food. It can be tricky keeping track of the dozens of rotating food trucks, but with a little planning and research, you can work your way through the best street food in Birmingham easily.

Before you head out for a burger, curry, or taco, make sure you have both hands free to eat. Store your bags at a Bounce luggage facility in Birmingham so you can focus entirely on your Birmingham food escapades. Fussing with bags at a busy street food market or event is certainly not worth the hassle. Now that you've worked up an appetite from traveling, which street food vendor will you try first?

The best street food vendors in Birmingham

Hockley Social Club

Hockley Social Club isn't necessarily exclusively a street food vendor, but this industrial-style neighborhood hangout in Newtown is a unique Birmingham food experience. The area has four kitchens and two bars and features an outside beer garden. You can grab something to eat from the many street food options, and browse the on-site record store all while listening to live music. The centre of the social club is similar to a food court area, and the venue can seat up to 500 people. Hockley welcomes weekly street food vendors so there is always a new menu item to try from their varying roster of restaurants. This is a great location to sample some of Birmingham's best street food all in one spot. And after so many delicious foods to sample, you can burn off some calories with the best hikes in Birmingham.

Strip Club Street Food

Located in Mell Square on the outskirts of Birmingham in Solihull at the Taste Collective, Strip Club Street Food specializes in adult-themed burgers, sides, and drinks. While nothing is explicit and their focus is on sexy food, this may not be the place to get a family meal. On the other hand, the burgers are so good, you might just consider it. The food at Strip Club is not only delicious, it looks good too. From the glossy brioche buns to pink pickled onions and biscoff biscuit paste, the menu is colorful and inventive. Order a classic double cheeseburger or try something a little more adventurous like the Striptease. They manage to pack roast beef, burger patties, truffle mashed potatoes, and horseradish cream into one butter-soaked brioche bun. If that wasn't enough, they also add gravy. You better be hungry if you try this one!

Urban Cheesecake

Two brothers, also former pastry chefs, are the brains behind Birmingham's fan-favorite Urban Cheesecake. If you don't like cheesecake, move on because that's all they have. Their focus on a single type of dessert means they do every single one extremely well and the flavor combinations will leave you agonizing over which one to get. Urban Cheesecake rotates around the West Midlands continually, so they are not always in Birmingham, but if your visit coincides with one of their stints in town you have to try it out. Aside from their traveling food truck, you can sample their cheesecakes if you happen to be passing by Nuneaton just north of nearby Coventry.

The restaurant-quality food that they offer comes in sinful flavors dripping with sauce and toppings. The varieties change all the time, but many contain their signature salted caramel sauce and the toffee apple crumble cheesecake is simply amazing.

Indico Street Kitchen

The Indico Street Kitchen restaurant dazzles diners with their take on traditional Indian street food. The flavor-filled menu complemented by a well-stocked cocktail bar keeps people coming back again and again. This restaurant is so popular that it has locations at The Mailbox luxury shopping centre along with two other dining spots in Shirley and Parkgate.

The menu is full of shareable plates like chaats, perfectly spiced curries as a main dish, and tawa rolls loaded with fillings. Although they have plenty of meat options, Indico also focuses on meals with paneer, a firm Indian cheese, that's ideal for any vegetarians in your group.

Buddha Belly

One of the permanent street food vendors at the popular Hockley Social Club on Hampton Street, Buddha Belly is certainly worth a mention in its own right. Perfect for Thai food lovers, Buddha Belly brings this Asian cuisine to Birmingham four days a week. Try a crispy duck leg or warming yellow coconut chicken curry and you'll become a customer for life. Everything is cooked fresh with high-quality ingredients, but the stock is limited so try to get here early. And, don't forget to add a spring roll to your order.

Bournville Waffle Co.

Found throughout Birmingham's festival and market scene, Bournville Waffle Company is another sweet food truck specializing exclusively in waffle concoctions. Each waffle looks almost too good to eat. Almost. You can recognize this charming street food vendor in their restored white mustang caravan and they are generally open on the weekends only.

The waffles vary week to week but you are guaranteed a decadent dessert topped with sauce and whipped cream in addition to various kinds of fruit, cookies, candies, and nuts. Good luck trying just one.

Habaneros

No street food piece is complete without an addition of Mexican street food and Habaneros in Birmingham fits the bill. The chefs at this mobile Mexican hot spot are specialists in nachos, tacos, and burritos in meat and vegetarian-friendly options. The nachos are huge and topped with everything from pork to sweet potato using fresh local ingredients.

Habaneros does the circuit of street food events, festivals, and markets so they are bound to pop up anywhere. Consult their website for the specifics. But, if you don't want to track them down, they have a food stall in the Great Western Arcade as well.

Fat Snags

Based in South Birmingham but willing to travel anywhere for private events, Fat Snags is a purveyor of the ultimate street food: hot dogs. While this might seem like a simple idea, they use the best Brummy sausage, the tastiest buns, and top it all with amazing stuff like chili, mac and cheese, and assorted relishes, all of which they make themselves. The buns are baked locally and the sausages are cooked in beer before being flame-grilled to ensure juiciness. The passion of the chefs is apparent in every delicious bite, so make sure you keep an eye out for these guys along your travels in Birmingham. The guys at Fat Snags are also happy to customize menus and travel just about anywhere around the West Midlands if you have an event you're planning in town.

Where to find the best Birmingham street food spots

Street food is prevalent in Birmingham, but here are a few spots that offer the best concentration of street food to get you started on your tasting journey:

Moseley Farmer's Market

Moseley Farmer's Market in Digbeth isn't only a street food market, you can get other locally crafted and grown items here as well. The market occurs monthly on the last Saturday, so if the timing works, you should definitely go. There are over 60 stalls, many of which have grab-and-go desserts and prepared food to give you something to munch on while you browse. If local food is important to you, this market is ideal.

Hawker Yard

On the borders of Birmingham's Gay Village and China Town, Hawker Yard is a truly local venture found on Pershore Road. The event is a street food market full of international cuisine and local food that will delight even the pickiest eater. Since the location is so close to the City Centre, this one should be easy to squeeze into your sightseeing plans.

Digbeth

Although street food is scattered all over Birmingham, head to the Digbeth neighborhood to wander around and you're guaranteed to find a tasty street food meal. The neighborhood features the Custard Factory, an open-air shopping area within Victorian-era factories. This site alone is full of amazing street food, but you can also find The Floodgate here. It's another street food venue with outdoor dining, bars, and fun activities like batting cages.

Street food festivals in Birmingham

Digbeth Dining Club

The Digbeth Dining Club is probably Birmingham's most well-known street food event company. They host a rotating weekly carnival in Digbeth every Friday and Saturday at the Rainbow Venues Complex which becomes a street food paradise. The venues change regularly, but one thing's for sure, any of the Digbeth Dining Club events are sure to have the best street food around. The organizers behind the events are true street food pioneers and all this experience shows in the quality of food, entertainment, and atmosphere.

Taste & Liquor

Taste & Liquor combines street food vendors from all over to provide an unforgettable dining experience in Birmingham. On Milk Street close to the popular street food location of Digbeth High Street, Taste & Liquor has just that - food and booze. Events pop up all over the city centre with music and fine food stalls to dance and eat the night away. Check out their website and social media for the next exciting event.

KingshEATh Street Food Market

On village square just outside the famed All Saints Church, the KingshEATh Street Food Market definitely won't disappoint. Celebrated monthly, the food market is the master at combining unique street food with local vendors of produce to create an unforgettable market dining experience. Typically there is a live DJ set starting from midday and the food stalls vary from pizza and Vietnamese food to churros and wings. Add this to a full craft ale bar and you have yourselves a party! Did we mention that the bar is on a double-decker bus? The photo options alone should be enough to entice you to KingshEATh.

Colmore Food Festival

With an annual attendance of around 30,000 people, the Colmore Food Festival in July is certainly popular. Celebrated in the city centre's Victoria Square, which is a five-minute walk from Birmingham's New Street Station, the event brings together local street food vendors and other food-related businesses for a two-day event full of entertainment, shopping, and of course, great food in Birmingham. If you're visiting in July, pack a blanket or some chairs and head to this lively and family-friendly event.

Conclusion

The street food offerings in Birmingham are vast and varied and it would be impossible to try everything in a single trip. Even if you live in Birmingham, it's very challenging to sample every street food vendor in town. The trick is to know what you like and head to the markets, events, and social clubs that have the best street food for your taste buds. If your goal is to try as much as possible, these organized events and curated spaces offer the highest concentration of fantastic street food all in one place. Happy eating!