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This Mexican restaurant was named as ‘absolute best’ in Alabama: Do you agree?

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This Mexican restaurant was named as ‘absolute best’ in Alabama: Do you agree?


Birmingham people who love Mexican food need no prompting to visit El Barrio, a welcoming restaurant that serves bold and imaginative food.

The grilled chorizo meatloaf tends to speak for itself, along with dishes such as Masa roasted trout, roasted chile relleno, chicken mole and carne asada.

But if new converts to El Barrio are needed — or out-of-town visitors need a nudge — Tasting Table is ready to spread the word. The foot and dining website included El Barrio in its recent list of “The Absolute Best Mexican Restaurant in Every State in The US.”

“We wanted to find the restaurants that are making tortillas and salsas from scratch, importing ingredients from Mexico, and sourcing the freshest local produce and meats,” writer DB Kelly said. “The best are promoting traditional dishes and cooking methods, and offering options that you might not find on the menus of less dedicated restaurants.”

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El Barrio at 2211 2nd Ave. N. in Birmingham remains a popular spot in the state. (Photo: Joe Songer).BN FTP

El Barrio was the top pick in Alabama, lauded for its creativity and carefully sourced ingredients.

“El Barrio has two locations — in Birmingham and in Homewood — and it’s upfront about serving dishes that are inspired by the various regional cuisines of Mexico, rather than being authentic reproductions,“ Tasting Table said. ”And that’s fine, especially when it’s being done with a focus built around seafood sourced from the Gulf and local produce. The result is outstanding potato taquitos, masa cornbread, farm-to-table veg, and plantain nachos that keep customers coming back to this super-fun spot.”

See the full list of restaurants selected by Tasting Table here.

El Barrio
Grilled chorizo meatloaf is a signature dish at El Barrio, a restaurant in Birmingham. (AL.com file photo/Joe Songer)

This isn’t the first time El Barrio has made a “best” list, of course.

Fans include of the eatery include loveFood.com, which named it the best Mexican restaurant in Alabama in 2024. The plantain nachos and carnitas are standouts, writer Jessica Morris said.

AL.com has lauded El Barrio, as well, naming it one of the top 5 Mexican restaurants in Birmingham. El Barrio also earned a mention in our opinionated lists of “5 terrific restaurants in Birmingham that visitors will love” and “5 fabulous restaurants we could eat at forever in Birmingham.”

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“Repeat visitors may find themselves simply going down the menu and ordering something new each time,” AL.com said. If you’re fond of dipping — and who isn’t? — the guacamole, queso and salsa are top-notch here.”

El Barrio’s downtown location at 2211 Second Ave. North opened in 2011 and became an immediate hit. A second location followed in 2025, at 195 Oxmoor Road in Homewood.

El Barrio in Homewood, Ala.
From left, partners Geoff Lockert, Brian Somershield, Ben Smith and Neville Baay are opening a second location of El Barrio in the West Row development in Homewood, Ala.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)





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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine



Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.

Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.

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Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.

Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.

Ty Simpson, Quarterback

Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.

The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.

Jam Miller, Running Back

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Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.

Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.

Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle

Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.

Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.

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The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.





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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child


A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.

Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, shot 24-year-old Precious Johnson at an Alabama hospital after she gave birth to their child. WVTM

Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.

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She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.

She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.

The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.

The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

Terry completed Army National Guard training before marrying Johnson. WVTM
The shooting sent Brookwood Baptist Medical Center into an hours-long lockdown. Google Maps

Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.

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Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.

Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.



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Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran

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Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran


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The United States and Israel-led attacks on Iran are having an impact in Central Alabama.

The military actions that began Saturday targets the military forces of Iran and the nation’s ability to build nuclear weapons.

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In Montgomery, Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex have stepped up security so that all entry points will have a 100 percent ID check, the bases said on social media. The Trusted Traveler Program is suspended, which allowed Department of Defense identification holders to vouch for passengers.

Visitors without base access will have to go through the visitor center to get a pass.

Central Alabama residents react to the Iran attacks

For Travis Jackson of Montgomery, the attacks bring back memories, bad memories. He served one tour in Iraq from 2007-2008 with the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of sergeant before leaving the service and has worked the last 10 years as a community activist and diversity, equality and inclusion coordinator.

“I had a flashback of being overseas again,” he said when he first heard news of the attack. “The first thing I thought of was corporate greed. Of yet again seeing what has transpired throughout the years of any war overseas.”

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He feels the attacks are a mistake.

“It’s going to be detrimental to the economy, notably with the increase in oil prices,” he said.

Removing the current regime in Iran and establishing a more western friendly country could improve hopes for a more stable Middle East, said Amy Stephens of Elmore County.

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“I don’t know if there will ever be peace there,” Stephens said. “But Iran has been the causing trouble over there for almost 50 years.”

Ray Roberts of Prattville served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 and 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He served in an ordinance company with the Alabama Army National Guard. He was a sergeant when he left the service and now works as a draftsman at a Montgomery manufacturing plant.

“It wasn’t a surprise,” Roberts said of the attacks. “President Trump had said they were coming. When he says something like that, he means it. I am glad we are working with Israel so it’s not just the United States. I wonder if Europe and some of the other Gulf nations will join the attacks.”

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

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