Purple Onion Deli & Grill

I was in town for the night while passing through, and wanted to find a simple place to eat dinner. I saw the Purple Onion, and noticed it wasn’t busy, so I stopped in. I wasn’t expecting much for flavor, maybe just a generic burger or fries, but I was pleasantly surprised! The buger was so flavorful and delicious! The fries were seasoned just right; everything was good.
My friend had a Falafal, which she claimed was pretty good, too!
I recommend this place. :)

The Purple Onion has become a chain restaurant for those looking for something familiar no matter what part of town they’re in, but don’t want a normal fast food. Serving up Mediterranean dishes, burgers, and their delicious fried okra, Purple Onion is a household name in the Birmingham area. The size of the establishment varies depending on which you go to so if you have a large group, be sure to see which one will fit your group best.

First and foremost, the folks that work here are wonderful, friendly people who made me smile and brightened my night a little bit.
That being said, I «just can’t» with the food.
Purple Onion is where you go at 2 am because everything else is closed.
Purple Onion is where you go when you just want to stuff your face with fries and don’t care what they taste like.
Purple Onion is where you go if you don’t mind having four backup orders ready (because they’re gonna be out of the first three things you want to order.)
Purple Onion just is not for me.
Yes, my name is Chamberlaine and I’m a food snob.
(Loud and proud!)
But that does NOT mean I don’t know how to enjoy some greasy diner food once in a while. I DO however, know when greasy diner food is just not worth it, which is the case here.
I’ll divide this review into the good and the bad for ya:
THE GOOD:
+ Quick service
+ Open all night
+ Not too expensive
+ Decent-​sized parking lot
THE BAD:
+ They don’t have everything on the menu, so don’t get your hopes too high
+ If anything you order is supposed to come with cheese, it will undoubtedly show up with nasty, from-​the-​can nacho «cheese» (you’ve been forewarned!)
+ Their wraps do not automatically come with a side (blasphemy!)
+ Their iced tea was awful!
+ The ranch dressing… It’s
.bad!
Summary:
Are you hungry? Go somewhere else.
Are you hungry and everything else is closed? Raid your pantry.
Are you hungry, everything else is closed, and you have no scraps in your pantry? Okay, go to purple onion.
And steer very clear of the cheesy ranch fries!

go to place if you want good fast food and it’s also cheap and really. I highly suggest getting there burgers or chicken fingers

Had the Philly Steak roll up and Ranch Cheese fries. The roll up was okay, at best, but the fries were disgusting! The ranch tasted funny and the cheese was some of the worst that I’ve ever had. No plans to go back anytime soon.

Disgusting food. Horrible service. Baklava was old. The girl acted as if we were interrupting her when I asked questions, never smiled. We got the food the rice was cold, the salad tasted nasty. My daughter found a long black hair in her fries… I could go on but it was nauseating.

I’ve been back in Bham for 1 week, and where do my colleagues suggest we go one day for lunch? The purple onion of course! Quick, good food! I got the gyro salad (a decent amount of meat), but then managed to dribble some of the vinaigrette dressing on my white blouse (great first impression, right?!). But back to the food. All in all, a good place to grab a quick lunch. Plenty of outdoor seating on those cooler days (not today!), and several booths inside to enjoy your meal.

This food is so disgusting. I have been here on the few times my boyfriend wants to go because he doesn’t want to wait in line at Als. Well guess what, no line here! I ordered the veggie kabobs, they were okay, they may or may not have been sprinkled with MSG. The hummus was so bad I couldn’t even eat it, very watery and plain tasting. I didn’t eat the rice or salad either. Nothing special about the rice and the salad looked questionable. Do yourself a favor and go to Als instead, it’s even cheaper!

Loved this spot since I was young. Classic Mediterranean American style food that always satisfies. Their burgers are good, especially the Kafta. And the gyros are always a go to.
If you’re feeling a chicken baker, I’d go to Al’s, otherwise the two places are pretty much equal in taste and price.

I really like Mediterranean/​Greek food. I feel this place always gets compared to Al’s, and honestly the only complaint is that they charge more and give you a smaller portion here. Because it is never crowded, and the service is always good is why my friend always chooses it though.

Everything that I have had here, frozen tasting chicken fingers excluded, is really good. A bit of something for everyone… burgers, Mediterranean, etc. Love the patio, and that they are open ’round the clock… so you can grab some any time you want!

Only got to eat here once while working at UAB but I will stop by again if I return. Staff was friendly and the place had a nice atmosphere to it. The menu had all kinds of items I wanted to try but I went with the Hawaiian chicken burger with sweet potato fries. Both were very good.

I eat authentic Greek rather often and for the Deep South this was quite the find! Fresh ingredients and amazing hummus and wild rice. Great for lunch.

I was reading the reviews on Unilocal on how good Purple Onion is. I thought let me try them out. I went into the place, it is so clean, people are courteous. I ordered the Philly cheese steak and I heard their ranch fries were good so I tried it. It was soooo goooood. I loved it. And I will order from them again. Only complaint no dessert. Strawberry cheesecake or something.

The WORST purple onion in the area. Higher prices for less food. And the African girl with braids has the worst attitude EVER. I’ve been eating purple onion since 1998 and I will gladly drive up the highway to the Homewood location to get the quality food and service I’m looking for. This purple onion is HORRIBLE!!!

okay… if you’re new to Birmingham or visiting, a college student would probably suggest Purple Onion. It”s not your average burger/​mediterranean meal. It’s the good ol nasty food that you know probably isn’t the healthiest, but SO damn good! Cheeseburgers, Kafta & Chili/​Cheese/​Ranch fries are great! The fries are sure to clog your arteries, but it’s an indulgence that you should try in your 20’s…you haven’t lived until you’re tried such foolery.
All jokes aside, Purple Onion is a Birmingham favorite. It is frequented by UAB students and alumni. They have several locations around the city. Late night snack time is the best– open 24 hours for the young at heart!
You won’t be disappointed.
happy (unhealthy) eat… if that makes sense to you. live on the edge for your eats at least once!

It is a college dive, but worth trekking off the beaten path to have a falafel or a Gyro.

Sub par «diner food», the place could be cleaner.

I waver betwixt three and four stars, but given the Birminghamian alternatives during the wee hours of whenever, this can go four-​ish.
I see comments here on the burgers are this and the whatever’s are that… for me, it’s a late-​night, ethnic eatery — and even after hitting up the Greek Fest, Melkite Fest, Maronite Fest, Cheesecake Factory, or Bottega (or, as of late, when you can’t AFFORD Bottega), the beaming lights of the P.O. are a beacon to my pseudo-​Arabic-​Greco-​Mediterranean cravings.
The cravings, that is, not me. I go from Irish to Polish to German to French, but my chromosomes have missed any influence from Spain to Italy to the Far East. Nevertheless, my tastebuds have never been told.
Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, Kebabs, Gyros… all reasonably priced and «right good.» Not spectacular, but you don’t go to an Elk’s meeting expecting the Red Carpet, flashing bulbs, and interviewers from E… know what I mean?
I only wish this had been here when I was still at UAB. I could have walked here from Twin Towers… instead of wasting time throwing eggs and Bisquick bombs from the tenth floor onto hapless passersby.
Who am I kidding? Bisquick bombing and Baba Ghanouj were made for one another. I’d have had my cake and thrown it, too.
Unless you’re a researcher that’s just appeared on the planet and never seen an IHOP or Awful House except in scientific journals, skip them and race to the Purp.
Don’t bother telling them I sent you, as they don’t know me.
And savor the ethnicity. I don’t go to Krystal’s for Egg Drop Soup, nor should you.

I love eating here when I come back to Birmingham. I wished there were more of them. I love the food.