Alabama seafood restaurant lands spot on Bon Appétit’s best new restaurants list for 2026

Alabama Life & CultureNew restaurant Bayonet from Rob and Emily McDaniel next door to their restaurant Helen on 2nd Ave N. Staff portraits, food, interiors, bathrooms and other details.(Photo by Art Meripol; used with permission from the Sprouthouse Agency)By Amber Sutton | asutton@al.comA popular Alabama seafood restaurant was just named one of the best new restaurants of 2026 by Bon Appetit.Bon Appetit magazine released its list of the best new restaurants in the country for 2026 on Monday, Aug. 24, and Bayonet in Birmingham was one of the 19 eateries to garner a spot.Bayonet is a raw bar and seafood-focused restaurant opened in early 2025 by Alabama chef Rob McDaniel, a six-time James Beard semifinalist. It serves a seasonal menu filled with everything from a variety of fresh oysters to a swordfish-topped Reuben.“At Bayonet, a reverent ode to Gulf seafood, chef Rob McDaniel embraces the diversity of the region’s treasures,” Kate Kassin writes for Bon Appetit. “Specifically, McDaniel sources less-common fish, even bycatch, turning out unexpected fare. For instance, mild rudderfish gets a punchy aguachile treatment, shown the same respect as yellowfin tuna. Swordfish belly is patted down with a pastrami-style rub, cured, and cold-smoked before a quick flash of heat on a sizzle platter. Bayonet photographed in Birmingham, Ala., Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Will McLelland | AL.com)Will McLellandIt anchors the smoky Reuben sandwich, heightened by a rich carawayslaw and Triple Crown sauce, a mixture of tartar and cocktail sauces with Thousand Island dressing. Studied cocktails also toe the line between finesse and playfulness—the tequila-forward Cry Baby is spiked with Nerds syrup and garnished with a Nerds Gummy Cluster."Since its opening, Bayonet has earned a string of national accolades. The restaurant was included in the New York Times list of the 50 best restaurants in America as well as being a Michelin “Bib Gourmand” pick and named the best seafood restaurant in Alabama by The Takeout.“What an incredible honor for our little corner of Birmingham,” Bayonet Raw Bar wrote in a post on its Facebook page. “To every person who has been part of the Bayonet team — past and present — thank you. You helped build this place, shaped what it has become and continue to bring it to life every single day. And to our guests: thank you for showing up, sitting at our tables and staying curious about seafood with us. For trying something unfamiliar, asking questions, trusting us to introduce you to something new and coming back for more.”Other restaurants to make Bon Appetit’s list include Agnes and Sherman in Houston; Junior in Nashville; Le Calamar in Austin; Saint Claire in New Orleans; Creepies in Chicago; Marie Isabel in San Francisco; Lei in New York. You can see the full list here.Bayonet, located at 2015 Second Avenue North in Birmingham, is open 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit their website.Beloved Alabama restaurant pleases with neighborhood vibe, yummy breakfast burritos Small-town country store lauded as having the best cheeseburger in AlabamaThe incredible story behind Birmingham’s new Burmese restaurant14 Alabama restaurants where readers say you can get the most bang for your buckAmber Sutton is a writer for This is Alabama/AL.com and has worked in Alabama journalism for nearly ten years. She started her work with Alabama Media Group in 2012, first as a Montgomery reporter before later...