Photo by Jon Anderson
The Palm & Pig restaurant at 633 Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, has been rebranded as Hillside Music & Que under new management.
One restaurant in downtown Vestavia Hills, The Palm & Pig, has changed its name and rebranded as Hillside Music & Que, while another restaurant — The Fig in Cahaba Heights — is closing this weekend after 11½ years.
The two events are connected.
Doug Smith, one of three owners who was serving as the primary chef and manager of The Palm & Pig, had another opportunity arise and decided to go in a different direction, partner Skip Davis said. Davis and the other owner, Charles Perry — who had been serving more as investors, brought in a new chef, expanded the menu and rebranded the seafood and barbecue restaurant as Hillside Music & Que.
They officially opened under the new name on July 3 — almost a year to the day from when they originally opened.
Davis and Perry, both of whom have other full-time jobs in medical sales and financial advising, are spending more time there, but they’ve brought in JP Holland as the new executive chef.
Holland owns Watkins Branch Bourbon and Brasserie in Mountain Brook Village and The Fig in Cahaba Heights, but The Fig’s last day will be this Sunday, Holland said. The cost of doing business there got to be too much, he said.
Photo from The Fig Facebook page
JP Holland checks on customers at The Fig restaurant in the Cahaba Heights community in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, in 2021.
But he’ll be bringing some of his specialty dishes, such as chicken fried chicken, to Hillside Music & Que, he said.
Hillside Music & Que kept its barbecue, ribs, oysters, shrimp po’boys and frozen drinks but has added some hot dogs, new burger options, a few more salads and new signature cocktails, Davis said. The restaurant also added some new sides, including baked beans, potato salad, red beans and rice, collard greens and hand-cut fries, he said.
There also is a new brunch on Saturday and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Everybody loves the new menu,” Davis said. “And the brunch is really starting to take off.”
Some of the specialties for brunch are Nashville hot chicken and pancakes and fried green tomato crabcake eggs benedict, he said.
Hillside Music & Que has retained its popular bartender, Craig Singley, who came to The Palm & Pig a year ago from Saw’s Juke Joint.
Davis said their whole goal in opening a restaurant in Vestavia Hills was to create a neighborhood restaurant where people like to hang out and listen to music. There was nowhere else close by with live music, he said. They have the live music there every Thursday through Sunday. Wednesday night is trivia night.
Hillside Music & Que has decorated its walls with pictures of youth ball teams and artwork by local artists, with the art available for purchase, Davis said. The restaurant has table seating for 52 people, 18 seats at the bar and six tables on the outdoor patio.
The restaurant is at 633 Montgomery Highway. To check out the full menu for Hillside Music & Que or to place orders, go to thehillsidemq.com.
