• Thailand on sand image by siart from Fotolia.com
  
  Birmingham, located in the north central part of Alabama, is the state's most populated city. Although it's a southern city generally not known for exotic cuisine, there are several high quality Thai restaurants for those who want to be a little adventurous. The Surin chain operates three restaurants in the city.
  
  

Surin West Birmingham

• Surin West Birmingham in the Five Points area in downtown Birmingham is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Thai specialties include roasted duck with red curry marinated overnight and served with pineapple and tomato. Surin West Birmingham also has a wide variety of sushi including nigiri and maki. You can have your food mildly spiced or Thai hot. The restaurant closes after lunch at 2:30 p.m. and reopens at 5:30 p.m.
  
  Surin West Birmingham
  1918 11th Avenue South
  Birmingham, AL 35205
  205-324-1928
  surinwest.com/
  
  

Surin of Thailand

• Surin of Thailand is located in Crestline Village in Mountain Brook, a suburb of Birmingham. The lunch special comes with a complimentary bowl of coconut tofu soup.
  
  Surin of Thailand
  64 Church St.
  Birmingham, AL 35213
  205-871-4531
  surinofthailand.com/index.htm
  
  

Surin 280

• Surin 280 is located on Highway 280, a major thoroughfare in Birmingham, near the Summit Shopping Center. Appetizers include fresh basil rolls stuffed with lettuce, pork and shrimp served with a peanut sauce, and crab angels, wontons filled with cream cheese and crab. The restaurant closes after lunch at 2 p.m. and reopens at 5 p.m.
  
  Surin 280
  16 Perimeter Park South
  Birmingham, AL 35243
  205-968-8161
  surinofthailand.com/280/index.htm
  
  

Thai Emerald

• Thai Emerald is also located on Highway 280, but a little farther from Birmingham. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., then the restaurant closes until dinner at 5 p.m. Thai Emerald offers a soup and salad menu, and traditional Thai dishes such as wok-fried crab with yellow curry sauce, and royal pad Thai. Thai Emerald also has traditional American cuisine, including steaks.
  
  Thai Emerald
  5408 Highway 280 South
  Birmingham, AL 35242
  205-995-5775
  thaiemeraldlek.com/Welcome.htm