By Chanda Temple
Crystal Peterson gets it.
Layoffs. Rising food prices. Unexpected expenses. They all came in like a fury the last few months of 2025, leaving wallets stretched for many. And as 2026 continues to unfurl, money remains tight.
To help ease the pain of what to eat for just one meal, Crystal Peterson, owner of On a Bun in downtown Birmingham, will give away 200 free hamburger and cheeseburger meals on Monday, Feb. 16 from 5 to 8 p.m. She’s also partnering with a non-profit organization to distribute 100 additional hamburger and cheeseburger meals to the unhoused in Birmingham.
“We want to care about the citizens just as much as anybody should,” she said. “Sometimes, you have to step in and be that person. It’s called good will.”
“We just hope that this one meal can maybe make your Monday.”
The meals will include a bag of Lay’s potato chips and bottled water. The burgers will come on a grilled brioche bun. The cheese, if desired, will be American. Condiments are available, if requested. They are located at 2328 Second Ave. North.
This is not the first time Crystal has given back. She and her mother, Denise Peterson, also operate Yo Mama’s in downtown Birmingham, and they’ve provided free meals for those in need.
“That’s our brand,” Crystal said. “To me, if you don’t care about the community that supports you, then, what are you here for?”
Crystal opened On a Bun on Aug.1, 2025 after she and her mother moved Yo Mama’s from Second Avenue North to a larger location on Fourth Avenue North. After the move, her family discussed how to use the old space. At first, Crystal’s father wanted the old location to sell burgers. But Crystal said that burgers would limit them. She countered with a suggestion to do burgers; grilled or fried chicken; grilled or fired pork chops; and grilled or fried fish on a bun, giving more sandwich options to a wider audience.
The menu celebrates Birmingham by giving names to sandwiches that highlight different parts of town.
- The Second Ave sandwich is a burger with pimento cheese and grilled onions on a brioche bun.
- The Westside is a burger with A1 sauce, grilled onions, pickles and American cheese on a brioche bun.
- The Original is a burger with barbecue sauce, grilled onions and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun.
- The Southside is catfish, a special sauce, cole slaw and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun.
- The Eastside is chicken dipped in Yo Mama’s hot wing sauce, lettuce and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun.
- The Fourth Ave sandwich is the most popular. It is made with collard greens, mac ‘n cheese and a choice of a protein: the pork chop, a burger, catfish or chicken.
“You see sandwiches with macaroni and cheese on there all the time,” Crystal said. “But you don’t see sandwiches with macaroni and cheese and collard greens.” It comes with a side a sweet potato puree, and when paired with the sandwich, the combo tastes like Sunday dinner. Customers can also request for the Fourth Ave pork chop, for example, to be tossed in On a Bun’s homemade hot sauce before being placed on the sandwich. (It’s the same hot sauce that’s used on the wings at Yo Mama’s.)
Crystal has a honey bun burger made with bacon, a fried egg and cheese (American or cheddar). She got the idea from her late grandmother after seeing her walk around with a honey bun paired with just about anything. They have homemade tea, homemade lemonade and an orange drink reminiscent of a the childhood favorite Tang from the 1970s and 1980s. There are also homemade peanut butter cookies, red velvet cake, lemon pound cake and sweet potato pound cake.
Their sandwiches and desserts are gluten-free, which is attractive to those with celiac disease. If someone with this autoimmune condition eats gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, they can experience inflammation and other health issues.
“I have (celiacs) who come up here on a Tuesday from Tuscaloosa just to eat here because they may be off that day. What we offer is pretty filling,” she said. “To me, it’s pretty cool seeing people enjoy food and me being able to give it to them.”
Crystal’s efforts are getting noticed.
Recently, http://www.businessrate.com named On a Bun as one of the top businesses in the central city section of Birmingham for 2025. The ranking was based on Google reviews.
“It’s good to know that people are giving me good reviews. I was up there with Helen,” which has secured widespread fame and recognition by the Michelin Guide, she said.
“I get positive feedback all the time. People are saying the food is fresh, and this is a crazy menu.”
In a way, she’s right.
Earlier this week, Diane Hicks, a sous chef at a Birmingham hotel, walked into the restaurant after seeing a social media post about the Fourth Ave sandwich with the fried pork chop. “It looked like fat happiness. I’ll be honest with you,” Diane said. “It was so intriguing. I had to roll up.”
Across the room was a table of diners finishing up an order of fried Oreos, which were gluten-free.
“It tasted the same like I remember from the carnival,” Harriet DeGroot said. “We wanted to get a sweet treat after dinner tonight.”
On a Bun is currently open for dinner, from 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday. But Crystal is opening the restaurant on Monday, Feb. 16 just to do the food giveaway. No food will be sold on Monday. Once the free meals are gone, she will close and reopen for regular business hours the next day.
Sometime in March, On a Bun will open for lunch, which Crystal said will come with the same nostalgia, sides and vibes that are present at dinner. Expect to still experience 90s music such as En Vogue, Whitney Houston, Tevin Campbell, Lauryn Hill and more playing on the overhead speakers while staff is in the back, making everything fresh, including the hand cut fries and onion rings.
Crystal will take On a Bun on the road later this month when she will compete in the savory category during The Taste of Birmingham on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at The Club. The event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. She’ll serve their fried chicken tender sliders stacked with Mac n’ cheese and collard greens, served with a side of sweet potato puree. She will be closed that evening.
Chanda Temple is an award-winning writer living in Birmingham, Ala. She blogs at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. If you have a food story idea, email her at chandatemple@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @chandatemple.
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