I booked a private graduation dinner at Central in the Cellar room. I contacted the restaurant only a couple of days in advance and they were able to put together a great event for me. Everyone loved the gorgeous space and food. I especially loved the private bathrooms and seating areas. The staff was very kind. They printed and set up name cards for me before arrival. Communication prior was great. Everything went well and we had a great time. With the added bartender and outside dessert fee, the total was roughly $105/person for 18 people. This included the pimento cheese board, wedge salad, entree, and small dessert. It is a tiny bit pricey for the size of the entrees, but was worth it for the private space, service, and quality. read more

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Central is a nicer restaurant in downtown Montgomery. I came here with colleagues. It is a nicer place, but it's fairly chatty and loud inside. The service was great and the food came out without too much of a wait given the size of our group. Our waiter was also very thorough and helpful. I got the Cauliflower Steak and an espresso martini. The martini was excellent, but the cauliflower steak was just fine. I am vegetarian and they didn't have a ton of veggie options, but it's also not exactly what they are trying to cater to. read more

Central - Espresso Martini - Bars Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

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Definitely a nice establishment with a clientele that matched the atmosphere. The place has a really good vibe and feels like the kind of spot people come to enjoy a quality meal. I ordered the Braised Beef with Honey Bacon Brussels. The beef had a tang to it that was a little "different," but not in a bad way. It almost tasted like it had been marinated in something slightly acidic or tangy. It caught me off guard at first, but it still worked. The Brussels sprouts were decent, and the honey butter added a nice touch. I was expecting some bacon pieces though and didn't find any. Bacon makes everything better, so that would have definitely taken it up a notch. Overall, it's a really nice place and I'd definitely come back to try something else on the menu. read more

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Crab fried rice was delish. And we couldn't resist the dessert flight after an enthusiastic endorsement from a waitress for the mile high pie . Great service and a fun atmosphere- lovely find after a hot day at the Legacy Sites sculpture park. read more

Central - Dessert flight! - Bars Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

Great food and friendly service. The shrimp fried rice was delicious and full of flavor. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting the area, and I will be back if I'm in town again! read more

Make reservations and we're able to switch tables last minute as we needed a little more space. No issues. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has a great vibe. The staff was knowledgeable and attentive the entire night. We spend 4 hours at our table without any issues. Coming from our of state the cheese and meat board was overpriced for what was served. The main courses were all wonderful however. Everyone loved their choices. We did order drinks off their set menu which were good. However we asked for some other drink off the menu and they didnt turn out great. They use crushed ice which isnt normal when serving alcohol of this caliber. Overall great experience. Great staff. Good food but overpriced for some of the items. read more

Downtown Montgomery towards the river. Ambiance/Cleanliness-Smartly appointed, interesting lighting, hipster meets old money vibe, very clean, welcoming. 4 stars Service-Arris was on point, and a real gem of a person. We were quickly seated without advance reservations at a lovely booth and given solid advice on the food, which was brought out at a fine pace and presented well. 4 stars. Food-was quite good. We started with steak tartare, cubed, rather than minced, top quality meat, light, yet flavorful. The buttermilk creme fraiche was airy, yet substantial. She had the curried short rib, cooked perfectly, exotic flavor, not overpowering. I had the teres major which was also well executed...but if i had a choice,the elote style corn pudding would have been denser and more heavily seasoned. We had the Marquise, a rich, but forgettable chocolate dessert. 4 stars read more

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Likely the best restaurant in Montgomery, AL. Not much competition for that title but worth noting. My wife had the venison entree and I had the duck breast entree (both dishes were among the best we've ever had for their respective proteins). The service, the Beet salad, cocktails and dessert (mile high lemon meringue pie) were also excellent. The setting/ambience is also great... a former warehouse with high ceilings and a nice noise level. Highly recommend. read more

Central - Jake's Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie - Bars Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

Amazing experience having dinner at the bar. The tender was attentive even though it was uber busy - even on a Tuesday! Food was out of this world good. Can't wait to come back! read more

Ran by Chef Jason McGarry and having opened in 2012, Central is a place that has established a bold reputation in Montgomery. It is the kind of place where you will see doctors with their families, lawyers on business dinners and plentiful celebrations happen in the heart of downtown. The atmosphere is not fancy, but certainly not too casual either with beautiful exposed brick walls. The space is an 1890s warehouse, transformed into a beautiful venue for meats and seafood. The fact that the space preserved in this state is incredible and the designers did a remarkable job. So, there is food too! The short rib smoked for 24 hours is a solid dish, delicate and flavorful. The salmon is prepared great as well. There is a wonderful small wine list of a few dozen bottles, yet sadly glassware is terrible. No crystal glasses for a $100 bottle? Get some Riedels or something similar. Also, would be nice to have some fresh made bread available on the menu or served as part of bread service. It would go incredibly well with the meat focused menu and especially the short rib. As a whole, a wonderful place for dinner and great work by Chef McGarry's team on crafting a special meal. read more

Central, by Chef Jason McGarry, offers amazing food in a rustic yet elegant environment. It's a large place with several private dining areas perfect for any affair. The open kitchen reminds me of Emeril's style. I was by myself so I elected to sit at the bar among a business owner and a doctor. Service is attentive and friendly. The wine list and cocktail menu are robust. The dinner menu is definitely unique. I had to look a number of items up on Google. I started with a fruity yet dry French Beaujolais. It was bright and delicious and the pour was extremely generous for only $12 a glass. Next I tried the boudin croquettes. They were flavorful and spicy with a good creole finish. They were artfully presented with greens and a mustard sauce. My entree was a nightly special, the red snapper. The fish was crusty outside and moist and flaky inside. It sat on a bed of rice, collard greens and diced vegetables. It was perfect! The asparagus side item was grilled expertly, crunchy and tender. I had several beaujolais while I savored the smells from the open kitchen and talked to my polite Jamaican servers. This is an enchanting place. read more

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Everything in this restaurant is five stars. Its look and feel is so inviting, lighting and decor screams fine dining. The staff are knowledgeable, helpful and always smiling making dining so enjoyable. I had never eaten lamb ribs and I doubt I'll ever taste any as great as these. All of the dishes are very unique and great takes on everything. My wife and I will be stopping in Montgomery every trip just to go here. It's fabulous. read more

Top 5 best meals I've ever had! Dining here is an experience! Service was great & so was the food. Desserts were mind-blowing! No notes!!! read more

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Joe and Erin at the bar were awesome. The tuna pad Thai was an excellent choice. They also have a great bourbon.

DO NOT DINE HERE! I repeat do not dine here! This is the second time I've been disappointed by this restaurant. We banked on the first time as a fluke and gave them a second chance, never again! We started with a $400 bottle of wine. You think they would've been paying attention. My wife ordered a medium fillet, it came back rare. It took 10 minutes for the waitress to come back to take it back and then it took another 15 minutes plus for them to reheat the steak... we don't really know because we gave up and left. Again, l am unable to express in words the level of my disappointment. My wife had no dinner tonight. read more

Made rez 30min before opening and was able to get a rez for 8. I had: 1) oyster sliders - 3/5. Good flavor and crunch, but light on the oyster. 2) grilled octopus - 4/5. It was pretty tender and well-seasoned, but I didn't like the orange sauce and didn't need the greens under it. Woulda given it a 3, but gave it an extra star for the portion. Large enough to be an entree. 3) squash/crab/green apple soup - 4/5. Good amount of crab meat. It was pretty sweet so adding the chunks of green apple felt unnecessary, especially in light of added curry, too. Too many flavors going on. 4) endive salad - 5/5. With the candied almonds and apples, this was my favorite dish! Would go back just for this. Good service. Would return if in town. read more

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Food was high quality and the chefs did an excellent job with the flavor combinations. Service was professional, knowledgeable of the menu and friendly. Chris the chef knows his stuff while running the kitchen he was also able to give our table his recommended favorites and a brief explanation of the flavoring! You can't go wrong at Central the cocktail selection has something for everyone. read more

Central - The duck breast, from savory to sweet. - Bars Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

A great spot for an elegant dining experience. We tried quite a few dishes and enjoyed them all. We started with the salmon croquettes appetizer and iceberg wedge salad. Those salmon croquettes are flavored perfectly. My main course was the Olive roasted rack of Lamb, nothing like a rack of lamb. You won't leave any meat on the bone. The Gochujang rubbed lamb ribs pack some interesting flavor with a spicy kick. Exactly what I was looking for. We couldn't resist the desserts, so we devoured the ohh so delicious strawberry donuts dish and the Jake's Mile high lemon meringue pie. Those strawberry donuts are perfectly crispy on the outside with a warm middle, reminds me of poundcake. I'm addicted for sure. Even my teenagers enjoyed the rack of lamb. read more

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Absolutely amazing! The best ribeye I've ever had! It was seasoned perfectly with a nice char on the fatty part and cooked to perfection a true medium rare steak. Nigel gave us recommendations, we were in between short rib or steak. He described the Roasted Brussels with bacon & honey perfectly. Nigel was outstanding told us about all the other must check out spots. Everyone was very personable, definitely a must stop if I'm back in the area. read more

Central - Ribeye, Roasted Brussels with bacon & honey, sweet potato - Bars Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

I've been here for dinner maybe a half dozen times and normally both the food and service are stellar, worthy of 5 stars. This time we came on a Wed night and when we arrived they weren't at all busy. Got seated and served water right away - all good. We quickly decided on a wine from their wine down Wednesday menu and ordered. The server seemed confused and made several trips back to talk to his "manager", and then came out 20 min after ordering and said the Zin we ordered was out but his manager had a substitute for us. She came out maybe 5 min later and offered us another reasonable Zin for the same price. It was nothing stellar but acceptable. So we started enjoying our wine 30 min after being seated and decided we'd better order our food quickly or we might never see it. We ordered a starter and a salad to split, and told him we'd also split the entree after our starters. He must've put a rush on the food because the starters seemed to come out in just a few min. Sadly, one min later here comes our entree when we had just started our salad. The food was delicious as always but the evening was diminished by the chaotic service. We also asked for some bread, but all they had were crostini's- which was ok but with heavy fare (short ribs) you could expect to have a nice roll or baguette to accompany the entree and salad. I'll give central another chance but this was really surprising and disappointing. I'm hoping it was just a bad day for our server or he is brand new. read more

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Stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant while staying at the Marriott across the street. What a great find. Absolutely beautiful decor. Super friendly hosts and bartenders. Food was outstanding! The minute we were greeted and could smell the food we knew we had found a fantastic new place for us. We will be back!!! read more

I visited while on a work trip and was so excited to try this place! We called same day and got lucky with a late seating. It was within walking distance of our hotel and it was a great night to visit because the service was amazing and even though she forgot one of the items we ordered we were soooo full we didn't even mention it! Go hungry and order family style to share. The short ribs were my fav but everything was so yummy. Totally worth it! read more

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Excellent and unique food offerings. Wonderful service in an excellent atmosphere. I will definitely be back.

Everything here was absolutely amazing from the appetizers to dessert. They are dog friendly and have an outside patio to accommodate patrons. Appetizers: The grilled octopus was cooked perfectly and phenomenal with olive oil. Strawberry salad was light and refreshing for a hot summer day. Sweet and Herby at the same time. Dinner: fish of the day was swordfish and was given with mussels, clams, and rock shrimp. There was a tomato soup base that was absolutely divine. We also had the slow cooked short rib which was super tender and the grits were flavored perfectly with Parmesan. Dessert: ube cheesecake was perfect, enough said. Drinks: pretty much an old fashioned with rye whiskey which I am partial to. Great. Nora was our waitress and 100% attentive. Brought water to our dog and refilled out water frequently. They also offer 10% military discount which was great. read more

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Oh my stars, y'all! I just had the most fabulous dining experience at Restaurant Central in Montgomery, Alabama! Our server, Kelly, was the epitome of Southern hospitality - as sweet as sweet tea on the porch on a summer day! She had our group of 10 in stitches, crackin' jokes and makin' us feel like we were sittin' on the front porch with old friends. We were so taken with her charm, we almost asked her to pull up a chair and join our little party! Now, on to the grub - and lawdy, it was good! I started with the Iceberg Salad, and let me tell you, it was love at first bite! The combination of crispy iceberg, radish, shallots, chives, confit tomatoes, bacon lardons, blueberry stilton, and buttermilk herb mouse, all tied together with a zesty ginger vinaigrette, was absolute perfection. I could've made a meal out of that alone, but I'm so glad I didn't, because the rest of the meal was just as delicious! The Miso Glazed Cauliflower Steak was a revelation - I mean, who knew cauliflower could be so darn tasty? The chick pea and roasted garlic puree, pomegranate seeds, mint, and tahini all came together in a flavor party that left me wantin' more, more, MORE! And don't even get me started on the 5 Onion Parmesan Grits - Lord have mercy, they were creamy, cheesy, oniony goodness! I could've eaten a whole bucket of 'em, they were that good. If you're a grits lover like me, you owe it to yourself to try these - they're not to be missed, y'hear? All in all, Restaurant Central gets a big ol' stamp of approval from this Southern boy. If you're lookin' for a dining experience that's as warm and welcomin' as a hug from your favorite aunt, look no further. And be sure to ask for Kelly - she'll make you feel like part of the family! 5 stars, y'all - I'll be back, and I'll be bringin' my appetite! read more

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Service could be better customer service can be better. The lights and outdoor seating can be better overall it's noisy sometimes. Food can be pricey read more

Met chef Chris as I was parking my car and we started talking he told me about the restaurant. I had dinner somewhere else but came back for desert. Too many great options. I got the chocolate desert and it is rich, amazing, wonderful, and not too big...that's for Robert. I came in even as they were closing and they hooked me up. Arin was great. Staff was cleaning up and had a great family fun vibe with their staff. Thanks for the great conversation and it was lovely to meet you chef Chris. Thank you for sharing great food with me. ~vanessa from Wichita read more

We picked Central to celebrate our son's graduation from Officer Training School. We did not have a good experience. The atmosphere is very nice. The service tried to be good. We ordered drinks. We ordered appetizers. The appetizers came out before the drinks appeared. Not sure what took so long for the drinks. We got there at 7, we still didn't have food at 8:30. My son had to report back to base at 9. I asked if they could at least bring out his meal. They did get it out soon after that. I ordered the halibut special that came with an oyster stew. It was so salty it wasn't edible. My brother ordered the butternut squash gnocchi, there was way too much sage. Not edible. The filets were all very good. Super disappointing. They did accommodate us by removing items from the bill, but we would rather have a better experience. read more

My son selected Central for a family dinner. The service was great. Some of the food was really good, other entrees not so much. I ordered the Rock Shrimp fried rice. I was very disappointed in my selection. 4 shrimp, crunchy, under cooked rice and very little taste. For the price, I was expecting a lot more. Other members of my party seemed to enjoy their entrees. The desserts were good. My wife ordered several and shared. read more

Solid meal in downtown Montgomery. Interesting cocktail menu, lots of different alcohol bases. For some reason I expected more bourbon. The sweater weather was nice, although quite sweet. The short rib was plated and on the table in less than 4 minutes, which makes sense since it's slow cooked in advance, but the plating and service speed were a big surprise. The short rib was perfectly tender, I think the side was polenta, and it was served on a big bed of it. The serving was plenty, on the bigger side for short rib in my experience. Friendly staff from hosts to servers, and the bartender who brought my drink to my table. Cool, rustic, warm setting. There's plenty of street metered parking around, and o think the meters stop taking money at maybe 6. read more

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The food is always spot on. The mocktails are terrific and much more reasonably priced than other restaurants I've been to. The waitstaff is very polite and professional, and even though different people deliver the food, they always know which person gets which plate! I love the decorating and when they dim the lights in the evening it's a very chill atmosphere. However, I think the chairs at the center tables are very uncomfortable. Also not sure why I keep getting stuck at a middle table despite having a reservation when almost all the booths are empty the whole time I'm there. I've seen the same feedback from multiple other reviews. read more

Absolutely a must-visit anytime you're in Montgomery or nearby. I've tried to get something different each time but it's extremely difficult when you find something on the menu that you always crave. The teres major steak is my favorite by far. The ONLY disappointment I have with Central is when they don't have their Brussel sprouts on the menu. It's a seasonal menu, so I understand but that doesn't mean I have to be happy they're not on the menu. All the food is top-notch, high-quality ingredients and presented like the plate was being presented in a magazine spread. Plenty of drinks and desserts to satisfy those who partake in libations and sweets, too. read more

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Always a welcome time with good food when in Montgomery when you want something special but not stuffy.

Food and service were outstanding. The hostess informed us there is a $50 fee for a large party. But, in the end, we sat together without paying the fee. read more

Every time we are in Montomgery on business we eat wt Central. Excellent food and exceptional service

Dessert was bomb! Great ambience and service. In town for a convening and peers kept raving about Central. We already ate before but only had one night left so we decided to check it out. Walked in at around 7:30pm and were immediately seated. We decided to keep it light since we weren't super hungry. The dishes we had were fine but we didn't have any entrees which was probably a mistake :( -Rapini - it was good -Octopus - the octopus and the potatoes were a bit underdone for our taste. Flavor was fine -Vanilla Lemon pie - so goood!!!!! We struggled picking one dessert cuz they looked so good and we weren't disappointed with our choice. The lemon was light. The vanilla ice cream had such a great flavor and texture to it. Highly recommend! read more

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Appetizers were great. Then came the entrees - heaps and piles of salt. The lamb was so salty it was unedible. Manager comped a desert but we left extremely thirsty...... Yes you're supposed to season your food but if everything tastes like salt to the point of bitterness then something has gone wrong. read more

10/10 experience. Everything from the waiter helping us make decisions to the ambience to the actual divine taste of the food itself was absolutely fantastic. The beef tartine appetizer is an absolute and the short ribs were worth the hype!! Appetizer: beef tartine Entree 1: beef short ribs Entree 2: teres major Dessert: beignets read more

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One of the nicest restaurants in Montgomery. Their brussel sprouts and steak are to die for.

Every time we eat here we leave absolutely amazed by the food. Amazing combinations of flavors that leave you completely satisfied and your palate happy. Tonight we had the pork tenderloin- absolutely awesome. I have eaten at restaurants across the world and the way the chef is able to combine a variety of different flavors into one awesome entree is nothing short of unique and amazing. If you are in Montgomery or anywhere even remotely close and don't eat here- you are missing an experience of a lifetime. Can't recommend highly enough. read more