When coming back to Birmingham, a friend and I, always have lunch and a few beers. The location…read morechanges, but the story stays the same. This has been one of our locations three times now, and I'm beginning to wonder why it's not been more. Service during the day is casual, sit where you like, here's a menu, back in 5. The food selection is BBQ tastic, and is served very similarly to the big states places, on a little red tray. Nice but small craft beer selection, nice range of cocktails and spirits. There's even PBR if you're looking for the complete USA experience. My friend always goes for the Buffalo Black burger, which I have to say is phenomenal. I've varied and gone for the brisket one, and the pulled pork meal. Sides include "loaded" chilli cheese fries - which deserve a mention on their own. Burnt ends (side of more meat please!) and 'slaw. It's all been good, I've not experienced a bad bit of food there. Price isn't bad, for two of us last time it was £45. That was for the two burgers, burnt ends, mac n cheese, chilli cheese fries, and four beers. I'd like to see something like a Nashville hot chicken plate on the menu with the BBQ stuff, but other than that, this place is wonderful. It sells all of the things I like. Bravo. I didn't even notice it was a Bitters' and Twisted place until I read it here..

Another completely unique venue for Bitters and Twisted. Buffalo & Rye is new to the Bennetts Hill…read morescene, and a few doors down from sister venue Bodega. This place generated a ton of buzz before the doors were opened mid November, so naturally I wanted to try it! After stalking their Facebook, it seemed the best time to grab a table and avoid long waits was right at opening. My dining partner and I turned up shortly after noon on a Saturday and were seated immediately. The first thing i noticed is how intimate the venue is. There really is only a handful of tables. We opted for our own high top table as stools aren't the most comfortable seating. The menu is simple and specific. I'd check it out ahead of time so you know what you're in for. I thought the servers were great. Timing of food, not as great. They were rammed but we were the first people sat for the afternoon so I'd expect less of a wait than 25 minutes for starters. We shared some wings and beef chili cheese fries. Now, I am from Buffalo, NY. The chicken wing capitol of the world. We invented and perfected chicken wings. Its hard to compete with our wings in this country. Back to the review, here the wings were left still attached which I kinda liked. Usually you find the drums and flats separated so this was actually a nice change up. I do think they needed more sauce. Ours were nice and crispy but dry. Overall they were a nice choice for a starter. Ooh and the cheese fries are lovely and served in a little baking tin. As for my main, I had a buttermilk chicken sandwich which was juicy and crispy goodness. The roll was a bit too hard for my liking. I left most of it on my plate. But the chicken was amazing. Random fact about me: I love pickles or gherkins as you Brits call them. It's always a nice surprise to see a place over here serving pickles. I asked for some on my sandwich and only got one tiny piece. Step up your pickle game Buffalo & Rye! I almost forgot to mention the cocktails!! Such wild and crazy concoctions here. I tried a grape fizz and red kool aid inspired drink. Grape fizz blew me away. Kool aid was a bit uninspiring. Not as sweet or flavorful as I imagined. There's also milkshakes that looked wonderful. Sadly I was too full for one. I really liked this place. Although I can't see myself visiting it as often as the other BnTs, it's still worth a pop in. Plan accordingly. It's busy!

After big meal, walking around and playing some arcade games. we decided to go for desert and have…read morea chat. I have heard good things about this place and their dessert. I haven't had dessert from here so my hopes were high from what I've heard, and also couldn't think of any other place that do deserts in Star City. Place wasn't full and got table easily. I love that theres TV all over and they played music videos from 90s. It's good distraction for the waiting part of your food. I've got a thing for waffles, pancakes and crepes. I got a nuttela and banana waffle, which my friend later told me I had orderd the most expensive dessert on the menu £6.50. I felt guilty and knew theres no way I'm going to finish it. You can have it with ice cream or just whipped cream. Less than five minutes and I'm already digging in. I just have to say this is one of the best waffle I've had. Was so soft and buttery but felt light. Just melts in your mouth. I loved it and even knowing I had no more room left to finish I still tried. Banana and nuttela sauce went well with waffle. Though it does later gets too sweet and started to take off the sauce as it was too much. If wasn't for eating not long before, I would have had 2 of these.

Yes please!! It may not be big, it may not be clever but Tinseltown hits the spot. Those folk who…read moreare a bit precious about food and scoff at the thought of choosing an American-style diner over more 'fancy' options really won't enjoy Tinseltown but, for anyone who thinks a juicy burger and milkshake combo done well is just as good an option, you're in luck. Located in the city's off-the-track Star City complex, Tinseltown is in debt to Hollywood although the food it offers is likely never touched by any actress hoping to get an agent. It's all about moderation though so, as an end-of-week treat, Tinseltown offers the goods. The last time I went was a couple of months ago and I stuck to the classics: vanilla shake complementing a double cheese burger with fries. It's simply delish and a lot more satisfying than Maccy D's. The menu offers more exciting options (including, of course, 'Challenge' burgers because America just hearts obesity) but, if I'm going to an American-style diner, I'm not gonna go for chicken or spicy - don't mess with the cliche, guys! The restaurant itself is fine but nothing special (or that authentic) inside, reminding me of a similar venue I encountered at Disney's MGM Studios in Florida. As expected though, the waiters are very friendly as if trained in 'have a nice day' school.

Looking for some American diner style breakfast/brunch spot, Seth S. and I decided to check out…read moreCelebz since another brunch place was closed. The Celebz concept is based on a kitschy stereotype of Americana with quintessential foods like burgers, waffles, fries and milkshakes. I love a good bit of kitsch but Celebz seemed to hit all the wrong notes. The blaring music, loud colors, and cold interior left me feeling like I was on Sunset Strip after a late-night bender in search of greasy garbage to cure my hangover. The vibe, encouraged by Rhianna screaming "bitch better have my money," was starkly contrasted by a grouping of families with small children. Womp womp. When placing our order we learned that the milkshake deal (+£2) advertised with the burgers only applies to the burger meal, requiring you to spend £9 for a sandwich and milkshake, with or without fries. Seth S. got the burger but skipped the milkshake and I decided to get some pancakes and twisty fries instead. Seth's burger and my fries were delivered to the table fairly quickly, but we were almost finished eating before my pancakes arrived. I was disappointed that the pancakes were crepes not American style pancakes in an American themed restaurant, but that's neither here nor there. The twisty fries were perfect - just like some of my favorite from a greasy spoon in NC. The crepe presentation was nice but the flavor underwhelming. Too much egg was used in the batter, and the egg flavor overshadowed the Belgian chocolate drizzle and strawberry filling. If you're in search of an authentic Vegas hangover cure, this is the place for you!

I am big fan of reviewing places on what they are and as an independent American diner I have to…read moregive this place five stars. Located over by Aston uni campus this place is a bit out of the way but when looking for a late night sweet myself and a friend took a wonder over here to see what it was all about. Now I know this place will not be for everyone, it's loud and in your face in terms of design with pictures of the USA and celebrities on the walls. The menu is made up of a range of popular American classics like burgers, milkshakes, pancakes, cookie dough and ice cream. We decided to go for nachos and a cookie dough dessert to share which were both surprisingly good. The nachos had the guacamole and salsa on the side instead of being all over top which is great for a condiment lover like me! The thing that I love about this place is you can easily sit a chill for a few hours eating and drinking on a quiet weekend night off the booze (dry Jan seemed like a good idea at the time) if you are looking for a place to get something sweet with a good range of options this is a great option in the city centre.

We came here for lunch and was impressed by the colorful atmosphere. Service was a bit slow but…read morepicked up once we got our food. Menu is a mix of latin dishes, Spanish style rice with prawns, corn and beans was flavorful. The nachos were different than expected with thick tortillas topped with salsa, guacamole and pulled pork. A nice kick with jalapeños as well. The fish tacos were dry. No salsa just a square breaded chunk of fish atop cabbage. Average. The Michelada was ok. You can choose your beer and then a little tomato juice, lots of chili salt and lime juice is added. I think the food and drinks here are hit or miss. Would ask for extra hot sauce or salsa on the side to spice up the dishes.

Use to love going here, but since the tacos went Gluten free they are very mid now. Cola wings are…read moreawesome though. And the vibes are always good in there. Need to fix them tacos though!

Sichuan dreams come true. I've been crying for a good Chinese place (with reasonable prices) since…read morewe moved here and finally found it in BBQ Village. We walk by BBQ Village ALL THE TIME when exiting New Street toward South Side and finally made up our minds to give it a go. I'm so glad we did. The restaurant is decorated so nicely. The outside doesn't give a proper impression of just how pretty the restaurant is inside, with beautiful wallpaper, pottery koi, and beautiful paintings on the walls. We were seated at a hotpot table, which has a steam plate in the middle for sharing a big bowl of hotpot and heating pads at each seat for keeping your hotpot warm once served out. Next time, I am ordering hotpot because that seems to be the specialty of BBQ Village. I ordered Sichuan chicken and dim sum soup with chicken broth. The Sichuan sauce was properly spicy. SO good! It was practically swimming in chilis, but also balanced with vegetable oil and vinegar - just the way I like it. The soup was so flavorsome. I could swim in it. The seasoning was absolutely perfect. This will be a soup I crave and would imagine it would be the perfect remedy to a cold. I highly recommend the green tea, which is accented with the perfect floral notes. No sugar is needed for such a delicious tea. We shared a pot and it held plenty of tea to drink all throughout our meal. My goal for the next visit is to ask for the Mandarin menu, which in reading the Birmingham Mail, I understand has more menu items.

Really friendly and attentive service and the food was of very high quality. Pretty much what you…read morewould expect from an American diner, burgers, chicken, milkshakes, fries etc. I had a peppermint tea (£2) and got a massive pot of hot water, with separate teabag, which made me at least 3 cups of tea! We were a group of 4, had no starters, the boys had 2 milkshakes, 4 main courses and 2 deserts it came to an average of £19 per head, which probably is average.

Hucks grill and bar…read more It was utterly tremendous. The food was at the utmost prestiege and the the service was just plain exemplary. From the food to the service to the soft play and computers to entertain the youngens it was a night to remember. The food had what every child desires which a buffet of nuggets, hotdogs ect... Not to add to the adult menu which was delicous(the food not the literal menu) the food was creative and gave a samantic field of like it was just who and the food and it was lome you were staring at with a mighty gaze just waiting to dive on in and eat it all up because boy it was scrumpous. The desert on the other hand was utterly and completely divine, they mastered freindly and warming service and the only thing they could possibly add was air conditioning in the soft play so the children you ran around untill they were dizzy and their feet were raw. Thankyou and goodbye

Nice really, I enjoyed every bit of original patty men. You should get yours too, tasty & yummyread more

this upsets me cos im actauaoolly allergic to burgarss :( im not even lying im sure the burgers…read morehere are good i just have alot of feelings

So, having had luck with recommendations from Ben C before, I thought it best I check this place…read moreout on a day in Kings Heath. Now, I was meeting Ben for lunch at Veg Out (see http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/veg-out-cafe-birmingham?hrid=GgI2cmA6RaEsO8pLKdk1Aw), I didn't actually eat here - I just grabbed a coffee to visit and soak up the ambiance (being your intrepid Yelp Community Manager). Al's Diner is just off the main stretch of Kings Heath and opposite York Road. It's easy to spot, with it's American vibe and bright red exterior. As you might guess from the name, it's got a bit of a "happy days" vibe to it. From the red and white patterned work surfaces to old school Americana prints and design touches, it's all very sweet. As I say, I just popped in for a hot drink - but I will definitely pop back in for a burger at some point! The burgers looked huge and were priced around £2.50 (without fries) making it a bargain! They also had a great selection of sweet treats on the menu at similarly reasonable prices. My coffee wasn't the best (it was served with UHT milk), but that's not why you would visit normally. I grabbed a coffee and a can of cola and I believe it came to around £2.20 - which is a bit of a steal really. I was served with a smile and felt welcome throughout my whole visit (despite taking up a whole booth just to drink my coffee and do some work). I probably wouldn't travel all the way to Kings Heath to visit, but I urge you to pop in if you are based around here. If I was down here for the day, I would 100% make a date with one of their calorific treats for lunch or dinner.

At one time I counted 12 places that you could get chicken and chips from between The Sun at The…read moreStation and The Pear Tree. It doesn't take much imagination to offer something original in the ways of fast food. Al's Diner have spotted a niche in the market and jumped right in. They serve burgers, hot dogs, milkshakes and deserts in such authentic US surroundings, (NYC print wall paper, state-side memorabilia authentic shake-bar stools) that you half expect Arthur Fonzarelli to enter stage right with a 'Hey!' and start asking 'bout Richey. This place is very popular with tweens, who have claimed it as their own space to meet, hang out and gaze out of the window while supping a shake. Others like to drop in for a pre-pub snack before hitting the High Street. Families are catered for too, and on a Friday evening they take time out from busy schedules for some quality informal dining time together. Those who believe that 'It's Dork To Eat Pork' can join in as the hot-dogs here are made with beef. In fact, the whole menu is Halal. Service with a smile comes as standard, and they'll tweak meals to suit you. There's a level of community and philanthropy going on here which is hard to beat. If you haven't got an Uncle Sam then you can find a surrogate family member in Al.

I went here with a group of friends for Sunday dinner. We just had to check out the American themed…read moremeat joint. The decor is straight out of the opening credits for Fresh Prince of Bell Air - photos of celebrities line the walls and are covered in bright colored tags of fun phrases like "YOLO". There is plenty of seating, perfect for a pair or large groups. I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered the appetizer salad with pulled pork BBQ on top and shared a side of fried pickles. I was a little disappointed in the pulled pork. Being from North Carolina (home of pulled pork BBQ in the states) and eating at a place with smoke in the name, I was expecting smoked BBQ. The pork is just roasted like what you'd expect to come on a bap and lacks the tenderness that comes with slow smoking. The BBQ sauce at the table has a nice smoke flavoring added, so I was able to drown my salad in that for an approximation of the smoky flavor I craved. The salad portion is very generous and uses fresh veg. The fried pickles need a little tempura batter mixed in with the corn meal and maybe a little more time in the fryer for a better texture.

A group of us went here as we wanted to check out the newest 'American' BBQ joint in Birmingham…read more Based on reviews of The Smoke Haus' other locations, I was pretty excited. First of all, this restaurant is HUGE. Incredibly big and spacious, with an assortment of booths and tables and a huge bar. The decor of the place is awesome-- fun pieces of americana all over the place and funky graffiti all over the walls. But the highlight of every place is the food, and well, the food was just OK. I opted for a pulled pork sandwich, and a side salad instead of fries. The pork was good (mostly because they have a fantastic BBQ sauce) but definitely didn't taste slow-cooked. The salad was served without any dressing which was a bit weird, since it was huge and mostly lettuce. By the way, portions here- GIGANTIC. Come with an empty stomach! Neat selection of American beers. I don't know. I wasn't incredibly impressed, but my meal was satisfying, and the BBQ sauce is tasty. I'll have to try a few more things on the menu...

Okay... as an American from the South living in Birmingham for a while, this place brings a nice…read moretaste of home. Not only is the chicken good, but there are bottomless fountain refills which is rare in the UK. But more important than all of that - they have RANCH!! Real and legitimate ranch dressing. If you're not from the States, especially the South, you may not understand how important it is this place as real ranch dressing. That alone makes me want to come here more often. In addition to the food, there is a television that often shows American sports programs and games. Not usually live, at least I've never seen anything live, but still the fact that they play American sports is a nice atmosphere of being back in the States. If you are a local, come by and check this place out and try the ranch. At least once just to see what all these crazy Americans are on about!

From the owner: We were started in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2003.read more