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Current Charcoal Grill

4.4 (127 reviews)
Closed • 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago
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CURRENT CHARCOAL GRILL ATMOSPHERE

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Bo Ssam
Tia T.

I have been wanting to try this restaurant for awhile. My husband brought me here for my birthday. Our reservations were for 5:45. We arrived a few minutes early and were seated immediately. There was a few minutes left for Happy Hour so we were able to get a couple of cocktails and Bao Buns from the Happy Hour menu. The Fried Chicken Bao Buns were seasoned and fried perfectly. This was a nice bite to start the evening. My Negroni Sour was bright and smooth. For our entrees we did the Short Rib Bo Ssam and Panang Curry with short ribs. The curry was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The short rib bo ssam was tender and flavorful and came with lettuce and bao buns. For dessert we had Sticky Toffee bread pudding and it was moist with bits of toffee inside. Our server, Sydney provided great service. We had an amazing experience and would definitely return.

Redfish
Matthew M.

I have long been a defender of this place but I think I'm done with that now. Service is still good, ambiance is still fine, and main dish quality is still solid but I just can't defend the prices here. When we ordered our two apps, as three people, we received enough food for each of us to have two bites. That was $30 right there. When we ordered our mains, I asked if rice would be included and I was informed that a small bowl of steamed rice was $5, and that I should order multiple given our party. The mains are already about $40 each, we can't get rice? Rice. I bet you literally buy it in 30 pound bags. Then we were informed the mains were "protein-heavy" and did we want to order some vegetables? So, no vegetables with the main but, sure, what do you have? Oh we have wok tossed sugar snap peas for like $15, and maybe you might need two. No, man, I'm not paying another $30 for sautéed snap peas. Y'all make wonderful food. I just can't possibly afford the fact that everything is essentially à la carte.

Crispy redfish and green apple salad
Tina H.

The yellowfin tuna tataki was our favorite, along with the crispy redfish and green apple salad. It was a perfect combination of savory flavors with a crisp, tangy, and refreshing bite from the apple. The pork belly was a bit too salty for my preference, but it was cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth. The cut of the steak was slightly chewy and also a bit salty for my taste, though still delicious overall. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful, and the service is impeccable. I would definitely recommend it for a date night or even a dinner with parents who enjoy Asian cuisine

Bo ssam
Kayla A.

I've had a lot of amazing Asian food, so I can be a tough critic... but this place was super solid. The service was incredibly attentive, parking was easy, and the atmosphere alone is worth the visit. So vibey and honestly didn't even feel like we were in Birmingham. The standout dishes were the panang curry and the miso custard dessert, both easily a 9.5/10. The curry was almost perfect... I just wish it came with some naan to soak up that amazing sauce. The dumplings and ice cream were also great (about an 8/10). The bo ssam and brisket egg rolls landed around a 7/10 - still good, just not showstoppers. Overall, I'd absolutely return. Solid food, great vibe, and a really memorable experience.

Menu
Lucy T.

Wow. I was not expecting much from Current, but it really surprised me! It was not like many restaurants I see around here, but in a very good way. It was super nice and so much more than what I expected. the original item menu my friend and I wanted wasn't available, so I had to go with my second choice which were the Dan Dan noodles. I didn't particularly love the way it was garnished, it was a bit too intense for me, but the noodles themselves were perfectly cooked. Overall, it was a super nice place to have dinner, and I hope to come back much more often.

Linda R.

We were looking for a restaurant that could seat six people last minute around 8:30 pm on a Saturday night without a major wait. After contacting several restaurants, we were glad that Current Charcoal Grill was available. Also, we happened to be at the UpDown Arcade bar, so it was an easy walk. I like that they take reservations, and I loved that they were able to seat us away from the crowd and by a window. The service was great! We really liked our waitress. Some of my favorite dishes were the Pork & Shitake dumplings, the Iberici Pork and the steamed Bao Buns.

Current specials

We had a wonderful anniversary dinner, thankful to Opal. She is truly a gem of a server. From my coconut mojito mocktail to our miso tart dessert. 5/5! Thank you so much. Lovely meal and amazing service

Camille F.

Cool, modern, all the things. Big industrial building with lofty ceilings and comfy booths. Aesthetic curation to the max. What are the kids saying these days? Current Charcoal is 'aura farming.' I've been here twice now, and can firmly say that my recommendation is to treat this place like a tapas/shared plate situation. For two people I recommend 2 appetizers, 1 sushi/nigiri, and 1 entree to share. The entrees are great but the flavors here are too good to limit yourself to too much of one of them. Drinks are good, and reasonably priced. Glass of wine $13-25 which seems fair to me. They get extra points because they have the Elusive Lambrusco (band name idea) on the menu, my fav. We had the calamari and dumplings to start. The dumplings come under a cage of baked cheese (I think) that's so different and adds some great texture. Came with a chili oil, peanut dipping situation that was the perfect heat/salt/umami. The calamari were perfectly fried. Very lemony and peppery, with a creamy dipping sauce. I had the short rib panang curry for an entree, and it was awesome. I generally prefer a chicken in a curry, but this was the perfect super-fatty treat. I came home with enough leftovers for lunch the next day. ALSO! Our server boxed up my leftovers for me. I absolutely love when they do this. I don't really want to scrape my plate at the table. I understand that sometimes it's a health department thing to not take back dirty dishes, but I think everywhere should be doing this for you. We had a reservation for Friday night, but they honestly weren't packed to the max. I'm guessing they save spots for walk-ins.

Yasmin Y.

We had a fantastic experience at Current Charcoal Grill. The server, Eric, was excellent--attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. The menu changes often, so don't expect the same dishes every time, but that's part of the charm. We started with the sweet corn ribs and soy pickled cucumbers--both fresh and flavorful. For my main, I had the whole fluke flounder, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. We shared a side of steamed rice, which complemented everything nicely. Highly recommend for a seasonal, thoughtful dining experience. Oh and dessert- the miso custard tart!!!!!

Beef Carpaccio
Alexandra S.

Very cool, modern ambiance! Our waiter, gave amazing recommendations: Beef Carpaccio- was super tender, fresh, and perfectly balanced with apple to give it citrus and the sauce made it perfect! He said the Iberico Pork is the best entree: he was right! The pork was cooked to perfection with the meat so tender and not dry at all. The food is cooked beautifully and packed with flavor! We will be back!

Benjamin C.

As an American Born Chinese, I'm a manifestation of Asian fusion, so when someone told me that Current is good Asian fusion, I knew I had to be the judge of that. On the table: pork katsu bao, sweetcorn ribs, whole fluke flounder, soy pickled cucumbers, crispy potatoes. Pork katsu bao - I was very pleased. The pork deep fried into a cake was a creative southern spin on a classic staple of the orient. Sweetcorn ribs - this felt more like a Mexican street food to me as cheese isn't really a thing in most Pacific Asian cuisine, but I still liked the dish and really liked the stracciatella cheese and chili crisps (I'm a big fan of chili crisps - Lao Gan Ma is the most popular chili crisp brand you can find at any Asian grocery). Whole fluke flounder - another pretty good fusion with the butter and soy. Normally this type of dish is steamed in traditional Chinese cuisine. I can appreciate the attempt to fry it, but it didn't work for me like it did on the pork bun. It felt like the fish fry dried it out too much since the flounder itself was already pretty thin. I do love the fact that the fish came out bone-in. Most Americans are pretty scared of bones . One thing I wish I had was a bowl of rice to eat with the sauce, but I wasn't going to pay $8 for a side of rice. Soy pickled cucumbers - good. Crispy potatoes - good, enjoyed the curry mayo. One suggestion I have is to improve the organization of the menu. Some dishes seemed more shareable/family style while others were individual entrees. The waiter knew how to guide us, but it was still a little confusing, especially as the prices varied significantly between dishes. And fried chicken was listed under "Salads and more." I guess it was the only "more" item, but I definitely didn't see it having initially skipped over the salads part. Raw dishes were listed first, so it wasn't clear to me if these were more along the lines of appetizers, entrees, or side dishes. Overall, I think this place does a great job of blending together coastal Asian and southern cuisine and flavors. The creativity and execution I experienced during my visit definitely "pays homage to the vast range of flavors, ingredients, and techniques of Asian cuisine and the bounty of the Pacific" (from website). I sometimes forget that a lot of people have never been introduced to elements of Asian cuisine before, so I'm glad that this place is providing a familiar way to be introduced to new flavors and ingredients.

Virginia H.

My mom took me and my SO here to celebrate my work anniversary. I enjoyed the experience and the food overall, though the start was a little rocky as making a reservation was like buying a car or something. Asked for name, phone number, email, and some other things that I can't remember....there were a lot of questions for a reservation. Then they wanted a credit card too. So yeah. Anyway. So it's Asian-American fusion, and I would say the food reflects that pretty accurately. Very much recognizable Asian dishes that have twists. Got pan fried dumplings, green onion pancakes, fish, short rib, mushroom pot, green tea ice cream, and miso cake. Everything was above average. My favorite was the green tea ice cream tho, haha. Definitely worth trying, but it's not going to be a regular for me. Reservation too much of a hassle. May pop in for ice cream to go tho, ha.

Short rib
Destiny C.

Tracy was AMAZING! We started with her at the bar and then came to our table for dinner. She was very forthcoming with recommendations and all of them were a hit! If you come to Current you have to ask for her! Short rib- 8 Fried rice- 8 1/2 chicken- 9

Dumplings

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Very cool atmosphere and good service but the food was very different. Flavors are unique and not really my taste. Won't go back.

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Wooden City - Fresh Burrata

Wooden City

4.7(153 reviews)
0.7 mi

We made it to Wooden City for dinner on Thursday night. We made reservations for our party through…read morethe link on the restaurant's website (Resy), and the process was straightforward and easy to modify when our party size and time changed at the last minute. Wooden City is located off Morris Avenue in a shared row of older buildings. There's a private parking lot behind the building, and you can have your parking ticket validated at the restaurant. The location and vibe on Morris Avenue are really neat and uniquely Birmingham. It's a great addition to the city's dining scene. Our party of four started with drinks and shared three appetizers: the Bread and Butter, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Steak Tartare. My favorite was the Bread and Butter. It's house-made focaccia served with a sun-dried tomato spread and an oil dipping sauce. The bread was amazing. For my entrée, I ordered the Peel-and-Eat Shrimp from the appetizer menu. It was fabulous--a generous portion of large shrimp that were perfectly seasoned and grilled. For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Mousse and Blueberry/Blackberry Crisp. The crisp was my favorite. It was served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream--an excellent way to finish the meal. While Wooden City doesn't have a large menu, everything we tried was very well done. I definitely recommend giving it a try, but don't be in a hurry. The service was a little slow during our visit.

This place was recommended by a local Birminghammian and it was a good recommendation. Three of us…read morewere working somewhere nearby and we took an Uber here and it was kinda packed. We snagged some seats at the bar and had some drinks and shortly after that, our table was ready. And they were able to keep everything on one check, which was nice. No need to settle the tab and start a new one at the table. And the old fashioned I had was delicious. For food, we started with the Hungarian Hot Stuffed Peppers. These were pretty good and the heat gradually snuck up on you as you ate them. I don't know if it was because the heat was more intense as you worked your way towards the stem or just a gradual burn. Either way, these were good and worth the heartburn later. The thick focaccia helped with the burn a little. Speaking of heartburn, the pepperoni pizza may have contributed a bit to that too, but again, totally worth it. The cup-and-char pepperoni was charred nicely as were the edges and bottom! I love a nice bottom! These were easy to share between two of us. Service was amazing from the bartender to the waiter to the uber driver (who didn't really count, but nice job, man). We felt welcomed and I can see why the place was crowded on a Tuesday evening.

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Wooden City
Wooden City - Tavern Burger - american cheese, iceberg, grilled onion, dill pickle, bacon

Tavern Burger - american cheese, iceberg, grilled onion, dill pickle, bacon

Wooden City - Gimlet

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Gimlet

The Essential - Trout

The Essential

4.4(514 reviews)
0.6 mi
•$$

The Essential was such an unexpected find during our trip through Alabama. We weren't expecting to…read morestumble across such an elegant restaurant serving truly elevated food, but it ended up being one of our favorite meals. I ordered the seafood pasta, and you could immediately tell the pasta was homemade. It was fresh, perfectly cooked, and the seafood was beautifully prepared. My daughter had the spaghetti, and my husband ordered the Waldorf salad, which was just as thoughtfully put together. Our waitress also recommended the hummus and house pickles, and I'm so glad we listened. Both were fresh, unique, and the perfect way to start the meal. From the food to the service, everything felt polished without being pretentious. It was one of those meals where every dish was executed with care and attention to detail. Overall, The Essential was such a pleasant surprise and proof that you can find five star dining experiences in the most unexpected places. If you're anywhere near Birmingham, this place is absolutely worth the stop.

I was in town for a concert and came across this restaurant on TikTok, so my daughter and I decided…read moreto give it a try. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the hostess and seated inside. The interior has a nostalgic, warm vibe and would be a great setting for a date night. Our server was awesome! He was friendly, attentive, and recommended some great food and drink options. I also really enjoyed the open-kitchen concept, as I always like being able to see the food being prepared. My only concern was with a couple of things I noticed in the kitchen. Since the kitchen is completely open and visible to guests, I think extra attention should be given to sanitation and overall presentation. I noticed one of the cooks drinking while preparing food, and another wiped his nose with his arm while working. Although he didn't use his hand, it still left me feeling a little uneasy. When guests can see directly into the kitchen, those small details really matter. Aside from that, we enjoyed our experience, and I do think this is a place worth trying at least once. The atmosphere, service, and recommendations from our server were definitely highlights of our visit.

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The Essential
The Essential - Pavlova

Pavlova

The Essential - Sourdough bread with French butter.

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The Harvest

The Harvest

4.0(119 reviews)
0.7 mi
•$$

Harvest was one of the best dining experiences I had in Birmingham. One thing worth mentioning…read moreright away is that it's located inside the historic Redmont Hotel. That wasn't immediately obvious from many of the reviews I read beforehand, so don't let the hotel location deter you--this is a destination restaurant in its own right. I ordered the braised short rib (without the grits), and it was outstanding. The meat was incredibly tender, packed with flavor, and cooked to perfection. It easily ranks among the better short rib dishes I've had. The service was equally impressive. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and struck the perfect balance of being available without hovering. The dining room has an upscale yet comfortable atmosphere that makes it just as suitable for a business dinner as it is for a date night or special occasion. If you're visiting downtown Birmingham--or staying at the Redmont--don't overlook Harvest just because it's inside a hotel. It's proof that hotel restaurants can absolutely compete with the city's standalone dining scene. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Birmingham.

This place was honestly a surprise. My husband and I were in the area looking to get dinner but the…read moreoriginal restaurant we wanted to go to was booked. We ended up here. I will say this is one of the best steaks I have had up to date so far. Cooked just the way I liked it.

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The Harvest - Cute but chic ambiance

Cute but chic ambiance

The Harvest - Beef tartare

Beef tartare

The Harvest

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Blueprint on 3rd - Fried Liver and Onions with Comeback Sauce

Blueprint on 3rd

4.5(336 reviews)
1.2 mi
•$$$

Food was delicious and great staff…read more I recommend everyone to try them out. I'm going back next week.

We stopped in before a concert nearby and unfortunately had a pretty uncomfortable experience from…read morestart to finish. We were told the tables were reservation-only, which was completely understandable, so we sat at the bar. Shortly after sitting down, we were told we were in the wrong barstools and needed to move so there wouldn't be an empty seat between customers. Not a huge deal on its own, but it set the tone for a night where the service felt more overbearing than welcoming. I ordered a nonalcoholic Heineken, and when I finished it and declined another, the bartender jokingly called me a "little bitch." He laughed and was clearly trying to be funny, but we didn't have that kind of rapport and it just came across as uncomfortable and unprofessional. My wife wasn't feeling well that evening, so she ordered chicken and was only able to eat a few bites. When the bartender noticed she wasn't finishing it, he joked that he could take it home as scraps for his dogs. Again, probably intended as humor, but it didn't land well at all. I ordered the burger, which was around $20. I wasn't asked how I wanted it cooked, and unfortunately it came out extremely overcooked, to the point that parts of it tasted burnt. Any one of these things individually probably wouldn't have bothered us enough to write a review, but altogether the experience felt uncomfortable, and not particularly hospitable. We were hungry, on a time crunch before a concert, and mostly just wanted a good, relaxed meal. For the price and reputation, we expected a much better experience.

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Blueprint on 3rd
Blueprint on 3rd - Marinated Crab Claws

Marinated Crab Claws

Blueprint on 3rd - New Orleans style bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

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Current Charcoal Grill - asianfusion - Updated October 2026

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