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Helen

4.5 (340 reviews)
PriceySouthern, Bars
Closed • 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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HELEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Trendy
Intimate
Romantic

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Recommended Reviews - Helen

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Tomato pie
Jennifer V.

Helen does my favorite genre of southern food "came from the garden", a rich, flavorful, and fresh meal inspired by a deep love and appreciation for the magic of the South. I came for lunch and was recommended the tomato pie and had a side of peas and beans. The seasonal tomato pie was decadent and salty, while the beans were seasoned. The bar staff was friendly and personable. Would recommend for a great Birmingham experience!

Ember roasted cone cabbage, Carolina gold middlins, and whole gulf b-liner a la plancha
Faye Y.

Food first, thoughts after... Wow. A standing ovation. My love and I have found our goto restaurant for any celebration, date night, or if we just want a delicious and special dinner. Helen was loved by both of us. Our server was very knowledgable and very welcoming. The atmosphere was casual but intimate. The food was phenomenal. The attention to detail in every dish is what sold us. Big bonus was the portion sizes were perfect. Typically we're ordering 2 apps and 2 entrees but for Helen, we got 1 app and split the entree. We will definitely be back.

Yukon gold potatoes
Tia J.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when we got here. This place has been on my list since it opened, but I just never made it out. I'm glad I did!!! It makes me think of going to eat at your grandmas house, but elevated. The dishes all had a southern undertone, but were prepared in a new and exciting way. We started with the angel biscuits, as they were highly recommended. That brown butter that came with them was ‍ Then we shared a summer salad which was light and had apples, walnuts and a vinaigrette dressing. My friend got the New York strip and I got the Ibérico Presa, which is part of the pork shoulder , and we shared the collard greens and potatoes as a side. All of the meat we found out is raised in Franklin TN and is fresh. For dessert we shared the Alabama lane cake, which I was bossed with after reading To Kill a Mockingbird and have tried to make myself! The restaurant itself is small and cozy and they use real old southern style glass dishes. Our waiter, Micah was nice and attentive without being pretentious. He handled all of our questions about the menu seamlessly Hope to return soon!

Steak and pinto beans
Maggie M.

My neighbor and I enjoyed a very nice steak dinner, it was cooked to perfection-and very tasty. Followed by Love Bird dessert- one of the best pastries I've ever had. Tate, our waiter- was so kind, bubbly, overall great energy.

cheesecake
Tabitha P.

I'm always looking for local, non chain, farm to table restaurants and was excited to try this one out with my sister-in-law. The interior was refreshingly classic but current, making good use of an elongated and narrow space. The partially open kitchen increases interest, but I was sitting with my back to it, which spared my lunch companion from competing for my attention. Our server Krynn was perfectly kind, prompt, and pleasing, genuinely welcoming to us and knowledgeable of the dishes. She was so very sweet and one of the best servers I have encountered in Alabama. The food was very thoughtfully prepared. We ordered Tuesday's lunch special, the fried green tomato BLT. We were impressed that the bacon is cured on site and cut the same day it is fried and served. The sandwich was so large that we easily split it. The tomatoes were good. I prefer lettuce in leaves, not shreds, but it didn't detract much from the experience and it didn't fall out everywhere. The sandwich came with chips which seemed homemade and were very good, not soggy. I added salt which was brought in a little wooden pinch bowl. For a side we split a plate of marinated summer peas and beans. This was baby lima beans and black eyed peas, with a very small amount of finely diced red onion and red bell pepper. There was a copious amount of cilantro that was not finely chopped and dominated certain mouthfuls. I would adjust this recipe by using a few more pinches of red onions and bell peppers, and finely chopping the cilantro and using less of it. It was very flavorful! I thought my SIL might still be hungry so we got a cheesecake slice at the end. It presented beautifully and was covered in a blueberry syrup. The texture was a bit ragged but it isn't any worse than one I'd make at home. I also felt the lemon flavor was a bit overly strong, and the crust appeared to be cornmeal based and wasn't my favorite, but that's just my preference. I feel that smokers or people with few taste buds would still be able to taste the food at Helen! I also ordered a cup of black regular coffee and it was truly delightful, no adjustments to that flavor needed in my opinion! We were attended by a couple other servers and everyone was polite and sweet. I felt very relaxed and as if I were valued as a customer. I hope Krynn has many sweet customers who appreciate how nice she is! I hope to be back someday and would definitely recommend Helen restaurant.

Cinnamon Roll
Megan R.

4.5 stars! The angel biscuits & butter are to die for! I loved the family style sides, which allowed my table to try everything! I was skeptical about the Lima beans but they were so good! The pork chop was super flavorful! The cinnamon roll was perfection! I love the ambiance & service was great (if not slightly slow, but I was with a huge group & it's the holidays so def could be that)! Will be back!

Biscuits with sugar cane butter
Anita B.

WOW!!!! Best meal we had in BHAM! The sweet corn ribs were soooooooo delicious! We could not stop eating them - perfectly seasoned summer produce! The rib eye steak was beyond juicy and tender, cooked to perfection with salt, pepper, and beef tallow. We enjoyed the warm biscuits with sugar cane butter! The peanut butter pie dessert tasted like a decadent Reese's candy with chocolate, peanuts, and whipped cream! Service was fantastic and lovely ambience!

Ribeye
Lizzy G.

We had a delightful anniversary dinner at Helen. Valet was smooth, we were sat quickly, and enjoyed the ambiance. Our server was kind and described the dishes in detail. We absolutely loved every bite of the steak. The sides were delicious too. We didn't know if it would be worth the hype, but it definitely was!

Chip C.

We came here for Valentine's dinner / date night. We had never been, and let me say - we have definitely been missing out. I would definitely recommend making a reservation as they stay really busy. Our waiter was great, both with knowledge of the menu and specials and with his recommendations. The food itself was great. We got two appetizers - the angel biscuits and the st. louis pork ribs. The pork ribs were alright, but needed some more saucce and were the 'worst' things we had that night - not bad, but something had to get that award. The angel biscuits, esp with that butter they used, were delicious, and that's coming from someone who is NOT a biscuit lover. For dinner, we got a side of brussel sprouts and a side of the yukon gold potatoes, and we split the 22oz ribeye. Both the brussels and the potatoes were amazing - my wife loved the brussels the most, while I was favoring the potatoes. The ribeye had a great flavor. Needless to say, we had plenty of food to take home and eat again for another meal. I look forward to coming back soon.

David K.

What's going on Yelpies !!! You know that moment when you asked your friend or significant other what do you want for dinner and you both look at each other and say .... Helen's ... Yeah that what you should say instead of the normal answer. The food here is one of a kind. Really .... I'm at a minimum 25 years in the food and beverage industry (I know TMI) Chef can cook some superb dishes.. From short rib ,Iberico pork , to Certified Angus Beef. You're going to eat good and taste real food with class and comfort because the people and vibe will make you feel at home. Oh and the selection of wine is amazing. Keep it going and good luck on your new up and coming seafood location next store

Filet
Darlene C.

We had a 5:30 dinner upstairs. It was not crowded but filling up by time we finished our meal. We did have a reservation. We started with warm angels. Goodness, they were so good. I highly recommend. Both had the filet! It was so delicious and cooked perfectly! The atmosphere was nice. We did valet parking.

Middlins, Yukon Potatoes
Benjamin J.

Service was great. Old fashioned (not on menu) was good. Got the porterhouse, fat left on the slab, which I thought was unusual, but good meat otherwise. "Middlins"? Terrible. Soaked in something citrus/acidic. Biscuits, good. Potatoes, ok.

Jessica S.

Helen was the perfect spot for a long-overdue dinner with one of my dearest friends. The atmosphere strikes a beautiful balance--elevated but welcoming, with a kind of understated Southern elegance. We shared the ribeye, cooked beautifully and full of flavor, along with the bone marrow, which added a rich, decadent note to the meal. The cabbage surprised me in the best way--tender, charred just right, and deeply flavorful. The homemade cracker jacks were perfect. And the little gem salad with homemade buttermilk dressing? Simple, fresh, and one of those dishes that reminds you how good the basics can be when done well. For dessert, we split the gluten-free hazelnut dessert and the lemon bar. Both were excellent--the hazelnut dessert was perfectly balanced with contrasting textures and not too sweet, and the lemon bar had the perfectly bright, citrusy finish to end the meal. Service was attentive without being overbearing, and the pacing let us really enjoy catching up. Helen is a gem--thoughtful food, beautifully executed, and a space that makes a meal feel like a moment.

The kitchen area!

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2 years ago

Wonderful restaurant. Had a business lunch and food, service, and ambiance all 5 star.

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2 years ago

Absolutely wonderful meal! We had James as our server and we were completely taken care of. Highly recommend and will be back. Thanks

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Helen Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Helen

What is the dress code at Helen? Is it casual?

However you want to dress is fine. It's a very casual restaurant, except the food is ridiculously amazing.

Are there any outdoor seating options?

None that I noticed last time.

View All 3 Questions

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Tucana Tiki is a great experience from start to finish when you walk in it's like traveling to an…read moreisland oasis. They have multiple seating options; the first floor has booths that can accommodate smaller and large groups. The bar area is very inviting and fun to be able to watch your drinks being made and upstairs offers a more private area. When not seated at the bar they do have someone to come around to make sure you have what you need. The servers are very nice and tend to remember you, which is a great feeling. The menu rotates seasonally, which makes it easier to try new things. My favorite menu item so far has been the cheeseball that was on the menu around Christmas time. It had a great flavor served with crackers the only thing is when we came back after the first of the year it wasn't on the menu anymore. On my most recent visit I had the queso which also had great flavor, served with blue corn tortilla chips. When it comes to the drinks I like how on the menu they let you know how strong it is using toucans. Many of the drinks feature rum, but they do still offer some gin and tequila options. Everything I've had has been good and something I would try again. I would like to note that many of the drinks are fruity and can be somewhat sweet. At Christmas time they even had holiday themed drinkware which I felt was a nice touch. If you are not a drinker, they also have options for mocktails. Which has been great for me the last couple of months. I didn't care for the Phony Negroni, but I think Negroni itself might be an acquired taste

Service is great and the drinks are spectacular. Great date night spot or for fun with friends.read more

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Helen - southern - Updated October 2026

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