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    Michael's Restaurant

    3.6 (150 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 8:30 PM

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    MICHAEL'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Michael's Restaurant

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    Filet perfect medium
    Clif C.

    One of the best filet mignon meals I've ever had. The steak was perfectly cooked and served along truffle Parmesan mashed potatoes. Delicious! Save room for their macadamia nut bread, pudding as well! Our server mixed me a perfect Manhattan, and was very attentive throughout our entire dining experience. The lighting and decor are perfect on the restaurant and pretty relaxing, but yet had the energy of a place that is really packed on the weekends. Don't forsake this local gem.

    Oysters Rockefeller
    Christina B.

    My husband surprised me with a Valentine's dinner at Michael's, and from the moment we walked in, it felt like he picked the perfect place! The atmosphere was beautiful, romantic, and perfect for a special night out. The customer service was truly top tier; every staff member made us feel welcomed, celebrated, and cared for. The food? Absolutely incredible! Every dish came out hot, fresh, and seasoned to perfection. You can tell the kitchen puts real love into every plate. The custom Valentine's menu with wine pairings was such a thoughtful touch and made the evening feel even more elegant and unique. As a young couple who arranged childcare just to enjoy a night focused on us, this experience meant everything--and Michael's delivered beyond our expectations. If you're looking for a place that combines amazing food, outstanding service, and a romantic vibe, this is it. We will definitely be back and highly recommend it to anyone wanting a memorable dining experience!

    Paige K.

    This may have been my last visit to Michael's, which makes me sad because it's locally owned and operated. Went for dinner last night around 5:30. We were the only ones there until 7 when another couple arrived. There were large poles and black fabrics in the middle of the floor, not sure why they weren't put away as they were no longer in use and had been broken down. I ordered the filet and it came out in 2 pieces and was tough. So sad. It was not fat but was like tendons or something that could not be chewed. Also disappointed by how small the baked potato was, only about 4 inches long, barely a sprinkle of bacon and chives. Barely a quarter to half a teaspoon of sour cream. Pinot noir was not good, too boozie and not smooth. I expect more from fine dining, which the prices suggest this place should be. I'm sorry, but I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

    Menu
    Amber C.

    Unfortunately I didn't even get a chance to eat here as we left upon finding out the kitchen was backed up. I preemptively paid a deposit and put my reservation in weeks beforehand. Our waiter informed us that the kitchen was backed up so our food wouldn't be ready until an hour to two hours after putting our order in. Even though we arrived at around 8 meaning we wouldn't get a chance to eat until 9 close to closing. The restaurant itself is in a great location, they had free valet, and it was decorated pretty nicely. They also had a live band playing great music. They definitely missed the mark, and need to do better. I would have loved to try their food and support a business in my community. Sadly I was let down.

    This was quite literally the worst dining experience I have had. Booked a reservation for February the 13th to beat the Valentines crowd. For starters - when a restaurant offers three courses on a limited menu... they should have every item on said limited menu. Was told I had to choose the strawberry salad for option two due to them being out of lobster bisque by 7:45. The menu was deduced in half with no option to substitute anything for individuals on the menu who did not eat anything on the menu. My date did not end up eating. Do not get me started on the brownie desert they gave me as it was a joke. What I expected to be a nice night out, turned out horrible. Took my steak to go. Will never be going back.

    Madison E.

    --Michaels's Restaurant-- 6.4/10 We dined here during restaurant week when they had a pre fixe menu. We started with a watermelon margarita and David got a glass of Cabernet. This is extremely niche, but when I'm drinking a margarita on a Friday, I want it in a margarita glass. First world problems, I know. But this glass was already off putting to me then the margarita was extremely sweet but also sour at the same time. Think the opposite of light and refreshing and more on the heavy side. David enjoyed it, but after a few sips I realized it wasn't for me. They do get credit for their nice, thin-rimmed wine glasses. For an appetizer, I got the lobster bisque. The pieces of lobster were slimy and over cooked - kind of disintegrated. The bisque itself was good and creamy. David got a salad and had no complaints. For entrees, I got the salmon Rockefeller with potatoes. Overall a delicious dish. The salmon was cooked perfectly and I enjoyed the Rockefeller sauce aspect of it. I did not, however, enjoy the stuffing in the middle of the salmon. Extremely fishy. I picked this out. The bacon added a nice crunch. David got the rack of lamb... and was still hungry after he finished it. There was not nearly enough to fill him up. He said he did enjoy it but needed at least one more of it. He said I definitely out ordered him this time - which is a welcomed change of pace if I'm being honest. We finished with the bread pudding and David said this was the highlight of the whole meal. It sort of had an apple spice cake twist on it and a crust on the outside. He said he'd come back only for that. This place was hard to find. The gps did not take us directly here. It took us to a museum and was kind of behind the museum. Service was friendly and informative! No complaints there! This seems family owned and operated - which I appreciate. This pre fixe menu was $50 per person, that included an app *or* dessert and entree. I would love to say we will be back but the price to quality ratio is not there for me.

    Julie C.

    I Went this morning to, Radio Station 95.7 Women's Empowerment Brunch. I had a great time. All, the Lady Speakers, was very, inspirational, with powerful, words of encouragement.

    Benjamin C.

    I had high hopes for this place, but I was overall a little disappointed. I came here for the restaurant week special, and I chose the strawberry salad, lamb, and bread pudding. The strawberry salad was fresh and refreshing. The greens were soft, and it had just the right amount of dressing on it. The lamb was the special for restaurant week (normally not served), so I chose it instead of the Delmonico (boneless ribeye). This was a mistake for me. The lamb was very tender, but it was quite small portions. And the sauce that was drizzled on the lamb was an unusual combination. The other guests in my party said they very much enjoyed the Delmonico, while my friend with the lamb also shared my opinions. The bread pudding was very good, but it wasn't to die for. I'll also add a note about the live music. The clarinet player was very talented, and I can tell he put in a lot of time and effort into preparing the music. However, the volume of the music was way too loud, making it very difficult to have conversations or speak with the waitstaff. I would highly recommend lowering the volume so that the music can still be enjoyed in the background of the conversations and food.

    Chocolate covered strawberries

    The food was excellent. Spectacular food. The service was attentive. The setting was date night.

    Cheese Grits???????????
    Michael M.

    Good ambience and atmosphere.  Friendly staff. Had a 5:30 p.m. reservation for 2. We arrived early. Restaurant should open at 5:00 p.m. Restaurant was not open at 5:10 p.m. No sign or reason why. Hostess finally became visible and saw us standing outside. Door still was not opened. My wife had to ring the doorbell for the hostess to open the door. On to the food. We both ordered the Caesar Salad. The Caesar salad kit you can get at Aldi's is better. We both ordered the Delmonico steaks. Nothing special. We ordered them Medium Well and they were Well Done. My wife ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese. It was cheesy but needed salt. I ordered the Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Very ordinary. We split a side of what was supposed to be Cheese Grits. It was basically cornbread dressing with melted cheese on top. VERY WEIRD!! The desserts were the the stars of the meal. If it had not been for the dessert the rating would be one star. Bread Pudding 5 stars Chocolate Torte with Ice Cream 4 stars Go to Perry's Steakhouse!!

    Brunch
    Gabe P.

    I'm probably one of the few people who miss the old location. I was excited about the move closer to downtown but I feel like there's just something missing. Some friends and I came here for brunch on a Sunday. We proactively made reservations and this proved to be a good idea. Let's be honest, the new space is way smaller than the old location. I miss the old location as you all can tell. Sigh. The service was nice and professional. I was disappointed in the overall menu choices for brunch. The beef tips and rice caught my eye so that's what I went with. This was a hearty dish but heavy for a brunch menu. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the dish. I especially enjoyed the mimosas!! Other guests in my party had French toast and an omelette. My friend said the omelette was way too salty so it was removed from her ticket. I'm open to giving Michael's another shot bc overall I like the restaurant. And their bread pudding is delicious! Parking can be a challenge for sure so keep this in mind.

    Bad service
    A L.

    This was the worst dining experience I have EVER had. Ruined my wedding anniversary. Drinks were horrible. Steak was ordered well done. Was told by owner after submitting a google review that they don't prepare the steak to well. This should be printed on the menu or stated by the server at the time you order. There was almost no one there but service was lack luster considering this. I was made to pay 32.00 for 8 shrimp because they dont have a shrimp dinner. I was charged for the fish of the day entree vs the appetizer which is what it was. Then the icing on the cake you have to 3.95% of your bill in addition to tax if you use a card to pay any card. This is not posted anywhere in the restaurant or clearly on the menu. It was pointed out in obscure place on menu after being asked about the fee that shows up on the receipt you have to sign after you have given your card. I am there to enjoy a dining experience not play hide and seek for information.

    spring salad and soup of the day. it had mussels
    Angela A.

    First time at Michael's under the new owner and first time using Yelp reservations. The yelp reservations was a little troublesome at first for eventually worked out. it is a but different than open table which is what I am accustomed to. the restaurant is nice, somewhat of a modern aesthetic, pretty spaceous but it gives a decorated warehouse feel. Staff was pleasant & attentive. plenty of pros- good food and drinks, our table had bacon wrapped filet, whole rack lamb chops, ribeye, shrimp & grits, salad, baked potatoes. appetizers: calamari fried green tomatoes. Everything was delicious. Moscow mule, BlackBerry signature, strawberry lemonade. Another pro- bathroom was very clean attended to. The cons- ordered takeout Pasta Mike which was an angel hair pasta dish add chicken. Nice portion beautiful dish but when prepared later to warm and eat it was swimming in oil. at least 1/4 cup of oil was poured off and the chicken was a little too charred. this dish has sliced tomatoes rather than diced tomatoes which became very soggy. So this particular item we may not tr again Also when the check was brought it stated one amount including gratuity, but when the final receipt was brought it was a totally different price about $10 more. The second receipt list our first amount as a base rate and a non cash adj. was applied I assume for using a card. I'm not sure how I feel about this. However we enjoyed., we will return.

    Chicken piccata and baked potato

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    7 months ago

    Food was very good! Flavorful, cooked perfectly. We all had steaks. Service was great!

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    It was our absolute pleasure!

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    Helen

    Helen

    4.5
    (337 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$$

    I have been here multiple times for dinner, and I just recently went here for lunch for the first…read moretime. This is probably one of the best restaurants and all of Birmingham and that is saying a lot. We, of course, got the Angel biscuits with that delicious butter. Those are always outstanding! One person got the chicken thighs and another got the burger that came with delicious chips and we got the peas for an extra side. The atmosphere is such a cool charming upscale SOUTHERN restaurant Five. My guest thoroughly enjoyed it and I bet they can't wait to go back just like me. My server had excellent answers to every question. I asked him and several people came to our table throughout the meal to make sure everything was going well when my server was busy. This is one of the best dining experiences you can have in Birmingham whether it be a nice lunch or a celebration of the most special occasions, this is one of the best places to be for it.

    I'm always looking for local, non chain, farm to table restaurants and was excited to try this one…read moreout 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.

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    Ambience, exceptional!
    Ambience, exceptional!
    Brussel sprout fall vegetable plate
    Brussel sprout fall vegetable plate
    A little bit of whimsy

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    A little bit of whimsy
    Armour House

    Armour House

    4.5
    (83 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Phenomenal dining experience!!…read more Service was top notch from the hostess and host, our waiter and all of the runners. Attentive without being obnoxious, in depth explanations of items on the menu with great recommendations! We started with a half dozen raw oysters and the pork belly. Oysters were very fresh and the seasoned crackers were a nice touch. The pork belly was quite possibly the best we've ever had and we're slight snobs about it. The fennel and orange mixture was a unique blend that really complemented the smokiness of the pork belly, Our steaks were melt in your mouth good. Cooked perfectly! I wished I could've just taken a massive bowl of the macaroni and cheese home. The char on the broccolini balanced the richness of the macaroni. They were sadly out of the crème brûlée, so instead I had the vanilla and peach gelato, while my husband had the chocolate l'orange cake. The vanilla gelato had the perfect rich vanilla taste. The peach didn't taste much like peach, but the flavor was still good. The cake was light and fluffy with a great balance of chocolate and orange. The candied orange peel on top was a nice touch! The atmosphere is pretty busy so it was louder than I was expecting. However, the ability to see the wine cellar, fridge of aging meat, and a window to stop in to look at the kitchen was a lot of fun. Highly recommend!

    We've dined at Armour House several times and always enjoy it, but this visit finally prompted me…read moreto leave a review with a bit of feedback. First, the food: truly no notes. It's spectacular every time. The rotating menu keeps things fresh and interesting, and every dish we've had has been thoughtfully prepared and consistently excellent. The kitchen is clearly doing something special and it's a big reason we keep coming back. This visit, however, the service was unusually slow. Our dinner lasted about two hours (7:30-9:30) on a night that didn't seem particularly busy. There was a noticeable lull in the dining room with quite a few open tables, yet it still took nearly 40 minutes between finishing our appetizers and receiving our main courses. The pacing just felt off compared to past visits. Valet (which I understand isn't directly run by the restaurant) was also a bit slow -- about a 15 minute wait to get our car at the end of the night. All that said, Armour House is still a really special spot with incredible food and we'll absolutely be back. Sharing this feedback because we've had such great experiences here before and hope this was just an off night.

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    Armour House dining room
    Armour House dining room
    Charcuterie board
    Charcuterie board
    Armour house martini

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    Armour house martini
    Cayo Coco Rum Bar & Restaurante

    Cayo Coco Rum Bar & Restaurante

    4.5
    (283 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Cayo Coco has been on my list of restaurants to try for a few months now, and I can confidently say…read morethat I'll be back soon! I genuinely could have ordered almost anything off the menu; everything sounded delicious. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget or the ability to consume every dish off the menu, so my boyfriend and I settled on splitting 2 small plates and 1 entree. What we ordered: -Smoked Fish Fritters: a Cuban delicacy. Still thinking about how good these were. Plenty to share! -Snapper Ceviche: personally not my thing, but my boyfriend loved this. I honestly wanted to like this, but the raw fish started to weird me out. -Jerk Chicken: served atop a tomato/bbq risotto that was devine. The inside here is so cozy and slightly tropical. They have a huge alcoholic selection too if that's your vibe. I'm so excited to return and try some more dishes!

    I went to this place once before and was lukewarm about it, so I decided to give it another try…read more Kind of wish I hadn't. My friend and I stopped in for some light bites early in the evening before going to a bar that doesn't serve food. The ambiance is nice. I did find it odd that the hostess seemed surprised we were "just walking in" since there was almost no one there. It took a pretty good while for our server to greet us, but we weren't in a hurry. We ordered mojitos and they were terrible. The lime and mint weren't muddled, rather just garnishes, so the drinks had no flavor. Unfortunately, that was the theme with the food too. We ordered blistered shishitos, empanadas, and ceviche. The empanadas came out first and the picadillo inside tasted like manwich sloppy joes with sugar added. It didn't have any Cuban flavors at all-- no cumin, alcaparrado, cilantro-- just sweet tomato paste. Next came the ceviche, which was unlike any ceviche I've ever had. It seemed to be maybe poached in coconut milk or something? It didn't have any discernible citrus flavor (or really, any flavor at all). It was just a pile of bland shrimp with nothing else in it-- no chiles, onion, tomato, or seasonings. Honestly, the plantain chips served with the ceviche were the best thing we had. Finally, we had the blistered shishitos. They weren't really 'blistered' much, so they were overly firm. They also could've used some sea salt or any kind of seasoning. They had a smoky flavor, but a fake one, like they were blasted with a butane torch rather than cooked over a flame. They tasted like someone had put out a cigarette on them. Very disappointing meal for over $100. Definitely will not be back.

    Photos
    Cool bar
    Cool bar
    Filet
    Filet
    Rum espresso martini

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    Rum espresso martini
    Bistro 218

    Bistro 218

    4.2
    (204 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$$

    An all-around great meal! We tried the Charred Spanish Octopus for an appetizer. The char taste…read morewith the romesco and squid ink sauces was a delightfully complex flavor. For entree, I ordered the Blackened Wild Louisiana Redfish, and I would definitely get it again! The blackened seasoning was perfection, and I thought that the fried okra were well done too. We also tried a dessert that I can't remember the name of - it was chocolatey, creamy, and delicious! I really liked the atmosphere - a good combo of formal while being unstuffy. We brought some family that was in town, and we were definitely pleased with the experience!

    Food first, thoughts after... My husband and I went here…read morerecently for date night. Everyone was friendly from the greeter to our server. We were seated at a 2 person table with a window view. Tight corner but still very intimate. The overall restaurant vibes were bright and fresh. We got 3 apps and 2 entrees. The octopus dish was delicious. Brussel sprouts was covered in a rich sweet sauce. We're a savory couple so not too interested. The pork belly was cooked well and topped over grits with an egg on top. Wow! My husband got the duck confit and I got the streak frites. Overall the sauces on both were way too salty so it was hard for us to eat and finish. Reasonably priced as we got 4 drinks, 3 apps, and 2 entrees totaling a little over $200. Overall I still have a great time with my love but unfortunately I don't think we will come back.

    Photos
    Upstairs view of the restaurant. I guess we were the first to show up.
    Upstairs view of the restaurant. I guess we were the first to show up.
    Chocolate Amaretto Tart
    Chocolate Amaretto Tart
    Espresso Martini

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    Espresso Martini
    The Essential

    The Essential

    4.4
    (511 reviews)
    0.7 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.

    Really cool place with a quaint atmosphere and great service. My wife and I split the chicken…read moresandwich, grits and a hash brown. All were really good. We got the sauce on the side for the sandwich just in case, but it was really good. Definitely a place I want to revisit. Saw the smash looking burger and pancakes at tables and they both looked amazing!!

    Photos
    The Essential
    Pavlova
    Pavlova
    Sourdough bread with French butter.

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    Sourdough bread with French butter.
    Little Betty Steak Bar

    Little Betty Steak Bar

    4.1
    (145 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    Little Betty Steak Bar is easily one of the best restaurants in Birmingham. We've been multiple…read moretimes now, and they genuinely deliver every single time. Amazing food, amazing vibes, and amazing service from start to finish. And don't let the name fool you if you're like me and don't eat steak. There is SO much to love here. The burrata and Caesar are fantastic starters, the lobster rigatoni is incredible, and the chicken Milanese is insanely good. You genuinely cannot go wrong with the menu. Our waitress, Anna, was fantastic. She was attentive, friendly, and made an already great experience even better! This most recent visit was another home run. They had a trial dessert on the menu, a lemon tiramisu, and it was hands down the best dessert I've had in a LONG time. Seriously incredible, and I really hope they make it a permanent menu item because I would come back specifically for that. Little Betty is one of those places that just consistently gets it right. We've been several times and have yet to have a bad experience. Birmingham is lucky to have a restaurant this good. Absolutely recommend!

    Service is horrible.... Go to Armour House https://www.armour-house.com/…read more My food was VERY delayed. Had a $500 tab running and entree was 30 min after everything else was cleared. Manager offered a free app. When I told him that seemed light, he kicked me out. Not kidding.... Go somewhere else. It's a nice place, but with management like this it's destined to fail.

    Photos
    Ambiance
    Ambiance
    Roasted Bone Marrow
porterhouse marmalade, hearth aioli, crispy shallots, 
pickled mustard seeds, grilled bread
    Roasted Bone Marrow porterhouse marmalade, hearth aioli, crispy shallots, pickled mustard seeds, grilled bread
    10oz NY Strip with Oscar Set

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    10oz NY Strip with Oscar Set
    Automatic Seafood and Oysters

    Automatic Seafood and Oysters

    4.3
    (651 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$$

    We had an excellent experience here with our son and his family…read more The waiter suggested the fish and chips for the kids (6 and 9). We were completely surprised at the size of the fish they were served. These were large portions. Our grandson downed his in a heroic effort to avoid leaving some child in China hungry, the granddaughter provided our small dog with several days worth of delicious fish. I tried their dish and can say that it would have made me happy. My wife and I had the scollops and spare ribs, which seems like an odd combination, but was actually quite creative and flavorful. There was a nice serving of spareribs, nicely seasoned, surrounded by scollops that were perfectly seared (something I can never do at home, but always appreciate when dining out. Great atmosphere that's not formal but manages to also not be informal. The place has a nice rustic/modern decor. Our service was superb, something that adds to the experience when you have two small people with you. Definitely a top tier meal. I would go back.

    The food was superlative. Best meal I have had in Alabama, and I have been lucky enough to sample…read moresome high end spots in both Birmingham and Huntsville. Raw bar, grouper, roasted oysters and cocktails...A+ snapper was a bit salty, the scallops and peaches were a B. Would go back just for wine and superlative dip and homemade crackers. Jeff, our server, was smooth attentive and thoughtful. Meal was well paced. Wine list was perfect. Just a great overall dining experience. Expect 125pp w/drinks and you will be stuffed...

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    Inside
    Inside
    Bacon cheeseburger
    Bacon cheeseburger
    Cod sandwich/burger

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    Cod sandwich/burger

    Michael's Restaurant - steak - Updated August 2026

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