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    Ocean

    4.1 (231 reviews)
    PriceySeafood
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Ocean Photos

    OCEAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Romantic
    Classy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - Ocean

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    Reviews With Photos

    Virginia H.

    Just think it could better, especially for the price. Got an appetizer and a salad to go. The salad is sad, not much to it. The Fritto Misto supposedly has fish in it per the menu......it doesn't. More veggies such as onions, peppers, etc. It's good, dont get me wrong. They do a good job with their breading, very light and crispy. Just don't expect much seafood in it.

    Thai green curry bouillabaisse
    Fred S.

    Amazing birthday dinner for my bride. David took care of us and he was outstanding. Knowledgeable and very attentive. Very comfortable setting perfect for a great date night. We started off with "fresh start" Ocean Salad followed up with the crab "Sammy" for the appetizer. Salad was super fresh and the fried feta cheese on it was a great complement. Crab Sammy I enjoyed, but the better half did not like the aioli. No problem, I finished it off. Entrees, my wife had the Thai green curry bouillabaisse, lobster tail, clams, shrimp and mussels with pineapple jasmine rice. Absolute perfection. I had the St. George's bank scallops. Outstanding but there was only 3 scallops so it felt more like an appetizer. Super enjoyable though. Dessert was an amazing baklava ice cream, wow!! Great job all around Ocean!

    When you learn to love yourself, your taste in men change and so does your taste in cocktails. Cheers to that!
    ViVi S.

    Good things come to those who book reservations. Couldn't have asked for a better pre birthday celebration. Impeccable service, beautiful presentations of delicious food, and the clientele is ever so amusing and entertaining. We also got to witness owner and chef George Reis host his wedding rehearsal dinner on the patio. Started the celebration off with a glass of prosecco and a dozen oysters ranging from the Olde Points, Blue Points, and Blackberry varieties. Then moved to the scallops and yellowtail snapper. The entire fish comes out on the platter so have an appetite ready! The starlight of the evening was definitely the chocolate panna cotta, the brownie brittle is to die for, though if you want something richer order the oatmeal cheesecake. Parking can get limited since it's near the hustle and bustle of Five Points. They offer valet parking for your ease. Nothing beats that unforgettable feeling of good company and summer nights with a glass of wine and dessert sitting before you. Thank you for ushering in my birthday wishes Ocean!

    Davida B.

    Have a heavy snack before you go! (unless you're ordering sushi) I went in 1/2024 with a party of 8 on a Wednesday. Heads up - 20% gratuity is automatically added on for a party this size. I ordered sushi and enjoyed it. I ordered the crab cakes, which came with 2. They were the size of scallops. The smallest I've ever seen but delicious. But tiny. Speaking of scallops... One of the ladies in the party came in pretty hungry. She ordered the scallops ($35 - no sides just garnish). It came with three (3) average size scallops. I felt so bad for her... She looked devastated. Another friend said the ceviche was not seasoned well. Another said her fish was not seasoned well. The swordfish was reportedly very good, as was the chocolate Panna cotta. The gumbo was reportedly under seasoned. The pear salad and risotto didn't get rave reviews either. The portions are smaller compared to other fine dining restaurants in B'ham. I'd recommend the sushi (which is actually fairly priced for this dining experience). During my first visit, a few years ago, I got a whole fish with the head - I can't recall what kind of the fish was. Anyhow, it had so many bones in it that I could not enjoy the fish so I knew this time I would try something else.. That's how I ended up with sushi.

    Red Snapper, Destin, Florida Wood Grilled Troll King Salmon
    Alice K.

    This is a hidden gem in Five Points S that I believe is overlooked by many of us in the YP/student community. I came for dinner on a Wednesday and was promptly seated with my reservation. The scene was loud but had a comfortable seating situation where I didn't feel too close to the table next to me. I enjoyed the grenache with my red snapper. The bread was quickly served to the table and fresh enough. I recommend the blackberry cobbler to top off the meal. It had a great lemon zest undertone that was bursting with flavor.

    Fried flounder
    Marc L.

    This place is always fantastic. Great service and amazing food. Well worth a little extra money, because everything is so delicious. My wife and I went for our anniversary and both got the fried flounder. We have had this many times and it never ceases to amaze me. The crust is delicate and so flavorful and the fish is tender and mild. The dessert chef made our anniversary extra special by decorating the Godiva cheesecake so beautifully and creatively! It was not only beautiful, but the taste was out of this world good. The consistency of the cheesecake was just right. Thank you so much for an amazing night.

    Janis T.

    Our group had a great experience at Ocean about a year and a half ago but we didn't get so lucky this time. I can't recommend it, especially for the price point. I ordered scallops which were $35 and got three, drenched in hot sauce which I don't care for. Others in our group of 8 were also disappointed with their entrees. Generally the sushi got good reviews and everything else was lackluster. Our server showed no warmth whatsoever and did nothing to make the meal a pleasant experience. Suffice it to say we'll be taking this one off our list.

    Whole Crispy Skin Gulf Coast Red Snapper
    Margaret B.

    Ok so my take on Ocean. It is a very nice atmosphere! The vibe is white table cloth and I really enjoyed the service. Now on to my favorite discussions which is the food. I'd go back here to sit at the bar, have drinks and oysters. I did that as a prelude to my dinner and it was better than dinner itself. I had the whole fried snapper which was just ok. It had no flavor so I asked for some chimmichurri on the side to punch it up a notch. It helped. The Brussels were ok. I must say the dessert was delicious! So for me going back means a nice seat at the bar with a cocktail and some oysters.

    Lobster Risotto
    Jennifer S.

    Everything is always great Love Robbie! service , food, ambiance...one of my favorites in Birmingham! ,

    Outside!!
    Stella Harper S.

    I went here for my aunts graduation celebration, and let me tell you, it was wonderful! The food was magical, the service was impeccable, and when I walked in, it felt like Mamma Mia! I ordered the filet mignon and it was wonderful! It came with a potato and green beans. For dessert I had the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. We sat outside and it was nice weather so we had a good experience. 10/10, would recommend.

    Great wine choice

    We came in for a work dinner. Great atmosphere, they had multiple servers waiting on us and we did not have to wait long for anything. The sushi is wonderful and the desserts were so delicious. We will definitely be back

    Complimentary Bread

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    Wonderful! Lobster tails are a must. Beautiful atmosphere and amazing service. Oysters Rockefeller were a great start to our meal.

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    Ask the Community - Ocean

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    Outstanding seafood and a delightful dining experience are sure to be found at Automatic Seafood!…read moreThis is a more upscale outing, and it made for a cozy and elegant birthday dinner/date night. What we ordered: -Smoked Fish Dip: This appetizer could have easily been shared with multiple people. The dip was so flavorful! -Fish and Chips: You definitely can't go wrong with this one. The fish was perfectly crunchy and battered, and the fries were perfect! -Spice Crusted Yellowfin Tuna: my boyfriend loved this! It wasn't my favorite, but the potato stack that it is served with was phenomenal... they know how to do potatoes here. Without a doubt, I'll be back here. Their menu changes regularly, so there's always something new I can look forward to trying.

    Pros: food was good and cool atmosphere/vibe. The bread/rolls app and oysters were the highlight…read more Cons: #1 Prices were utterly absurd. Look, I understand inflation has taken a hit on everybody but charging up to $50 an entrée and everything else à la carte??.....my meal better be amazing but it wasn't. #2 Service was just ok. Ours wasn't the most jovial individual but not a dealbreaker. Issue came with the check....we had three groups in our party and he charged everyone's credit card on other's check and had to re-process everybody. Really annoying as this is not a hard thing to deal with handling separate checks (inconvenient for him?...yes, but not difficult). All in all....I will not be back as the food/service definitely not worth the $$

    The Fish Market Restaurant - Seafood platter (Talapia, shrimp, scallops and oysters) with fried Okra, collard greens and hush puppies.

    The Fish Market Restaurant

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    We came here for a date night before a concert. Parking was a little hectic, so we parked nearby…read moreand walked over. The place was crowded, but we were seated quickly. The waitress checked on us frequently. Their menu is huge and has something for everyone. They didn't have my first request, but I got the pesto pasta with shrimp as my second choice and it was very good. I liked the oysters, but the ones we tried were very spinach forward, and if you aren't a fan of that, you may not like these. Next time we'll try the other oyster types they have. I'm surprised I had never made it out here before. I will definitely come back - but not with the kids. They have some great lunch specials as well.

    We must eaten there on a bad night all around because our review doesn't reflect what everyone else…read moreseemed to experience! We were seated promptly handed menus and about 30 seconds later approached by the waitress for drink orders. We asked for a drink menu as there was nothing to advertise what drinks they were serving. She returned with 1 drink menu for all 3 of us and stood there waiting until we decided. We asked for some time so she left and returned about 2 mins later. We ordered drinks and she returned 2 mins later to take our food order. We ordered appetizers, salad and main courses. The drinks came quickly, the salads came right after and then about 3 mins later, the appetizers came out. 3 mins after that, the main courses arrived so we had plates stacked everywhere on the table and quickly tried to finish our salads and appetizers before the main dish got cold. The waitress never returned to the table until she brought the bill. The plates were all cleared by someone else. We saw her leave a bill at the table next to us and wait until they checked it over and figured out a payment method, so when she arrived at our table we just handed her a credit card. The food was average but the overall experience was terrible. I realize she was probably new and this may have been her first night but some training would go a long way! For $180 dinner, we expected a lot more.

    The Essential - Sourdough bread with French butter.

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    This morning, Sunday, February 15, 2026; My wife and I went to "The Essentials" for Sunday, Brunch…read more I have not eaten at "The Essentials" for a few years now. We don't like going out on holidays like Valentines Day so we usually do something the day after. Food: I got the Steak & Eggs. They were great. I did think the "Potato Cake" on the plate was a bit dry but I did eat it all. I was surprised that no Toast was provided for this item. Just an after thought. My wife go the Banana Bread French Toast. She also loved it. Service: This is where "The Essentials" understands what their clients want. Our server was outstanding. I looked around and felt the entire staff really knew how to work with their guests. Refreshing. Ambiance: At first, I thought the restaurant was a bit noisy. Yet my wife and my conversation was not strained. The Ambiance was upscale casual. Value: I thought the prices were a bit high yet the real story was, once I was finished, my mind was asking when the next time I would return. Cost a meal is in direct portion to how much you enjoyed it. I enjoyed my meal very much. Eat well, Drink well and stay healthy.

    This is a great spot in Birmingham. The menu was not clear, but the staff worked with us to figure…read moreout what they could make without seed oils and gluten-free options. I ended up with a bunless burger. The Caesar salad with chicken was my first choice, but both the dressing and the chicken had seed oils - not good. Still, the vibe was great, and we made the best of what was available. Thanks to the chef for working with us.

    Ocean - seafood - Updated May 2026

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