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    Olivia's Transit Cafe

    3.3 (3 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 5:30 pm

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    The Essential

    The Essential

    4.4
    (508 reviews)
    0.4 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!!

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    The Essential
    Pavlova
    Pavlova
    Sourdough bread with French butter.

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    Sourdough bread with French butter.
    The Southern Kitchen & Bar

    The Southern Kitchen & Bar

    3.6
    (661 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    In town for a conference and the restaurant was a block from my hotel…read more Inside is very casual. Kinda bar-like with a nice restaurant vibe! We sat at the bar since it was packed. Service at the bar was good considering every seat at the bar was taken. We ordered our food and it was out within 15-20 minutes. I ordered the Nashville hot chicken, but subbed the sides for the whole fried okra and Gouda grits. When I say those grits and okra hit.....somebody in that kitchen knows what they're doing! The chicken breasts were juicy and flavorful. The spice level was typical for Nashville hot chicken, which I sometimes I can't take. But I loved the flavor so much I couldn't stop eating it. I will eat here again when I return to the city!

    I found The Southern Kitchen & Bar completely through Yelp and the Yelp reviews, and I am glad I…read moredid. When I came in, the place was crowded, which is usually a very good sign. It had a good energy right away. I had been looking at a few things on the menu and was really going back and forth. I was interested in the hot chicken, the Brussels sprouts, and also the ribeye Philly cheesesteak. They told me both were really good, and I ended up going with the ribeye Philly cheesesteak. Great choice. I also got a side salad with the chipotle ranch dressing and that was very good too. Picture below. For dessert, I was planning on getting the key lime pie, because that is usually my move, but Hayden my server talked me into trying the blueberry cobbler cheesecake instead. I am glad he did. It was very good. Picture below. Between the crowded room, the good service, and the food, this was a very strong experience all the way around. I am giving The Southern Kitchen & Bar 5 stars.

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Savannah Salad
    Savannah Salad
    Fried Green Tomatoes

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    Fried Green Tomatoes
    Current Charcoal Grill

    Current Charcoal Grill

    4.4
    (124 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$$

    My God, I thought fine dining had finally died, especially after covid. Current Charcoal Grill is…read morethe first restaurant I've been to in years that still understands and executes on everything that makes eating out enjoyable. The service is *excellent* with a capital "E." We ate at the bar, and the staff were friendly, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about every single aspect of the restaurant. They have tried everything on the menu themselves. They can describe any one of the imported liquors up on the wall. These are real deal professionals who illustrate just how important the people in a restaurant's front truly are. The food? Delicious. It's a wild grab bag of East Asian fare - Chinese, Japanese, Thai - and it's all done extremely well. The portions are small, which is good, since you'll want to try half a dozen things on Current's very deliberately thought-out menu. The Peking Duck is some of the best I've had. The cocktails are also excellent, with my favorite being a delicious, earthy combination of coconut, lime, and pandan. It's like an extremely upscale tiki drink. I cannot recommend this place enough. Absolutely perfect. 5 stars.

    My friend, Julia, and I tried current the other night! We walked in and immediately loved the vibes…read moreand upscale, quirky, modern feel of it all. High ceilings and exposed brick are a few of the ways to my heart. If you've seen a post about this place, you've probably seen a picture of the crackly round, artistic dish and wondered what it was. There are dumplings on the underside of it and you break each one off of the crackly part to enjoy. We did enjoy these but I would've loved a soy sauce to dip them in. They came with chili crunch, peanuts, and green onions but I wanted an actual sauce. They were very standard tasting dumplings and there was nothing extraordinary about them unfortunately. As always, we'd looked at the menu beforehand and decided what we wanted. It does state on their website that their menus can change due to freshness and availability. But we'd both decided on an app and entree we wanted only to get there and have none of them on the menu. I do appreciate a rotating menu to accommodate local items, but I would also love for those to be updated on a regular basis. So after rerouting, we decided on the chicken skewers as another app with the dumplings. These were chargrilled, flavorful, and had a nice crust on them. I got shrimp fried rice and Julia got spicy beef noodles. It was fine but I wish the shrimp wouldn't have been cut up. It felt like they chopped them up in order to not put as many in the dish. At $25 for this, I'd like whole shrimp please. There were a few pieces of raw spinach with pepper on the top. I would've loved a sauce of some kind. I would've preferred shrimp hibachi with fried rice from a Japanese place that included vegetables and sauces. This was not *bad* there was just SO much room for improvement. We both agreed that nothing was awful, but for these prices and the hype, we expected more. Our waitress was super friendly. Bonus points because they had match boxes at the host stand! There was a paid parking lot diagonal from the restaurant, so we had to walk through an intersection to get there. There are some spots up front if you can snag one. Overall, we enjoyed our time here but won't be sprinting back.

    Photos
    Bar view
    Bar view
    Skewers
    Skewers
    Awesome. Just awesome atmosphere

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    Awesome. Just awesome atmosphere
    Culinary Dropout

    Culinary Dropout

    4.0
    (300 reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $$
    Full bar
    Happy hour specials

    Since I had been here a few times, I wanted to introduce this restaurant to my brother since he had…read morenot been yet. We decided to come on a Friday night I did make reservations beforehand and I highly suggest making them especially on the weekend and you can make them online through their website. On this evening, they had Tyler Giddens playing his keyboard and singing along. He was very good and I was able to chat with his wife and she told me that he plays around town so I definitely look forward to hearing his music again. Fowler was our server and he was very attentive. We started off with the brussels sprouts and the pork belly nachos. They were both equally delicious. Last time I was here I got the chicken tacos and I was so impressed. I got them again. My son got the Mac burger, which he completely devoured. My brother got the short ribs which he enjoyed. He also got a to go Mac burger as well. This time instead of Mississippi mud pie I got the monkey bread which was very delicious and it had apples in it as well. I love how the staff gets to wear whatever they want, and they can express their style. I did visit the restrooms and they were very clean. The only negative is sometimes the parking lot is real busy and if it is, you kinda have to park across the street. It's not a far walk but a lot of the drivers at the Summit area. They tend to drive crazy. I will definitely be back. I haven't had a bad meal here since I've been coming. Not sure why, but it wouldn't let me post any more pictures.

    Only took me two years but I finally had a chance to sample!…read more As much as I hated Macaroni Grill leaving, I was excited to hear that Culinary Dropout was going to be in Birmingham. Sharing a parking lot with PF Changs at the Summit, CD has ample parking and right at the corner of 280 and 459 so finding the place would not be a problem. It's actually in a great location at the Summit where you can have a nice meal, then head over to the AMC practically next door for a movie or go shopping at the shops at the Summit. Backed by James Beard-nominated restaurateur Sam Fox, CD now has 13 locations nationwide with this one opening back in March of 2024. Thus, the restaurant looks great with high vaulted ceilings, brick patterned walls and a clean contemporary look with booths and tables scattered throughout. There's a nice large bar that serves beer, wine and cocktails. Above the bar are large screen tvs and to the side is a small carved out area with a small stage for live entertainment. They can entertain group dining and with the tvs, bar and a stage, a nice gathering can be had for all. Outdoor covered seating is also available making a cool weather brunch outside a nice option. Their menu is diverse but comprehensive and include everything sandwiches and soups to pastas and burgers. Some of the stand-outs on their menu include Detroit Pizza, Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Roasted Salmon, Beer Battered Fish & Chips, Korean Style Ribeye, Meatloaf and 36 Hour Slow Roasted Pork Ribs marinated in jalapeno BBQ sauce. One of my favorites was the Soft Pretzels & Provolone Fondue starter that I had heard so much about. The bowl of round pretzel balls coated with just the right amount of salt arrived soon after our drinks. A small little cast iron bowl filled with provolone cheese rested on a base with a tea light underneath to keep the cheese warm. Tearing open a pretzel ball, dipping in the cheese... Yom Yom Yom Yom! Our table ordered Fish & Chips, Prime Rib Dip sandwich and Fried Chicken. I tried some of Jeff's beer battered fish. Fried to a beautiful golden brown, the crispy batter hid a tender, flaky cod (I believe) that was delicious. Tammy got the prime rib dip sandwich. It arrived with a small cup of au jus, fries and a slice of pickle. Tammy enjoyed her sandwich but wished there was a little more fontina cheese and horseradish creme fraiche. I sampled the fried chicken plate. Be ready to get messy with your hands because it normally consists of a leg, thigh and half of a breast. The nicely fried seasoned breaded exterior had just the right crunch revealing steaming juicy chicken underneath. Yom Yom Yom Yom. My buttermilk biscuit had a nice golden coat with a soft fluffy center. The coleslaw was also delicious. But my mash potatoes with gravy was dry. If we had received our meal 10 mins earlier, it would've been perfect. I suspect that our four top was left under the warming lamp a little too long before it was served. Prices have a wide range from 12 to 42. CD's ability to make a reservation online is a big plus. We were able to make a reservation the day of on a busy holiday weekend. It also happened to be storming during our visit and the lights even flickered for a second resetting their Direct TV and FIFA Soccer feeds, but we were fortunate that the restaurant and kitchen didn't have to close due to a power failure. It can get loud especially if they have live entertainment. The high ceiling helps with the high decibels, but CD may not be your spot for a quiet romantic dinner unless you're in one of their private rooms. Our server Eva was very attentive and never let our drinks get too low. Even the floor manager Taylor stopped by our table to welcome us. CD is a great place for a good time. They host live music, local bands, games, private dining and group celebrations. I look forward to returning and trying the Salmon next time. Welcome to Birmingham, Culinary Dropout!

    Photos
    Culinary Dropout
    Culinary Dropout
    Culinary Dropout

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    Wooden City

    Wooden City

    4.7
    (131 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Dude the food was amazing. The server was awesome; shes…read morefrom the bay like me! The ambiance was just a chill vibe. If I ever am in town again, I am coming back for more.

    The Hungarian Peppers were the star of the meal for us. They were in season so they were perfectly…read morespicy and the sausage was perfectly cooked. The focaccia was so fresh and you can tell it was made in house. It could be eaten alone or dipped in the olive oil/sauce mixture under the peppers. The steak frites was good, but I wouldn't say it was the best thing ever. Steak was cooked well but lukewarm when it came out and the fries lacked any crunch. The hollandaise sauce was very good though. Would definitely try either the pizza or the chicken schnitzel if I came again. The spicy lamb rigatoni was good as well. Could've used a little more lamb but otherwise it was a very solid and flavorful dish. Very happy that we tried the cheesecake. There were layers to the flavor as you got to taste the white chocolate and raspberry sauces first, and then it transitioned into the sweet cheesecake and the homemade crust. The crust really was what made the dish, as you could pick out cinnamon type flavors which added a little spice to balance the sweetness of the cheesecake. Overall I would definitely (and probably will) come here again. The modern and cozy ambiance was great, and the staff was there at every turn to take your dish, pour a drink, or even box up your leftovers.

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

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    Gimlet

    Olivia's Transit Cafe - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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