I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when we got here. This place has been on my list since it…read moreopened, 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!

Stopped by Helen for a quick pre-dinner drink with a friend and discovered there's a whole upstairs…read morebar I never knew existed -- after multiple visits, always seated on the first level! Nice little surprise. We started with the Hunch Punch (rum-based and tropical, exactly what I wanted) and A Little Bit of Whimsy, which was so refreshing I could've had three. Service was a little slow after the first round -- our bartender got a bit busy and didn't check back in as quickly as I'd have liked -- but nothing that ruined the vibe. It's been way too long since my last visit here. This trip reminded me why I need to come back and actually try dinner next time. Great drinks, great atmosphere, just needs a bit more attentiveness at the bar.

Food, service, ambiance was amazing. I will return. I had the tomahawk pork chop. Definitely …read more... A diamond

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!

The food was delicious overall. I found tge shrimp cocktail awkward in how they served it but…read moreoverall great food. Zeudd (Zee) was an excellent server. The atmosphere was good. I didn't know this resteraunt was an extension of the hotel so it got crowded around the bar. Other than that, a good experience.

Sooooooo...I had the chicken and waffles and the food was amazing. However, actually getting…read moresomeone to serve you is a challenge so don't even bother.

Always a great experience and the food is the best, service was great and the ambiance is good for…read moreintimate dinner or with a group

We went for dinner on a whim on a Tuesday because everything around was crazy crowded. They had…read moreabout 6-7 tables sat with no wait, but we had to stand at the hostess stand for about 5-6 minutes before we got seated. Then they had to clean a table (?), then we had to wait on a server, and by this time we only had about 45 minutes before we needed to leave. No big deal - they weren't busy, all the tables around had their food. We ordered two quick sandwiches. After 32 minutes, no one had even bothered try refill our drinks or mention our food. We had to find someone to ask about it, and five minutes later, we still didn't have anyone come by. We asked her again, and she just said she told our server, but she never came back. We finally just asked them to cancel it and had to leave without dinner. They didn't even apologize. They just shrugged.

Ambiance, food and service were TOP TIER! Highly suggest for a romantic celebration!read more

Beautiful location on one of the best weekend nightlife streets in Bham. Perfect block to walk…read morearound and stop by for a cocktail or dessert somewhere else before or after dinner. Bistro 218 has nice white tablecloths, and a modern, romantic feel. I can't believe I'd never been here before! I came with a few friends on a Friday night. They were definitely a little bit understaffed, there seemed to be just one guy waiting tables in the main, front room. It seemed like maybe there was a larger event going on in the back. Service was a bit slow. The highlight of the food was definitely the appetizers. We had the brussels and pork belly, both were very flavorful and delicious. The bread from the bread service was good, but could have used a little bit more salt. I had the chicken entree, I love capers. It was good. I think it could have been even more lemony. All 3 of the rest of my table got the steak and frites for their entree. The fries looked good. None of them had much good to say about the steak, though.

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.

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.

September 12th husband and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary with Cafe Depont. Samantha and our…read moreserver were amazing. The atmosphere and food as always simply excellent.

Infinite amount of stars for the food but negative one star for how slow they are. So very hard to…read morerate this place. So here is the downfall. It might have been the slowest dinner I ever had in my life. I had a 7:00 PM reservation and I arrived early and sat down at 6:50. After being greeted and ordering wine I placed an order of the pork belly appetizer at 7:05. The pork belly appetizer came out at 8:00, 55 minutes after ordering. I placed the entree order at 7:30 and it came out at 8:30. There were only 3 other tables in the restaurant. Two three tops and a two top so not even large tables. Why on earth is it taking an hour to get out an order. I have my credit card at 8:50 and got it back at 9:15. 25 minutes to charge a card? I mean I guess you can get busy but the 4 tables here had 3 people helping with them. At no point when the server came by my table did I ever say I needed another minute. So, a 2.5+ hour dinner as a single diner was ridiculous, especially considering they were not busy. The food here was truly incredible, some of the best I've had anywhere I've traveled. I absolutely loved it. You can tell they source fresh, local ingredients daily, and that commitment clearly shines through in the quality of every dish. I started with the pork belly appetizer, which was outstanding. The cut had the perfect balance of meat and fat, expertly cooked with the fat beautifully rendered. The flavors were exceptional as well, finished with a maple glaze and paired with a sweet potato cornbread that was completely unique and memorable. For my main course, I ordered the smoked ribeye, and it was flawless. The quality was top-tier, with gorgeous marbling that truly reflected a prime cut. The smoke flavor was perfectly balanced--present but never overpowering. It had a beautiful crust, was expertly seasoned, and cooked to an ideal temperature. It honestly could not have been better. They also offered a few amuse-bouches that were equally impressive. A single bite of cherry tomato with lamb bacon was one of the best bites I've ever had. To finish, I was served a watermelon and muscadine sorbet with a St-Germain finish, an incredibly thoughtful and skillful dessert. There is an immense amount of talent in this kitchen. You will never be disappointed by the food here. My experience seemed to be overshadowed by the slow service and near the end I was so ready to just leave. However I might consider returning just for the food.

I heard alot of great things about Salud…read more Salud reminds me of the taqueria's in Mexico, with the Jarrito sodas, pineapple and mandarin Try them with a tequila shot! Also the guacamole, the cheese dip and the tacos. They do have a full bar and can do frozen drinks. I loved that you can add your own toppings to your tacos. The tacos come with just meat. You can add onions, limes, cilantro and pickled onions and pickled jalapeños as well as sauce. They had a Verde sauce as well as regular salsa, and a Salsa Borachja sauce with onion, garlic and Mexican beer. It was spicy and delicious. They have plenty of counter seating, a few tables inside and several tables outside. This is a tapas bar more than a testaurant.

Kind employees but not all condiments were available such as pico de gallo. Sour cream was a $1…read moreextra. I had a steak quesadilla which was delicious and a happy hour margarita. The inside was clean and decorated nice.

Anniversary meal…read more What a nice experience it was. Started with some pork belly, very crisp and sweet. Some of the best I've had. Wife likes scallops, but so many places overcook them. She said these were prepared perfectly. She really enjoyed them. I had the grilled amberjack, and while the serving was smaller than I anticipated it was quite good. The sauce it was served in was tasty as well. Had a side of hush puppies, and while hush puppies are not one of my favorites (my wife likes them), these were excellent and I think I ate more of them than she did. Restaurant appears to be rather large and open, but not overly loud that you could not have a conversation. Several types of seating options with large and small tables. Some tables had loveseats etc. We really liked the interior. While not a place I could afford to go on a weekly basis, it's definitely a contender for special occasions and for a treat.

Automatic Seafood was such a great experience from start to finish! The ambiance was beautiful, the…read morefood was amazing, and the service was truly 10/10. We came in for a birthday dinner, and our server was absolutely amazing; so sweet, attentive, and genuinely made the experience feel special. He even surprised the birthday girl with a complimentary birthday margarita with a candle in it to blow out, which was such a thoughtful touch! I started with the grilled oysters, and WOW they were amazing! They come with five oysters, but you can add more for an additional charge. Definitely worth trying if you're an oyster lover. For my drink, I ordered the mango margarita, and it was SO delicious! Sweet, refreshing, and the perfect pairing with dinner. For my entrée, I ordered the ribeye steak, which comes with roasted potatoes and mushrooms. Let me just say... this meal was EVERYTHING! The steak was incredibly flavorful, and the cream sauce that came over the steak, potatoes, and vegetables was SO delicious. I would absolutely come back and recommend it to anyone looking for a great dinner spot!