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The Southern Kitchen & Bar

3.6 (667 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

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THE SOUTHERN KITCHEN & BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Very loud
Casual
Live music
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - The Southern Kitchen & Bar

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Rachel J.

Came here to grab a late lunch and I've always had great experiences here, which is why I decided to try the greens and grits on the menu this visit. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. The flavors didn't come together the way I expected, and the dish was a bit underwhelming. The chicken bites were soggy sitting in the Gouda grits and the greens were basic and tasted like they came out a can. My brother got the pesto chicken club which is good choice. He seemed to enjoy it. That said, the service was still friendly, our waiter was great and checked on us frequently. the rest of the experience was just as good as usual. I'll definitely be back--I just know to stick with the menu items I already love next time.

Gabe P.

The Southern Kitchen & Bar always seems to do what I need it to do. Sunday Funday landed me here after having brunch & leaving an art exhibit nearby. After I finally got parked, I sat at the bar and Kenley provided me with great service! I ordered a $6 mimosa, listened to some live music and just really enjoyed the moment. I have never had their brunch but I plan to return soon to try it. Southern kitchen was always my Birmingham Stallions pregame spot .... I definitely will have to visit here more often now that the Stallions are no longer a thing.

Menu
Dawn M.

In town for a conference and the restaurant was a block from my hotel. 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!

George T.

I found The Southern Kitchen & Bar completely through Yelp and the Yelp reviews, and I am glad I did. 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.

Gina H.

First off the live music on Friday night was amazing!! A one man soloist who played multiple instruments was so good! The only name I got for him was Jerry. I started with a cocktail, strawberry fields which was just ok. It has strawberry vodka, fresh strawberry puree and lemonade. I'm expected more of the lemonade. We only had appetizers for a light meal. We had Cajun angels which was bacon wrapped shrimp, deviled eggs which were topped with candied bacon and fried green tomatoes which were topped with feta and tomato bacon jam. All of the food was great! Our server was sweet and efficient. The atmosphere here is always laid back and casual and this visit was the same.

Conecuh crawfish pasta
Lena N.

Nice place for dinner, we also got catering from here for our event another day and it was a very delicious spread!

Breakfast bowl
Toyna J.

I came in here to celebrate my birthday since I was stuck in Birmingham due to work... Christi was my server at the bar. I came in right when brunch was about to be over but she check with the cooks in the back and they allowed me to get a quick order in I ordered the Southern breakfast bowl with medium well steak and an order of fried okra along with a yummy strawberry cocktail. They also had some live music going and the facility is great for a large party or a sunday Sunday outing. Thank you Christi for making my special day a lil more special I appreciate everything and the food was very delicious!

Brunch menu
Lyn D.

The steak and eggs and the mahi burger were cooked to perfection, so good! We ended with a blueberry cheesecake for dessert. The live band was amazing, adding great energy to brunch. Delicious food and entertainment that won't break the bank. The service was top-tier as well. I'll definitely be back, and you should check them out! I've included a photo of the brunch menu.

Fried okra
Dakota G.

The staff was friendly and the food was amazing. I got the shimp and grits with fried okra. The shrimp and grits was chosen for me (first day in the south and asked the bartender/waitress to choose for me). The decor is simple yet rustic. The okra came in a mini fryer basket. I was expecting whole okra, not cut in half. Definitely would recommend!

Chicken n dumplings
Lisa H.

Service - excellent Apps - BBQ Shrimp amazing and Fried Green Tomatoes - different and yummy Entrees - Nashville Hot Chicken very good, Ribeye Mac n Cheese - great but keep in mind very smoky, Chicken n Dumplings - good but a bit too much sage, and Mahi sandwich - excellent!

Sadie W.

The service is great and the food is good. Came here last night and ordered the pesto chicken club sandwich (pesto mayo on the side). The sandwich was good but the chicken was very flat and thin. Almost non existent on the sandwich. I added tomatoes to mine and the tomato slices were thicker than the piece of grilled chicken. I should've added pickles to my sandwich because it needed a little something extra.

Tenderloin tips, Nashville hot chicken
Alison L.

Open atmosphere and attentive and fast service. The portions are large. I loved the sauce on the Nashville hot chicken, and the breading stayed crispy. Everything else was pretty good. Brussels could've been more crispy

Conecuh Gumbo! It's better than any gumbo I've had in New Orleans. Just my opinion!
Robert E.

This is an updated review! I love their conecuh gumbo! I can't get enough of this. It's in a rich sauce. I wish it was a lil spicy but I use black pepper & hot sauce! Every time I visit Birmingham; it is on my must have meals list, surprisingly! The service is usually prompt and efficient! They pretty much know the routine with me! My gumbo; toast and a side of rice along with black pepper, hot sauce, water and a beer sometimes and let me be! It's at a bar which is cool but due to some injuries I can't sit in those high chairs so I prefer a regular seated chair! I just can't get enough of this place and the ladies may remember me; the quiet guy from Cali that's usually solo with unique manners and etiquette! Thanks again as I may not be able to visit as much anymore. I was in the area only because I was married to someone there. I'm f nothing else; at lease I still have my GUMBO!

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5 months ago

Fantastic food. Service was top notch. Drinks were tasty. Cheese grits were on point!

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Ask the Community - The Southern Kitchen & Bar

Do they have a kids menu?

They do not.

Best place to park?

Validated surface parking lot

Do they offer highchairs? How toddler friendly is this place?

Very friendly

View All 5 Questions

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My first time at Gabriella's was recently. This place gets really busy..... fast! When I arrived,…read more there were about 2 ppl already present and ordering at the hot bar. It's kind of hard to tell what all the food options are, so I had to ask what some stuff was. I managed to get a meat and 2 instead of a meat and 5! There were quite a few veggie options that looked amazingly delicious! I do not recommend coming here hungry or hangry. Ok, sooo I love meat loaf so naturally that's what I got. I also got collards and cornbread dressing & yes they had cranberry sauce. Everything was good tasting. The meatloaf was a little sweet to my taste so I probably wouldn't order it again. The veggies were not over seasoned or overcooked. I will definitely comeback here bc there is still just so much I wanna try. The staff is nice and took care of the crowd. I even witnessed them give a person in need food, as they were about to dig in the restaurant's garbage can outside for scraps. Made me count my blessings.. all of them! There is street parking only. I didn't have any issues parking on a Sunday afternoon. The inside of this restaurant is not big but I was comfortable dining in.

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Harvest was one of the best dining experiences I had in Birmingham. One thing worth mentioning…read moreright away is that it's located inside the historic Redmont Hotel. That wasn't immediately obvious from many of the reviews I read beforehand, so don't let the hotel location deter you--this is a destination restaurant in its own right. I ordered the braised short rib (without the grits), and it was outstanding. The meat was incredibly tender, packed with flavor, and cooked to perfection. It easily ranks among the better short rib dishes I've had. The service was equally impressive. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and struck the perfect balance of being available without hovering. The dining room has an upscale yet comfortable atmosphere that makes it just as suitable for a business dinner as it is for a date night or special occasion. If you're visiting downtown Birmingham--or staying at the Redmont--don't overlook Harvest just because it's inside a hotel. It's proof that hotel restaurants can absolutely compete with the city's standalone dining scene. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Birmingham.

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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.

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I have had this bookmarked forever. Not sure how or why I did, but I sure am glad that I did!!…read more It's an old school hole in the wall kind of place. These are my favorite kind of places in the world. From the moment I walked up and saw the big piles of wood outside I knew I was probably going to like this place. We had an amazing meal here. Every single bite was good. I ate myself damn near sick! I cannot wait to come back!! The day we were there the bartender was waiting on the whole place himself with just someone helping him run food and clear tables. We only had an hour before we had to be at an appointment, so when we sat down at the bar I got concerned that we would not have time to eat here. He was busy. He seemed behind. Thank goodness I was wrong. Once he finally got to us we were decided on our meals. He took our order on his little handheld register thing, grabbed our tasty beverages, and poof, off he went. C had the pulled chicken sandwich with deviled eggs and I had pulled pork, smoked chicken thighs, beans, and a giant pile of pork rinds. Holy shit it was good!!! I didn't pay attention to the fact that my thighs had AL white sauce on them until well after I had ordered. Had I know that, I would not have ordered them. I despise all things that have anything to do with mayonnaise. But.... Had I known, I would have never known. I fucking loved it! I could have eaten 10 of them. There were hands down the best smoked chicken that I have ever had. The pork was bad ass too! I dare say perfect. Beans were great, and the pork rinds side was massive and still warm from the fryer with a killer seasoning on them. There are not enough adjectives to describe this food. I am in love. I cannot wait to get some more of those damn chicken thighs!! '26 - 68

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The Southern Kitchen & Bar - southern - Updated October 2026

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