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!!

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.

Came here to watch the SEC Championship. Wait time was minimal and we received our food in good…read moretime. Our waitress was good and was knowledgeable about the menu. The Steve burger is so good! Casual spot to watch the game. Great for groups or solo.

This was my first time coming here so I came out for the Alabama and sat at the bar. It wasn't to…read morecrowded so service was spot on for me, LOL. I ordered the Birmingham hot honey chicken and a loaded bake potato which was really good. The venue is realy big as they have concerts there and a lot of TV's for your enjoyment and I believe I some pool tables in separate room. I was only there for a short time but next time im in town I'll stop by again for a full experience

Bar Sebastian is the rooftop area above Micheal's Restaurant. When the weather is nice, it's the…read moreperfect vibe. There's a different menu than Micheal's on the rooftop. Basically, it's upscale bar food. There's also a separate entrance. On this particular night, they seemed to be short staffed and the service was very slow. But once my bacon jam cheeseburger and honey drizzle fries arrived, my taste buds were happy. With warm weather here, I will definitely be back.

Great happy hour!! The good is done of the best bar for you will have. The bartender were a ton of…read morefun!! Shout out to Jaz! They had a dj play great music! Nice rooftop vibes over looking the barons game!! You can't beat that! The only thing was thing I could get passes was the cold fire buffet.. Wasn't the best idea.. Xold fries are a no go!

Fairway Social hosted our area outing for my job which was about 60 people. Everyone had a great…read moretime with the interactive games, and bowling. The most enjoyed was the open speakeasy and patio... the vibe was relaxed and everyone was able to let their hair down. The food was good. We had quite a spread with delicious green beans, chicken fingers, potatoes, burger sliders, chicken wings, and so much more. We had a slight issue with the food being taken away. But FS made it right! Great spot for a date, a girls or guys night, a work team gathering or just a solo chill.

This place is alot bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. The back bar area is huge,…read moreand the perfect place to watch your favorite sports team. They serve food, but this visit we just got drinks. We always go to UpDown across the street and decided to stop in at Fairway Social. They have several golf simulator bays as well as Duck Bowling. Plus a cute hot wheels track. Definitely will be back!

I have been wanting to visit this place for a while as I have been looking for a "dive" bar close…read moreto my apartment. I finally have been able to visit it recently and this place is super clean and the staff is so friendly. This place is now my favorite bar to go to when I just want a beer and to catch up with some buddies as I can expect great service and a clean place to hangout, relax, and watch whatever sport is on.

Took a shot on this bar and happy we did. Awesome service and the atmosphere is chill, fun and…read morerelaxing. We decided to order some food from the restaurant a couple doors down while we enjoyed our delicious cocktails! Our lovely bartender was so awesome and she even gave us glass plates and some silverware to use so we didn't have to eat out of the styrofoam containers!! We love bars that we can bring outside food in to while we get our drink on and this bar is in a perfect location to take advantage of the 3 restaurants within walking distance!! This bar is so welcoming and the bartender had a lot to do with that so a huge "Thank You" to Edwina!! We will be back!

Came in for an old fashion and it hit the spot, the ambiance is cozy and intimate, service was…read moregreat and can't wait to come back!

I love meeting friends at Key Circle Commons! They consistently have interesting and fun drink and…read morea really incredible atmosphere. It doesn't feel like you are in Birmingham anymore. I will say, if you are coming on a Friday or Saturday night, get here early. The place is small and fills up quick! Highly recommend.

This is NOT a review for the bar. It's just a mini review of the Drift Food Truck that's outside…read more I've eaten there many times and have never been disappointed, though not always "Wowed"--and that was only once. The menu varies so don't expect this menu when you go. The smash burger is dependable and good. The duck fries are pretty awesome, but they seem to be super enthused about their house seasoning, almost to the point of obliteration! It's good; They just need to be a little more judicious with it. Pictured are the noteworthy Brussel sprouts: "$10 BRUSSELS' SPROUTS Red wine balsamic glaze, Agrodolce pearl onions, scallions, fried garlic " You can also have them topped with grilled chicken for a few bucks more. Can Brussels be overcooked? Apparently not. These aren't as charred as the photo suggests. The red wine / balsamic reduction adds a lot of color to them. They may look charred but there's no burned taste in the flavor. I know, those poor little Brussels look overwhelmed, but they're not. They were good in my mouth and belly. Be careful not to spill any in the car on the way home, or the next day your car will not be very welcoming to guests.

This place came very highly recommended to us, so when we moved to Birmingham, we couldn't wait to…read moretry it. I love that they switch up the themes and keep the menu rotating! We went very early one Saturday and were the only people in there -- but I won't hold this against them at all, as we are always early birds. The staff were all hanging out in a booth near the door. One bartender eagerly jumped up to help us, but the rest seemed pretty inconvenienced by our presence. Our bartender was great -- very personable and knowledgeable. That's about the only redeeming factor. The menus were tattered and sticky, bar itself was kinda gross, lipstick marks on our glasses, and our drinks were subpar at best. I believe the theme when we went was something about Italy, so there was a lot of potential for creative drinks, but they all seemed pretty uninspired -- think limoncello, Negronis, etc.. Also, some weird blue frozen one, but I can appreciate catering to every crowd! We probably won't be back.