The good: they have a parking lot with a decent number of spots and a very nice covered patio with…read morelots of TVs. Oh and they have several NA beer options that aren't badly priced. The not good: the service. We had 2 servers on a Sunday afternoon. The first was very good. The second was non existent. The manager had to come take our orders and refill water. The menu has limited vegetarian options - extremely limited. I got the quesadilla and asked them to hold the meat. But it was insanely filled with cheese like to the point I thought I was going to choke on a blob of cheese. Just not a place to come if you're hungry and don't eat meat. I'd come back for a beer and to watch a game. But I wouldn't plan to eat here. A veggie burger option would go a long way here.

Came here for lunch with wife and kids after reading reviews…read more Came in a Saturday and were able to find parking and was seated right away even though was pretty busy. The staff were all very friendly and attentive. The restaurant is very nice with indoor and outdoor seating. We all were very impressed with our meals. We got the chicken tenders, blackened fish sandwich, the club sandwich and wings as a main. Also got an order of mozzarella sticks. All were amazing with the only one negative is the wings were not very crispy but still very tasty. Would definitely go back.

Came in for brunch on a Sunday. Got there just before 11 and there was a bit of a wait, but it…read moremoved pretty fast. Service was friendly and quick, even though it was busy. Portions were generous and prices were decent. They were also great about accommodating gluten-free. I ordered the Farm Breakfast with bacon and gluten-free bread, it was filling and really tasty.

We arrived 1:45pm on a Thursday and it was empty except for another party. We easily found street…read moreparking outside the restaurant. I ordered the Banana Puddin' cold brew that was really good. They also serve pour over! Vanilla-Cinnamon French Toast came with 2 small bread slices - I liked that the portion was small and manageable. We also ordered the Quinoa & Black Bean Burger and the BE Hive Quinoa Bowl. They are great options for vegan / plant-based / vegetarian members in your party. The Biscuit Board comes with 4 mini biscuits and 4 different spreads, which was nice to share with the group. We all liked that the restaurant was quiet and bright and airy.

Finally got a chance to try out Lee's Coffee Shop!! Went to an event hosted by Harold's Records -…read moreVinyl Jukebox and it was such a vibe from start to finish. The atmosphere was super laid-back! Drinks were on point! Love the secret menus that is changed throughout the year. The cozy setup made it easy to connect, chat, or just sit back and get lost in the music. Definitely one of those low-key but memorable spots. I'll definitely be back for more events and/or to just try out the coffee and other drinks.

I have nothing bad to say about this place! I was pleasantly surprised about the amount of seating…read moreinside and out. It's very cozy and on a Saturday morning it wasn't packed so the perfect place to hangout or get some studying done. You could truly spend the whole day here. I got the blueberry muffin latte for my first time. It barely lasted 30 mins, it was so good! I love that you can customize your own latte with so many different syrups. I will most definitely be back.

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.

this was the best burger i have ever had in my life!!!!…read more its in a busy area so parking is iffy. but we went after it rained and were able to find a parking spot and a table almost immediately. menus are on the table. my waiter was attentive and the burger was everything! cooked to perfection....hot, cheese melted, mushrooms a nd onions grilled, bacon crisp. and their sauce...it comes in a bottle on the table and it was chefs kiss as a condiment. definitely planning on going here every trip!

My friends and I went to Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint for lunch and I had the Dr. Gonzo burger…read morewith cheese fries. The burger itself definitely lives up to the hype. The fries were good but the cheese a little too salty. Our waiter was super nice and checked on us constantly which is always a plus. Overall, a great choice for burger lovers--especially if you're in the mood for something a little different from your standard cheeseburger.

Nothing beats a good açaí bowl and City Bowl knows how to do it right! It's always my go to option…read morewith a couple locations in the city and all of the locations are great with service, fresh bowls and nice environment . Very quick service too! I had the Bham bowl but forgot a picture! Very yummy!

I haven't had açaí in years but I stopped by here to get coffee and the power house bowl looked…read moreirresistible. I've come back a few times just to get that bowl. Additionally, the staff has been very kind each time I've visited. They've noticed me with my baby and have put forth extra effort to deliver my coffee and açaí to me. I also went to the Hoover location and they delivered my bowl to my car, which I appreciated. Definitely recommend for the coffee and açaí!

Visited here while on my work trip. Our party consisted of 4. We were seated immediately for lunch…read more We ordered 3 lamb Shawarma Plates and one Gyro Plate which included veggies and rice. The food was delicious, lamb was tender, the portions were enough for everyone to share with someone else. Will be sure to visit again.

I was very happy with my choices at Makarios. I ordered a side of grilled veggies that turned out…read moreto be a huge portion that tasted delicious. The side of hummus was large and smooth, and the chicken shawarma wrap I got had a nice garlic flavor and it was stuffed with chicken. I felt like I got a good amount of food for the money and it was all very tasty. I'd highly recommend this place when in Birmingham.

When me and mi familia were driving through Birmingham, we stopped at El Barrio for dinner. We had…read morea great experience! The food here was great. For starters, we got chips and queso. They were really good. After enjoying the starters, I ordered some chicken tacos. They were great! The guacamole was definitely my favorite part. I really enjoyed my meal. The service here was great! Our waiter was super kind and helpful. The inside was super clean. The bathrooms were very clean too. This place had a good Ambiance to it. Overall, great Mexican restaurant and I highly recommend trying it if you are ever in Birmingham.

We heard lots of good things about El Barrio and since we were in the downtown area, we decided to…read morecheck it out ourselves... So glad we did! Being downtown, parking is not always the greatest, but it was a lovely evening for walking less than a block to the restaurant. It was a Saturday evening so there was a little wait, but we were able to sit outside and have a drink while we waited. Once inside, the place was dimly lit, really loud with music and very clean. And for having unisex bathrooms, those were surprisingly clean as well. Our waitress was great, I wish I could remember her name... but I do know she was from Cali. We ordered a couple of strawberry margaritas, which were just your basic drink, but still refreshing. Started off with a basket of chips, salsa and fundido. This is considered an appetizer, so no freebies here. The chips were fresh and warm, the salsa had a nice flavor and the fundido was ok according to the kiddo. We had the grilled shrimp tacos with rice and beans. You had to assemble your own tacos tonight, and order rice and beans separately as the taco plate had no sides, but all delicious.... Beans had a nice kick, the shrimp tacos were missing something in my opinion, but not sure what. We also had the best shrimp quesadilla we ever tried. It has overly stuffed and cheesy with wonderful lime cream sauce to go with it. This entree was a huge hit all around and it did come with a side, so no extra charges. To finish off dinner, we all shared the strawberry tres leches and OMG... Absolutely the best we have had in a while. Too bad it's seasonal. Over all, great experience and would definitely g

I wanted to love this place SO BAD!! There's an attached arcade!!…read moreAnd the staff was SO NICE and friendly and helpful and I loved the industrial, creative decor. But we'd spent the day at McWane Center and we were starving so we were there to EAT! The food looked gorgeous but it tasted very meh. The onion rings had too much breading on them, which I didn't think was possible, but here we are. The part of the breading next to the onion was mushy so that threw off the texture of the whole thing too. The burger was very much like a Whataburger. Even the lettuce smelled the same. I got The Standard and the bun of the burger was a little mushy (similar to Whataburger) and there was not much meat. For an $11 burger, I'm expecting more than a Whataburger. My middle kid likes everything on her burger and isn't picky at all and the loaded kid burger looked impressive but it was about the same as mine. Not awful, but not very good either. Very close to the same amount of meat. She's the queen of the Clean Plate Club and she only ate half. The fries were good but a somewhat too salty, the dip that came with the onion rings was excellent and we ended up using it for the fries. We had 2 adults and 3 kids and our meal was $63 before tip for 5 waters, 2 adult burgers, 2 kid burgers, a kid grilled cheese, and a basket of fries and onion rings (I thought I was ordering a "side" of fries, not realizing I actually ordered a basket and it was a lot of fries and onion rings). We don't mind spending money on good food, but the prices here don't align with what you get. No one was more disappointed than me, I've been wanting to eat here for FOREVER!!!

We sat at the bar. Nice selection of beers. We had the three hander and my wife had a gourmet hot…read moredog called West Virginia. The food was perfectly prepared and surprised us how good. The bar was very busy but the bartender was very attentive. Great service. The ambiance was perfect for a corner bar downtown.

This place is my type of vibe!…read more Trattoria ZaZa has been on my list of places to stop at for several years. Parking often deters me but after attending the Italian Festival earlier that day, we had a craving for pizza. I ordered the combo that includes 2 slices of the day with salad. Since I wasn't overly hungry, I offered him one of my slices and he added another slice to the order. We paid and were given a number to place on our selected table. Jazzy music played in the background while we waited on our order to be brought to the table. The natural lighting, while beautiful, made it a little warm in the building. One of the waitresses propped the door open that leads to the restrooms (which are in the hallway near the elevators) in order for cooler air to make its way in. That wasn't a deal breaker, but do be aware of that on warmer days. Our food came out after a short wait. I kept my 3 cheese slice, and gave him the pepperoni one. The cheeses were very rich and the salad, while simple without the frills, was perfectly sized and drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette that was just the right amount. While I enjoyed my meal very much and the ambiance, he wasn't overly impressed with his. He didn't want the fresh herbs on his slices and knocked all of them off, lol. He's a simple guy with simple taste. This is definitely a place I will be revisiting with one of my girlfriends and not him next time as he didn't appreciate what ZaZA had to offer. Everyone we encountered was helpful and courteous. Our food, including drinks, was around $28, which was not bad for a cute, eclectic spot downtown. If you haven't been, make sure to try them out soon. Just don't wait as long as I did to visit!

Where to start? Went on a weekend, place was packed. The…read moreBad: 1. SLOW. Waited in a line inside of 4 people in front of me. There was someone at the podium at the end who i thought was a server. Was not. After a 15 minute wait (why did it take that long?), we got to the podium person. And found out they were there to take our order, not seat us. Can only assume the 15 min delay was because people were trying to figure out what to order. No signage anywhere saying, please have what you want ready while you wait in line. 2. No menus, anywhere. Yes they can be printed and people in line could take one and figure out what they want. Yes, the menu could be put on the wall behind the server in large lettering. But no, they make you scan a QR code on the wall and view the menu on your phone, so that's inconvenient and a bit obtuse. 3. When we finally place an order for pizza, was told that, "they dont serve pizzas on the weekend, but we could order their "brunch pizzas", instead. Which on the counter, was small anemic cut slices of thick bready pizzas on the cutting board/table. Those each were $8.50 according to the menu. Figure the math of 2 small slices of pizza per person for 2 people vs just ordering a large pizza. But they don't serve pizza during brunch- Trattoria literally has the word "Pizza" in their last name- twice actually- yet you have to order a nearly $9 slice of pizza sitting out on a table for who knows how long, and of the flavor of their choice, not yours. It was flat out insulting to go to a pizza based establishment and be told they won't serve whole pizzas. We left and went to Uptown to a pizzaria there, and had a really good whole pizza, salad, dessert, and drinks, and all for half the price then if we had gone to Trattoria. Wanted to give this place a chance for years, but did not work out the way i had expected it to.