This place was recommended by a local Birminghammian and it was a good recommendation. Three of us…read morewere working somewhere nearby and we took an Uber here and it was kinda packed. We snagged some seats at the bar and had some drinks and shortly after that, our table was ready. And they were able to keep everything on one check, which was nice. No need to settle the tab and start a new one at the table. And the old fashioned I had was delicious. For food, we started with the Hungarian Hot Stuffed Peppers. These were pretty good and the heat gradually snuck up on you as you ate them. I don't know if it was because the heat was more intense as you worked your way towards the stem or just a gradual burn. Either way, these were good and worth the heartburn later. The thick focaccia helped with the burn a little. Speaking of heartburn, the pepperoni pizza may have contributed a bit to that too, but again, totally worth it. The cup-and-char pepperoni was charred nicely as were the edges and bottom! I love a nice bottom! These were easy to share between two of us. Service was amazing from the bartender to the waiter to the uber driver (who didn't really count, but nice job, man). We felt welcomed and I can see why the place was crowded on a Tuesday evening.

First, know that there is parking behind the building. We didn't know and apparently for the number…read moreof cars trying to squeeze into nonexistent spaces, many others didn't either. We walked up the street with a half dozen other diners. Wooden City is definitely not in the best part of BHM. Walking to the restaurant was a little sketchy, no need for a detailed description. Although we had reservations, the hostess looked at us like we had three eyes. She found a small table for us in the far back of the restaurant. No problem, at least we were seated. Our server greeted us quickly and went over the menu. We ordered drinks, blistered Hungarian peppers and a sausage and mushroom pizza. We told him that we were going to a concert and were on a little bit of a tight schedule. By the time our server checked on our food, the second time, we went from a little bit tight to full "gotta get out of here" mode. I guess the delay in getting our food was to give the kitchen time to burn our pizza. Over half of the thick, chewy crust was inedible. The bottom of the pie didn't fare much better. The peppers, on the other hand, were amazing. (not so much so at 2 am but that's just me!) They are a do not miss. We were at least able to settle our bill quickly and made it to the concert with time to spare. Overall, would we go back? Only if in the area - those peppers were amazing. Still, I definitely would not make a special trip.

Both the pork chops and the filet are amazing. We loved the atmosphere and the people were…read moreextremely friendly. We will definitely be back!

Staying in Homewood. Looked around for a low carb option. The Refinery hit the spot. Tuna,…read moresquash medley, and a side salad for the person looking for low carbs. I had a delicious pork chop with black eyed pea, corn, okra, and tomato succotash. A glass of red wine and a bottle of beer. Small dining area with a warm welcoming feel. There are tables outside when the weather cooperates. It was a little warm outside for us. The service was good! Our only issues were rounding the block a few times for find parking and 18% gratuity being included with the bill.

My son and I were looking for a place we had never been... That had great food and we found "The…read moreBattery!" I got the pork chop and it was absolutely amazing... Crispy yet still juicy! The brussels sprouts were by far the start of the show... you should not leave there without trying them. It's an open air restaurant that is a little loud... But super casual and great food! Definitely recommend

I come to the Battery for lunch quite often, normally as a client with my coworkers. We are always…read moretaken care of there. They change the menu up from time to time which is nice because I like to try everything on the menu. Cannot go wrong with Mama's chicken, unless you have something to do that afternoon. My current go to's are the fish sandwich (red fish), or a caesar with blackened chicken.

I have to give 5 stars because the service was just wonderful. We had a little snafu at first…read morebecause we didn't like where we were sitting but the manager came and made it all better (Admittedly, I was the problem haha I like to sit in a booth lol). But they were sooo accommodating and even gave me a cute birthday card. It was thoughtful! The food is also quite tasty. Every dish I had was quite good!! The standouts were the spinach and artichoke dip, the crab cake, and the cilantro rice. I loved the shrimp too!! I must come back and try the dessert cookie skillet. It looked delicious. Portions are huge and prices are definitely decent. I enjoyed lunch and will return for dinner!

The food was fantastic. My mom had the trout and said it was amazing. I had the crab cakes and they…read moreare some, if not the best in this town. I always get them and substitute for another side. Service was great. Definitely need reservations. We were there tonight, on a Monday. Place was packed. My only complaints: 1) It's a very load restaurant and we had a very hard time hearing each other. 2) The seats lean back so you have to sit up right without your back to the chair. I ended up grabbing a bolster from a bench near the hostess stand for my mom.

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!!

Food was delicious and great staff…read more I recommend everyone to try them out. I'm going back next week.

We stopped in before a concert nearby and unfortunately had a pretty uncomfortable experience from…read morestart to finish. We were told the tables were reservation-only, which was completely understandable, so we sat at the bar. Shortly after sitting down, we were told we were in the wrong barstools and needed to move so there wouldn't be an empty seat between customers. Not a huge deal on its own, but it set the tone for a night where the service felt more overbearing than welcoming. I ordered a nonalcoholic Heineken, and when I finished it and declined another, the bartender jokingly called me a "little bitch." He laughed and was clearly trying to be funny, but we didn't have that kind of rapport and it just came across as uncomfortable and unprofessional. My wife wasn't feeling well that evening, so she ordered chicken and was only able to eat a few bites. When the bartender noticed she wasn't finishing it, he joked that he could take it home as scraps for his dogs. Again, probably intended as humor, but it didn't land well at all. I ordered the burger, which was around $20. I wasn't asked how I wanted it cooked, and unfortunately it came out extremely overcooked, to the point that parts of it tasted burnt. Any one of these things individually probably wouldn't have bothered us enough to write a review, but altogether the experience felt uncomfortable, and not particularly hospitable. We were hungry, on a time crunch before a concert, and mostly just wanted a good, relaxed meal. For the price and reputation, we expected a much better experience.

The crowd spoke and the crowd was right. Yo Mama's serves up some tasty morsels at a reasonable…read moreprice in downtown Birmingham. I couldn't make my mind up so I got half hot chicken and hot regular. The regular was like Kentucky fried chicken on steroids. The crispy outer coating was really quite good and the food came out piping hot. For an affordable price you can right at Yo Mama's! Would love to come back and try some of the other dishes here. French fries were also tasty.

Everything went well during my lunchtime visit to Yo'Mama's restaurant. The Hot wings and French…read morefries was delicious. The waitress was cordial to make sure I enjoyed my "first" visit. The ambiance of the restaurant was calm and pleasant. There are several dining tables to choose and enjoy the scenery.

Large selection of burgers / dogs, appetizers. Large group filled three tables and service was able…read moreto accommodate. If the food and large beer tap offerings is not enough, an arcade is attached.

This is such a fun spot to meet up with friends after work! The vibe was great, and the food did…read morenot disappoint. I had the jerk wings, and the meat was tender, flavorful, and delicious. The fries were also so good! The tacos were definitely a highlight the smoky flavor of the pork was incredible. Honestly, it was some of the best pork I've tasted! The staff was top in the Birmingham city on a Tuesday night. Great food, good vibes, and the perfect place to unwind with friends. I'll definitely be back!

I'm not a beer drinker but I do respect a fun place to squat and people watch. And this place fits…read morethe bill! Back Forty is huge-with plenty of seating to accommodate large crowds, couples or even families with little ones. There's plenty of big screens to watch the games on, and I would really love to come back during football season to do just that. I ordered their infamous Back 40 cheeseburger on this visit. While it wasn't my favorite, for a brewery it was definitely above average. It was juicy, made to order and fresh. I didn't care for the sauce nor the stringy onions so I would order it plain next time or try something else on the menu. The shoestring fries were well seasoned with something like garlic parmesan. They were my delicious! The staff were friendly and helpful as we placed our orders. This is a cool spot to hang with your friends, drink, eat and watch some sports or watch the trains go by. I enjoyed my visit and I'm looking forward to coming back.

Not sure about the glowing reviews…read more Service is inattentive, and slow moving - a "that's not my job" attitude. Had to ask for the menu. Then had to ask for service. Staff very busy talking amongst themselves. Once service came (once) it was efficient and friendly. We tried the burger and the pizza. Loved the honey pepperoni pizza but the burger does not live up to the hype. The beers are indeed very tasty and, if we come back, we will only order those and the pizza.

I was looking for a place that served broccoli salad and came across several people online…read morerecommending Urban Cookhouse. I decided to give it a try and got my order to go. My visit was pleasant, and the staff was very helpful. I couldn't decide what size broccoli salad to get, so I went with the $5 size, and it ended up being the perfect amount--not too little and not too much. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying some of the other items on the menu. The restaurant itself was clean and looked like it would be a comfortable place to dine in. Overall, I had a great experience and would definitely return!

Thanks, ChatGPT. I put in "help me think of healthy restaurants", and Urban Cookhouse came up. It…read morewas a nice reminder. I went there years ago, but totally forgot about it. Once a drank the strawberry lemonade I remembered how much I liked this place. This time we went for dinner and I was impressed with the number of plates they offered. I ended up choosing The Down Home which comes with smoked turkey and pineapple ham, hot cheddar pasta, broccoli salad, and a warm orange roll. It was really good. It didn't look like a lot on the plate at first, but I ended up having leftovers.