I had a great dinner here and can't wait to try more of their menu when I return. Foodies (like…read moremyself) will enjoy this place, from the vibes to the details in decor, food, and service. And I express my thanks to my servers and bartenders, who were not only attentive in service, but also offered recommendations which led me to a great dining experience. In short, I had the following: -dry-aged Shima Ahi crudo ( flew in from Japan) -a Mordella sandwich, and -peach fried pie. My wine pairing for my dishes was a California Albariño, which was a great surprise. I'm now searching for this winemaker to add bottles to my cellar. Every dish I tried was my favorite in its own way. Each meal was well-balanced and highlighted the flavors of every ingredient. The mortadella sandwiches featured a playful twist with Cobia fish, and the house-made focaccia bread, where the mortadella and Cobia spread are nestled, was truly what focaccia dreams are made of. Plus the garlic aioli for the fries is money !!! And the peach fried hand pie was the perfect end to a great meal. The aromatics of caramelized glaze comes across like it might be super sweet. But when you bit into the flaky buttermilk pastry crust it gave it a warm, humble feeling with the perfectly diced peaches pie filling adding the right touch of sweetness. And as a special treat, this hand pie is paired with a sour cream-lemon sorbet which I didn't know I needed in my life that was refreshing. The peach fried pie is a seasonal dessert, so enjoy it while you can. Overall, the ambiance and music were spot on making it a vibe that you definitely want to come for dinner or just enjoy cocktails which looked really yummy( but that's for another time ). The unique decor, with a mix of midcentury meets fisherman lighting and a crowned octopus handles tap beer, was a lovely detail when you get to sit back and enjoy. Even the plateware where food sits on is crafted by a local Bham female artisan at Civil Stoneware, is a nice touch ( which I was obsessed with ). I hope your experience is as great as mine. Happy dining y'all!

My husband and I came here for a date night, and the service was unbelievably disappointing. The…read morehostess was kind and had our drinks out quickly, but our server, Barry, introduced himself and then completely ignored us for the next 15 minutes while he attended to every other table, including one that was seated after us and received appetizers before he ever came back to take our order. We were the only Black couple in the restaurant. Was that the reason? I can't say for certain. What I can say is that we watched every other table receive attentive service while we were repeatedly overlooked. We paid for our drinks and left because we refuse to support a restaurant where service is this poor.

I love it when Yelp Reviews point out these hidden gems! We pulled off I-65 to get our cheese fix…read moreand were not disappointed! A clean inviting ambience with a simple menu. We started off with an appetizer of Cheese Curds with marinara - hot, crispy and delicious. As if on queue, our Cheesy Mac concoctions arrived, hot and bubbly. There are 4 steps in building your large bowl (I could only finish half of mine!): the base cheese, then meats, then any/all of the 11 add-ins (you can pick all 11!); and lastly up to 5 different sauces augmenting your own personal cheese nirvana. Do it. Now. The locals make you feel right at home with down-home 'bama accents, and engaging service. We are now back on the road, stomach's full, our next meal traveling with us and great memories to share.

On my trek back home I decided to stop at this little place right off the highway…read more First thing I noticed: AI slop logo. BOOOOOOO!! However it's really really clean and well kept inside and is decorated well. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Never saw them standing around. They were always finding something to do and it looked like it was just one guy front of house and one in the back during lunch. Good on them! Food was fresh and hot. Definitely made to order. The crust of cheese was super good and the cheese sauce also very solid. Garlic bread was also pretty good. I got a very simple Mac and cheese but I would make a guess that more complex bowls would be super good from here. They have options to add sauces and many other items in or on top of it.

One of the best places in Birmingham ~ love the desserts maybe.... Brown butter cheesecakeread more

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

I've only been in the drive through, but I enjoy the chicken Philly sandwich and fries. It's always…read morecooked fresh to order. I've heard really great things about the seafood boils and plan to try it next time!

I came here on a Friday night to grab some wings. I went inside but there is a drive thru…read moreavailable. The inside was busy but it didn't take long to place my order. The staff isn't giving warm and fuzzy so , yeah..... they were friendly enough. I ordered 12 wings only (no fries or drink). Flavors chosen were honey garlic and got lemon pepper. Both had a really nice flavor. Only downside , the wings weren't fried hard enough as I requested. I'm gonna have to start saying extra crispy or something. Overall, the wings are tasty. This first time experience was about what I expected. I plan to return to try the hibachi as well as the seafood boils. I like that their menu offers a variety of options.

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!

We've dined at Armour House several times and always enjoy it, but this visit finally prompted me…read moreto leave a review with a bit of feedback. First, the food: truly no notes. It's spectacular every time. The rotating menu keeps things fresh and interesting, and every dish we've had has been thoughtfully prepared and consistently excellent. The kitchen is clearly doing something special and it's a big reason we keep coming back. This visit, however, the service was unusually slow. Our dinner lasted about two hours (7:30-9:30) on a night that didn't seem particularly busy. There was a noticeable lull in the dining room with quite a few open tables, yet it still took nearly 40 minutes between finishing our appetizers and receiving our main courses. The pacing just felt off compared to past visits. Valet (which I understand isn't directly run by the restaurant) was also a bit slow -- about a 15 minute wait to get our car at the end of the night. All that said, Armour House is still a really special spot with incredible food and we'll absolutely be back. Sharing this feedback because we've had such great experiences here before and hope this was just an off night.

I went there for lunch for the first time. I had a crab cake sandwich and little cup of slaw that…read morecame with it. My bill was $32.14. That's very expensive to me. Particularly for a place where you order at the counter and make your own drink. Food - the little cup of slaw was very good. The crab cake sandwich was just ok. Not much taste to it. I really wanted it to be very good because I love crab cakes. This is a place they charge you to use a credit card also (3%).

I love their food. I eat here for lunch about once a month. I never get a receipt but asked for one…read morelast time I was here and never realized they charged me 50 cents for a cup of water. I didn't even need a cup because I had my own. Seems a bit petty when a handful of lettuce and a small piece of fish is $25 plus tax. Also the price was $1 higher on my receipt than on their menu.

I found the Off The Hook food truck today in the Riverchase office park in Hoover. Their signature…read moredish is called Rocket Shrimp, and I love it. A large portion of fried shrimp are tossed in Rocket sauce. The sauce is creamy and has a sweet and spicy flavor. It is similar to the Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill, but still unique. The Rocket Shrimp can be ordered by itself, or in a taco, po-boy, or Reuben. The Reuben option sounds very interesting, and especially if you like rye bread and sauerkraut. I decided to try the Pow Pow shrimp today. The cashier said it was an Asian ginger sauce, and his favorite. The sauce was unique, it was sweet at first and then the soy sauce flavor takes over. The soy was a bit strong and there was a slight vinegar taste on the back end. I liked it, but I prefer the Rocket sauce. I ordered the kettle chips as my side, and that is a good option. Food trucks are cool, and you should definitely give Off The Hook a try.

Look, when you see a crowd forming around a food truck in the middle of the day, you stop your car…read moreand get some food. Thank god I was hungry. Food trucks in Birmingham are like pizza places in New York, they all have legendary reputations, but some aren't and some really are. This one falls into the latter category. I had a look at a good variety of what they were offering as there was quite a crowd, so I got a sneak peek at the selection as people were coming and going with thier food. The seafood looked and smelled amazing. Basically like a fish fry in a truck. Everyone seemed very pleased. I ordered the beef sliders, fries, sweet tea and banana pudding. All were outstanding. Well seasoned beef patties, perfectly toasted buns, some bleu cheese crumbles, a little special sauce...the whole meal was delicious. Fries weren't soggy or too salty, and the banana pudding was so good that I finished the whole thing. I have a feeling I'm going to end up taking a nap this afternoon. Overall just a well priced, well prepared, delicious, convenient meal. Couldn't ask for more.

This would be my go-to 'I miss the beach' shrimp basket fix. They do gulf coast cajun really well,…read morewith the vibe to boot. This is the Forest Park location, which looks like a run down, weathered house in a very New Orleans charming way. Service is good. Fast-casual, you order at the counter. They've got beer, cocktails, iced tea, etc. I love the vibe here. Would be great to sit outside on an autumn evening. The sauces (tartar, cocktail, remoulade) are all very tasty.

We really enjoyed our lunch at The Rougaroux on Saturday. We had a blackened shrimp poboy and a…read morefried shrimp poboy. Both were very good. Place was crowded. Food was delivered to our table fast. All is well.

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!!

We had an excellent experience here with our son and his family…read more The waiter suggested the fish and chips for the kids (6 and 9). We were completely surprised at the size of the fish they were served. These were large portions. Our grandson downed his in a heroic effort to avoid leaving some child in China hungry, the granddaughter provided our small dog with several days worth of delicious fish. I tried their dish and can say that it would have made me happy. My wife and I had the scollops and spare ribs, which seems like an odd combination, but was actually quite creative and flavorful. There was a nice serving of spareribs, nicely seasoned, surrounded by scollops that were perfectly seared (something I can never do at home, but always appreciate when dining out. Great atmosphere that's not formal but manages to also not be informal. The place has a nice rustic/modern decor. Our service was superb, something that adds to the experience when you have two small people with you. Definitely a top tier meal. I would go back.

The food was superlative. Best meal I have had in Alabama, and I have been lucky enough to sample…read moresome high end spots in both Birmingham and Huntsville. Raw bar, grouper, roasted oysters and cocktails...A+ snapper was a bit salty, the scallops and peaches were a B. Would go back just for wine and superlative dip and homemade crackers. Jeff, our server, was smooth attentive and thoughtful. Meal was well paced. Wine list was perfect. Just a great overall dining experience. Expect 125pp w/drinks and you will be stuffed...