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.

My God, I thought fine dining had finally died, especially after covid. Current Charcoal Grill is…read morethe first restaurant I've been to in years that still understands and executes on everything that makes eating out enjoyable. The service is *excellent* with a capital "E." We ate at the bar, and the staff were friendly, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about every single aspect of the restaurant. They have tried everything on the menu themselves. They can describe any one of the imported liquors up on the wall. These are real deal professionals who illustrate just how important the people in a restaurant's front truly are. The food? Delicious. It's a wild grab bag of East Asian fare - Chinese, Japanese, Thai - and it's all done extremely well. The portions are small, which is good, since you'll want to try half a dozen things on Current's very deliberately thought-out menu. The Peking Duck is some of the best I've had. The cocktails are also excellent, with my favorite being a delicious, earthy combination of coconut, lime, and pandan. It's like an extremely upscale tiki drink. I cannot recommend this place enough. Absolutely perfect. 5 stars.

Another favorite to add to the list…read more Loved the space. Loved the concept. Cocktails (specifically Air Tokyo) were outstanding. We went for the "favorites" menu which a $65/person was an absolute steal. You get two starters, dumplings and cured red snapper is what was offered. Two entrees, the bo ssam and banana leaf wrapped redfish, and one dessert, the miso tart. Everything was quite good and more than enough food. The dessert was a real winner. I thought about it days after. Looking forward to going back.

Food is amazing, Service is great! There is nothing like having brunch with a group of friends…read morewith an excellent ambiance! I love the Potato Pavé is sooo delicious. Thank you! La Fete.

Came here for a solo dinner and really enjoyed the ambiance, which reminded me of French cafe…read moreculture in the best way. I would definitely revisit and try different dishes, as it was a great overall experience. I received excellent service at the bar, where the bartender provided great recommendations for their French wines, all of which I found were "Très magnifique". I also learned about new wines I look forward to exploring back home. For dinner, I opted for the smaller plates, including: - the potato pave with caviar - steak tartare - chocolate custard. My favorite dish was by far the potato pave with caviar. The steak tartare was the most flavorful I've had, with its own twist and a hint of chili to add a kick to the palate. I enjoyed the waffle fries, which were super crispy, but I found them way too salty after a while. At times, the saltiness competed with the flavors of the tartare, though it might be a Birmingham thing with really salty fries. I finished my meal with a cappuccino and the chocolate custard, which was very smooth and creamy. Great way to wrap up a great meal. I can't wait to return the next time I'm in town, as it definitely has a unique vibe. Happy dining, y'all!

This place was honestly a surprise. My husband and I were in the area looking to get dinner but the…read moreoriginal restaurant we wanted to go to was booked. We ended up here. I will say this is one of the best steaks I have had up to date so far. Cooked just the way I liked it.

Food was delicious and great gluten free options. The Manhattan was the perfect end to the work…read moreday. Service was excellent.

Easy free parking. Arrived and was uncertain what drink I wanted so Alyse whipped me up a wonderful…read moredrink that tasted like Smarties candy! She was so nice and cheerful.

I wish I could give The Refinery a proper review, but unfortunately they made that pretty…read moredifficult. When I walked in they handed me the full menu... and then immediately told me I couldn't order from it. Apparently they're running on a very limited menu right now, which consisted of maybe three or four things. Bit of a letdown since I came specifically because I saw pictures of their smash burger and had dreams about it on the drive over. Instead I settled for the tacos, which were actually pretty tasty. No real complaints there. The drinks leaned pretty sweet, which makes me think there's a heavy hand with the syrups. The space itself is very small. It's decorated nicely, but you'll definitely feel like you're accidentally best friends with the people sitting next to you. The staff was fine overall, but very close and boisterous with each other. In a room that small, if one of the servers has the cackle of a woman who skins Dalmatians on the weekends... maybe don't pair her up with the funniest coworkers on the planet. All in all, a fine experience but not ideal. Call ahead if you actually want access to the full menu.

Pro: The ribeye was very good and so was the pecan bread dessert. The place is cute and attached to…read morethe hotel I was staying in. It was a cold, rainy night so it was nice to have that option without having to step outside. Cons: it was oddly quiet. Like awkward. And I was told the music had been broken for a while. I thought the AC was broken, too. it was very warm. Maybe to make up for the chill outside, but still. Again, It was just awkward inside. dark, warm and quiet. Overall, I would give this place a second try.

We were here for a 10-party birthday party. We loved the inside decor, the bartenders/servers were…read moregreat, and they accommodated the birthday cake well. The bad thing is that the table ordered 4 hamburgers all at different temperatures: medium, medium well, and well done but after a lengthy wait all the hamburgers came out hockey puck well done. Another complaint at the table was that the portions of the food they received didn't reflect the price they paid, a small piece of salmon and a small bowl of grits.

I was finally able to check out wooden city and enjoyed it so much that I went back a couple weeks…read morelater for a friend's birthday! I really like the ambience inside. It gives a great vibe for either a work dinner, a date night, owl or dinner with friends! It's fun and swanky but not over the top. They have a really attractive bar and they have a pizza kitchen that is open, which is always a cool touch. I try to handful of appetizers and I've got to recommend both the jerk cauliflower as well as the brussels sprouts and the Caesar salad was delicious as well. Also, the blistered Hungarian peppers are a must order if you'd like sausage! The meal that I had both times because it was that good was the spicy lamb rigatoni. I might just go back next week and get it again. I like that they have a wide variety of options whether you're looking for a gluten-free meal or something carb heavy like pizza or pasta, but they also have options to fit a variety of budgets from a casual dinner and a burger to more expensive entrées. The servers are very kind and are definitely educated in their wine and food offerings and very hospitable. Since this is located on Morris, a lot of people think parking is difficult down there, but apparently there is a parking lot in the back where you're able to get your ticket validated. I know some of my friends wish they would have known this before. I'll definitely be back and recommend this spot to others wanting a good meal!

Ordered a takeout pizza because of the 4.8 stars. I'm from Omaha and when I went inside to pick up…read morethe pizza, it was obvious that this is one of the main hipster spots in Birmingham. The pizza was good, but my girlfriend ordered mushroom and pepperoni and we got sausage and mushrooms . The toppings and sauce were good, but the best part was the chewy crust that was slightly charcoaled. I had to use the City parking lot in the back as street parking was full. This area looks to be comparable to Omaha's Old Market, but we didn't have any time to explore. Hipsters of the World Unite!

I really enjoy going to Tasty Town for lunch. I normally get the catfish lunch meal with the…read moreVillage Salad and their French fries, and it's always exactly what I'm craving. I love that the catfish is crispy on the outside but still tender and flavorful on the inside. I also really like the Village Salad it's fresh and light, which balances out the heavier parts of my meal. I usually pair it with their French fries because I can't resist the crispy, golden texture. Excellent service and dining experience. Great spot for business dinners or lunch with friends. I've tried looking at their vegetarian options too, and while I don't usually get them, I think they have some solid choices. I like that I can customize a salad or get a few sides to make a meal that's vegetarian-friendly. I think Tasty Town does a good job of offering something for everyone. I personally stick to my usual catfish meal, but I feel like I could explore more of their options if I wanted to try something different. Overall, I really enjoy my lunches there, and I always feel satisfied and happy with my choices.

This review is specifically for the catered/box lunches we recently enjoyed from Tasty Town…read more Each lunch was boxed separately and included the silverware packet. That's a huge plus; the number of times I've seen referees having to pass on the side because they didn't have utensils! The entree was a chicken pita. It did have a few fresh onions, but I enjoyed them since I didn't have to be the one dragon breathing around the field all day. We did have a choice of roasted potatoes or basmati rice. The potatoes went much quicker than the rice; I had the potatoes and they were fantastic. There was also a tray of chocolate chip cookies provided. I don't think they were frash made; they looked similar to other restaurants generic chocolate chip cookies. They were a nice addition to the lunch, though. They also provided sweet and unsweet tea in gallon jugs.