I heard alot of great things about Salud…read more Salud reminds me of the taqueria's in Mexico, with the Jarrito sodas, pineapple and mandarin Try them with a tequila shot! Also the guacamole, the cheese dip and the tacos. They do have a full bar and can do frozen drinks. I loved that you can add your own toppings to your tacos. The tacos come with just meat. You can add onions, limes, cilantro and pickled onions and pickled jalapeños as well as sauce. They had a Verde sauce as well as regular salsa, and a Salsa Borachja sauce with onion, garlic and Mexican beer. It was spicy and delicious. They have plenty of counter seating, a few tables inside and several tables outside. This is a tapas bar more than a testaurant.

Kind employees but not all condiments were available such as pico de gallo. Sour cream was a $1…read moreextra. I had a steak quesadilla which was delicious and a happy hour margarita. The inside was clean and decorated nice.

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!!

Great service. Great food. Great drinks. The bar is where I always sit. It's faster (in my opinion)…read more Kendall was the bartender on duty during my recent Wednesday evening visit. She's amazing!! I really enjoyed the crab claws app- $23. They are served chilled & steamed. This was the perfect little snack. I also had a nice glass of sparkling wine. It paired well with the crab claw appetizer. I always have a great experience whenever I come here. Current is definitely worth checking out if you are in Birmingham, Al

My friend, Julia, and I tried current the other night! We walked in and immediately loved the vibes…read moreand upscale, quirky, modern feel of it all. High ceilings and exposed brick are a few of the ways to my heart. If you've seen a post about this place, you've probably seen a picture of the crackly round, artistic dish and wondered what it was. There are dumplings on the underside of it and you break each one off of the crackly part to enjoy. We did enjoy these but I would've loved a soy sauce to dip them in. They came with chili crunch, peanuts, and green onions but I wanted an actual sauce. They were very standard tasting dumplings and there was nothing extraordinary about them unfortunately. As always, we'd looked at the menu beforehand and decided what we wanted. It does state on their website that their menus can change due to freshness and availability. But we'd both decided on an app and entree we wanted only to get there and have none of them on the menu. I do appreciate a rotating menu to accommodate local items, but I would also love for those to be updated on a regular basis. So after rerouting, we decided on the chicken skewers as another app with the dumplings. These were chargrilled, flavorful, and had a nice crust on them. I got shrimp fried rice and Julia got spicy beef noodles. It was fine but I wish the shrimp wouldn't have been cut up. It felt like they chopped them up in order to not put as many in the dish. At $25 for this, I'd like whole shrimp please. There were a few pieces of raw spinach with pepper on the top. I would've loved a sauce of some kind. I would've preferred shrimp hibachi with fried rice from a Japanese place that included vegetables and sauces. This was not *bad* there was just SO much room for improvement. We both agreed that nothing was awful, but for these prices and the hype, we expected more. Our waitress was super friendly. Bonus points because they had match boxes at the host stand! There was a paid parking lot diagonal from the restaurant, so we had to walk through an intersection to get there. There are some spots up front if you can snag one. Overall, we enjoyed our time here but won't be sprinting back.

Incredible!! Delicious, well presented Sunday brunch. Definitely a stop every time traveling…read morethrough Birmingham!!!

Home-run French in downtown Birmingham. I came here with a couple of my friends for a summer…read moreevening dinner out on the patio. We thoroughly toured the list of French wines, imbibed on a couple of their yummy cocktails (my friend loves the "Last Word"). Service was, of course, fantastic. The location is one of the most quaint and vibey in town (Morris Ave) and the food is certainly up to snuff. We split the famous potato appetizer and I had the half chicken for entree. Both outstanding.

Harvest was one of the best dining experiences I had in Birmingham. One thing worth mentioning…read moreright away is that it's located inside the historic Redmont Hotel. That wasn't immediately obvious from many of the reviews I read beforehand, so don't let the hotel location deter you--this is a destination restaurant in its own right. I ordered the braised short rib (without the grits), and it was outstanding. The meat was incredibly tender, packed with flavor, and cooked to perfection. It easily ranks among the better short rib dishes I've had. The service was equally impressive. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and struck the perfect balance of being available without hovering. The dining room has an upscale yet comfortable atmosphere that makes it just as suitable for a business dinner as it is for a date night or special occasion. If you're visiting downtown Birmingham--or staying at the Redmont--don't overlook Harvest just because it's inside a hotel. It's proof that hotel restaurants can absolutely compete with the city's standalone dining scene. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Birmingham.

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.

The Refinery in Birmingham is steadily becoming one of my regular spots, and it's easy to see why…read more Between the creative cocktails, solid food menu, and rotating experiences, there's always something that makes a visit feel a little different. One of my favorite things about The Refinery is their Monday pop-ups, which feature chefs from different local restaurants and food businesses. On my most recent visit, I had the opportunity to try Flava Yaad, a local Jamaican chef bringing authentic island flavors to the table. I ordered the Pepper Shrimp, and it was delicious -- flavorful, well-seasoned, and a great introduction to the pop-up. I love when restaurants create opportunities to showcase other local culinary talent, and this is such a fun way to experience something new. The cocktail menu is another major highlight. The Wealth Espresso Martini is, without a doubt, one of the best espresso martinis I've had. It isn't always available, which can be a little disappointing, but I can appreciate that a cocktail with a more involved preparation may not be offered every day. I also enjoy the Glass Pavilion, where the menu seems to rotate somewhat seasonally, making it another reason to return and see what's new. The regular food menu is just as impressive. My personal favorites are the Grilled Chicken Miso Sandwich and the Club Croissant, both paired with the Truffle Fries. My boyfriend has enjoyed the Smash Burger and most recently tried the Shrimp and Grits during Sunday brunch. We also like to split the Caesar Salad, which is a generous portion and works well as something to share before the meal -- although we almost always have leftovers. The staff have consistently been great. I've seen different bartenders depending on the day, but everyone I've interacted with has been friendly, attentive, and welcoming. With the rotating pop-ups, creative drinks, dependable food, and consistently good service, The Refinery is becoming the kind of place where I can stop in for a cocktail, plan a meal, or try something completely new. Definitely a spot worth adding to your Birmingham rotation.

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.

The food was delicious overall. I found tge shrimp cocktail awkward in how they served it but…read moreoverall great food. Zeudd (Zee) was an excellent server. The atmosphere was good. I didn't know this resteraunt was an extension of the hotel so it got crowded around the bar. Other than that, a good experience.

Sooooooo...I had the chicken and waffles and the food was amazing. However, actually getting…read moresomeone to serve you is a challenge so don't even bother.

Dude the food was amazing. The server was awesome; shes…read morefrom the bay like me! The ambiance was just a chill vibe. If I ever am in town again, I am coming back for more.

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.

The food was delicious! Our waitress was friendly and attentive. I will definitely return!read more

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.

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.

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.