We have spent our last 3 anniversaries at Oak House. It has never disappoints. Our most recent…read moretrip there might have been the best. This place is tiny. I have never tried to eat there without a reservation. It is always packed. I did not take a single pic but we had the gulf crab claws in lemon butter sauce. These were the most amazing crab claws i have ever had. It came with 2 pieces of bread thank goodness bc i needed it to get all the lemon sauce. Pricey- yes. Worth every penny-yes! We shared an entree short rib entree and added a side of mac and cheese and scalloped potatoes. There was not even a crumb left. I didn't even need a knife for the short ribs. My tip is to go early. I'm sure the other food is good too, but the best stuff sells out.

A great neighborhood restaurant where the service and food are superb…read more The ambiance is that of a cozy dining room in a country home.

Went with a big group and was very pleased with the service and food. Will be coming back and…read morerecommend!

Once again, this is my first of two go-to spots when I want to dine locally. (The 2nd is La Paz)…read moreEverything I've had on the menu is delicious. Service is great. That ambience is casual. I'll often pick up a pie to take home but when I'm dining in, I get something special and every time I do, it's delicious. Timing tip: don't wait too late in the evening to go there! Their building has tenants above them so they have to close at 9:00 PM

This is about what you would except all the way around. They have specials and different events…read morethroughout the week, so it can get entertaining. The food is alright, depending.

Steak dinner is amazing. Had loaded mashed potatoes, so yummy. Side salad is large and always…read morefresh. Try out this hidden gem.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since I had been here a few times, I wanted to introduce this restaurant to my brother since he had…read morenot been yet. We decided to come on a Friday night I did make reservations beforehand and I highly suggest making them especially on the weekend and you can make them online through their website. On this evening, they had Tyler Giddens playing his keyboard and singing along. He was very good and I was able to chat with his wife and she told me that he plays around town so I definitely look forward to hearing his music again. Fowler was our server and he was very attentive. We started off with the brussels sprouts and the pork belly nachos. They were both equally delicious. Last time I was here I got the chicken tacos and I was so impressed. I got them again. My son got the Mac burger, which he completely devoured. My brother got the short ribs which he enjoyed. He also got a to go Mac burger as well. This time instead of Mississippi mud pie I got the monkey bread which was very delicious and it had apples in it as well. I love how the staff gets to wear whatever they want, and they can express their style. I did visit the restrooms and they were very clean. The only negative is sometimes the parking lot is real busy and if it is, you kinda have to park across the street. It's not a far walk but a lot of the drivers at the Summit area. They tend to drive crazy. I will definitely be back. I haven't had a bad meal here since I've been coming. Not sure why, but it wouldn't let me post any more pictures.

Only took me two years but I finally had a chance to sample!…read more As much as I hated Macaroni Grill leaving, I was excited to hear that Culinary Dropout was going to be in Birmingham. Sharing a parking lot with PF Changs at the Summit, CD has ample parking and right at the corner of 280 and 459 so finding the place would not be a problem. It's actually in a great location at the Summit where you can have a nice meal, then head over to the AMC practically next door for a movie or go shopping at the shops at the Summit. Backed by James Beard-nominated restaurateur Sam Fox, CD now has 13 locations nationwide with this one opening back in March of 2024. Thus, the restaurant looks great with high vaulted ceilings, brick patterned walls and a clean contemporary look with booths and tables scattered throughout. There's a nice large bar that serves beer, wine and cocktails. Above the bar are large screen tvs and to the side is a small carved out area with a small stage for live entertainment. They can entertain group dining and with the tvs, bar and a stage, a nice gathering can be had for all. Outdoor covered seating is also available making a cool weather brunch outside a nice option. Their menu is diverse but comprehensive and include everything sandwiches and soups to pastas and burgers. Some of the stand-outs on their menu include Detroit Pizza, Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Roasted Salmon, Beer Battered Fish & Chips, Korean Style Ribeye, Meatloaf and 36 Hour Slow Roasted Pork Ribs marinated in jalapeno BBQ sauce. One of my favorites was the Soft Pretzels & Provolone Fondue starter that I had heard so much about. The bowl of round pretzel balls coated with just the right amount of salt arrived soon after our drinks. A small little cast iron bowl filled with provolone cheese rested on a base with a tea light underneath to keep the cheese warm. Tearing open a pretzel ball, dipping in the cheese... Yom Yom Yom Yom! Our table ordered Fish & Chips, Prime Rib Dip sandwich and Fried Chicken. I tried some of Jeff's beer battered fish. Fried to a beautiful golden brown, the crispy batter hid a tender, flaky cod (I believe) that was delicious. Tammy got the prime rib dip sandwich. It arrived with a small cup of au jus, fries and a slice of pickle. Tammy enjoyed her sandwich but wished there was a little more fontina cheese and horseradish creme fraiche. I sampled the fried chicken plate. Be ready to get messy with your hands because it normally consists of a leg, thigh and half of a breast. The nicely fried seasoned breaded exterior had just the right crunch revealing steaming juicy chicken underneath. Yom Yom Yom Yom. My buttermilk biscuit had a nice golden coat with a soft fluffy center. The coleslaw was also delicious. But my mash potatoes with gravy was dry. If we had received our meal 10 mins earlier, it would've been perfect. I suspect that our four top was left under the warming lamp a little too long before it was served. Prices have a wide range from 12 to 42. CD's ability to make a reservation online is a big plus. We were able to make a reservation the day of on a busy holiday weekend. It also happened to be storming during our visit and the lights even flickered for a second resetting their Direct TV and FIFA Soccer feeds, but we were fortunate that the restaurant and kitchen didn't have to close due to a power failure. It can get loud especially if they have live entertainment. The high ceiling helps with the high decibels, but CD may not be your spot for a quiet romantic dinner unless you're in one of their private rooms. Our server Eva was very attentive and never let our drinks get too low. Even the floor manager Taylor stopped by our table to welcome us. CD is a great place for a good time. They host live music, local bands, games, private dining and group celebrations. I look forward to returning and trying the Salmon next time. Welcome to Birmingham, Culinary Dropout!

Gathered with my siblings here for lunch. Pretty chill vibes with a big bar area up front. Ordered…read morethe single sparks burgee with mixed greens. So good and the greens were amazing with the vinaigrette. Service was prompt and food hot. Drinks are self serve with soda fountain and iced tea options. Plenty of parking availability in lot out front.

I decided to come check this place out since it has been on my foodie list for a while. My son and…read moreI came here on a Saturday night. That was a little rainy and gloomy. It was about 30 minutes away from my house so I was indecisive if if I wanted to drive that far for food. This place is located in like a mini mall there weren't many cars out in the parking lot and they really weren't that many people inside. But you could tell there's regulars there because when we walked in they were like we don't recognize them lol It is not table service you order at the cash register what we used to call it. They do not have Coke products. They only have Pepsi so I ended up just getting a water. My son got a sweet tea that he liked. He started off with a beer, cheese dip, and that came with pita bread and chips. The server threw some toast and that was really good too. I ordered a cup of the French onion soup and it was delicious. I also ordered the Quattro (Four) cheese flatbread. My son ended up getting the spark burger with mac & cheese. He was dazzled by the burger, but not so much the mac & cheese. I ordered a water. He ordered a sweet tea. I had to ask for a refill for him and I never got a refill for my water. They really weren't a lot of people there so it wouldn't be hard to refill drinks. There is a bar there with a bartender it might be better to sit there so you can get more attention It was definitely a 70s 80s theme in there. In the bathroom, they had a cassette box with real cassettes in there. I really did like the decor. And they do have several TVs in there to watch sports. I'm not sure if I'll be back or not

Whole wing dinner, sweet potato fries, cheese grits, I had coleslaw. Fried crab claws for an…read moreappetizer. Absolutely awesome, best wings in town, crispy, juicy, seasoned and cooked perfectly. Such an awesome meal, not cheap but worth every penny. Service was great, place is really nice and super clean and organized.

If you know downtown Tuscaloosa, you know getting into Urban Bar & Kitchen usually requires…read morepatience--and a willingness to stand around waiting for the doors to open. But spring break week flipped the script in the best way possible. Tonight, my wife and I met up with some good friends for a pre-retirement dinner, and with the college crowd scattered to the beaches, downtown felt like it belonged to us "seasoned locals" again. No lines, no crowds--just a quick call ahead and we were seated within minutes. That alone felt like a win. We started things off with the fried green tomatoes--a true Southern delicacy and, let's be honest, acid reflux's favorite dance partner. Worth it? Absolutely. These were hot, crispy, and full of flavor. The kind of dish that would make Grandma nod in approval. No shortcuts, just done right. For the entrée, I went with the UBK Pasta--blackened chicken, sausage, and shrimp tossed with corkscrew pasta probably crafted in a cast iron skillet. It came out hot and packed with flavor, carrying just the right amount of spice to keep things interesting without overwhelming the dish. Exactly how I like it. My wife stuck with a proven winner: the shrimp & grits. She's had it before, and once again, it delivered. Consistency matters, and this dish continues to hit the mark every time. Now, not everything was quite as smooth. Our waitress wasn't exactly channeling that warm Southern hospitality you hope for. Let's just say she wasn't "Miss Dolly" serving smiles with a side of charm. The service leaned a bit on the impatient side--subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints that our time at the table was up, including clearing drinks before we were even finished. At one point I joked about going to the restroom but worried I might come back to find my chair gone. Still, when the food is this good, it carries the experience. Urban Bar & Kitchen continues to deliver where it matters most--on the plate. The atmosphere was relaxed thanks to spring break timing, the food was as strong as ever, and the company made it even better. As for the service... maybe she was just ready for her own spring break reunion. Happens to the best of us. Final takeaway: Go for the food--it's consistently excellent. And if you can catch a quieter night like this one, even better.

In town for a conference and the restaurant was a block from my hotel…read more Inside is very casual. Kinda bar-like with a nice restaurant vibe! We sat at the bar since it was packed. Service at the bar was good considering every seat at the bar was taken. We ordered our food and it was out within 15-20 minutes. I ordered the Nashville hot chicken, but subbed the sides for the whole fried okra and Gouda grits. When I say those grits and okra hit.....somebody in that kitchen knows what they're doing! The chicken breasts were juicy and flavorful. The spice level was typical for Nashville hot chicken, which I sometimes I can't take. But I loved the flavor so much I couldn't stop eating it. I will eat here again when I return to the city!

I found The Southern Kitchen & Bar completely through Yelp and the Yelp reviews, and I am glad I…read moredid. When I came in, the place was crowded, which is usually a very good sign. It had a good energy right away. I had been looking at a few things on the menu and was really going back and forth. I was interested in the hot chicken, the Brussels sprouts, and also the ribeye Philly cheesesteak. They told me both were really good, and I ended up going with the ribeye Philly cheesesteak. Great choice. I also got a side salad with the chipotle ranch dressing and that was very good too. Picture below. For dessert, I was planning on getting the key lime pie, because that is usually my move, but Hayden my server talked me into trying the blueberry cobbler cheesecake instead. I am glad he did. It was very good. Picture below. Between the crowded room, the good service, and the food, this was a very strong experience all the way around. I am giving The Southern Kitchen & Bar 5 stars.