What a charming bakery/coffee shop in a super cute almost European nook in town. If you're…read morevisiting, I definitely recommend taking a drive to this area. Progressive area - Seems to be... There wasn't line when we got there but the crowd usually follows us for some reason so by the time we left there was standing room only and a line out the door. The bakery items were very fresh and tasty. I loved the Swedish gingerbread cookies - light and crisp. The lemon bar was delicious. They also have sandwiches that liked really good. Coffee - I got a vanilla latte extra sweet (no lavender) and my daughter said it was one of the best. I thought it was pretty good. I would go again when back in Birmingham!

Any time I head out of town (Huntsville), I try to find a local pastry and/or coffee shop…read more Visiting Birmingham, I had all lot of options; Continental wound up being the call for pastries. Nestled in the Mountain Brook area, it's a little hard to see but is right next to Chez Lulu, which I think is a sister restaurant. Parking is a little tricky but manageable. I got there fairly late so the selection was a bit picked over, but I still got a good array of treats to bring home. Service was a touch slow but friendly. They were fairly busy. There's no room to eat inside or outside that I could discern; it's exclusively a take and go type of place. I got two pecan sandies to share with my parents, who were along for the ride, and then a cardamom bun and a peanut butter cookie for later. Sadly, I don't feel like any of the pastries really wowed. The pecan sandies were a little too dry (even as sandies go) and the pecans didn't taste toasted nor were they especially plentiful. The peanut butter cookie was the best thing, though it too was a little on the dry side - nice PB flavor though. I straight up didn't like the cardamom bun. The cardamom flavor was completely overwhelming, to the point it wasn't sweet at all, and instead tasted almost medicinal. The texture was nice but I couldn't finish it. Perhaps I arrived too late to order their specialties. I know they specialize in European goodies so if I return I'll make sure to try a croissant or something similar.

I was eating at a nearby restaurant and saw that this place was still open so I decided to drive…read moreacross the street to get me half a dozen breakup cookies. If you haven't had one before you definitely need to get some. It's the chocolate chip cookies, but they're salted. It gives them a different flavor. You can go inside and get something to go or eat it there because they do have tables for people to sit at. We came here on Mother's Day around 5 PM on a Sunday and it wasn't really busy. I will definitely be back.

Updating my review from six years ago (teary eyed face). I have so many good memories from hanging…read moreout with my friends here in high school. This was the spot we would all come to to do homework. It's still got that same warmth and charm. I came in on a Wednesday morning to sit and do some work. I ordered a cappuccino, bran muffin, and a breakup cookie to take home. The cappuccino is just as expected. Served at the perfect temp, great flavor. The bran muffin, which was my attempt to be healthy, was really a delicious stand-out. I would definitely get that again. And, of course, the breakup cookies are some of the best cookies in town. They bake all of the baked goods in-house, I believe, which gets a round of applause from me. A lot of the recipes are still the same ones I remember from 7 years ago. One thing I noticed that's even BETTER than I remember was the books and gift selection. A lot of the books caught my eye. It's a great curation of fiction, non, memoirs, birding books, children's, etc. They also carry the Village Apothecary candles, which are made locally and have some packaging I really love. Church Street is one of the Birmingham staples. I hope they're open for a million more years. They do what they do exceptionally well.

I've been to the Railroad location before, but I was in the area and decided to try Red Cat…read moreCoffeehouse. Street parking was pretty easy to find, which was a plus. The space had a lot of people inside--many working or meeting up--so it had a lively, productive vibe. I ordered the superfood smoothie, which tasted good once I got it, but it did take a little while to come out. After ordering, I sat down for a minute before stepping out to the restroom, and it still wasn't ready for a bit when I returned. Overall, still a good experience and a nice spot to hang out, but the wait time was a bit longer than expected.

Are you a cat lover? If so, you'll appreciate the playful vibe of this coffee shop -- even though…read morethere aren't actual cats roaming around, the café leans into a fun feline theme with lattes named after different cat breeds. Meow! We ordered the Abyssinian Latte with vanilla and cinnamon, and it was absolutely the bomb -- warm, smooth, and perfectly balanced without being overly sweet. The space itself is incredibly cozy and inviting. Colorful furniture, eclectic paintings, and musical instruments hanging on the walls give it a creative, artsy feel -- like they actually get used by a local band after hours. It has that relaxed coffeehouse charm where you could totally imagine Phoebe Buffay singing "Smelly Cat," yet it's also calm enough to have a real conversation or get a bit of work done on a laptop. Parking is street parking only, but we didn't have too much trouble finding a spot. They offer pastries and I noticed they also serve breakfast items, though we stopped in just for coffee this time. The shop was fairly full, which is always a good sign, but there were plenty of small tables that comfortably seat two to four people, so it never felt cramped. The baristas were super friendly and welcoming, adding to the overall positive vibe. My partner and I ended up lingering longer than planned while we talked through our day's plans -- always a sign of a great coffee spot. Warm atmosphere, delicious drinks, and kind staff make this an easy five-star experience. I'll definitely be back to try more of their cat-themed creations!

Cute place with great coffee! The service was great and it was nice to get to sit outside and enjoy…read morethe morning.

Like food, there are things you eat or drink that you remember, which stays with you because of how…read moregood it was, and those become the baseline for the bar future things should meet in order to be held to that same standard of quality. I've had good coffee, great coffee, exceptional coffee, mediocre coffee, and questionable things called "coffee". O'Henry's on Highlands is a standard small coffee shop inside, nice ambience, cute. Staff is friendly for the most part. Has usual stuff like food/pastries, etc. While all nice, the one thing I've never liked was their coffee. It's standard tasting, basic B level, and when i'm in the area and have to have a coffee right now, I end up ordering a flavored coffee there, because it masks the lack of flavor of their actual coffee, which is what I really wanted in the first place. If you are an average Joe and just want a cup of coffee and there happens to be coffee shop you're parked next to, O'Henry's will do the job. But if you're looking for a great cup of coffee or even a good cup of coffee, don't bother coming there, because you won't find it, sadly. Scale of one to ten- Shop itself: 8, Coffee: 3-4

I come here all the time, I'm a local neighbor and I love to shop at this family owned business!…read moreThe service and drinks are absolutely phenomenal, currently listening to bossa nova while I get my work done. I loved the backyard this past spring and summer. Enjoyed fun dj sets and wine chats with a couple of friends. I tell everyone about it, I feel like family here. Drinks are always changing, and I love it. I love coffee because it makes me smile every time. The pastries are always fresh, and I don't have to stand in a crazy long line for them. The cocktails are exactly right and have great fusions! It's a favorite of mine in BHM.

Such a great vibe! I had looked up places in town to get a Vietnamese coffee and House Eleven was…read morethe first place that came up. So on my way to work on a friday I stopped by. My coffee was great! The atmosphere inside was so nice! People were there early, chilling, conversing and just enjoying the morning. Once I ordered my drink, they were so nice and very conversational. Let me know different things about the menu and I even saw that they collab with others for different events. I will be back!

This unassuming little bakery, located in Crestline Village next to the popular Saw's BBQ in the…read moreMountain Brook community, is one of the Birmingham area's best kept secrets. It has quickly become one my favorites for fresh baked pastries! My choices are any of the cream cheese tarts, the blueberry tart is likely the best I've ever had, the sticky buns, croissants and the cinnamon rolls. These are more along the lines of French-style pastries, so don't expect to be overwhelmed with sweetness, just buttery flaky goodness. They are both visually appealing and simply delicious! They seem to bake in smaller batches so everything is super fresh! The owner/baker is nice and you can often see him working in the back and he might even pop up to say HELLO! There isn't any seating so it's basically an order, pay and go type of place. They also have coffee. Nothing to complain about here. They do have a limited social media presence on Instagram. Check them out!

My friend and I arrived here at 3:20 pm. There was a sign on the door that indicated they closed at…read more3:00 instead of 4:00 as indicated online. However, the nice gentleman inside let us in and explained that they had opened earlier and closed earlier. I appreciated him allowing us in. We bought an almond cookie and a blueberry cheese danish. What I wanted had already sold out, so I'll return another day for it. While I throughly enjoyed my danish, my friend didn't care for his cookie. He said he was little dry and as I tasted it, I agreed. However, I've never had an almond cookie so I'm not sure if that's how it was supposed to be. I liked the decor inside. I will return to try another danish but next time I'll come earlier!

The General is such a cute niche coffee spot off of Clairmont Ave S. I would compare the atmosphere…read moreto that of The Continental Bakery in English Village. More of a simple southern antique style. Baristas were extremely helpful and patient as I pondered my order! I ended up ordering a delicious warm breakfast sandwich and a cold brew to drink with it! SOO delicious!! I am a sucker for a good breakfast and coffee! The menu was large and well diverse: they even had a cortado on the menu which I cant get at all coffee shops!   I am surprised not more people know about the place. I had never heard of it until I was scrolling through highly rated coffee shops on Yelp! The space inside is large and can seat lots of people! For being in Birmingham this surprised me; I feel like most coffee shops here are fairly small.    I also appreciated how relaxed and welcoming the environment felt. It would be such a great spot for studying, meeting a friend, or even having a casual work meeting. The music wasn't too loud, and everything felt clean and well-kept. Overall, I would definitely come back and recommend The General to anyone looking for a cozy, charming coffee shop with great food and even better service.

This place is such a gem! Dined here for breakfast. Street parking is available. We came early so…read morethere was no issue with parking. Indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the breakfast plate for $12 which includes eggs, bacon, toast and potatoes. For my beverage I ordered the sweet tea iced latte which is sweet tea with half and half. Inside is so whimsical. Plenty of seating and it is also a store. They have candles, aprons, jams, salts, different sauces, napkins, etc. The food was seasoned to perfection and I would highly recommend

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.

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.