There must have been changes in the kitchen since our last visit. This time, we were disappointed…read more One of us had seared scallops with snap peas. The dark sauce was perhaps balsamaic based; it hid the delicate taste of the scallops. One was a bit underdone. The snap peas were soggy and very stringly. Our second dish was shrimp with fried rice. There were 6 shrimp with almost 2 cups of rice. The egg-over-light on top was not needed. I wish that the shrimp were simply done with a smaller amount of good crispy rice without the added bits. We both wish that the seafood had not been so masked by other things. Good fresh fish done simply would have been our preference. Our waiter, Rick, was pleasant and helpful. The room was noisier than we remember.

Outstanding seafood and a delightful dining experience are sure to be found at Automatic Seafood!…read moreThis is a more upscale outing, and it made for a cozy and elegant birthday dinner/date night. What we ordered: -Smoked Fish Dip: This appetizer could have easily been shared with multiple people. The dip was so flavorful! -Fish and Chips: You definitely can't go wrong with this one. The fish was perfectly crunchy and battered, and the fries were perfect! -Spice Crusted Yellowfin Tuna: my boyfriend loved this! It wasn't my favorite, but the potato stack that it is served with was phenomenal... they know how to do potatoes here. Without a doubt, I'll be back here. Their menu changes regularly, so there's always something new I can look forward to trying.

I had the fried grouper and oysters combo with gumbo and hush puppies and it was all very good. My…read morewife had the mardi gras pasta and she liked it as well. The prices were much better than the other Cajun restaurants in the Birmingham area that we go to. We will definitely be eating here again.

Outstanding food, great menu great service and the owner is incredible…read more Great atmosphere and they accommodate large groups with notice. I support local businesses that are giving it their best. I had lunch there today with a great friend, the seafood salad was excellent. Rick

Cool little spot in downtown. Great food and service! Waitress very attentive and very helpful with…read moremenu!

There aren't too many places in the world that can be called "genuinely impressive", but Bayonet…read moresimply cannot be placed into any other category. It was opened by a husband and wife couple, Chef Rob McDaniel and his wife Emily in 2025. As a James Beard Award nominated chef, there was good reason to expect a great meal even before the dinner. The presentation, creativity and focus on seasonality are standout features of Bayonet. Very bold dishes like the chive and caviar egg sandwich prove that the chef does not hesitate to go extreme. The Strawberry Wahoo was no less impressive, both in presentation and the genuinely unique combination. Staff are highly professional, bartenders Bradley and Miles are top notch pros of the industry. All of that is before acknowledging the beautiful interior in which Bayonet is situated. Thus, ending two words, just book!

The food was amazing!! We had to wait a half hour to be seated, but we didn't have reservations…read more Reservations recommended. Arielle was our server and she was amazing and made our dinner memorable! Very attentive and kept us updated with the food timing. Great product knowledge. We had raw oysters, baked oysters, a seafood platter with shrimp, baked oysters, catfish and scallops. The baked potato was HUGE. The banana pudding Rocked!! Tell 'em BaddBob sent ya!!

I have been to other locations in the past and it has always been a positive experience. Early on a…read moreThursday night. Hostess told us it would be at least a hour for table for five. No problem headed to bar. Ignored for 10 min... Two of the five walked at that point. Drinks and order in, apps arrive. Everything looks good and is hot. No sooner get started than entries arrive....good sense of timing . Food is at best, warm, at this point even with two bartenders no service. Drinks, empty etc. Flavor was ok. Squash was....well hard; not cooked thru. Save your time and money....got tombema Captain D's near by. Not acceptable at this price point!

We came here for a date night before a concert. Parking was a little hectic, so we parked nearby…read moreand walked over. The place was crowded, but we were seated quickly. The waitress checked on us frequently. Their menu is huge and has something for everyone. They didn't have my first request, but I got the pesto pasta with shrimp as my second choice and it was very good. I liked the oysters, but the ones we tried were very spinach forward, and if you aren't a fan of that, you may not like these. Next time we'll try the other oyster types they have. I'm surprised I had never made it out here before. I will definitely come back - but not with the kids. They have some great lunch specials as well.

We must eaten there on a bad night all around because our review doesn't reflect what everyone else…read moreseemed to experience! We were seated promptly handed menus and about 30 seconds later approached by the waitress for drink orders. We asked for a drink menu as there was nothing to advertise what drinks they were serving. She returned with 1 drink menu for all 3 of us and stood there waiting until we decided. We asked for some time so she left and returned about 2 mins later. We ordered drinks and she returned 2 mins later to take our food order. We ordered appetizers, salad and main courses. The drinks came quickly, the salads came right after and then about 3 mins later, the appetizers came out. 3 mins after that, the main courses arrived so we had plates stacked everywhere on the table and quickly tried to finish our salads and appetizers before the main dish got cold. The waitress never returned to the table until she brought the bill. The plates were all cleared by someone else. We saw her leave a bill at the table next to us and wait until they checked it over and figured out a payment method, so when she arrived at our table we just handed her a credit card. The food was average but the overall experience was terrible. I realize she was probably new and this may have been her first night but some training would go a long way! For $180 dinner, we expected a lot more.

A restaurant that never misses! I love Chuck's, so when my sweetie surprised me with a date night…read morehere, I was all smiles. It's cozy and a bit small, but the food is always delicious. We had great cocktails and amazing appetizers. I especially love the redfish and broccolini always fresh and perfectly seasoned. The service was excellent, and our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu. I'll be back every chance I get!

This review only reflects the one dish we tried, but we were disappointed. We were looking for the…read morebest gnocchi in town and saw a few people recommend Chuck's Fish. So, of course, we had to try. The dish is Chicken Scallopine, with gnocchi, spinach, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, and lemon caper cream at $32 after taxes. Everything about the dish was on point....except the gnocchi, which was doughy. The perfect gnocchi should feel pillowy and cloud-soft the instant it touches your tongue. Light, not doughy, with just enough structure to gently spring back when you bite, almost melting. The interior is tender and airy, never gummy or dense. Unfortunately, Chuck's Fish missed the mark by a large margin and, at this price point, I expect more. To be fair, I have had gnocchi several times and most miss the mark. Zaza downtown used to serve the perfect gnocchi, but unfortunately I haven't seen it on their specials in a long while.

Food...excellent Service...impeccable…read more Ambiance...perfect #1 in my book I would definitely be back when in Birmingham

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.

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.

Food was good, had the Surf Hound burger with regular fries, although sweet potato fries originally…read morecame out with the burger. Service was great, you can sit where you want, both servers were great, came by to check on us, set up another table, after we decided to sit outside on the patio. Vibes are chill, you kind of get a beach bar vibe, with the decor, and covered patio. They also have plenty of seating of the patio. They have TV's everywhere, so you can't miss the March Madness action.

Went on a Thursday and it was good, but not great!…read more I got the frozen surf house drink for $7 which was a special on Thursday's. The drink was pretty strong. Very nice rum punch to it! I got the tuna poke salad for dinner and it was okay... I felt like there was too much Leticia for the amount/ratios of tuna, toppings and dressing. For $22, it initially looks like you're getting a lot but really it's 90% lettuce. I feel like there could have been more lemon/acid to the dressing and more dressing overall the tuna was unseasoned and felt like the salad was lacking. It needed some type of crunch, like a nori salty crunch. The restaurant was packed for a Thursday. Would like to go back na try some other things.

Yes! Everything is great. What a wonderful combination, good food, great service, and an…read moreunbelievable Sunday ambience. What more could I ask for? Of course, you are home to the food bags that's why we hear. I can't eat seafood, but I Ala carte me up a special. Thank you Wanna, you are Amazing. You look like you looked like you wanted to get me together, if she order one more of them can cokes, Imma bring her a water. lol. We are a party of 4. I got 8 piece Cajun, with a side of sausage, corn, potatoes in crab barrack sauce mild spice. You real spicy for mild. Ty got the catfish basket and Mommy got the shrimp plate with okra. Deedee here too, she got the crab special with crab and shrimp. We eating and it's good. Everybody full!!

Joined a friend for dinner. We were quickly seated. The location is large and perfect for groups…read more She frequents this location so I followed her lead with the order. We both got the buffalo wings with lemon pepper, extra crispy as an app. The wings were really good. The sauce was rich and flavorful and the wings were fried to perfection. My only complaint was they were really big. My personal preference is smaller yet meaty wings. We got the 1/2 lbs shrimp bag with excess sausage and mild house sauce. The bag before the extra was only about $10. It comes with the corn, sausage and potato. That price is crazy good! The shrimp were a great size and the ingredients seemed fresh. The sauce was a very bland to me (in comparison to similar restaurants). The servers were really sweet. Checking on us often but not overdoing it. All in all, I would return again! Next time I'd probably get medium sauce and extra garlic. Yum!