Reviews for The Essential in Birmingham, AL
Wow! The Essential was amazing!!! We ordered drinks at the bar since there was a short wait. The bartender was extremely kind to... make my son a fun mocktail. My latte was great. The food?a whole new level of deliciousness. The ricotta on the french toast wasdivine. All of the meals we ordered were noteworthy, the atmosphere great, and the service superior. A great treat to our shortvacation in Birmingham. Read more
Great atmosphere, delicious food, service not quite 5 star. First visit. I loved the atmosphere of the place. I got here soon... after opening as I read it fills up quickly. That?s definitely true! From review recommendations, I ordered the Peach Hand Pieand the made in house Pastrami. The latter comes as a sandwich, but I skipped the bread. The pastrami itself was incredible.Tender and flavorful. It comes with a shredded lettuce, sweet pepper mixture with a pickle type of dressing. Definitely wentgreat with the pastrami. The Peach Hand pie was the size of both my hands! Delicious. The only thing that keeps me from giving5 stars is the lack of attention from the staff. I was sitting at the counter where the staff makes coffees, rings in ordersetc, and yet I wasn?t even asked how the food tasted. That one thing would have elicited 5 stars. I did get quick responses whenI caught someone?s eye to ask for a box and later, the check. This place is definitely a winner for a great brunch inBirmingham! Read more
Nice restaurant with inside seating and a covered patio. Prompt and courteous service. Five grain salad with added protein... (fish) was great! My coworker enjoyed the pork tenderloin scallopini. We also had the sourdough toasted bread with butter, whichwas sinfully good. Read more
I?m torn about this review. The Essential was both a great experience and a puzzling one. The food, design, and style of the... restaurant was everything I typically enjoy. It has a forward thinking, contemporary and creative feel. However, on a Sundayearly afternoon with families all over, somehow the uncut versions of a Lil Wayne song, then a G-unit and 50 Cent were played.As we were trying to enjoy our meal all I could hear was N**ga this, Shake that A**, and B**ch that. I was sincerely puzzled asI looked around the patio and saw all the families and little children there. I thought what happened to easy listening? Who dothey think their audience is at this hour? I didn?t want to hear, and imagine others didn?t either but the majority of thepeople that were there were white and some likely concerned about appearing racist for saying they didn?t want to hearobscenities while eating Sunday brunch. Regardless of the race of the artists, it was a poor choice. Although, that is notusually how conversations like that turnout nowadays. Well, I?m black black! And my wife and I did not want to hear it andthought it was completely inappropriate. I walked away disappointed by that point alone. Read more
Excellent service and great food. Small quaint place. Will be back?because i left a half bottle of corked bubbles for... tomorrow. I came back. Had the pastrami sandwich to go and ate it out front of the restaurant while there was a 90min wait.This pastrami could b the best Ive ever tastes. It was juicy, fatty pieces, and packed a lot of flavor. The fried egg wasperfect. The pictures dont do this sandwich justice. By far the best pastrami sandwich Ive ever had. Read more
One of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham. Their dishes are consistently high quality and the atmosphere is nice. It?s been... difficult to visit often with the pandemic and all but the staff are all masked and polite. Would highly recommend the ChorizoRigatoni. Read more
Really good coffee & tasty food. Great ambiance! We ordered the French toast and the fried chicken & grits with an oat milk... latte. Sat on the patio. Was afraid it might be too cold (since it was a chilly December day), but the heaters kept us warm. Read more
We were visiting Birmingham and came across this adorable restaurant. We absolutely loved it! Probably one of the best chai teas... I?ve ever had. And the avocado toast with salmon (pictured) was delicious. If you?re not super hungry, easily splittable fortwo. Our waitress, Martha, was very sweet and attentive. In a cute artsy area too. Highly recommend! Read more