Foodbar

My husband and I went to the Foodbar for date night. Upon being seated at the smallest table in the restaurant, we could hardly hear each other or the waitress. The environment was very loud. It probably didn't help how close each table is set up to the next. With that said, the service was good but the star of the show is definitely the food. We had oysters on the half shell for apps. They were fresh and the cocktail sauce was amazing. My husband got the coq au vin. He said it was good. I ordered the crab cakes. It was delicious! Packed full of real crab meat- no fillers. It was paired nicely with dirty rice and wilted spinach. I would order the food to-go next time and skip dining in.

I thoroughly enjoyed Foodbar. We go out to eat every other month with our neighbors and we visited Foodbar this month. I had the Baby Field Greens Salad, the Blue Crab Claws (sautéed and fried) and a Pumpkin to Talk About to sip on.

Excellent choice for fine dining in a casual setting. FOODBAR now takes reservations which is a plus. Menu changes frequently and they often have off-menu entrees. We had scallops and hangar steak. Both are superb. We’ve been here three times and all were great. UPDATE : we’ve been here more than a dozen times and still GOAT. Steak was served with a different presentation but amazing. Bolognese also superb - not your mama’s red sauce - it’s indescribably delicious. Sorry Ma. You will not be disappointed here. We love Foodbar.

Fantastic Restaurant. Had the beef tongue for my appetizer. It was superb. Very tender great taste. I had the grouper for my meal. Cooked to perfection. Potatoes beans and sauce were delicious. Wife got the house pasta bolognese. It was delicious also. Very friendly staff. Highly recommend.

For the fellow Chicken Liver Lovers of the world this is your place!!! I always order them when they are on the menu and always fabulous along with everything else!! Sometimes we can’t decide so we just have to get several things and extend the deliciousness for another day. Thank you Food Bar for being so consistently amazing!!!

Great hip place with a nice atmosphere. The food is elevated dining with very generous portions. I would say not very stuffy, but still feels nice enough for date night. The staff is so very helpful. The food is tasty.

20 minutes to get cold bread. Butter was a brick. Cheese board was good but nothing special. Came hungry, left hungry. Server was pleasant, but service in general was slow. Really disappointed because we were trying to find a new favorite restaurant. Happy to say we will never be back.

One of my favorite places in BHM. Casual atmosphere with first-rate food (and lots of it -- try to save room for the donuts!)

2.5, rounding up to 3. Went on a Wednesday night around 6:30 as a party of 3, seated with no wait. Did the mussels app, has to be one of my least favorite things I've ordered at a restaurant in recent memory. Really hard to screw up mussels IMO but the broth was straight butter. I did the duck special for a main, was good not great. One person did the grouper which they said was fine, other person did the crabcake which again was just fine. Don't think price justifies quality here. Server was nice & attentive.

Just going to be really honest, this place was not worth its prices. There wasn't anything we got that was terrible but nothing wow-ed us either. I did enjoy the royal red shrimp, they were much more like lobster than regular shrimp so I would definitely recommend. The bucatini could've desperately used a bit of cream in the sauce. Parking situation is good - large lot adjacent to the restaurant. No street parking. Our server was very friendly and helpful. It was exceptionally loud. At one point I turned around because I thought there was a fight happening. There wasn't, but sure sounded like it. I couldn't hear people talking across the table from me throughout the night. They do have a patio that might've been more enjoyable if we weren't in a heat advisory. However, it was packed on a Wednesday night. So they're obviously doing something right. But, we won't be back.‍

Food was good but not for the price point. The coriander crusted tuna was the highlight. A member of my dinner party had allergies, and they did not know which plate was hers initially. The atmosphere is nice with a small bar and lots of sunlight.

Wonderful atmosphere, service and amazing food! They take reservations but sat us with no delay. There was a nice outdoor seating area. The dining room is lovely. The Lacquered Pork Roast was soo tender and succulent and melts in your mouth. The ginger scallion sauce was addictive. The Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras was exactly what I've been craving! I haven't had Foie Grois, for at least 10 year. This was wonderful! It was served with pears and a perfect port wine sauce! Lisa, our server was soo sweet and personable. She is a Gordon Ramsay fan too! I wanted the perfect wine to pair with my Foie Gras. She found the right one to cut the richness of my dish. It was a Willamet red. We will be coming back again and again!

We celebrated our 43rd anniversary on February 28th. Food Bar never disappoints! I love the warmth of the atmosphere and welcomes we receive every time we dine at FOOD BAR. Our server was incredible and engaging. The cuisine, prepared by Chef George was over the top, per usual. We began our feast with the most tender calamari. My husband ordered a special. A delicious sticky braised pork served with steamed rice, butter lettuce leaves house made kimchi and a fabulous sauce to pour over the wraps. I ordered the scallops. Seared and prepared to perfection!! We indulged with two decadent desserts The famous phyllo wrapped chocolate Molton cake parcel, chocolate and creme anglaise, served with house made vanilla bean ice cream AND White chocolate raspberry bread pudding with raspberry coulis. Unbelievable!!!

Foodbar has been on our list for a while and was very enjoyable and nice place for a special night out. We called ahead and you could tell front of house was really trying to get us in for the requested time and she made it work. As soon as we arrived we were seated. Server started off great with drink orders, appetizers request, and entree orders, then it kind of slowed down service wise, would see him walk from kitchen/patio & back & never surveyed his tables to see if anything was needed. The food was a unique and creative delight. Beef Tongue mustard aioli, pickled onion, veal broth reduction - Try it!!!! Grilled Hanger Steak asparagus, baby carrot, hen of the woods, sunny side quail egg, veal broth reduction. - the quail was perfect!. Steak has a good smokey flavor but a little dry a au jus & fresh horseradish would really elevate this dish! Lacquered Pork Roast sticky rice, house kimchee, ginger scallion sauce, butter bibb lettuce - definitely the better of the two entrees. The pork roast was phenomenal! Juicy & full of flavor and even better w/the ginger scallion sauce. Light but filling wraps. The restaurant had a great atmosphere with patio and inside dining. Definitely feels like a Vestavia favorite for the locals and those of us who were advised we try. One other plus. We could actually talk w/o yelling or repeating our selves. Burnt Basque Cheesecake candied popcorn & crème fraîche

We had an excellent dinner here. I saw the great reviews and knew I wanted to try it. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating area is covered with heaters. I saw lots of people sitting out there and they didn't seem to mind. Our reservation was for indoors. They did seem to fill up so I would get a reservation on the weekend especially. To start off, I tried the Drunken Pumpkin cocktail. It was pretty good. Later on I got the Harvest Cider which was sweeter and I liked it better. They had crab claws which were an addition to the menu so I got those for an appetizer. They were really good and came with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. For dinner, I got the black grouper. It came with fingerling potatoes and green beans. The grouper was fantastic. I ate ever bite. I enjoyed everything on the plate. My only complaint was that the beans still had the stems on so I had to cut those off. But otherwise, it was great. For dessert I had the chocolate phyllo parcel. Holy cow was that good! We all tried it and everyone loved it. Our server, Tina, was awesome. She made good recommendations and was attentive without being overbearing. This might just be my new favorite restaurant.!

Great food, friendly staff, and George is a very generous chef both with his portions and with the time he spends in the dining room with customers.

This was my first time visiting Food Bar. The night we went, it was cold and rainy, but it was still packed inside and out. My first thought was that it must be good if there are this many people here. Their patio was draped in plastic, and they put out heaters, so the diners didn't seem to be bothered. Luckily, our friends had made a reservation, so we didn't have to wait, and we were able to sit inside. Their name describes them perfectly. They have food and a large bar! Ha ha! We all ordered drinks before our meal. I enjoyed mine, but I tried my friend's drunken pumpkin, and it wasn't my favorite. For my entree, I had the Lacquered Pork Roast with Kim Chi and white rice. The pork roast was amazing. The meat was super soft and melted in my mouth. However, I'm not a fan of Kim Chi, but I took a bite just to say I tried it, and I can confirm that I'm still not a fan. The rice was good. I usually say no to desserts, but their menu looked so amazing, so I decided to order something. I chose the doughnuts. They were like beignets super good, but pricey. I will pass next time. Overall, it was a good experience.

The service was really good. The menu changes frequently. I struggled to find something I really wanted and ended up ordering the raw oysters. They were excellent. Seriously, fresh... 10/10. I would recommend Foodbar but advise that the most recent menu you see online likely won't be 'your menu'.

Food was excellent but pricey. I had duck which was very good. Crowded small place that gets too loud for conversation. Great for foodies!

FoodBar is the one restaurant where I know I will have a great appetizer, entree and dessert. The menu changes seasonally, but the crab claws for an appetizer and the phyllo wrapped chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert!

Great fried oysters and atmosphere! Service is fantastic sitting at the bar or a table. Patio dining as well all seasons!

While the food was good on our visit I had to give 3 stars because of the service. Apparently the owners parents came in to eat and our waiter literally kept leaving to go check and talk to them even though they weren't one of his table. Also, informed us that's what he was doing because they were "important". Overall, weird experience don't plan on going back.

I appreciate that the servings are large enough to warrant the price, but feel as though both could be smaller (price and serving). The food is good, but not the best I've had in Birmingham. Cocktails and wine selection were good. We ordered two entrees, a side of fries, and the muscles and that filled up 4 adults.

My wife loves the pastries here. We received some desserts from here as a gift. The desserts are killer. The lemon tart is our favorite. We will definitely drop by when we are in the area. Thank you chef Tyler!

A great place to visit when you're in the area. It can be a social highlight or a very casual meet and greet. The food was phenomenal. At the time of this review, I noticed the menu has changed, so none of these items were on the list. Unfortunate for you. These dishes were absolutely delicious. For dessert, I did have the lavender poundcake which I did not get a picture of and it was absolutely divine! Wonderful atmosphere. Easy to get to. Tucked away in a little strip. Outside seating was great. When I attend my annual conference next year, I'll definitely be making this a mandatory stop.

We eat there frequently. Nice ambiance You can get lucky or unlucky with your server Bring a cushion for you tush

Unassuming exterior belies the wonders that lie within ... my daughter and I went to dinner early on a Saturday evening. I arrived first and, to my happy surprise, at the top of the cocktail list was a Pimm's Cup, perhaps the best cocktail on earth when mixed correctly. And this mix was lovely - lightly lemony, a bit of fizz and a breath of gin taste. After her arrival, my daughter shared fried oysters with me, which were fresh and heavenly. Our server, Michelle L. was spot on with recommendations, refills and refreshing conversation that made dinner so much fun. Dinners were diving - my snapper was transcendent, and almost more than I could eat. I should have written in earlier - I can't recall what my daughter had but we both took home portions for lunch. Michelle made our experience extra special - she was really the best.

Food and wine is excellent, but the last two times I made a reservation, we were bumped from inside seating. I hope to go back provided we are allowed to sit inside.

Do you want a stellar meal? Eat at FOODBAR! This swordfish dish was decadent. The flaky fish plus the asparagus, cauliflower and fennel sautéed with sauce gribiche was heavenly.

We found this in the "foodie" section of Yelp, and this place was awesome. Appetizers - foie gras (coming from CA, I haven't seen this in a long time) - I was looking forward to this the most but it was too burned/charred, but otherwise the execution was great - served with pear and a homemade bread, the green tomato salad was perfect. They serve fresh homemade bread with this amazing butter - I had 4 slices and could't stop. We all got the hangar steak and it was cooked to perfection.

Food bar is amazing. Period. Now what I'm about to share is not the full menu, it's appetizers and desserts. We started with appetizers and they were so good we ate so much, we only had room for dessert afterwards. Please get the mussels, the broth that they are cooked in is so good you'll want to slap somebody...just don't do that though, You'll also need the delicious toasted bread to sop it up with, I promise you, SOP. We had the crab claws that were not on the menu, but trust me, they are there, and you should order them. We also had the Brussel sprouts which were seasoned to perfection...trust me, they are delicious. Then there was dessert. Man oh man...just try it all. In order of My most delicious. 1. Toffee 2. Warm Pound cake 3. Chocolate Cake...Have at it! You will enjoy yourself. Oh!!! And don't forget drinks!!! They are amazing too!! (A little note about dessert, the sampler dessert was sold out when we ordered it and our waitress Tina (who was amazing) said they had three toffees left, so that's what we had) YOU NEED THREE of them. The toffee sauce that accompanies this delicate/intricate gem is all you need with it. Ok, I'm done! Go to Food bar and enjoy yourself! I forgot to mention we had the pleasure of meeting the chef/owner and it was easy to tell he loves what he does! Such a great dining experience!

Some of the best food I've had in Birmingham. Don't sleep on this spot. Do yourself a favor and order the crab claws ( both ways) as an appetizer and the donuts for dessert, you will not regret it. We also had the snapper and the steak entrees and they were incredible. Everything was fresh and the flavors were spot on.

We ventured here for a group birthday meal and I had been one other time recently. It's a great local spot for dinner and they have a regularly changing menu. They do have a Parmesan cheese burger with fries that is secretly on the menu as well in case you are a more basic or picky eater. I have had the pasta now as well as the steak both of which were good. The pasta was my favorite of the 2. They do have a nice selection of wines as well to go with the meal. I would happily eat here again if looking for a place to dine in the cahaba heights area. #bhamfoodguy

Came to Foodbar for a birthday dinner and had a great time. The table was ready when my party arrived. Everyone enjoyed their dinner! The foie gras was one of the most delicious meals I have ever had!

Food was delicious, especially the crab claws! Service was attentive and pay us just the right amount of attention! A little loud when it got crowded, but still able to have a conversation. Highly recommend.

Absolutely Incredible! Amazing Braque Cheesecake. The Black Grouper is amazing and the Choate Phyllo is to die for.

I had high hopes coming in because of the rave reviews, but I am rating it a 4/5. Hometown feel - if you're a local this place is the place to be on a Wednesday (or probably any) night. It seemed a lot of people knew others, I almost felt like I was in a time warp because I've never lived somewhere were all the people in a restaurant knew one another, it was really neat. Mostly it was older couples (60's) on dates, which was adorable! I don't think I see that enough. Sharing wine, deep in conversation, caring about nothing in the world other than what their date has to say - I think that was my favorite part. I guess the menu changes often, I read a ton of reviews recommending the burger but there was no burger so here are reviews on what we ordered. Wednesday - 1/2 off wine! Woo! Never a bad deal if you drink wine. Rainbow Trout - It's the full fish with onions and lemons cooked inside. The root veggies underneath were some of the best I had. The sauce was an oil/lemon/caper flavor and paired superb with the dish. Truly a delicious dish. Only downside is the time it takes to get all the bones out, and the skin off. I will eat some of the skin, but I can't do it all - definitely a European thing and I can't hang. Grilled Flat Iron Steak - we were worried it would be tough and overcooked, but it was cooked perfectly! It was actually very tender and juicy and had tons of flavor. The veggies were a tad undercooked and tough, but I think that's better than being mushy and overcooked. The egg on top was a nice touch. It's nice to order a steak and not get a ton of white carbs/potatoes so you leave feeling satisfied and not stuffed. Definitely recommend this dish too. There is a bar area you can sit at with one TV, but otherwise the restaurant is quaint and cute. The tables are a little too close together for the space, I think. I just think given the space, they don't need to pack so many tables, it's not NYC. Literally the girls butts grazed over the top of our table when they got in/out - there was only enough room to scoot sideways to get to the seats, that's how close they are. Since the music was quiet all I could hear were the conversations from the 3 girls to my left who were out for a birthday, and the 2 ladies to my left (which if I never looked I would have thought it was just one) because she complained about her life the entire meal. Aside from that, the couples around were still adorable and the ambiance was very nice. Staff, our waitress was an older woman and she was very attentive and very nice. She did due diligence when she didn't know an answer, and always made sure we were taken care of, never had to flag her down. Definitely appreciated that. Since the menu is very small I don't think we'll be back this trip, but it was a nice meal and worth trying if you're passing through Birmingham.

I ordered two desserts to go tonight. What a disaster. 27 minutes to get two desserts. No place to wait for a to go order. Maybe dine in in better but if they can't get uncooked items turned in a low ticket time, I'd bet cooked items are an atrocity.

Great food and friendly professional service, beautiful surroundings inside and out, fun upbeat vibe

Delicious food. Great service with a very cute atmosphere. Just randomly picked this restaurant to go to with friends. Will definitely go back. All four of us loved our meals.

Enjoyed a pre-birthday dinner at the foodbar and let me just say they did not disappoint. The drinks were amazing my cocktail had the perfect pour and quenched my thirst. We also enjoyed a couple of appetizers. The oysters on the half shell where one of the freshest ones we had in Birmingham.The mussels made me want to drink all of the delicious juice out of the bowl but of course sopping it up with that amazing butter bread was the best choice. Our meals were savory good. I enjoyed the shrimp pasta and hubs enjoyed the grilled fish. I wanted to eat it all no matter how stuffed I was. Love love love this place and just can't wait to go back again to enjoy some of the desserts and maybe another cocktail or two .

Wow. What a great dinner. Haven't been here in a long time! Had the crab claws and burrata for appetizers then 2 had the grouper 1 had amberjack and 1 had the burger /fries. No complaints. Service was good except for the last drink!

Fried oysters were delicious. The dessert Heavenly! Cozy spot. Waitstaff was attentive.Fried Oysters

Service - excellent, food - lots of grit in my shrimp, like sand, and the tuna....I've had way better. My husbands pork was fatty. And the atmosphere - please create small niches. It's one step away from being an overpriced cafeteria. I will come back....just to see if there is any improvement.

For some reason, I remembered the food and drinks to be a lot better than it was on my most recent visit. Oh well. We still enjoyed the meal! I got the Risky Fizzness drink and did not care for it at all. I switched to another drink and still did not care for it so I gave up at that point! I started with the "Just Peachy" appetizer which was really good! It's sliced peaches covered with feta cheese and honey. I would definitely get this again! It's light, seasonal, sweet and delicious. For my entree, I got the flat iron steak, cooked well done, with mixed vegetables. While I wasn't crazy about the choice of vegetables, the steak was pretty good! To finish, I had the Lavender Poundcake which was a nice, warm finish!

Excellent food and excellent service! Sat out on the covered patio and the heaters prevented us from getting too cold. Looking forward to going back!

So we stumbled upon what looks like a neighborhood spot. Deliriously good. Service perfect and attentive. If you get to Birmingham find this spot. And yes it is a strip mall but this is Alabama and is a place of historical interest.

Love this place and the food... owner too! George is so very talented and will always take care of you! I'll be back soon

Always good service, good food, good drinks. They have a burger with carmelized onions that just is so good

The crab claws are amazing! Usually don't order these but they were spectacular! Great dinner atmosphere and great food!

One of the hidden gems in BHM area. Great dishes, desserts are also excellent. It can get loud and cold.

One of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham. Great food, great drinks, and great service every time I've been. I'd put them up there with some of the best restaurants in Birmingham.

Everything at Foodbar is excellent. The very very few bad reviews here seem to be indicative of a lack of understanding of how high end dining works. For example, why order just two lemon pies as a takeout from a sit down, fine dining restaurant? And yes, it wasn't waiting for you in a box when you arrived. But this isn't Jacks, it's a fine dining restaurant. Pies stay chilled till ordered, then are prepared and the topping torched for caramelization, and only then is it presented to the diner whether sit down or takeout. It doesn't take that long but it does take several minutes. If you unfairly add your drive time to that then I guess it could considered a bit of a "wait".

Absolutely fantastic. Started with the Brussels which were delicious! I got the burger as my entree and would certainly put it on the list for one of the best in Bham. 10/10 experience.

You will never be disappointed at FoodBar. They market themselves exactly as they are, "not pretentious, just delicious." It's a fine dining experience by far, don't let it's hidden location fool you. However do feel comfortable to dress as you please. Again, not pretentious. Adore the fresh farm to table experience & the chef's willingness to create the off the menu vegetarian plate which is full of the most absolutely richly flavored in season veggies. FoodBar is a must for your weekly date, for getting together with friends or hosting out of town guest. My favorite spot to sit is the bar. Service is top notch. 5 stars across the board.

Foodbar is the GOAT for us. Never a bad meal. This was our first COVID era visit here and it went well. Outdoor distanced tables and staff with masks. Food is locally sourced, with interesting twists on traditional favorites, presented with photo-worthy flair. My go-to dish is the flat iron steak served with a cute lil quail egg atop. My wife is a sucker for the pasta bolognese but always asks for a taste of my steak. If you ever see the catfish on the menu here, get it. Not tonight, but it would be my fave. Hands down. We went rogue and tried the eggplant fries just for grins. Not bad, but they won't be in heavy rotation for us. The grand finale was a chocolate cake wrapped in phyllo like a birthday present, and flash fried at a million degrees. It was like hot brownie lava flowing when cut. Ice cream on the side to extinguish the flames, of course. Another fine outing at Foodbar.

Atmosphere is laid back and cozy. They do have outside dining. There were 2 of us in our party. We were told since COVID the menu had changed a little. Can't remember our server's name but he was great. Ordered crab claws to start, flat iron steak cooked medium and fried catfish for entrees. Crab claws were good, crisp and fried just right; flat iron steak cooked perfect but lacked flavor; the catfish looked good but my other party said it lacked seasoning. We had a glass of wine and an amaretto sour to finish the meal; drinks were good. This place really didn't impress me as I had high expectations being in the location that it is. If I go back it will be just for drinks.