La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar

Delicious and authentic Italian cuisine! Their lambchops won Hour Magazine's 2025 Best Bites! We enjoyed all the food that hit the table. We were entertained watching them prepare it. I love it and would highly recommend it!

We had a fantastic dining experience! The bruschetta was delicious and the bread perfectly toasted. I had the barbabietole salad and my fiancé had the Caesar. For our entrées, rigatoni alla carbonara and tagliatelle alla bolognese. Dessert was a pistachio cheesecake and raspberry sorbet with cappuccinos. Amazing, everything! Our server, Joey attended to our every need and was so kind. I hope we get Joey every time we come here - and we will certainly be back soon!

After decades of dining in Birmingham, I'm always surprised when we come across a new gem (well, new to us, since apparently this place has been here for a decade). We went here for our anniversary dinner and it was the perfect choice. Our server, Patrick, was an absolute delight and took good care of us throughout our meal. We started with an appetizer special, the Wagyu meatball with fondue. It definitely did not fit the standard definition of a meatball, which was a good thing. The presentation was beautiful and it tasted great! For our next course, we split a Caesar Salad, but the parmesan basket it was served in made this dish truly unique. For my entree I had the Rigatoni alla Vodka. Vodka sauces are a favorite of mine and this one was among the best I've had. I was also quite pleased with the serving size, something that many Italian restaurants miss the mark on. My wife had the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. She loves a good bolognese sauce and truly enjoyed this one. We had originally decided to pass on dessert, but much to our surprise and delight, the head chef/owner brought us a cannoli, with a delicate "happy anniversary" chocolate wedged into a raspberry. It was a very kind and thoughtful way to wrap up a wonderful dining experience.

This is the place. Everything tasted good and had full flavor. Atmosphere was nice too. Portions were small but enough. Cheese lovers order the 36 month dry aged cheese you wont be disappointed

I dined here for the first time last night. The atmosphere is beautiful and we loved the ambience of the restaurant. My dirty martini tasted great, but the olives were not pitted which was odd to me. The bruschetta was amazing and probably my favorite thing we ate. Our entrees were just ok to be honest (halibut and seafood combo special). Halibut was overcooked and dry. Portions were very small for the amount we paid. The service was subpar for a fine dining restaurant. Our server was not attentive and needed to be called over more than once and forgot drink order. He also kept on annoyingly pushing $110 bottles of wine. Our bill was $500 for 4 people with tip, which I wouldn’t have minded if the food and experience was amazing. I had high expectations of this place, but it sadly fell short in both the food and service categories.

Kristi was absolutely fabulous! Very knowledgeable, personable, and a joy to be around! Made our dining experience top notch! Can’t wait to come back and see her again!

We had an excellent date night here. Great cocktail menu, strong and tasty cocktails and good wine. The food was super good. Joey was our server-we told him what we liked and he recommended the prosciutto and the caprese, the gnocchi with black truffle, and short rib. Everything was perfect. I love when a server can listen to what you like and make great recommendations perfectly tailored to your preferences!

It was my first visit to La Strada. Came for my birthday and everything was beyond exceptional. The owner Zarko (I hope I spelled that right), was so hospitable and greeted us with a celebratory glass of champagne. Tony was our server and he made our night flawless. He was very knowledgeable about the menu and answered all our questions with ease. The food was very delicious, perfectly seasoned and cooked. To end the night we had a pistachio cheesecake and it was one of the best cheesecakes I’ve had. Highly recommend La Strada for fine dining Italian and try and get a table with Tony, you won’t regret it. Thank you to everyone that made my night special and memorable.

10/10. Hands down the best Italian restaurant I've been to. From the appetizers to the desserts everything was so good. Would recommend to everyone and will definitely come back.

Love this traditional European style restaurant The food is consistent Service is professional and knowledge about menu items.

Absolutely superb service and food. The music was a bit loud and conveyed a different type of ambiance than everything else. I had a Caesar salad which comes in a Parmesan crisp bowl. Then lasagna I believe it was a special. Really delicious. They were out of the special dessert, pistachio lava cake, but we weren't told until after we ordered it. The chocolate lava cake was still delicious. Would absolutely go back.

La Strada is about as good as it gets. When you walk by outside you smell how good it's going to be inside. The strozapretti and the short rib were incredible mains and the focaccia was a great way to start the meal. The service was great and very attentive.

Portion size for calamari appetizer was shamefully small. I feel like the menu is about 15% overpriced compared to similar restaurants. The wagu short rib was very good but at $95 did not have the flavor profile superior than most other offerings at $55-65. To summarize: overpriced and at times small portions

Super cute restaurant! The vibe is a small, yet lively cafe/restaurant. It's nice because you can either stop by for a quick coffee and bite to eat, or you can get a whole meal. Either option guarantees both good service and food. Have stopped by plenty of times for either a small coffee and pastry, and it's always been amazing. Can't recommend enough!

Had dinner here last night with a party of 5. The service, drinks, apps, and food were all fantastic. Very authentic and traditional food. We all loved our dishes and will be back. Highly recommend.

I came with a group of friends and we were all left pretty disappointed. For the price, the size of the dishes was laughable. Unfortunately I do not think I would come back as there are better Italian restaurants in the area.

Visited twice in the past year and it is amazing every time! From appetizers, salad, pasta (not pictured) and pizza, you can't go wrong! The pizza is perfectly crisp! A large selection of wine. The service is impeccable

We had a wonderful dinner experience at La Strada. We were seated at a lovely outdoor table. It was Saturday evening and the weather was gorgeous. Our waiter was attentive though he overlooked putting in our appetizer, which came out after our meal. My Eggplant Parmesan was excellent. My girlfriend's swordfish was quite thin and not Earth shattering. The pastachio cheese cake was out of this world as was the coffee. We will definitely be returning!

I have visited many times and while never my favorite spot, I used to enjoy coming here. Our last visit the hostess was super rude and dismissive. Five of us stopped by for coffee and dessert after dinner. It was 8pm, there were lots of available tables but she would not sit us unless we ordered dinner. They close at 9pm. With drinks and dessert this group would easily make whatever table minimum you are setting and it would be much better to just tell us if that is the case. Instead we enjoyed a lovely night at Pernoi.

This is a mixed review. I'm giving it three stars but I think it deserves two and here's the why.... Food tasted great while eating, setting was nice, service was really good but the bar options were light. They seemed to be out of a lot of stuff. Hendricks gin, Tito's vodka, Beluga Vodka and some tequilas. We were a larger group and in our group were people in the liquor industry which were shocked to see them out of stuff. That was the first hick up. Like I said food tasted great. Also, I loved how the waiter asked us if we wanted some warm bread for the table and then we see a $20 charge for the bread that was offered. The bill arrived and there was $90 in surprise charges that appeared on our bill that wasn't ever ordered or received. Also, there are two different prices on the receipt, one for cash and one for credit card. Now I feel this is super petty. I own a business and never would I expect my customers to pay my fees of normal business operational expenses. I was extremely turned off by this being our bill was almost $1,000 with gratuity. That was strike 2 and 3 for me. Then the worst part is driving home I almost pulled over multiple times due to the pain it costs me. My stomach was in shambles. Woke up the next day to a group chat that 5 others in our group went through the same thing I did. Again, food looked amazing and tasted great but the out of liquor, bill mistake and stomach issues will keep me from not coming back. I really hope that this was a one off issue because the owner and staff were really great. Good luck but I won't be returning.

Food was good, service was good, I will never return and strongly will advise others the same. waiter was very accommodating, and made great recommendations, it here are the things they don't tell you. the waiter said, "would you like some bread for the table?". He didn't tell you that it's $9 for that bread. When he recommended the charcuterie for the table (6 people), he neglected to tell us it was $150 for the board. Literally $150. Then for dinner, he strongly recommended the Fruit a de Mare. It was tasty. there was a small bit of linguini, 1 shrimp, 2 baby clams, and 1 scallop. He didn't mention that it was $55. To top it all off, there was a $24 charge to use a credit card. This was never mentioned at any point. I have no problem paying for a good meal, but there is a point that a restaurant is taking advantage of patrons, and that's the point I refuse to return.

Hostess did not say a word upon seeing us and seating us. Did not bring menus either. Waiter was fine but he was so slow, and was not very keen on answering a few questions. The vibe is old school, and the prices are definitely not justified based on the decor and the taste of the food.

Ugh. I love the food so much here but the service is always a hit or miss depending on who's working that night. There is a specific gentleman that works there majority of the time that is SO MEAN. He ruins our dinner almost EVERY SINGLE TIME we're there. He rushes us, he's so rude and speaks over us. Who wants to start their dinner night that way? Who wants to even support a business like that? But! The food is so good and when the service is good, it's great. They're very hospitable and I really hope no new customers ever have to deal with this gentleman because I doubt they'll be back. Moving on to the food, I ordered the gnocchi, aurora pasta (delicious)

The food here has so much potential! However,on both occasions we were here, with two different couples, there was a glaring problem - the appetizers, salads, and entrees were all over-salted. I'm not just talking slightly heavy-handed, but pounded! We all were very aware of it, and weren't able to finish our meals. When it happened on our first visit, we thought it was an anomaly, so we gave it a couple months before our next visit. Unfortunately there's a chef, sous chef, or both, who uses salt with abandon and can't help themselves. The focaccia looked and smelled delicious, but was inedible. The beet salads with arugula, as well as the veal, chicken, and pastas the same. It's really too bad, because underneath all the excessive sodium, you know there's a great meal. Our server was excellent, and the ambience is nice and lively and fits well in downtown Birmingham.

The food was really good; but some of the charges border on ridiculous. We went as a group of six celebrating a birthday. We were told as the water was poured, " I'll bring you some bread ...". What we were not told was about the $9.00 charge for a tray of bread; when more bread was offered with the entrees, we accepted and another $9 charge was added to the bill. A can of Coke was $5. Coffee after dinner was $6; the birthday boy requested a refill of his cup and another $6 coffee was delivered. When the bill came, there was a $15 charge for using a credit card. We probably won't go back ...

Food was fantastic. Service was subpar in every way. Ambiance was ok. We sat at the 4-seat bar while waiting for our reservation to arrive. Sat 20 minutes before the bartender could be bothered to wait on us. They have no cocktail menu- so we got what he recommended. $44 for 2 mediocre drinks. Hostess passed by and told us we could seat ourselves at the ready table once our drinks arrived. We found our table, and had no menus for another 20 minutes at least. Waiter seemed annoyed every second of our being there. We considered getting our check after apps and dining across the street instead, but stuck it out. Waiter cut us off while ordering, took plates off the table While We were STILL eating of them, and we were never offered another drink (weird, isn't that where your best margin is?). To top it all off, the room we were in had a horrible flickering light the entire time. We have no plans to return. Too bad, they could be amazing if they understood hospitality.

Very charming Italian cafe/restaurant in downtown Birmingham. I haven't been to Italy so can't tell if this is true representation of a classic cafe there. That said, I was offered mimosa or a glass of wine at 10:30am. I already like this place. Although I sadly, opted for a cappuccino it was a really good one. I got the Frittata Bianca which is an egg white frittata with artichokes and tomatoes, served with a side of fruit, a tiny arugula salad, 2 small but just right pieces of multigrain toast with a fig jam. Between the meal, the decor and the ambience, I almost felt transported to Italy.

I thought the food was overpriced. It also took a long time to arrive. Good service, great crème brûlée.

First time dining after I heard from relatives about this restaurant,went to try it out with my wife and I could not have had a worse experience. As soon as we were seated it took 20 minutes for a waitress to help us and when she finally came she was very inattentive and rude. Food was horrendous from the main course all the way to the starting appetizers. The Cacio E Pepe was undercooked with eggs making it inedible and pizza was cold as if a toddler tried to warm it up in the microwave. The prosciutto was rotten and had brown marks all over it and when we tried to complain, they brought us out the exact same plate. I've never been more disappointed by a restaurant ever especially with the reviews I've heard.

A family member and I both got diarrhea from eating here. The bread was amazing, pasta was mid, and service was 10/10. Sadly can not recommend this place unless you're okay with the gut ache.

Had a wonderful dinner party for 10 to celebrate an engagement. Food and Service were excellent. All staff seemed engaged and genuinely happy for our moment. Very gracious and accommodating in hosting our party which was very appreciated and unfortunately rare at many Birmingham restaurants. Will definitely be back.

I don't understand why this place isn't rated higher. It's always packed and my wife and kids love it, this was my first time there and it was GREAT!!! The owner is a friendly and funny gent who wanders about chatting with the customers, really a character. But the food...INCREDIBLE!!! I won't get into the details of our meal because everything we had was delicious. The service was also very good. The prices seemed a little high, but when you factor in that gratuity is included, it's actually very reasonable. I can't wait to go back as this could very well be the best restaurant in Bham. Bella Piati is very good too, but this is better!!

The food and the ambience were excellent except for the fact that I was seated next to the kitchen and our waitress kept cleaning silverware in close proximity to us, which was very disturbing since she was throwing the silverware in a large bin. The service was OK. It took way too long for us to get our appetizers, and we had to literally shout to our waitress who was cleaning the silverware to get her attention twice. She was kind of oblivious to us. Lastly, I informed her that we were celebrating my niece's birthday, and she told me that they do not give out free desserts. Shortly after that, another waiter came by with a dessert and apologized for the mistake.

Last week I went to La Strada with a party of 4 for dinner. Upon receiving the substantial bill (which included appetizers, cocktails, wine, entrees and desserts) there was an extra charge of approximately 3.5% for using a credit card. We found nothing on the menu that told us of this of this charge, and the waiter gave us no warning this was coming. Moreover, we knew that in the past, the price of the food included a tip fee for the staff, but that policy had been discarded, and we were given no notice of this change either. I would not go back.

I've been to La Strada several times and., factoring the fantastic dinners and service in the past with the mediocre last visit I have to rate it as an expensive mediocre. Went for my birthday and was disappointed with the food and service on this visit. I had a salad that was very bitter and acidic. When the waiter came to clear my full plate of salad I expressed this and he had nothing to say and still charged me for it. The apps were good but the polenta was grainy. My wife has gotten the same dish 2 times before and this time it was very dull and did not have any of the porcini cream. When we pointed this out to the waiter he replied that it's "not really a cream it's more like a pate". To me, that's not customer service and not at all what we are used to here . We were never offered pepper for our pasta and were pretty much done before he ever came back to check on us. They were out of several bottles of wine, not a big deal as they have a good selection though. We had cappuccinos after but were never offered dessert. Lastly there is a service fee for a credit card . I guess in my opinion, this is not very classy and, based on the prices they really should be able to cover the fee a business like this should expect to incur . Note they are no longer a "non tipping" establishment although it's not stated anywhere.

Beautiful cafe even for simple snack, drink, dinner or dessert! I love this place! It makes you feel like you are in Europe. The dessert and service is Every time I come to La Strada I have a great experience. The wait staff is incredible kind. I also always come in mainly for their dessert I haven't had dinner there just yet. I love it for dessert because it gives off a cafe vibe and environment for drinks/dessert/coffee. I really can't wait to try it for dinner!

Popped in for a light snack. The Caprese is fantastic. And the sea salad was refreshing. Highly recommend.

service was great food was mediocre better choices in town

Came to La Strada for the first time on Mother's Day and had a wonderful experience! We were served by Zharko, the owner of the restaurant, who was so friendly and welcoming we felt at home! The affogato and latte were impeccable-- the quality of the espresso was very clear. They were delicious! We started with the carpaccio, which was one of the freshest we've ever had and the arugula salad was wonderful. All of the entrees were delicious as well. In the end we had the truffle honey cheesecake which was extremely fluffy and delicious. A wonderful dense graham cracker crust and light creamy filling-- was comparable to the best New York cheese cake! I definitely recommend this place it was a wonderful dining experience.

Came here for dinner a week or so ago. First, the wait staff is very polite and professional. To start, we had the prosciutto e melone. It tasted great, and the prosciutto in particular was better than most I've had in the U.S. They served the cantaloupe on the rind, which I've never seen in the U.S. or Italy. It should be presented with the melon already cut off the rind and, generally, the prosciutto wrapped around the melon. For my main course I had amatriciana, a dish I'm very familiar with. First, the pasta was mezze maniche rigate instead of the traditional bucatini which was a bit of a bummer. Second, the texture of the guanciale could've been better, I think crispier is what the specific change should be. Some of the pieces were still fatty and too rubbery. I also asked for no cheese due to an allergy but some made it on top anyway. I didn't realize until it was too late, unfortunately.

I've tried pretty much every Italian restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland and Metro Detroit. I've been to Italy dozens of time, and honestly what Zharko has done is incredible. He's made the BEST Italian food I've had outside of Roma/Milano. Bit pricey for tea, however it is well worth it. The carbonara is authentic. The food in general is authentic. Will have to come back for brunch when I'm back in the states. Bravissimo !!

A Birmingham friend found out about this place recently and so he, I, and a coworker friend of his tried it out today. They don't have a website, and my friend was like "so they basically don't exist then" ... ha. (but it's kind of true) So everything I knew about this restaurant before I went here today I gleaned off Yelp. I ordered the San Daniela sandwich ($10.95) and it was huge and also very tasty. It had prosciutto (?), arugula with balsamic, and fresh mozzarella, and it was on ciabatta bread. My friend ordered a margarita pizza, which was also large, and his coworker friend ordered pasta. We were looking at the desserts after dinner too and all of those looked good, and they have crepes as well as a varied breakfast menu. I definitely want to come here again, maybe just for dessert this time! It was very European, down to the tiny water glass and carafe of water that the waiter left at the table. Service was fine too, not as intrusive as other places I've been to (where they come to your table every five minutes) but we weren't neglected either. The prices are a little pricey but they're fairly standard for Birmingham, and they're reasonable when you consider the quality and the atmosphere too. My only complaint is that the music was a little loud ... it was Italian-type music and seemed a bit out of place / too loud for the space.

Italian cafe style coffee shop that is so much more. Great seating options for one to eight people. Booths, cafe tables inside and out, cozy booths and private nooks. Grab a seat and a waiter will find you. We chose to sit outside, ordered coffees and shared an Almond croissant. Very nice menu with breakfast and brunch options. I would love to go back and try out more - especially the cheese and meat boards. Impressive case of bakery items are available. The avocado toast, with optional smoked salmon was inciting, however, we were waiting for our reservation elsewhere, so we kept coffees and shared the pastry. Coffees were good and reasonably priced. The croissant was excellent, dusted with powdered sugar. Service was impeccable - professional yet light. If you are in a hurry, tell them, otherwise, relax and enjoy.

Overall decent place! We came in mid afternoon for a coffee and pastry break. I ordered an iced latte and an almond croissant. The ice latte came in a fancy glass, it may have been a wine glass (??). The iced latte was great, very smooth and had a good espresso flavor. The almond croissant was not the best that I've had- I'd describe it as dense, dry, and hard. Prices were a little steep, especially on the food side. 6 dollars for an almond croissant. Service was overall pleasant.

We ate at La Strada for the first time on Friday and we were stunned at how good it was. Authentic Italian (and we've been to Italy). The food is flavorful and carefully prepared. The service is warm and attentive. And the room is comfortable. We will be returning. Soon!

This place really fell off. Service really sucks. Food is extremely mediocre...not good at all... It's a shame really, this place at one point was a great place for Italian food. Not to mention - they are EXTREMELY petty. They've always been tbh. If you want honey for your tea, they'll charge you for the honey. Want extra sauce on your pizza? Something that no one ever charges for - they'll charge you. A few bucks at least. If you want to pay for your food with your credit card, they'll charge you a credit card processing fee. I don't know where these owners/managers ever ate at that made them feel like these things are okay, but someone should probably tell them it's not. The only thing keeping them in business is that they have a pretty good location and have some outdoor dining.

Cozy Italian spot with great brunch menu items such as crepes and omelettes. The thin pizza is really good too along with their pasta dishes. Their coffees, lattes, etc are delicious too. Ambience is great with like a little eatery, with low music. Best part is the wait is not that long, so it's always easy to come in and find a cute cozy table.

I feel like some of the items are great and some just meh. The waiter was good the host was meh. Had a very early reservation and wanted to sit in one of the 10 plus empty tables outside only to be told no they were all reserved.... Nonsense because by the time we left the tables were still empty. It's a very hot/cold place. I feel like if they know you you get a great night, if they don't it's a toss up.

I had sparkling water, the burrata antipasto (they substituted it with another cheese which was very delicious and similar with the runny cheese inside) and the eggplant roll up with ricotta. I wasn't sure the antipasto size was enough so he added one more roll up. My boyfriend had a endive and arugula salad, vegetarian gnocchi and one glass of Chianti. Neither of us had meat. The bill came to $150!! There was a 4% up charge for using a credit card. Come on! I liked the restaurant but I get turned off by prices that seem to steep.

Always a great experience. We love the new no tipping pricing. Fresh Pasta and fresh ingredients-always delicious! Recommend reservations - loveseat for two! Deserts are required. Don't expect the

This place is amazing. My wife and I have been meaning to get here and we finally had a date night out that allowed us to get here and I am now unhappy that I took so long to do so. It's kind of a strange space and almost difficult to find. The restaurant is long and narrow with lots of comfy sofas and intimate seating arrangements that make for a great date. I have never been to Italy but my wife has and she felt that they had pretty much nailed the Italian Cafe feel in a genuine way. For me, beyond the atmosphere, there are three things that really stood out to me: The service, the wine list, and the food. The service was really stellar. For example, the initial wine we ordered was sold out. Their wine specialist came out with three bottles right around the same price point. If he isn't an an official sommelier, he sure could be. He was telling me about the regions where the grapes were grown from each bottle, how the grapes were hit by the sun, and how it all affects the nuance and flavor of the wine. Of course, I am probably a 5 on a 10 scale of wine knowledge so take it for what it's worth but it was impressive to this guy! Anyway, it was great service and the bottle we ultimately chose was a rare Albanian bottle. It was excellent! The wine list is very good and offers something for everyone. They have an extensive list by the glass. Their reserve list is really something. I mean the first bottle on the list was a 2003 Gaja. Again, I am pretty average on this front but this is an incredible bottle of red wine that I would bet few restaurants in town have available. Lastly, the food was amazing. My wife and I both had pastas. I couldn't tell you what because I cannot pronounce them and I didn't take a picture of the day's menu which is constantly changing apparently based on what is available and fresh. Regardless, my wife and I went to a movie after and she told me she would pass on the popcorn because she didn't want to ruin the taste in her mouth. Really?? Yes, really, it was that good. I would use adjectives like charming, lovely, quaint, romantic, etc to describe La Strada Dolci e Caffe. So would my wife. This place is a gem and Birmingham residents and our surrounding communities are lucky to have it. We will be back soon and you should get there too!!

Was here once before and it was a positive experience but today not as good. The atmosphere is still pleasant. We ordered off the brunch menu. We ordered frittatas that came with tiny bite of salad, fresh fruit and toast. It was good, not phenomenal but fine. Mimosa was excellent, well made. French pressed coffee okay. Ordered a mango cream torte cake to split. This was priced at $8.50 and was very small. The cake was stale and dry, cream icing and mango just there. No wanting to take another bite let alone scrape up the last creamy taste as only a good dessert will do. But the absolute worst was the service. Ugh ... we had the worst waiter. Waited forever for everything! A waitress actually stopped as she was waiting on other tables and asked us where we were in our ordering process as she witnessed us sitting so long without any service. We had to constantly wave down our waiter for service the entire time right up to asking for our bill. Wish it could have been a better experience.

One word Perfection The food here is amazing. The atmosphere European. The wait staff is first class. Looking forward coming in for an evening meal. Love your tea selection as well.

We attended a six course wine dinner at La trada with week. Th food was paired with wines and every one was cooked to perfection. I go there with my family and friends and love the service and atmosphere. I highly recommend La Strada for amazing food and very friendly and professional service.

I've always liked this place but went there this weekend and the service was poorer than usual. It kind of disappointed me just because I ordered a fruit platter and I receive my fruit and the blueberries had mold on them. I kindly inform the waiter and he goes to the kitchen without my plate and says that they just purchased them that day. Alright that is fine, but I strictly point out the mold and he was as if star stricken by my comment. They finally took the plate and replaced it and I said no berries. Lol I will return but the customer service and food freshness should be their top priority. Thank you, La Strada.

I came here for brunch for a friend's birthday. We were promptly seated in the back lounge area which was very cute. We were happy with our spot. The waiter was not so attentive. It took forever to order and he didn't bring water over until the very end of the meal. At the end, I literally had to get up and find him to get our bill. We enjoyed our food - we split the Nutella banana crepe and the Zs favorite. One sweet and one savory. The coffee was very good as well. They just need some more servers working.

Have not felt like I had to give a restaurant whose food I love a one star review based off of the worst service I have ever received. I have been raving to my friends about how I love this place and wanted to take them. We tried to go last night - Sunday September 20,2020. We arrived at 4:45pm they don't open till 5 and we're told this by a staff member setting up outside. He asked if we had a reservation and I said no to which he replied oh ok well go walk around come back at 5. I was like can you write us down as a reservation for 5pm? He said no. But he could accommodate us when we got there when they opened. Mind you, I come here all the time, never have I ever made a reservation. So we come back exactly at 5 and see exactly 3 parties seated outside... already with drinks( funny bc he refused to even let us wait by the place). We wait behind two guys who say they don't have a reservation to which the guy seats them immediately telling them it's not problem and points to a table. I get up to the host stand and ask for a table and he goes..." no reservation? An hour and half wait. " looks us up and down rudely and laughs and tries to walk away. I tell him I was just there and informed to come back at 5 and we could sit outside. He rudely looks up and down and speaks Albanian to the guy next to him laughing.. then they guy that told me we could sit at 5 walks by and goes oh sorry and starts laughing and rolls his eyes... my friend then asks the host if those two guys had a reservation to which he lied and said they did. They were right in front of us and we heard them say they didn't.... it was the most disrespectful service I have ever received. I work in Birmingham and go to that restaurant often. We left and walked by later to see still no parties have been sat and there were numerous tables open. So disappointed to say that I've only been treated this way at a place that was my favorite. The owners is normally there during breakfast and lunch and always has been kind and accommodating but unfortunately this experience has ruined what before I would consider a great place.