The Cork & Cleaver

This was my fourth visit here. The first visit was a number of years ago, the 2nd visit was great, the 3rd was a disaster, and the 4th was meh. On this occasion I made a reservation and was promptly and kindly seated. Drinks came out relatively quickly. I ordered the burger that I had on my previous visit and had been thinking about all day… I ordered it medium rare and it came out medium. 😢 my Mac and cheese side was flavorful but also not that warm 😢I showed the burger to the waiter and he said that the cooking was unacceptable and he had it remade. Once again totally medium 😢 a friendly manager came over and was kind but basically said the cooks were having a bad night 🤷‍♀️ she did end up taking it off the bill. My boyfriend had the pork schnitzel. It was flavorful but way too salted. Also they put jalapeños in the green salad?!?!?!?! My boyfriend was NOT expecting that. While the schnitzel was good, we can do a better frying of it at home and we are by no means expert chefs. Also my boyfriend’s old fashioned had 2 Luxor cherries 😁 but way too much bitters 😬. Given that the last time I went here was for lunch and I ordered the lobster Mac and cheese but it took them 30 min to tell me they had no lobster, I will not be returning again 😢

Cork & Cleaver was the perfect lunch stop while traveling from Gulf Shores. We made a reservation ahead of time, and everything was smooth and welcoming from the moment we arrived. The food was absolutely delicious—fresh, flavorful, and clearly prepared with care. It was exactly what we needed after being on the road. The atmosphere was relaxed yet polished, making it a great place to sit down, enjoy a good meal, and recharge before continuing the trip. The service was friendly and attentive, which made the whole experience even better. If you're passing through Montgomery, this is definitely a place worth stopping for lunch. Great food, great service, and a great experience overall!

First, I was greeted right away by the busy staff that said they would be right with me. Acknowledged is a great start. I decided to go to the bar for a beer on tap. To my delight there were plenty. A moment later Josh showed up and greeted me and asked what I like, he made three recommendations and all were outstanding. He calls himself a bartender, but he'd put most mixologist to shame. Seriously, making a mixed drink with a beer and it took all the hop out of it. He made a suggestion based on my taste and I went with the tuna nachos and the pork special... Both were fantastic. The best part was all of the entertainment that Josh provided while at his bar. He takes great pride in what he does. It's definitely an experience that you'll enjoy. Perfect for date night..!

What a lovely place! Picked this place on whim and happy we did. Happy birthday to the bartender! EASILY one of THEE best bartenders and funniest people you will meet. His vibe set the tone for the evening. Very friendly and personable. Our server, I believe he was called Ian, very attentive and sweet as well. We never had to “want” or wait for anything as he made regular appearances at the table but wasn’t overbearing. Loved his energy and you can tell he actually likes what he does! Food was really good and came out fairly quick. All was hot and can tell it was made for you. Great cocktails, loved the atmosphere, and they even had holiday themed cocktails. Forgot to get pix of the dessert but the bread pudding was DEVINE! The creme brûlée was good as well. I would definitely come back again! Highly recommend eating here if you’re in the area.

I was really pleased and surprised at the menu when we stopped here. I Googled and found this place. They had several good items on the menu, but I was floored at how good the fried catfish, grits, and greens were! They had a roumalade sauce over them and it was sooo good! The grits were cheesy and creamy. The greens could have been cooked slightly more, but they would have risked being mushy, so I will take them as there were because they were well-seasoned. My husband says he enjoyed his chicken alfredo. This place was a little hard to find as it was tucked away. Definitely worth the stop. We almost did not go inside because it looked like a "pub". Don't let the outside fool you. Try this place out. They were changing shifts so we did not really get to chat too much with our waitress, but the other staff were extremely nice. I will go back when we visit Mongomery again.

What a great find! First time in Montgomery for work and Taylor behind the bar made me feel like a regular who had been coming in for years right away. Started with the Lobster Mac and Cheese which had a TON of lobster ! Dessert was the white chocolate bread pudding and the featured butter pecan martini. I had two of those and could have had 10. Top notch across the board and cannot wait to come back!

Food and service were awesome! The bartender was attentive and extremely helpful. The food was outstanding. From the steak tacos to the bread pudding, we loved it all. We had the Portobello Grilled Cheese, Hanger Steak and the Catfish. All aspects of the meal were spot on. The drinks were great, and I was given several beer samples to help me make a decision. Thanks Cork and Cleaver!

We had lunch here and everything was absolutely delicious. I ordered the steak with Brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes and my husband had the cowboy burger with fries both were amazing. We also started with an appetizer of fried green tomatoes, which were fantastic. Our waitress was incredibly helpful and kept our drinks filled the entire time. We even ordered two orders of their shrimp and grits to go. Overall, a wonderful experience from food to service. We’ll definitely be back!

My experience was great! Sat at the bar solo, tender was attentive, food came out fresh, and happy hour prices were VERY reasonable!

Located in Zelda Place, Cork & Cleaver is an excellent choice for brunch. While they do have indoor seating, the outdoor patio is a comfortable little area to enjoy a meal when the Alabama heat isn't overwhelming. Our server was a nice young man who brought us our drinks promptly, gave us some time to go over the menu, and then came back to take our order. I thought it odd though when he asked my wife, who ordered Eggs Benedict, how well done she wanted her eggs. It's a poached egg. It's supposed to be runny. Anyway, my mother ordered the French Toast, and I ordered the Shrimp & Grits. I love that they put Conecuh Sausage in the Shrimp & Grits (keeping it Alabama style). They used Gouda cheese to mix with the grits and it wasn't overwhelming. Very tasty dish. My wife and mother both enjoyed their meals. Definitely recommend.

What a pleasant find! We were in Montgomery to go to the Whitewater paddling park and we somehow got the name of this place. It is about 4 miles from the park. It is a small place and a tad bit run down but the food was excellent. We got there in time to order off the lunch menu. I'm glad we did because the portion sizes for the table next to us were huge! I had the melon salad with a side of blackened shrimp. The shrimp were cooked and seasoned perfectly. I've never had a salad like that and I never thought that watermelon, mustard, pecans, and bacon would work together but it did! My husband had the steak tacos and the meat was tender and tasty. If we ever find ourselves in Montgomery again, I'd like to go back for dinner.

Steak was rare (ordered med rare), it was unable to be cut and nothing was done to correct it. Lobster Mac and cheese had 2 tiny pieces of lobster. Wanted to love this place but the only thing that stood out was the service (our waitress was very attentive).

Try to support local when traveling. It appears to be a neighborhood spot. Yelp lead us here. Never good when first impressions are loud and dirty. Appeared to be under staffed. Server was either overwhelmed or inattentive. Chicken dish was over cooked and over seasoned. Wedge salad was good but charging for a small cup of extra dressing on a $12.50 salad. Steak sandwich requested medium rare served well done. Awfully tough to be a ribeye. Would have been better had the bun been toasted. Overall a miss for $66. Wished we'd gone to Cava next door.

My husband and I ended up sitting outside because it was nice and we had our two dogs, as we were traveling. The staff were very friendly to us and brought out water for the dogs. The food was on point and we will return if we're ever back in town.

Cork and Cleaver is featuring Christmas cocktails crafted by their bartenders. They are all good! Also enjoyed a cheese board. My dinner was chicken bruschetta. Great place to enjoy with friends!

Service was great and fast, very clean inside. Food was well seasoned and good. The downfall of both dishes were the potatoes! they weren't fresh at all and we were not the only ones to complain of them being cold. They didn't re-fire nor remove them from our ticket. The steak is smaller than what is pictured on most breakfast dishes.

This place was a huge surprise! I ordered the catfish over collard greens and Gouda grits with okra chips. My daughter ordered the chicken bruschetta with potatoes. We shared an order of fried green tomatoes with crawfish cream sauce. This was the best-tasting and the best-presented meal I've had in years! The service (our waitress was Taylor) was outstanding, and the food was served quickly. I cannot praise this place enough!

It was okay, but probably wouldn't stop again on our way through. It was nice to have a sit-down lunch spot that allows dogs on the patio, but the food--while better than fast food--was just okay. We tried the fried green tomato BLT, Old Bay fries, crispy Brussels sprouts, and the portabella grilled cheese. The staff was friendly and service was quick, which we appreciated. Overall, decent for a quick stop, but not memorable enough to go out of our way for again.

I took my work team here for a conference dinner, and we had a wonderful time! The food was delicious, generously portioned, and there is a happy hour during which appetizers are half off (call to find exact hours). The shrimp and grits had a spicy cajun cream sauce and generous chunks of conecuh sausage. My colleague got the filet, and she rated it "absolutely delicious!" The cheese plate had delicious cheese varieties (a garlic goat spread, a smoky blue, and some sort of sharp cheese with some casein crystals), but was a tiny bit skimpy on the accoutrements, so we were taking BIG OL bites of cheese with just tiny bits of crackers and honey, etc. I love cheese, so no huge complaints, but it could have been a bit more balanced.

Great service. Excellent meal. Cute as can be spot. We left Cork and Cleaver and pleasantly stuffed. We were just passing through town. So glad we stopped!

I had high hopes when I saw a couple of reviews that said this was a vegetarian friendly restaurant, but ended up being pretty disappointed when I realized the vegetarian options were extremely limited (a portobello grilled cheese, some sides, and salads) The service was great when we walked in. Wish I remembered the waitresses name, she was so friendly and helpful with ordering drinks. However, our server switched sometime between ordering drinks and ordering food, and the new guy told us the other server "had to go". He was much less helpful, didn't seem like he actually wanted to wait on us, and smelled like an ashtray. We ordered a cheese board to start, and while it wasn't terrible, it was "meh" at best and just kind of disappointing for almost $20. The cheeses were all one note -Smokey. I was excited about the one that looked like a whipped goat cheese, but when I took a bite it literally tasted like cheez whiz (you know, from a can) and this bright red crunch "bacon bits" that aren't even really bacon. My husband and I both ordered salads. I got the citrus berry salad and he got the avocado kale salad. He also added a cup of the lamb vegetable soup. Like the cheese board, the salads were not bad. The ingredients were all fresh, but they just weren't $12 salads. My husband really liked the soup, though. He's vegetarian along with me 85-90% of the time, and even when he does eat meat he usually does not like lamb. But he said the flavor wasn't overpowering and the texture was really tender and more like a roast. I really wanted to like this place more than I did. I love supporting small businesses, and all the local art on the walls was a nice touch ... but this just wasn't worth it for me.

The food was delicious. I had the shrimp and grits, some of the best I have had. Great seasoning. Hubs had the hanger steak and the flavor and cook were on point. Our drinks were great. I had the rum drink and hubs had an old fashioned and a Chilean wine with the meal. We finished with the creme brûlée. The patio is dog friendly. Cristian our waiter was attentive. He turned off the fans for us because it was a bit cool. They had gender neutral bathrooms which is great so there is no line for the womens! The inside was cute.

Stopped in for a quick bite on our drive to Mississippi. I ordered a salad with chicken and had tap water. My husband ordered a burger with bacon and a local beer. Both meals were fine, nothing exceptional and mindblowing. The service was fine, although the kitchen staff was joking around in the back and were a little loud, to which the servers started asking them to quiet down around guests. Was awkward for a second but no big deal.

I went with a group here a few times when I was in town traveling for business. Staff was great. Loved their lunch options. Especially their lobster shrimp pasta, wedge salad, and sweet potato fries which are dusted with a cinnamon sugar like mixture. Delish

Let me just say that the Old Bay Fries are SO GOOD, you will want two orders! They have a great outdoor seating especially when they have music! The bar is very small but quaint. The inside decor is okay but nothing spectacular! The staff is nice and takes care of you!

Excellent food and service. Quickly sat and enjoyed the lobster pasta, chicken bruschetta, and a burger.

Came here when I was visiting my friend in Montgomery from Los Angeles. I got the salmon entree, and we shared some tuna nachos and fried green tomatoes with crawfish remoulade. Loved the fried green tomatoes! Ahi tuna nachos were okay, and I found the vegetables with the salmon a little too oily for me.

Screwed up the order badly despite confirming it like 15x on the phone in the most frustrating, circuitous conversation ever. Like, how?

Shrimp & Grits! I'm sure they have other dishes that are just as good but the S&G is off-the charts AMAZING! The service was also kind and helpful with menu suggestions. We had a lovely, relaxing Sunday morning dining experience. It's a bit on the pricy side but well worth the expense. Our only complaint is that if you are from out-of-town it's a bit hard to find. The restaurant is kind of hidden in back of the mall. Look for the umbrellas and you should be okay.

Had an amazing lunch here with family while we were visiting. The chicken Alfredo and bread pudding were soo delicious too! The place is nice and quiet as well. Our waitress was very polite.

We came to the restaurant at 8pm on a Saturday night. We walked in and they weren't busy at all, maybe 25 people in total. We waited for maybe 2 minutes and the lady denied our service, and told us they won't take us right now and that they had too much on their plate... keep in mind there was barely anyone in their.

The owner's son has made it extremely clear why at 6pm there were only 5 tables working and 3 had one person per table. A foursome came in and from the moment they crossed the threshold it was as if they were the only ones in the building. I understood gastric pub is in the description but to allow four people to drive off 3 tables with their loud banter will only keep running away business. I was looking forward to eating there tonight thinking a Monday night would probably be quiet and it was until they came in. The level of blatant disrespect and lack of regard for others has left a tremendous bad taste in my mouth. Heather was great. Too bad because she could make a huge amount of tips somewhere else.

In a city as small as Montgomery it can be difficult to find good, high quality restaurants, but they do it really well here! Cork & Clever is one of those good ones with a selection of fresh plates and a lot of vegetables to accompany them. As I do often, I started with a dessert appetizer with the white chocolate bread pudding. And holy cow!! This is one of the best desserts I've had in a really long time. It was a large portion size, and the flavor and texture were on point. You HAVE to try this if you come here. Moving on to the salmon dish, the presentation was a little strange as it was on this giant plate and only covered about 30% of it with the rest just blank. lol But no big deal in the long run! The salmon was great and tender, the veggies were cooked well and flavorful, and just an overall great dish. This will be one of my go to places on my trips to Montgomery from now on!

Barf yuck so bad like the fish was.fish so bad shirmp taste like butt .bad bad steak is bad

Very odd experience. Came off the highway for dinner. Get to the restaurant and it's mostly empty (3/4 of tables not occupied and 2 people at the bar). We are asked to wait then told if we did not have a reservation we could eat outside only. Maybe 60 people were on their way, but this is definitely not a place you expect to have to have reservations for, so I would call ahead before pulling off the highway.

Wow. Food was pretty good. Potatoes were overcooked and asparagus was huge---I have never seen it served this big. Tea was colored water. It took for ever to get a refill. Husband flagged down someone. Our waitress disappeared for a long while. Ordered crème brûlée. I love the stuff. Surely if they served me a good crème brûlée I could forgive lots of this. Waited for 15+minutes. I actually heard the cooks talking about it. Y'all, I picked a "top Montgomery restaurant" because we wanted a great meal. There were plenty of people working. Nothing, I mean NOTHING makes up for a disappearing waitress. My husband is still inside. It has been an hour and 15 minutes. We only got a steak sandwich and shrimp tacos. Wtf? Wtf? Evidently they were making the dessert from scratch. It cooks for 35 minutes! Ain't happening. He actually paid for our food. No way would I have done that. Y'all owe me some money!

Amazing service by Emily. The food, ambiance, and warming welcome were a breath of fresh air. I had the Lobster Mac which was absolutely delicious. My family had Chicken Fettuccini, Cowboy Burger, and classic Cork and all were phenomenal. So much so that we ordered to go the following day. Highly recommended! Great food, great service and fun times.

This was a great experience. The food was fantastic, beautifully plated and the service attentive. It was an extremely busy night- prom- but we were served well. Will be going back!

I decided to give them another chance. Once again, they failed. Service, despite a full team of servers and cooks, was incredibly slow. Our lunch turned into an hour and forty minute ordeal. The sweet tea was just colored water that someone sprinkled sugar over like it was gold. Our server forgot our appetizer and our meals sat under the heat lamps for nine minutes. This is the second time our lunch hour ran way over at this place. We won't be back. It's a shame since the food is decent.

It's a cute place located within a little strip mall. We got seated on this cold, wet, sunless afternoon, and I ordered hot tea. Lots of Twining choices! Yea! The space is decorated with local art which was fun. A big screen TV was wall-mounted in the adjacent room. Thankfully, it was muted. A sports bar this is not. The food? Well, I ordered Shrimp tacos with a Brussels Sprouts side. We waited about 20 minutes while I sipped my tea and my companion imbibed a delicious pint of local Porter. My food came to me only lukewarm. The cheese sprinkled on the vegetable was still cold. The few, small gulf shrimp on the two soft tacos were pretty uninteresting, even with the mayo remoulade. We ate because we were hungry, but I wouldn't return.

Great BLT with green tomatoes! The service was decent, though not particularly attentive, especially considering it wasn't busy during lunch. Located in a charming part of Montgomery.

We came on meatless Monday and it was a blast! The food was delicious and we couldn't have asked for a better waitress, Mal!!! She had the best personality and was so attentive. We give her the gold star!

This place is definitely worth stopping into. I stopped by during happy hour (3pm - 6pm M - F, 1/2 off appetizers and discounted drinks). The place pretty mom and pop-ish so it feels much like a locals kind of place (at least to me). It took a while to be greeted at our table (it was not busy) but when we were able to get our orders in the experience improved. The drinks were mixed well so they were flavorful and not strong tasting. The smoked Armadillo Egg was was not my favorite BUT still not bad. It's a good choice if you are into the charcuterie style smoked meats. The shrimp and grits were a little oily (probably from the sausage) but really tasty. Conecuh is top notch and a great addition to any dish so I would consider ordering it again. Overall it was a good experience and I would come back again to try some of their other entrees!

The food was outstanding!! Our service was some of the best I have ever had. The Steak sandwich was the best sandwich I've ever had. The other options looked amazing and would definitely come back.

Pub like feel, upscale food. We got recommended to go try it for an anniversary meal. The food we ordered was all very good. The Tuna Nachos were best appetizer I have ever ordered. The Lobster Mac was delicious too. Desserts were good as well. Definitely give it a try if you're looking for a good date spot!

Stopped into this place for lunch last week and found myself pleasantly surprised. It's got real mom and pop vibes but with a creative and well executed menu that's loaded with things that make you want to order more than you can eat. I ordered a pork belly/biscuit appetizer and the lunch portion of the fettuccine Alfredo and ended up with a to-go box by the time I was done. The pork belly was cooked to perfection and almost melted like butter. So good. The biscuits were clearly homemade and had cheddar and maybe some peppers baked in for a little kick. Nothing too spicy but just enough to add a bit of flavor. 10/10 would order it again. Fantastic dish. The pasta was equally impressive. Noodles perfectly done and the sauce was rich and creamy and clung to the pasta really well. The chicken was seared and sliced thin and really tender. Even though it was the lunch portion the serving was still pretty big. Loved it. Inside the place there's a full bar and maybe a few tables, (I didn't take much of a look around as I sat on the patio.) The patio has several tables and a few with umbrellas for some shade. Not a big sprawling place, but enough room to bring some friends. Everyone I encountered was nice and knew the menu and the service was prompt and efficient. My drink was never empty. Last but not least, they have the good ice. If you know you know. If I'm back in this area I'd definitely return. Good prices, good people, great food and the good ice. What else could you ask for?

The customer service was great, friendly folks. I usually like chicken noodle soup for the broth, but I liked this one for the noodles and chicken. It had a good amount of sodium in it though. The french fries were good. The sweet potato fries were decent, slightly crispy on the outside but thick slices. K liked the salmon ok, but felt like it could have had more blackening seasoning. It also wasn't cooked inside as much as we would have liked. I thought the brussel sprouts were ok; I've had better. I would probably try more restaurants if we came back to this area.

Came in for dinner while I was on a business trip in the area. The staff was friendly the place was clean. The food and drinks were great! Their website has a minor typo and I asked the waiter if anyone had mentioned it and he said no and asked me to show him so I did and he started laughing and asked if he could send his manager over. The manager came over and looked and asked if he could take a photo and then said he'd never even looked at the website. After I finished my dinner and the waiter cleared my plate he came back and let me know that the sauce for the dish wasn't right. It was a little soupy but I didn't mind it tasted amazing but he said it had come out wrong so they gave me 20% of my bill. Overall a very nice experience with a couple funny stories

Traveling through Montgomery, AL. With help from YELP, we found Cork & Cleaver. It's on the backside of a strip shopping mall. OMG..... Awesome place. We walked in and immediately felt comfortable. We sat at the bar, both Erin & Richard were full of smiles and full of great conversation. We ordered our drinks.... Got a few samples of beer I wouldn't have again, (beer that taste like Skittles... hhhmmmm ? & one that tastes like a creamsicle.... it was all fun!!). Expect this.....This place is a GASTROPUB!! We then ordered the Shrimp Tacos w/ fries and a side order of coleslaw for lunch. Over the top fabulous!!! These are small regular size tortilla shells, NOT small street tacos. The shrimp was cooked to perfection..... moist, tender and properly cooked. I think the crisp tortillas were baked, not fried. Nice touch. The sauce drizzled on top, with the coleslaw made it all come together. The dish with 2 tacos is plenty to share if you're not starving. Fries were delicious... soft and fluffy on the inside. We felt this was a reasonably priced lunch. YES...... highly recommended!!!

Typical gastropub fare. Sandwiches, burgers, some meat/fish dishes like salmon and steak. Also some pasta dishes. I had the portobello grilled cheese and fries. The fries were light--I think they may have been prepared with an air fryer. The sandwich was very heavy--maybe too much butter. Flavors were good, however. Crisp cocktails--I had the tequila mockingbird and the strawberry basil lemonade. Extremely refreshing and light. Extensive wine and beer list. Jordan was my server and did a great job. Indoor and outdoor seating. I had a total of four cocktails and my meal and it wasn't even 50 dollars before tip. Would try again.

Lovely little place with a small town feel - not at all what I expected in a strip mall. The food was amazing! Everything I saw looked and smelled great. It was midweek, but they were very under-staffed when we went. Maybe two guys working all the tables. I ordered a beer and had to ask again almost 30 minutes later. I would definitely come back though!

From the outside, you wouldn't know what a gem this restaurant is, but I absolutely love it. This is by far my favorite restaurant in Montgomery. I moved here from NYC, so I consider this high praise. They're warm and kind, and the food is great. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking to ensure they have a wonderful meal with great cocktails and kind service.

Only outdoor seating was available this Friday night due to A/C failure. The wait staff did an exemplary job dealing with the heat inside the restaurant. Didn't take pictures but our family of four had the shrimp tacos, steak sandwich, lobster and shrimp pasta and a grill cheese sandwich which the chef added fried green tomatoes. The food was outstanding. Cant wait to go back.

This place is legit. Their mimosas are cheap and their food menu is pretty versatile. I came here for brunch and Lydia was really awesome. She was very sweet and her recommendations on what to eat were spot on! I would definitely return here, and I'd be lucky to get Lydia as my server!

Good choice for brunch or dinner. Went with friends so we ordered salads and burgers. All tasty. Love that's it's not a basic chain.

10 ladies came in to celebrate my birthday and another lady on 28 March 2025 @ 1130. We all ordered and ate. Several did complain that the salads were not good. But at any rate I ordered a lamb chop dinner to go for my spouse. The waitress stated it would ready when we all finished eating. We all left about 1:30. The waitress gave me the lamb chop meal In a bag. When I got home, in Wetumpka, AL my spouse opened the plate and the lamb chops were raw, they had not been cooked and the vegetables that came with it was a teaspoon and dry. My spouse and I visited again on 31 March 2025 @ 2:00 and spoke with the General Manager, Amanda about the raw lamb chops. She apologized and stated she would speak to the cook about it. That was it. This is unacceptable coming from a General Manager. Amanda seemed as if she was not concerned.

the manager Amanda and her staff are the best I have seen in Montgomery!!! Trustworthy and hardworking individuals to say the least. Sarah and Penã are my favorite chefs putting character and passion into every meal. definitely a must try dining experience. They bar is amazing as they make signature cocktails and mocktails that are fun and sometimes experimental but delicious.