The Essential

Chill brunch spot with delicious food. Brunch date, came here off of other reviews and it was a great choice. We order avocado toast with salmon, grits with cheese, blueberry pancakes and side of scrambled eggs, everything was full of flavor and prepared well. The service is amazing, the wait staff were very friendly and tentative. We also ordered mimosas which were good. Overall experience was 10 out of 10

Guys yesterday I got the chance to try The Essential. Not going to lie I only came here because they made the list of 25 best burgers in Alabama so of course I hade to try it. However we had to get some other items to try. To start off the place was very nice and welcoming not a huge place either but not too small. A very nice bar, great place for friends and small family gatherings or even a nice date night. 8/10 I also really loved the open kitchen they had you could see the chefs working hard and getting the dishes out. Our waitress (forgot her name) was probably hands down one of the best waitresses I have ever had and even got some up sales out of me. Also got to meet who I think was either the manager or the owner not sure but he was very nice too. 10/10 on customer service. APPETIZER: BAKED MOZZARELLA (Lioni cheese, calabrian sauce, fontina). This was so freaking good its hard to explain but I'm going to do my best. It's baked mozzarella but eating it you'd definitely think it was fried but it was not. The sauce was so good its not marinara sauce kind of is but with a slight spicy kick. I absolutely devoured this thing. Probably my favorite dish of the whole night. 10/10 We also recieved free focaccia bread which is one of my favorite breads and it was so good. I was not a big fan of the ricotta cheese blend though it's just me I'm not a fan of ricotta cheese lol. But the bread itself was top notch. So fluffy and yet properly toasted and buttery. 8.5/10 Now for what I and all of you are waiting for: CHEESEBURGER (Bear Creek beef, big mac style, fries) This burger was so fresh and delicious don't let the picture fool you it was not very big but still very delicious. The Big Mac style sauce was good. The ingredients you could easily tell were very fresh but I feel like seasoning wasn't executed well and lacked salt and pepper. Fries were cut fresh very good and well seasoned. Do I think it deserves to be on the top 25 list? Yes but what they are charging for it I think it's a bit much for what you actually recieve. 8.9/10 Second entrée was: HALF CHICKEN PIRI PIRI (guajillo marinade, peanut-lime gremolata, fries) This was some flavorful juicy chicken Piri Piri definitely done right however correct me if I'm wrong but half chicken means half a chicken right because we only recieved a butterflied chicken breast. Maybe I'm missing something here and someone can help me understand. 9/10 Last but not least dessert: CARROT CAKE (swiss meringue buttercream, whipped cheesecake) The dessert menu wasn't very extravagant and very limited but I found out they own their own bakery so the cakes were made in house so we got the carrot it. It was very good and very moist however it had coconut all over it and I flat out don't like coconut it's a texture thing not a flavor thing. For the price you pay for it I definitely expected a bigger slice then what we recieved. But with that being said 8.5/10 Would I come back here? Yes! Do I recommend this place? Yes! However I think for what you're paying for some for the items I think the portions should be adjusted accordingly. Staff was spectacular food was great and I really enjoyed my time here.

Came here for brunch on a Saturday morning and it was amazing! We got to sit at the bar and it was great. Definitely recommend getting there early or making a reservation. Staff was very attentive and the food was awesome! The Salmon Benedict was possibly the best I've had and the French toast my wife got looked delicious, and it must have because she devoured it. The Irish coffee was really good, and my wife enjoyed the mimosa. Will definitely be coming back!

Lunch was delicious; we both had pasta dishes that were excellent. Cocktails & dessert were just as good. Service was friendly & efficient. Highly recommend. Update 3/5/23: We went back for brunch with our 14yo. Everyone was happy with food drinks & service again. The 2010 pop music was pretty loud and annoying, but forgivable. Once. Update 12/22/23: Another lunch to begin the holidays, and it was amazing from start to finish. We both got fresh pasta dishes then finished with the budino and cappuccinos. It was all fantastic. This was our first visit to the new location, and they have successfully carried the relaxed urban vibe I enjoyed on Morris. This is one of my favorite BHM restaurants.

The John Hand hotel recommend this place. A short walk and was it worth. The atmosphere was fantastic. The service was excellent and very attentive staff. Staff was very friendly and eager to make sure everything was perfect. The cocktails were very good and the bartender came over to make sure they were just right. The entrees we had were 5 star taste and presentation, a very modern menu and prepared when you order. The restaurant was also impeccably clean. The manager came over at the beginning of our meal and at the end to make sure our experience met our expectations. It exceeded them. Will stop here every time we pass through Birmingham.