The Essential

Wow! The Essential was amazing!!! We ordered drinks at the bar since there was a short wait. The bartender was extremely kind to make my son a fun mocktail. My latte was great. The food…a whole new level of deliciousness. The ricotta on the french toast was divine. All of the meals we ordered were noteworthy, the atmosphere great, and the service superior. A great treat to our short vacation in Birmingham.

Nice restaurant with inside seating and a covered patio. Prompt and courteous service. Five grain salad with added protein (fish) was great! My coworker enjoyed the pork tenderloin scallopini. We also had the sourdough toasted bread with butter, which was sinfully good.

Great atmosphere, delicious food, service not quite 5 star.

First visit. I loved the atmosphere of the place. I got here soon after opening as I read it fills up quickly. That’s definitely true!

From review recommendations, I ordered the Peach Hand Pie and the made in house Pastrami. The latter comes as a sandwich, but I skipped the bread. The pastrami itself was incredible. Tender and flavorful. It comes with a shredded lettuce, sweet pepper mixture with a pickle type of dressing. Definitely went great with the pastrami.

The Peach Hand pie was the size of both my hands! Delicious.

The only thing that keeps me from giving 5 stars is the lack of attention from the staff. I was sitting at the counter where the staff makes coffees, rings in orders etc, and yet I wasn’t even asked how the food tasted. That one thing would have elicited 5 stars. I did get quick responses when I caught someone’s eye to ask for a box and later, the check.

This place is definitely a winner for a great brunch in Birmingham!

We were visiting Birmingham and came across this adorable restaurant. We absolutely loved it! Probably one of the best chai teas I’ve ever had. And the avocado toast with salmon (pictured) was delicious. If you’re not super hungry, easily splittable for two. Our waitress, Martha, was very sweet and attentive. In a cute artsy area too. Highly recommend!

One of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham. Their dishes are consistently high quality and the atmosphere is nice. It’s been difficult to visit often with the pandemic and all but the staff are all masked and polite. Would highly recommend the Chorizo Rigatoni.

Really good coffee & tasty food. Great ambiance! We ordered the French toast and the fried chicken & grits with an oat milk latte. Sat on the patio. Was afraid it might be too cold (since it was a chilly December day), but the heaters kept us warm.

I went to The Essential for brunch, and it was amazing! I loved the brioche French toast. The whipped cream, ricotta, blueberry, and syrup went together so well on there. The espresso martini was delicious. The chicken biscuit was pretty good, and I liked the grits a lot. The service was also fantastic.

I’m torn about this review. The Essential was both a great experience and a puzzling one. The food, design, and style of the restaurant was everything I typically enjoy. It has a forward thinking, contemporary and creative feel. However, on a Sunday early afternoon with families all over, somehow the uncut versions of a Lil Wayne song, then a G-unit and 50 Cent were played. As we were trying to enjoy our meal all I could hear was N**ga this, Shake that A**, and B**ch that. I was sincerely puzzled as I looked around the patio and saw all the families and little children there. I thought what happened to easy listening? Who do they think their audience is at this hour? I didn’t want to hear, and imagine others didn’t either but the majority of the people that were there were white and some likely concerned about appearing racist for saying they didn’t want to hear obscenities while eating Sunday brunch. Regardless of the race of the artists, it was a poor choice. Although, that is not usually how conversations like that turnout nowadays. Well, I’m black black! And my wife and I did not want to hear it and thought it was completely inappropriate.

I walked away disappointed by that point alone.

Excellent service and great food. Small quaint place. Will be back…because i left a half bottle of corked bubbles for tomorrow.

I came back. Had the pastrami sandwich to go and ate it out front of the restaurant while there was a 90min wait. This pastrami could b the best Ive ever tastes. It was juicy, fatty pieces, and packed a lot of flavor. The fried egg was perfect. The pictures dont do this sandwich justice. By far the best pastrami sandwich Ive ever had.

Flowing vibes that egress from the bartenders to the hostess. The food was also next level. We weren't disappointed with nice portion size. Clean establishment with good customer service. Moreover, the area attracts people looking for a " nice evening out ".