The Essential
Review of The Essential
The Essential: A Trendy Contemporary American Cafe
The Essential is a trendy contemporary American cafe located in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama. This popular restaurant offers a delightful dining experience with its diverse menu, specialty cocktails, and stylish ambiance. Whether you're looking for a casual lunch, a satisfying dinner, or a relaxing weekend brunch, The Essential has you covered.
The menu at The Essential is a true reflection of its "American bistro" concept. With a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients, the chefs create innovative and flavorful dishes that cater to a variety of tastes. From classic favorites like avocado toast and salmon Benedict to unique creations like the Mushroom Madame, every item on the menu is thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented.
The Essential is not just about the food; it's also about the experience. The restaurant boasts a modern and inviting atmosphere, with stylish decor and comfortable seating. Whether you choose to dine indoors or enjoy the outdoor patio, you'll be surrounded by a vibrant and energetic ambiance that adds to the overall enjoyment of your meal.
One of the highlights of The Essential is its specialty cocktail menu. The talented mixologists craft a variety of creative and refreshing drinks that perfectly complement the flavors of the food. From handcrafted cocktails to carefully curated wine selections, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
The service at The Essential is top-notch, with friendly and attentive staff who go above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience. Whether you're a regular customer or a first-time visitor, you can expect exceptional service that will make you feel welcome and well taken care of.
The Essential is open for lunch and dinner throughout the week, and also offers a delightful weekend brunch. The restaurant is conveniently located on Morris Avenue, making it easily accessible for both locals and visitors alike.
If you're looking for a trendy and contemporary American cafe that offers delicious food, specialty cocktails, and a vibrant atmosphere, look no further than The Essential. It's a must-visit destination for food lovers in Birmingham.
From the business
"American bistro"
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
- Outdoor seating
- Curbside pickup
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Anthony Barchanowicz
Fantastic food and service! The food was delicious! The menu is well curated and seasonal. Many compliments to the chef and staff!
Joe Cassels
Everything just right here...warm greeting, nice space and feel, waiter was excellent, and we just did burgers and salads and a drink but all were timely, well-prepared, and most importantly, delicious. Highly recommend
Antonio Allen
It passes the vibe check with flying colors. Some of the best food in town and an incredible staff make for an amazing experience eating there. Highly recommend eating there you won't be disappointed.
Deena H
Really adorable spot for breakfast or lunch! I came in and tried an egg sandwich and a delicious Nutella pop tart. The sandwich has an extremely rich mayo/aioli sauce so I would probably try something different next time, but the pop tart was WORTH THE HYPE. Plus they have cute decor and outdoor seating!
Suso González Souto
This is such a good restaurant. Reasonably priced, with a short meny that they change all the time. Our favorite is the pasta, it's so well cooked and the flavors are always amazing. Good wine and dessert menu as well. It's a cozy venue and the staff is so nice. It's just great.
They have space reserved for walk ins so even if there aren't tables available online you can give it a go. Also, we spent over $50 per person but we shared a $60 bottle of wine between two.
Amy Shackelford
When out of town guests are in town, I always bring them to The Essential. Great coffee. Great food. Great cocktails. The hand pie is a seasonal fruit with an amazing whipped ricotta. There is a changing table in the bathroom which is a very nice consideration (that should be the norm). Staff is great. Sit outside if you don’t like a loud room, but it’s a very cute room.
Witt Callaway
We went to dinner here tonight. Our waiter was Kajorie, and he was amazing. He went above and beyond and truly made our night something special. The food was absolutely amazing, and it always is, but the service here is what makes me want to come back again and again.
Jessica Randazza-Pade
Love The Essential. Service is always a delight, the food delicious, and the environment is lovely. Particularly a fan of the 5 grain salad which has great flavor and texture. If you’re inclined to imbibe, the Bloody Mary has good spice and a great pairing to the avocado toast during brunch if that’s your journey. But you do you, honey, and whatever you do you won’t be disappointed.
Katelyn Reed
What a great little spot! I am already plotting to come back for more of the Chocolate Mousse. The Cacio e Pepe was fantastic and the Summer Pie was a nice quiche-like surprise. We didn’t have a bad bite! Even the simple salad was seasoned and dressed perfectly.
Courtney Monnette
The experience was wonderful. My husband had the amberjack and it was really lovely. He enjoyed the frisée salad that accompanied with dill which was interesting. I had the hangar steak and it was not. To be fair - I knew better than to order it as it tends to be chewy but this was very stringy and very hard to chew. The potatoes it came with and the sauce were both very good. The wine recommendations were perfect.