By Might Lee on September 7, 2026 Verified by Google

Stopped in for brunch at The Essential and had a 5-star experience! The rigatoni was incredible, perfectly prepared, and super flavorful. Huge shoutout to Evan for providing top-tier, attentive service. Will definitely be coming back!

By Ben Perkins on August 21, 2026 Verified by Google

We were blown away at the quality of the food and service here. Make a reservation because the dining area is small, but we walked in and only had to wait a few minutes. Everything on the menu looked top notch. The staff were very kind, quick, and attentive. The mushroom toast was amazing. They make almost everything in house, including the sourdough, mayo, ketchup, hamburger buns, and more. Loved the cheeseburger!

By Lidiya on August 14, 2026 Verified by Google

Wow, just wow to everything we ordered from salad to dessert. If this chef is not Michelin rated or a winner of Top Chef, that needs to be rectified immediately. No joke, the best burger in the world 🍔 recommend adding the bacon and leaving all ingredients as they are - it melts in your mouth like butter. Arancini were incredible, heirloom salad with humus refreshing and perfectly made, cacio e pepe (they make their own pasta in house) and rocky road dessert were perfection. You can’t go wrong ordering anything on this menu.

We were passing through Alabama and were lucky to have come across this place - now if we ever come through the state will structure our trip through Birmingham just so we can come to this restaurant again. (Yes, it’s that good).

By Liz on July 24, 2026 Verified by Google

The Essential was such an unexpected find during our trip through Alabama. We weren't expecting to stumble across such an elegant restaurant serving truly elevated food, but it ended up being one of our favorite meals.

I ordered the seafood pasta, and you could immediately tell the pasta was homemade. It was fresh, perfectly cooked, and the seafood was beautifully prepared. My daughter had the spaghetti, and my husband ordered the Waldorf salad, which was just as thoughtfully put together. Our waitress also recommended the hummus and house pickles, and I'm so glad we listened. Both were fresh, unique, and the perfect way to start the meal.

From the food to the service, everything felt polished without being pretentious. It was one of those meals where every dish was executed with care and attention to detail.

Overall, The Essential was such a pleasant surprise and proof that you can find five star dining experiences in the most unexpected places. If you're anywhere near Birmingham, this place is absolutely worth the stop.

By Jrock on March 21, 2026 Verified by Google

The bartender was amazing; friendly, personable, knowledgeable, and actually invested in your experience as a diner. He made great drinks, did so quickly and with a smile. A definite recommendation for a bar hop through this part of town.

However, don’t eat here. I got the hash, which was a papas bowl or potato bowl, nothing crispy or crunchy about it. The plating was sloppy and haphazard, nothing about the dish said chef driven at all. Mine was edible enough but I had to douse it in hot sauce then by the end just picked out the sausage. My wife got the bolognese to start, but whereas my hash wasn’t crunchy her noodles were so under they were. Credit where it’s due they replaced her dish free of charge. But alas, the chicken biscuit had multiple issues as well with under seasoning and over cooking. Hopefully this restaurant can course correct but right now it’s a skip on the food.

I did enjoy Spider Man playing behind the bar though, forgot how cheesy those movies were.