Good to great food. We were a party of four, and we shared a lot of the tapas. The scallops were absolutely amazing. So we’re the drinks. I would go back.
Claudia Vance
What a great first experience at Ovenbird! We arrived for dinner a bit early, and so the hostess found us seats at the bar while we waited for our table. We enjoyed our bartender so much, we decided to stay there for our dinner. She greeted us with a complimentary cava and the evening just got better from there. The service was prompt and super friendly during our entire evening and our small plates kept coming soon after ordering them. The ceviche was delicate and delicious (get it), and the empanadas and steak were perfectly done, right out of the woodfire oven. We recommend all the desserts, but the tres leches was our hands-down favorite! Chef Ramón rocked it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak, Salad, Mushroom Conserva with Chimichurri and Farm Egg, Creme Brulee, Daily Empanada
Amol Bapat
Not too many options for vegetarians. The concept is mostly wood grilled, so significant amount of smokey smell/taste on a number of items. Vegetarian paella was disappointing. They were slammed Saturday night so some items forgotten about, but they made it up to us. Neat vibe but does have some limitations.Vegetarian options: Just not many vegetarian main options.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak
peribeca
Beautiful perfect down to the smallest detail and food was incredible ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chef Inspired Paella, Snapper
Brandon
Went here for the first time this saturday, was promptly seated at our reservation. Our server jada was great and gave us great recommendations for our drinks and dinner that we both enjoyed. Food was greatGreat conversation from the cook, konnery, who was able to answer all my questions I had and seemed to do his job with ease at the same time.Sitting at the bar felt almost like a show with the wood burning oven and amazing food coming from all angles. Overall an amazing experience not a single complaint. Will be returningPrices -reasonableFriendliness - 10/10Atmosphere -10/10Taste- 10/10
Brilliant tapas restaurant from Chris Hastings. Fideos, Beef Fat Candle and Scallops a la plancha are the go to dishes here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Angie M.
YOU SET MY HEART AFLAME! For Valentine's Day this year I decided on making a reservation at OvenBird. The website lead me to their Resy page. Making the reservation was very simple and easy. I made a later reservation to accommodate scheduling for both Courtney and myself. Everyone talks about this resturant so that was one of the prime reasons I decided to come and check it out for myself. For those unaware, OvenBird is part of the Birmingham originals. Meaning it was one of the restaurants that helped build the foundation for the food scene here in Birmingham. The resturant highlights small plates and almost everything is made from the live fire oven. The location of this resturant is perfect too as it is tucked away in Pepper Place next door to Son of A Butcher and across from Little Professor Book Shop. There is a large patio with heat lamps among tons of seating options inside too. When we were seated, our waiter Jack was outstanding. Very talkative and gave some of the best recommendations. Since this resturant is known for their small plates we decided on ordering a mixture of items so we could sample the menu a bit. Starting off we got the apple and manchego salad, which came with a Dijon dressing and toasted pecans this dish was light and great to kick off the meal on the right note. Next was the burrata. Burrata is a soft cheese similar to mozzarella. It was served with grapes tossed in an herb vinaigrette. Courtney mentioned that he had never tried either of the two cheeses that we indulged in this evening so he was happy to broaden his horizons a bit. Before our "entrees" came out, Jack came over with the roasted vegetables. Though we did not order these, he told us that when items are made to order, sometimes the kitchen will make too much and this gives the opportunity for different parties to try different dishes. I mean, who is going to say no for a free item? These vegetables were perfectly seasoned and delicious. A top tier vegetable mixture for sure. Honestly it was exactly what we needed in between our appetizers and protein. For our protein we ordered the roasted chicken (recommended by Jack) and the hanger steak. The chicken came with Lima beans and a semi spicy sauce. This sauce definitely had a kick to it, but it's one of those that sneaks up on you out of nowhere. Courtney fell in love with this dish. It was the perfect combination of beans and chicken with his heat level. He said that he remembers eating lots of Lima beans as a kid growing up and this dish gave him a bit of a blast from the past. My favorite was the hanger steak. It was tender and juicy, served with some vegetables and potatoes. Oh how I will be dreaming of that dish. Finally, to end our meal we could not decide between the two desserts so we ordered them both. A chocolate mousse and tres leches cake. They both were superb desserts. Not too sweet either. Overall, I loved my experience at OvenBird and am already planning a reason to go back. This was the best $150 meal I have had in a long time, so if you are traveling through Birmingham and need a smaller portioned meal or planning a special date night with your partner, I highly suggest coming to OvenBird. It definitely takes the cake for one of the best meals I've had in Birmingham.
John A.
Overall great experience. Everything we ordered tasted delicious and was prepared perfectly. Service was friendly and attentive. And the ambiance was great.
Wink Crittenden
The service was great, but we must have gone on an off night, because the food did not live up to the hype (or the price). We started with the ceviche which was good but for some reason was served with a handful of soggy wet potato chips mixed in. The hanger steak and roasted veggies were great. Nothing to complain about there. The fish was supposed to come with mashed potatoes, but instead was served on a bed of raw chickpeas. Not al dente. Raw.The paella was disappointing considering you can get an actual full serving of better paella for half the price at a number of restaurants in town.Overall not worth the price tag.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak
jamiehouse73
This is my favorite restaurant in the Birmingham metro, and for a plethora of reasons. First and most importantly, the food stands out as unique and inspiring. All the flavors and textures are there, and the majority of the dishes are unique to OvenBird. The service is always spot on and fantastic. And the atmosphere and comfyness of the bar area specifically is so special.When I want a meal for a special occasion, or just something unique, this is where I go.Also, don’t sleep on their cocktails and wine list. Though smaller, that wine list is absolutely killer and has some extremely special features. My most recent experience was with a Montenegro-Spanish blend they have. Absolutely outstanding in its own right.If you haven’t gone to Ovenbird yet, you’re missing out on one of the best experiences in the city.
A group of friends and I came here for a casual happy hour and it was quite good! I can not recommend MORE the candle thing! Absolutely delivers and quite a spectacle!
Andy Velazquez
Amazing food. Highly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Reema G.
Just want to preface that I'm reviewing for the NYE prefixed menu that they had. The service was super quick, we were seated almost immediately once we came in. It was a candle lit dinner. What made OvenBird lose stars is that I just wasn't impressed with the food. Nothing had flavor. The portions were fine, it's tapa style so lots of small plates but I just felt everything was lacking seasoning/salt. It probably didn't help that we went to South America the day after and experienced a whole other level of amazing food. Don't think I'll be going back but if you've never been, I'd say come to experience the restaurant and try a few things off their menu.
J Perejil
The food was nice. Really enjoyed the atmosphere. Would love to hit the patio in the spring!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Stadler Lisa
Had a perfect birthday dinner here with family and friends. Great food, atmosphere and service. Chris did an amazing job taking care of us.
Good to great food. We were a party of four, and we shared a lot of the tapas. The scallops were absolutely amazing. So we’re the drinks. I would go back.
What a great first experience at Ovenbird! We arrived for dinner a bit early, and so the hostess found us seats at the bar while we waited for our table. We enjoyed our bartender so much, we decided to stay there for our dinner. She greeted us with a complimentary cava and the evening just got better from there. The service was prompt and super friendly during our entire evening and our small plates kept coming soon after ordering them. The ceviche was delicate and delicious (get it), and the empanadas and steak were perfectly done, right out of the woodfire oven. We recommend all the desserts, but the tres leches was our hands-down favorite! Chef Ramón rocked it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak, Salad, Mushroom Conserva with Chimichurri and Farm Egg, Creme Brulee, Daily Empanada
Not too many options for vegetarians. The concept is mostly wood grilled, so significant amount of smokey smell/taste on a number of items. Vegetarian paella was disappointing. They were slammed Saturday night so some items forgotten about, but they made it up to us. Neat vibe but does have some limitations.Vegetarian options: Just not many vegetarian main options.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak
Beautiful perfect down to the smallest detail and food was incredible ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chef Inspired Paella, Snapper
Went here for the first time this saturday, was promptly seated at our reservation. Our server jada was great and gave us great recommendations for our drinks and dinner that we both enjoyed. Food was greatGreat conversation from the cook, konnery, who was able to answer all my questions I had and seemed to do his job with ease at the same time.Sitting at the bar felt almost like a show with the wood burning oven and amazing food coming from all angles. Overall an amazing experience not a single complaint. Will be returningPrices -reasonableFriendliness - 10/10Atmosphere -10/10Taste- 10/10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Fat Candle, Hanger Steak, Deviled Eggs, Chargrilled Fish, Snapper
Brilliant tapas restaurant from Chris Hastings. Fideos, Beef Fat Candle and Scallops a la plancha are the go to dishes here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
YOU SET MY HEART AFLAME! For Valentine's Day this year I decided on making a reservation at OvenBird. The website lead me to their Resy page. Making the reservation was very simple and easy. I made a later reservation to accommodate scheduling for both Courtney and myself. Everyone talks about this resturant so that was one of the prime reasons I decided to come and check it out for myself. For those unaware, OvenBird is part of the Birmingham originals. Meaning it was one of the restaurants that helped build the foundation for the food scene here in Birmingham. The resturant highlights small plates and almost everything is made from the live fire oven. The location of this resturant is perfect too as it is tucked away in Pepper Place next door to Son of A Butcher and across from Little Professor Book Shop. There is a large patio with heat lamps among tons of seating options inside too. When we were seated, our waiter Jack was outstanding. Very talkative and gave some of the best recommendations. Since this resturant is known for their small plates we decided on ordering a mixture of items so we could sample the menu a bit. Starting off we got the apple and manchego salad, which came with a Dijon dressing and toasted pecans this dish was light and great to kick off the meal on the right note. Next was the burrata. Burrata is a soft cheese similar to mozzarella. It was served with grapes tossed in an herb vinaigrette. Courtney mentioned that he had never tried either of the two cheeses that we indulged in this evening so he was happy to broaden his horizons a bit. Before our "entrees" came out, Jack came over with the roasted vegetables. Though we did not order these, he told us that when items are made to order, sometimes the kitchen will make too much and this gives the opportunity for different parties to try different dishes. I mean, who is going to say no for a free item? These vegetables were perfectly seasoned and delicious. A top tier vegetable mixture for sure. Honestly it was exactly what we needed in between our appetizers and protein. For our protein we ordered the roasted chicken (recommended by Jack) and the hanger steak. The chicken came with Lima beans and a semi spicy sauce. This sauce definitely had a kick to it, but it's one of those that sneaks up on you out of nowhere. Courtney fell in love with this dish. It was the perfect combination of beans and chicken with his heat level. He said that he remembers eating lots of Lima beans as a kid growing up and this dish gave him a bit of a blast from the past. My favorite was the hanger steak. It was tender and juicy, served with some vegetables and potatoes. Oh how I will be dreaming of that dish. Finally, to end our meal we could not decide between the two desserts so we ordered them both. A chocolate mousse and tres leches cake. They both were superb desserts. Not too sweet either. Overall, I loved my experience at OvenBird and am already planning a reason to go back. This was the best $150 meal I have had in a long time, so if you are traveling through Birmingham and need a smaller portioned meal or planning a special date night with your partner, I highly suggest coming to OvenBird. It definitely takes the cake for one of the best meals I've had in Birmingham.
Overall great experience. Everything we ordered tasted delicious and was prepared perfectly. Service was friendly and attentive. And the ambiance was great.
The service was great, but we must have gone on an off night, because the food did not live up to the hype (or the price). We started with the ceviche which was good but for some reason was served with a handful of soggy wet potato chips mixed in. The hanger steak and roasted veggies were great. Nothing to complain about there. The fish was supposed to come with mashed potatoes, but instead was served on a bed of raw chickpeas. Not al dente. Raw.The paella was disappointing considering you can get an actual full serving of better paella for half the price at a number of restaurants in town.Overall not worth the price tag.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak
This is my favorite restaurant in the Birmingham metro, and for a plethora of reasons. First and most importantly, the food stands out as unique and inspiring. All the flavors and textures are there, and the majority of the dishes are unique to OvenBird. The service is always spot on and fantastic. And the atmosphere and comfyness of the bar area specifically is so special.When I want a meal for a special occasion, or just something unique, this is where I go.Also, don’t sleep on their cocktails and wine list. Though smaller, that wine list is absolutely killer and has some extremely special features. My most recent experience was with a Montenegro-Spanish blend they have. Absolutely outstanding in its own right.If you haven’t gone to Ovenbird yet, you’re missing out on one of the best experiences in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Fat Candle, Roasted Bone Marrow, Hanger Steak, Deviled Eggs
Restaurantji Recommends
A group of friends and I came here for a casual happy hour and it was quite good! I can not recommend MORE the candle thing! Absolutely delivers and quite a spectacle!
Amazing food. Highly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just want to preface that I'm reviewing for the NYE prefixed menu that they had. The service was super quick, we were seated almost immediately once we came in. It was a candle lit dinner. What made OvenBird lose stars is that I just wasn't impressed with the food. Nothing had flavor. The portions were fine, it's tapa style so lots of small plates but I just felt everything was lacking seasoning/salt. It probably didn't help that we went to South America the day after and experienced a whole other level of amazing food. Don't think I'll be going back but if you've never been, I'd say come to experience the restaurant and try a few things off their menu.
The food was nice. Really enjoyed the atmosphere. Would love to hit the patio in the spring!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Had a perfect birthday dinner here with family and friends. Great food, atmosphere and service. Chris did an amazing job taking care of us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Fat Candle, Hanger Steak