Helen

“I'm always looking for local, non chain, farm to table restaurants and was excited to try this one out with my sister-in-law. The interior was refreshingly classic but current, making good use of an elongated and narrow space. The partially open kitchen increases interest, but I was sitting with my back to it, which spared my lunch companion from competing for my attention. Our server Krynn was perfectly kind, prompt, and pleasing, genuinely welcoming to us and knowledgeable of the dishes. She was so very sweet and one of the best servers I have encountered in Alabama. The food was very thoughtfully prepared. We ordered Tuesday's lunch special, the fried green tomato BLT. We were impressed that the bacon is cured on site and cut the same day it is fried and served. The sandwich was so large that we easily split it. The tomatoes were good. I prefer lettuce in leaves, not shreds, but it didn't detract much from the experience and it didn't fall out everywhere. The sandwich came with chips which seemed homemade and were very good, not soggy. I added salt which was brought in a little wooden pinch bowl. For a side we split a plate of marinated summer peas and beans. This was baby lima beans and black eyed peas, with a very small amount of finely diced red onion and red bell pepper. There was a copious amount of cilantro that was not finely chopped and dominated certain mouthfuls. I would adjust this recipe by using a few more pinches of red onions and bell peppers, and finely chopping the cilantro and using less of it. It was very flavorful! I thought my SIL might still be hungry so we got a cheesecake slice at the end. It presented beautifully and was covered in a blueberry syrup. The texture was a bit ragged but it isn't any worse than one I'd make at home. I also felt the lemon flavor was a bit overly strong, and the crust appeared to be cornmeal based and wasn't my favorite, but that's just my preference. I feel that smokers or people with few taste buds would still be able to taste the food at Helen! I also ordered a cup of black regular coffee and it was truly delightful, no adjustments to that flavor needed in my opinion! We were attended by a couple other servers and everyone was polite and sweet. I felt very relaxed and as if I were valued as a customer. I hope Krynn has many sweet customers who appreciate how nice she is! I hope to be back someday and would definitely recommend Helen restaurant.”

“Excellent food, excellent service, and lovely atmosphere. I visited Helen as tourist—and it would stand out in any major US city. Matthew was passionate about the menu and skilled at describing wine.”

“In town for one night on business and heard about this place, wow was I impressed. Sat at the bar alone and got top notch service from Sam. The warm biscuits and ham were amazing best I’ve ever had in my life. And I’m not even a biscuit/bread person. The duck was delicious, drinks great. Ambiance is very nice. Smoky smell from the back as everything is wood fired. Overall couldn’t ask for a better experience.”

“In town for a concert, we wandered into this place just hoping to get seats on a busy Saturday night. As luck would have it, we had the pleasure of a truly delicious dinner at Helen. We ordered the angel biscuits with ham as a starter (perfectly sweet and salty), the Bear Creek Farm bone-in pork chop (my husband exclaimed this was the best pork chop he’s ever eaten and I wholeheartedly agree) and the Carolina gold middlins. We ended the meal with the peanut butter pie - also so good! A truly top tier dining experience!”

“I visited Helen a few nights ago, and I found the experience to be a mixed-bag. Based on the reviews, I was expecting an above-the-norm fine dining experience. Based on the price tag, that’s what I was owed. However, I just had a middle of the road dining experience, akin to a Texas Roadhouse, but for quadruple the price. Parking was good, we skipped valet and parked in the convenient garage right across the street. Our server was notably inattentive, probably due to my wife and I being younger and the assumption that younger people don’t tip well. We had the Warm Angel Biscuits, which were the highlight of the evening. The drinks were strong and tasteful. After about an hour-and-a-half of waiting (tables that arrived later than us were served earlier) we received our entrees. My wife got the roasted chicken, and I got the New York strip. We shared the Yukon potatoes. My steak was cooked well, but the seasoning was bland and it was, once again, akin to a much cheaper steak from a chain restaurant. My wife’s chicken, along with the potatoes, were good, but not the best we had ever had. Due to the long wait time (despite a reservation), inattentive wait staff, and average steak, I would probably not be willing to visit again. There are much better restaurants in Birmingham that provide a better experience for a fraction of the price.”