RËVIEW: The Collins Bar

THE BAR: 
A surge of Gastropubs are taking over Birmingham's trendiest neighborhoods and The Collins Bar is living up to the hype!


THE AMBIANCE:  

Trendy and smart, the decor reflects the playful yet upscale mood of the bar. Paper Planes hang from the ceiling as large booths flank the wall opposite a well accommodating bar.  A quaint, elevated stage seating area, gave this southern bar a quirky edge. Lamps casting red light and working typewriters play to the theme.

  





THE SERVICE:
A super sweet waitress pulled up an extra chair for our party of two and welcomed us to browse the menu.  While most of my reviews focus on food selections, it was refreshing and quite entertaining to hear about the mixologist on duty and the customizable drink choices offered at The Collins.

THE MENU:  Presented on a mini clipboard, appeared to have possibly been typed on the very typewriter stationed at our table. While the red light didn't lend well to the readability of the menu, our awesome waitress filled us in on the selections.  The Collins menu puts a sophisticated twist on bar food. Grilled Cheese, with several cheeses and a fried egg option, Meatloaf Sliders and Gingerbread Bread Pudding were all heavy hitters in the lineup . The Tots for starters and Chicken & Waffles for my main, won out and made their way to my table.

PIGS IN A BLANKET: While homemade, they didn't really stand up to their $6.00 price tag 

TOTS: Fell short in the crispiness category. The texture was more consistent with an under-cooked frozen hash brown. 

CHICKEN & WAFFLES: Arrived lukewarm and like the Tots a bit soggy. However, the chicken was well seasoned and the Bourbon Syrup was a pleasant surprise.

VERDICT: It's great to experience the resurgence of a city and The Collins Bar is a great indication of what's to come. While the food fell shy of my expectations,  in an establishment where the first focus is and should be on the drinks, I'd say the food is on par. I'll try The Collins out again in the future, if only for one of those fancy drinks that show so much promise!