Rowe’s Avondale

A group of 12 went for Saturday brunch and were lucky enough to all get seated together. The nice thing was they set up the tables for us before everyone had arrived which some places won’t do. The food was very good and service was good for such a large group. The kitchen seems to have their act together. I had the three egg omelet and truffle fries. It was a lot of food and I ended up having the fries for dinner. Quite a few ordered the Patty Melts and I heard no complaints. One person praised the waffles after comparing them to some of the disasters she has had at other places. I would recommend Rowe’s and want to go back when we can order from the regular menu. The only downside was that our waitress seemed like she had rather be anywhere else but at work that day. A smile can go a long way.

I went here with my SO for brunch a week ago. I got the huevos rancheros and he got the chicken tender sandwich. We both got bloody Marys (mixed by the bartender, not at the Bloody Mary bar).
The huevos rancheros were basically inedible. They were served directly on a metal tray which I suspect was to blame for the slightly metallic taste to the whole meal. If it wasn’t the tray, then it was the canned black beans which had not been changed in any way– I believe the chef just dumped a can into a pot, heated them, then served. The huevos themselves were undercooked. The egg whites were still translucent in places. Altogether, it was a dish I will never order again. Based on the plates I saw going out around me, I wouldn’t recommend any of the brunch menu items.
However, my SO’s chicken tender sandwich and fries were surprisingly good. The fries were well-​seasoned and crispy and the chicken was cooked perfectly. Next time I come to Rowe’s, I’ll either be ordering this or the patty melt (which many tables around me had and looked amazing!).
The bloody marys were quite good. Nothing really notable about them but worth tasting.
Finally, the price was high in my opinion. For my inedible huevos rancheros, the chicken finger sandwich, and two bloody marys, we ended up spending around $ 60. If the food quality was excellent, this would be a fair price. Maybe just stick with lunch plates.

Been here for lunch several times. Great unpretentious food. The black bean burger is one of the best in town (J Clyde also makes an excellent one). Also try the Reuben, the Philly Cheese Steak, and the Turkey Club. All warm crisp sandwiches that taste just right. Both the fries and the house-​made chips are excellent companions. Our servers, whether at a table or the bar, have always been attentive and friendly, except once at brunch, when our server wasn’t so attentive. The restaurant was slammed, and we found that we preferred the lunch menu anyway, most of which wasn’t available during brunch hours. Overall, a great addition to Avondale.

Food is just ok, there’s a limited selection. My issue with Rowe’s though is the service. The restaurant won’t even be half full, try it takes over an hour to get a simple patty melt. I’ve given this place three chances now, and this has always been the case. I won’t be back until something changes. There’s way too many options in the Avondale area to settle for sub par service.

Not a bad little spot, especially sitting outside on a sunny weekend. I do recommend arriving either right at opening or wait till some of the brunch crowd leaves and lunchers roll in to take their places. I like that Rowe’s is not another restaurant who’s married to serving only Avondale beers. What I don’t like is: no draft and bottle selection is pretty poor. Bloody Mary bar is spot on, though, so you have to visit if just for that!

Fantastic!!! I had the chicken and waffles and they were delicious. The atmosphere was very chill and cool. Our server was attentive and helpful. I love that Avondale has some really great dining options. Rowes didn’t disappoint: I look forward to coming back for brunch.

I really like Rowe’s. I want this place to do well. (I want all of Avondale to do well, frankly).
Good food, good people, good drinks.
I’ve enjoyed every trip here, and plan to keep coming back.
Try the Reuben, Steak Burger and the delicious Pork Shoulder Plate. Yum!
Oh dang, forgot the truffle fries. So good.

Great staple of the Avondale area, good spot to sit outside and eat on a weekend. Good food and service. Looking forward to getting back there soon.

I was craving chicken and waffles so revisited this place. It’s been months since I been here and over a year since I had chicken and waffles.
Very disappointed. Ordered two orders of chicken and waffles for me and my kid and both had two small strips which than cut in half to make it seem 4 pieces. By cutting it, it dried and cooled quick. Not sure if they were running out of chicken or not but very disappointing

Sunday brunch… The staff was overwhelmed by the crowd. They worked through it but it felt chaotic and unmanaged.
The salty fall drink was well made and the chicken sandwich was ok.
This is a new spot, and I’ll give ‘em another chance to work out the kinks.

As you walk in you automatically see a bar area and take a right to be seated. The menu is simple which makes it easy to choose the food that you want. They have an alcohol menu which allows you to taste their drink special. I choose one of the drinks on the menu and was shocked to see it in a little glass. I drink at a lot of bars and order mix drinks and I have to say that 9.00 for this particular drink was not what I had in mind. I felt like I just wasted 9.00 bucks. Then our food comes. The chicken and waffles were ok. The chicken was very hard and crispy and made my mouth hurt from crunching on them, the waffles were not soft or fluffy. Along with a very simple generic syrup. I also had the pastrami sandwich which was extremely hard to chew. It was so hard I think I cut my mouth. I thought this sandwich comes w pickles and other sour things but it did not. I was a little disappointed. However service was great. I came here because my hubby came on a business lunch and he wanted me to try. He said normally the food is great but today not so good. I guess every place had their days. So I kinda left unsatisfied but was happy because the service was good just not so much the food tonight.

I was visiting from out of town and actually was directed to Saws BBQ or Melt which happen to be next door.
I’m glad I stopped in here. Its a small space. Formally a garage perhaps.
Great staff and very friendly.
The lunch menu was mostly different types of sandwiches. I went with the grilled Reuben. It was good. I did get the truffle Fries. Totally worth it. Fries are delicious. The two of us couldn’t even finish them.
They don’t have any draft beer, but there is a fully stocked bar.

Finally after months of passing by, We decided to stop here on our quest to try something new in the neighborhood. It was a Monday evening, so parking was plentiful. We were greeted by a funny sign politely saying, in laymen’s terms, «Parking for Rowe’s customers only».
As we entered, we saw a sign saying to seat ourselves and we were greeted by our waitress. We picked our seat and she took our drink order. We both looked around the place and were very impressed with the setup and concept– simple is more. I liked the lighted sign on the wall and restroom area.
We ordered our food next. Since I’m a self-​proclaimed chicken finger connoisseur, I ordered the chicken and waffles. My date ordered the Philly cheesesteak and upgraded his fries to the truffle fries, just for me to taste since I had read so many great reviews about them. He also ordered a few of the $.50 wings.
Our food was brought out a few minutes later. There was only one other table of guests in our area (others were seated at the bar) so there wasn’t a long wait. My entrée was simple and well cooked. However, I would’ve liked a little seasoning on my chicken tenders. They were crispy and fresh… but lacked flavor. The waffle was good– fluffy and soft.
My date had the star of the night. The truffle fries were deeelicious! I know it’s spelled wrong, but I have to put emphasis on how good they were. The philly was one of the better ones I’ve tasted, and I decided that my next visit here would involve the truffle fries and the philly. In fact I decided on a to-​go order because I’m greedy and I just couldn’t wait for the next trip there.
My date said the wings were a step from being tongue-​torch hot. The waitress had warned him in advance. I don’t eat wings so I had to take his word on them. He said they were cooked and seasoned well and he enjoyed them.
Our total was about $ 42 for three entrees, 6 wings, and a drink. Not too bad. Oh, and I made a new friend– Porsha, the goldfish. You can rent a fish for your table for $ 1.00. How cute is that?!
Overall: 4 stars for creativity, decent food, average prices and cool location.

My partner and I checked this place out a couple of weeks after they first opened, and were left with just a bit of a bad taste in our mouths. The burger that he got was well seasoned and tasted good, but I was not as fortunate in my selection. The black bean burger was one of the most bland things that I have ever put in my mouth, tasting almost as if they just opened a can of black beans and formed it into a patty with hardly any seasoning at all. On the first visit, the server was very slow and it took forever to get a drink refill.
Our most recent visit was a lot better as far as service goes. The server was very attentive and got everything to us very quickly. On this visit, my partner had the chicken and waffles and said that they tasted good. I tried the «poutine,» which was a large serving of french fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. The fries were well cooked and had a good taste to them, as did the cheese curds. However after eating a few bites, the brown gravy became overwhelmingly salty. By the time I was halfway through, I just really didn’t want any more because of the saltiness. I assume the fries were salted before the gravy went on, so they received a double or triple dose of salt after it was added. The gravy tasted like it came from a packet that you but at the store.
I do love the atmosphere of the place, and the service has gotten very good. However, the food just still is not up to par. I am sure we will give it another chance soon, as we love to support local restaurants, but they need to step up the game with the food. I definitely know what not to order next time!

Came here last night with the GF. We had originally planned on going somewhere else first, but it was packed, so we saw this place and figured we’d give it a shot.
It was empty, but I’m not sure why. The food was pretty good (def spend the extra dollar on the truffle fries over the normal fries — totally worth it.). The steak burgers were great and had thick cut bacon on them, not the thin, cheap stuff. We also had some wings as an appetizer. They were great, but probably just a tad hotter than I normally like — I prefer spice for flavor, not just for heat. Didn’t stop me from devouring them though, and clearing out my sinuses in the process!
I wouldn’t mind coming back again. The menu is small, but they have some good stuff. Give them a try!

Being fairly new to Birmingham, I had heard from friends and colleagues that this place shouldn’t be on my list of places to visit. But we were hungry, and the original place we planned to visit had no parking, so we pulled in one of the (many) available spots, reviewed the menu online, and walked in.
There were two folks at the bar… and us. We went to the dining area… and picked whichever table we wanted because we were the only patrons. In my mind, warning bells are going off, but we are quickly given the menu and asked for a drink orders.
My boyfriend LURVES wings, and they had a 50cent/​wing special for happy hour, so we got 6 to share. Our waitress warned us that they were quite spicy,… I had one and was DONE! Boyfriend enjoyed the rest just fine. They were not only spicy, but super hot and fresh.
We both got the steak burger: I got truffle fries with mine. The food was cooked to order, and I loved that the burger came with arugula. I ended up sharing my truffle fries with my partner in crime because at times they were too «truffely» for me. Overall a good dining experience… kinda quiet. but I’d be back again.
Give them a try. I read reviews about the plastic ware and styrofoam plates, but last night it was actual silverware and our food was served on metal trays.

I decided to check out Rowe’s despite the mixed reviews.
First off, the atmosphere was as described in other reviews, chic with a cool hipster vibe. I went on a Saturday morning, so it wasn’t too busy. I got my food in less than 10 minutes. I ordered the chicken and waffles, i was very pleased! The chicken was a bit too crunchy for me, but that’s just my preference. The staff was very friendly, and yes they have real dishes in case you’re wondering about the plastic plate deal. They served the food on cute tin dishes.
And as for iPad check out thing where it prompts you to leave 20%. You have an option to leave another amount or not a tip at all. You just have to read screen lol.
I say try it out, maybe they had a rough start when they opened but I think it’s worth going for sure!

Rowe’s is a trendy rust-​turned-​chic restaurant housed in a former mechanic’s shop. It has a full bar and a simple but delicious breakfast and brunch menu. It’s a good bet that you will find the food and the experience to be delightful.
I was in town for a wedding and we had a large party who showed up right at the restaurant’s open. The restaurant staff was very helpful and accommodating. Being that the restaurant just opened, there were few people to compete with for seats; we were seated right away and were able to pull some tables together. Although the waitress took a little while longer than I would normally expect to get our orders, it really did not affect the experience. Some of our party got mimosas (and beer… at 10am in the morning), which we enjoyed while taking in the cozy atmosphere.
The indoor seating consists of a small room with about 12 or so tables. Although it’s small, it doesn’t quite feel cramped. The brick-​laden walls and sparse decoration don’t give you much detail for your eyes to dote on, but the simplicity of it all does not take away from the charm. It’s also kind of fun to know that you’re sitting in a former mechanic’s shop.
The food is pretty standard brunch fare, but that’s what you came for, right? I highly recommend what I ordered – «The Shop Floor.» It’s a tray of food that features a mixture of several of the menu items, prepared individually by the chef. There’s even a bit of risk involved in ordering the item – the chef selects what you will eat from several different options and may combine different things each time the item is ordered. If you are not picky and want a sampling of the menu, The Shop Floor is the way to go.
My meal featured eggs, two different varieties of sausage, biscuits and gravy, and country-​fried potatoes. It was phenomenal. A nice hearty breakfast that could probably serve as two meals, if you wanted.
Overall, Rowe’s is a nice, fun experience. Definitely recommend if you are in the area.

I know not everyone is in love with Rowe’s, but I like it. Apparently they are under new management, and I have noticed the change. Instead of serving food on disposable styrofoam containers as they did originally, they have adopted metal tins. Also, they told me at my last visit that they would be replacing the plastic silver wear with the real stuff soon. Very exciting stuff!
For brunch they have an extremely extensive Bloody Mary bar. They had an array of mixes and additions for your morning drinking pleasure. For food, I highly recommend the Shop Floor. No, I am not recommending you drop food on the floor and then eat it. It’s a dish that is basically chef’s choice. Literally anything could be on it, but, in my experience, it’s usually more food than comes with the traditional dishes. Also, their bacon is awesome, and that is certainly the most important part of breakfast/​brunch.
For dinner recently, I had their chicken paillard. The chicken could have been a bit moister, but the veggies that came as sides with it were delicious! If memory serves, it came with asparagus, butternut squash, black eyed peas, okra, and some other perfect seasoned and cooked veggies. I would definitely order it again and highly recommend it!

I don’t know… 2 – 3 stars. I realize they’re still figuring things out. I liked the ambiance inside. The giant Rowe’s sign lit up in the back was nice.
Went in Friday night maybe around 10. The dining area only had 1 other table filled with diners so…
I ordered the chicken and waffles for $ 7.50. I thought that was reasonably priced. The chicken was great. The waffles however… COLD. What the heck, Berkley? Considering they only had that one other table to contend with… I’m not sure why the waffles couldn’t be piping hot like my chicken. :(
It would be great if they didn’t have handwriting scribble scrabbled across their menus either. It all seemed rather thrown together. Hopefully they get it together though!
Also, I agree towering over the paypal square swipemajig and watching me choose 20% (not that I wouldn’t!) was annoying. Saving paper is amazing but. I don’t know… I wasn’t a fan of that system either.
If you’re not expecting TOO much, I think it’ll be a good place to hang out and have some drinks and a light snack.