Hometown Fare Hits a Home Run

 

Hello All! 

Here's a short & sweet recap of a local dining experience. 

During a recent (and much needed) self-care day at Birch Tree Day Spa in the Ross Bridge community, I decided to check out the restaurant offerings in the area. In walking distance was a very quaint spot called Hometown Fare. 

The atmosphere was quite inviting. The dining area was very well lit with a "hometown feel.  They also have several shelves containing great wine selections for vino enthusiasts. It was AFTER the lunch rush, so I had the place all to myself along with another couple. 

The staff was super friendly and made the ordering process very easy for this first timer. The Hometown Burger, a popular menu item, was highly recommended. I added a side of a seasonal dish, the Mexican Street corn.

The Hometown Burger is 6 ounces of perfectly grilled beef surrounded by fresh, crispy lettuce, tomato, melted cheddar cheese & savory grilled onions on their signature branded brioche bun. The generous helping of the street corn was perfectly cooked and seasoned to perfection. I can't wait for this side item to make its way back to the menu. 

Overall, this is definitely a spot that I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone in the area looking for a great menu full of hometown cafe favorites without outrageous prices. I can't wait to return to this spot.  

They also have the most amazing 5-course fall wine dinner scheduled on October 13th. 

Click to enlarge.

For more information on Hometown Fare or to make a reservation for the fall wine dinner, visit https://www.hometownfarerb.com/. 

Visit them on Instagram @hometownfarerb/ & Facebook @hometownfarerb

Hometown Fare

3623 Market Street 

Suite 101

Hoover, AL 35226

(205) 957-6460

Thanks for reading and sharing! 

~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You"

Est. 2009

 

REVIEW: The Craft Burger

As their facebook page reads "Simple, fresh ingredients, cooked with craft. No precious over-priced fanciness. Just plain good. AN HONEST BURGER FOR AN HONEST BUCK."

I ventured out with a friend to have lunch at Brava Grill off of Caldwell Mill Road and wouldn't ya know it.... SWITCH-A-RONI! They were not there anymore.
Their meaty replacement had taken over the location with a new spot that specializes in hand crafted burgers & much more.

The Craft Burger is a new, fast-casual, burger joint that keeps it simple. Their menu is not 10 pages long or too complicated. They offer a variety of burgers, "craft dogs", sandwiches, salads, beer, wine & shakes.

The decor didn't really change, except for a few minor differences. However, the concept is a lot different that the previous restaurant.

On my first visit I tried the Turkey Burger: seasoned ground turkey on a bun accompanied by their house made basil mayo, arugula (no tomato for me) and a side of their seasoned fries. This was a pretty good turkey burger. I typically don't order turkey burgers at restaurants because they just never compare to my personal "secret"  recipe. However, I finished every bite of this one. Kudos!

*Click photos to view larger images*

TURKEY BURGER

My friend opted for the buffalo chicken salad: A very generous portion of Romain lettuce, red onion, tomato, fresh sliced cucumber, shredded cheese and a good sized helping of moist , grilled chicken chopped and tossed in buffalo sauce, with a side of ranch dressing.

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

On a separate visit, I decided to try the Craft Burger: ground top sirloin, grilled to moist perfection, on a bun with onion, a slice of American cheese, onion, lettuce and their "secret" craft sauce. Wonder what's in it? 😕

THE CRAFT BURGER

I also had a hand made cookies & cream milkshake. It was a little camera shy so no pix.
However, if you're a shake lover I will let you know that you WILL be impressed with the straws for the milkshakes. FINALLY... a large enough straw.

The staff was great! Friendly and very proud of the menu and all of it's offerings.
I was disappointed that Brava was gone, but I think The Craft Burger is here to stay. They should see a great deal of success here in this busy shopping center.

For more information about The Craft Burger,
visit & "LIKE" their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/thecraftburger/
Follow them on twitter at @TheCraftBurger

Thanks for reading & sharing.
Most of all, thank you for supporting these business owners.
Their staff depends on your patronage. I do this for them.

Regards,
The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding a Restaurant Near You"
#RaidBham 

Don't Drive. Get a LYFT https://www.lyft.com/invite/RAIDBHAM2017 


Phone: (205) 995-0003
Hours: 11-8 Daily
5184 Caldwell Mill Rd

Birmingham, Alabama, AL 35244

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Blackwell's Pub - "Let's Eat!"

http://birminghamrestaurantraider.blogspot.com/

Thanks again to all of the reader's out there who regularly recommend restaurants to me. I sincerely appreciate it and YES.... I plan to get to all of them at some point.

One place that has been suggested on multiple occasions is a spot called Blackwell's Pub. When I mentioned that I'd be raiding the place, I received several suggestions on what to eat. Although everything sounded good. I'd have to say that my focus was completely thrown into left field when I arrived and the SEC Championship was showing on many of the televisions. What was I thinking?? I'm sure you're asking  "Why would you not be keeping up with the SEC Championship game schedule?" The answer is War Eagle! I was the only sour puss in the entire place.

Atmosphere: Blackwell's pub is a sports fanatic's dream. Lots of table & bar seating. Plenty of televisions to keep up with the latest games and scores. If you are looking to watch a sporting event  this would be a great location. I would also suggest this as a place that caters to families with children. They offer a good looking kid's menu.

The Meal: Even after all of the great sounding suggestions, I decided to go on my own and have an appetizer of Scotch eggs: 2 hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage, breaded and then deep fried accompanied with a side of spicy mustard. I've never had Scotch eggs before. This was a little different. I enjoyed the flavor and will definitely try these again. I ordered an entree from Blackwell's Burger Menu, the Greek Burger: optionally cooked medium well, covered with cucumber dip and one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES, Tzatziki sauce! If that wasn't enough they topped this perfectly cooked 8 oz patty with sliced black olives & feta cheese. I normally don't eat feta cheese, but the flavors all blended so well, I didn't complain. The burger was so large, I had to cut it in half just to take a bite. This was accompanied by a 1/2 order of huge onion rings and a 1/2 order of fries. This is one of the best burgers I've had to date. It's not often that I get a burger practically topped with a Greek salad.

The Prices: Not too bad at all. The appetizers currently are mostly all under $8.00. The burger I ordered is priced at $9.25. They also offer other entrees such as beef tips & rice, meat loaf, salads and of course wings. They also have very competitive prices on beers including local, domestic and imported brews.

The Staff: I enjoyed the service that I received. I was even acknowledged by servers who were not necessarily assigned to my section. That's pretty rare, but they apparently like to make everyone feel taken care of.

Overall experience: Outside of the crimson shirts and all the cheering, I enjoyed the atmosphere, service and the meal. I shall return!

For more information on Blackwell's Pub visit their website at http://www.blackwellspub.com/

Visit them on Facebook  & keep up with their minute to minute posts via Twitter @blackwellspub

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding a Restaurant Near You" 

 

Scotch Eggs

The Greek Burger

 

Exactly what I was thinking Grumpy Cat