The Garage — Restaurant in Birmingham

Good if you want to sit outisde and chat, drink a beer or drink, and have conversation. The crowd leans to the 30's, mature adult crowd.

The Good: Probably the best place to go to get to know someone on a serious date because you can go outside and it's quiet. Or also perfect to have that serious conversation wtih someone because you can go to a private area and really talk with someone while drinking and not worry about being overheard or bothered too much. Very charming atmosphere outside - you are surrounded by what appears to be a never ending maze of garden sculptures and cement fixtures with Christmas lights hanging down all over the place.

The Not so Good: If it's cold outside, you gonna freeze. Also, a CASH ONLY bar, so bring green.

The Bad: Food menu is not big, just sandwiches, however the sandwich is delicious. Inside area is less than desirable. It's filled with all these 50 year old men staring at EVERYONE who comes up to order a drink, including all the beautiful young ladies. A little creepy for most of the girls, but that's no fault of the venue, just creepy old dudes going there who sit inside. So, go outside.

The Bartenders are very nice and fast. Good microbrew selection. It needs an outside Jukebox or something to bring it more to life...

Great place to have a beer(numerous choices from local breweries and standards), cocktails, deli sandwiches and soup of the day. Sandwiches are extremely large, enough to share.(If you tell them that you are sharing, they will gladly serve in 2 separate baskets with chips and dill pickels, without having to ask) Last visit I ordered a Rueben plus a cup of the soup of the day (Navy bean w/ham) and both were plentiful and delicious!! Great price for lunch at $26 for same + beers & shots for 2. The bar area will run a tab (including food) if you provide them with your DL. I love sitting in the outside courtyard (when it's cold they have a fire-pit going & at night time it's well lighted with string lights which adds to the ambiance of this old place) You can enjoy a plethora of old iron-works, pottery and too many things to mention. This place used to be a true garage and also an old landscaping company, and it shows. The Garage is one, if not, the oldest bar in B'ham. *Note, This place is "CASH ONLY," which I had forgotten. They do have an ATM on-site,...

It was okay. I heard a lot about the sandwiches being good, which prompted my visit. The setup was atypical of most bars/restaurants and not very clear (details below).

The food was fine. I had a pastrami sandwich and liked it. BF had The Fritz. He liked it, but it was too much stuff for the bread to hold, and it fell apart pretty quickly.

Overall, I would rate The Garage as just okay. There was nothing about it that stood out - average food and service. The confusing ordering setup and cash only detracted from the overall experience.

Here is how to order, if you are anxious like me and want to know in advance -- You order drinks at the bar (can pay or open tab). Then there is another counter past the bar where you order food. You don't pay for the food when you order. When you get your order, there will be a ticket in your basket. It looks like trash, but don't be fooled. You will take this to the bar to pay. They only take cash. There is an atm near...