Yo Chef Surf and Turf Smokehouse — Restaurant in Birmingham

DO NOT DINE HERE!!!!!!!!!! IT HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED!!!!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN SPENDING MONEY HERE SINCE THEY FIRST OPENED BEFORE THE MULTIPLE APPEARANCE CHANGES. I came in like always after a night out to grab a bite to eat….. (Me and two of my female cousins). We went to the bar and sat down and greeted one of the bartenders who we recognized from a previous night. We sat and talked and another female that we knew came in and decided to sit next to us at the bar. I ordered a strawberry lemon drop and she served it very hot. The young lady who sat next to us is also a bartender and when i stated the drink was hot she informed me that she hadnt shaken it up with ice and simply asked the bartender to shake it up because the lemon drop should be chilled…… when she remade it she brought it over to me & the young lady joked with the bartender as she ordered a spinach dip stating that we were all together HOWEVER when the bartender got to us to take our order she asked how were the tickets going to be split and we stated to her that we were all separate. The female who ordered first who joked with her about the tab finished her food and left $15 on the table and she left before the bartender printed her ticket. The bartender gave her a to go plate and still didn’t cash her out before she left. As were finishing our food the bartender comes over and tells us she shorted her on her ticket & that we needed to pay because the ticket was $18 and not $15. We then explained to her that we didn't come together and that they could rewind the cameras because only 3 of us came together & she had come later on and and left before us because she wasn't with us…..we just knew her. After we tried explaining to them that this was not our tab neither did this young lady come with us they asked us to leave. After being asked to leave i stated multiple times that i didn't feel as if it was right we were being thrown out of the establishment like wild animals over someone else's tab…. they said boss man wanted us to leave over the unpaid tab so i asked for the owner multiple times to resolve this issue because they stated that he was upstairs….. after asking to speak with him they then said he was gone….. the sheriff proceeded to tell the bartender to close us out so that we can be escorted out and she STILL charged us gratuity for “4 or more” , STILL INCLUDING the other young lady who was NOT with us. Once we got outside…. all because we were upset the sheriff and the security called us broke & said “yall need to stop hangin with folks who cant pay their tab” we were disrespected and treated like NOTHING as if we weren’t LOYAL customers. We have promoted this place, had parties here and i’ve celebrated my birthday with yo chef multiple years but after last night I WILL NOT BE RETURNING. Customer service is TERRIBLE. Nothing but rude young girls with attitudes & childish...

I decided to go on a Tuesday night! I wanted to make happy hour from 3PM-7PM, but when I arrived at around 5 they told me they wasn’t opening until 7. So much for happy hour! I feel like that should’ve been mentioned on the site.

At around 7:30PM my boyfriend and I decide to come back. We walk in and notice everyone at the front door. We were immediately searched which caught us by surprise because I thought this was a restaurant. But I mean this is on the west side of Birmingham so I get it! We also took note of all the server girls just sitting down smoking hookah. Nobody told us that it was open seating, so we stood up for a minute or so waiting for someone to seat us. They watched us stand, said nothing, so we just took a seat wherever.

It took about 10 minutes for our server Nae to come over and bring us waters. We had decided what we wanted within the first 10 minutes and it sitting down. It would take Nae about 30 minutes to come back and check on us. We just watched as the servers smoked their hookah. We had to get the busier to get our server back over. When she did come back over, we ordered everything all in one because she said the kitchen was making the food “fresh” so it would take a minute. We ordered two lemon drops, the herb chicken spinach dip, glazed lamb chops with mac n cheese and baked beans, and 6 piece with mac and mashed potatoes. My boyfriend originally wanted the 1/2 chicken but they were out, and we didn’t know they were out of collards until the food actually came.

Our appetizer came out, it was good but watery. I also ordered hookah which came in this plastic box?? Definitely not worth $40 lol. When our entrees came out I was disappointed with my lamb chops. They were very small and premature. The meat was lukewarm and my bone was cold, but the meat itself was tasty even though it wasn’t even heated in properly. My beans were lukewarm the only thing on my plate that was hot was my mac and cheese. The food had flavor but why was not it cold if it was being prepared “fresh”? We didn’t get our food until probably an hour later and we waited that long for cold food. Nonetheless we finished our food and ordered dessert. We’ve also had 3 lemon drops each at this point and they ALL tasted different.

Everything on the dessert menu is fried. I know I’m black but I don’t want clogged arteries please!! So we ask can we get the red velvet but we don’t want it fried. Nae informs us that they only have it fried. That confused me because don’t you already have to have the cake made before you fry it?????

One pro of this place is that you can smoke after 9. Our bill came up to be $209 and the $25 gratuity was already included. We tipped her $25 on top of the gratuity because I am a server/bartender I know how the food industry is.

But maybe I’ll have better service and food the next time I do decide to...

This Ain’t Just Food—It’s a Full-Body Yes

I didn’t just eat today—I healed a little. After a full day of doing good, deep, legacy-led business, I was tired. Spirit tired. Body tired. Knee aching. And after not a single person gave up a handicap spot all day, I almost didn’t stop anywhere. But when I pulled up here? A cone was placed in a spot just for me. I moved it, parked with ease, and no one fussed. My little healing knee said, Thank you.

That was my first exhale.

Inside? Angel was tending to the man beside me. I overheard him say how much he loved the experience. She was my kind of intentional. She didn’t just wait on me—she welcomed me. Saw me. Honored me. No minimizing. No passive seating suggestions. No “this will do.” She made it easy to be exactly where I needed to be.

They even put therapeutic on my receipt. And they weren’t wrong.

While others sipped drinks and talked, I came to eat. I came to be filled up with more than just nourishment. I came for joy. And this place delivered.

As a lawyer with a big appetite for excellence and a soft spot for Black brilliance, this isn’t just my favorite restaurant. It’s my chosen space. My pour-back-into-the-community-on-purpose place. My “if you know, you know” spot. And yes, I’ve worked with the founder. I know the story. But I still tipped over the bill for Bre's stupendous service and the Chef's awesome cooking skills and plate clearing person great energy because I believe in this space that much.

I like paying full price here. I like the way the food hits. I like how I feel when I walk through the door.

It’s fresh. It’s funny. It’s full of soul and good seasoning.

This is Black-owned excellence that doesn’t just serve healthy food—it invites you to be your whole, full self while eating it. And when I tell you this food makes me do a happy dance? I mean every word.

You’re gonna laugh here. You’re gonna vibe here. You’re gonna feel seen here.

And I’m stingy with my reviews. So if I give it, you better believe it’s bankable.

One note to future guests: be patient with the staff. They’re learning, like all of us. But they’re learning with heart. And kindness breeds kindness. If you get a chance to be waited on by Bre or see Angel in action, thank them. People like that? They are the experience.

I didn’t want to go home right away. That’s how I knew this place wasn’t just a restaurant. It was a reminder.

A reminder that joy, respect, and good food can share...