The Anvil Pub and Grill — Restaurant in Hoover

It looked nice. They were busy. Lots of folks and nothing to drown out the noise, it was rather loud. My wife and I could barely hear each other, and we were seated next to each other.

The wait staff were polite and attentive. It was very clean and neat. The food was good, although we thought it to be a little odd. I didn't hate it, but it was a little expensive for what you got.

I had the British chicken pie (basically a chicken pot pie). The chicken tasted like it had been roasted before going into the pie but it was bland; the crust tasted fresh, but there wasn't much in the way of vegetables (maybe peas and a couple chunks of potato), and the gravy was very bland as well. There was this bizarre little "show" where the waitress cut a hole in the crust and poured the gravy into the pie. The odd part was she did this after placing the plate in front of me, no warning or explanation, just took a knife and started cutting a little triangle into the pie, her hand inches from my face. I had to lean back and away to even see what she was doing to my food. This could have easily been done table side (or at either of the two empty seats at our table) and then placed in front of me. Instead, it was very awkward and just weird.

My wife had the fish and chips. She liked the fish; there was a good portion, and it was cooked perfectly, again not really seasoned, though. The fries tasted fresh but again, kind of bland, and they weren't very crisp. It was accompanied by this odd, cold, mushy, pea with mint "salad." Best way to describe it is think of frozen peas mixed with toothpaste. I'm guessing that this is something of a traditional English dish, but we just weren't a fan. Again, it tasted fresh, but it was weird. It didn't compliment the fish and fries very well; there needed to be some kind of complimentary or opposing flavor, and it was just missing.

My chicken pie portion was so small I left hungry; it was the only thing on the plate other than a smear of fresh ground mustard. THIS was actually flavorful and helped the dish. There wasn't much of it, and I wasn't accustomed to putting mustard on my chicken pot pie.

Bottom line, this fare may very well be perfectly British/English in every way and cooked exactly as found over there, and maybe we just don't have the pallet for that kind of food. I don't want to leave such a negative review (and I saw so many other reviews talking about how authentic it is), but overall, everything was bland, my meal portion was small, it was very expensive, and the restaurant was very loud.

Oh, and the hostesses were either playing on their phones or staring at patrons. Again, it was kind of weird, and I felt awkward. Half the time I happened to look in their direction, one of them was either stairing back at me or at...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Anvil, and it turned out to be quite the delightful experience. From the ambiance to the attentive service, everything was set for a memorable meal, and the food certainly did not disappoint.

The star of the show had to be the Risotto Monkfish. The dish was flawlessly executed, with the fish being tender and flavorful, paired perfectly with the creamy and rich risotto. It's a combination that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting.

Another standout was the pork dish. The meat was cooked to perfection, succulent and full of flavor. However, what truly stole my heart were the potatoes that accompanied it. They were, without a doubt, the best potatoes I've ever had - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned to perfection. It's rare that a side dish leaves such a lasting impression, but these potatoes did just that.

I also tried the Gumbo, which was alright. While it was tasty and had a good mix of ingredients, it didn't quite reach the high bar set by the other dishes. It was enjoyable, but not the highlight of the meal.

Overall, The Anvil provided an exceptional dining experience. The food was good across the board, with some dishes like the Risotto Monkfish and the incredible potatoes standing out as truly exceptional. It's a place I would eagerly recommend to food lovers looking for quality dishes in a welcoming setting. Whether you're there for a special occasion or just a casual meal out, The Anvil is...

A friend recommended this place. We were in the area and decided to stop in. We arrived about three in the afternoon. The shared parking lot had a few cars, and the outdoor seating, although nice, was completely empty. We actually hoped they were open. We entered through the side entrance and were immediately welcomed by the bartender/server. We forgot his name but he was a very nice guy. He told us we could sit anywhere and he'd come to us. The vibe of the restaurant is dark and moody, and I loved it! Our server told us that dinner started at four, it was about twenty minutes til four, so we asked for the dinner menu in addition to the lunch menu given. Our server told us that the chef was a stickler for time so it's a possibility that if we wanted something off the dinner menu (again, dinner will begin in fifteen to twenty minutes) he may deny our request. A few moments later we asked if we could have an order of fried green tomatoes (off the dinner menu), and we were denied. By this time, it was five minutes to four. Our server then told us that if we ordered the fried green tomatoes as a side to our meal instead of an additional side, the chef may agree, and he did.. We ordered fish and chips (fried green tomatoes) $18.00 and a burger with fries $16.00. Service was great. However, the food...