Salt Factory Pub — Restaurant in Huntsville

The Good: First let me start off by saying that the restaurant itself was clean and nice looking. The service was great. The host sat us quickly, and our server Jasmine was attentive and fast. The drinks here are top notch as well.

The Bad: For what you get here, the prices are crazy high. I am sorry but this is likely the worst meal as far as ingredients, freshness, and flavor, that I have ever had. Do NOT be fooled by all the “Nawlins” style wording. Also do NOT be fooled by all the “fancy” wording like “whipped potatoes”. This restaurant has nothing to do with New Orleans, it was started in Atlanta. Also note their Atlanta location is in the midst of closing down.

Things we ordered. Broiled Oysters, calamari, lamb shepherds pie, and the Shrimp Poboy.

Calamari - this was the only decent thing we had here. It was a little over cooked (which means it was a bit chewy) but it was fried well, seasoned, and the marinara was delicious with a little bit of spice to it.

Oysters - description says “broiled with garlic lemon butter and topped with Parmesan”. There was no butter, no garlic, and no Parmesan. It was literally an oyster topped with panko bread crumbs and then broiled. I actually thought it was just a mistake and the server asked if I would like them remade. Which I accepted as the 1st order was bone dry and not good at all. The 2nd round was a TINY bit better but only because they drizzled some melted butter on top so they weren’t so dry. The oysters are $17 for half-dozen

Lamb Shepherds Pie - I 100% can tell you these are instant mashed potatoes. They were so dry. The peas and carrots are from a can. I’m only 85% certain the meat was pot roast and not lamb. There was zero flavor. Very little salt, and zero other spices, herbs, or pepper. This entree is $25 by the way.

Shrimp Poboy - a very small “hoagie bun” (not French bread) with 1 piece of lettuce and a tiny amount of sauce that they called “remoulade sauce”. I think it was just some type of dressing with extra spices mixed in. Our “Poboy” had a total of 6 small shrimp on it. The fries it came with were not freshly made, cold, zero salt, fried way too long, dark brown, and chewy. $16 for 6 shrimp, a hoagie bun and some fries.

Since we had an issue with the oysters, the head chef came out at the end of our meal to check on how everything else was. His name was Nick and he was extremely professional and nice. Since the service was good, and the restaurant was clean and upscale, I did decide to voice my opinions on all of the above about the food because I would rather the restaurant fix the issues rather than close down. I was told that unfortunately the staff here does not have any say so in the ingredients or recipes, and they just kind of follow orders. If the restaurant is still open in a year, I’ll give it an other chance to see if anything...

I base my review on various things so I will break it down here.

First of all the atmosphere and layout of the pub is exceptionally well done. It gives off that upper class pub feeling.

The menu in terms of food features some extremely classical options of pub food with a few options that you generally don’t expect to see.

Our visit involved two adults and a child. Upon entry we were provided with two menu's unfortunately I had to ask for a children’s menu after being seated. Which felt a little odd given the age of the child. No crayons/ writing utensils included at this point for the child.

Our waitress was impeccable she was quick to serve us and provide personal insight on how food is prepared, with what ingredients and even if anything specific should be expected in each dish.

We ordered a kids pizza, the pan seared trout and the Hong Kong salmon.

Kids pizza - underbaked. The crust was still of a soft doughy feel. A pizza in general can be improved on in a few ways to add flavor here yet bake time needs a tweaking.

Hong Kong salmon - salmon is cooked well and good tasted good. A unique combination of flavors but overall little to complain about.

Pan seared trout - this dish started off with crispy trout and andouille sauce( crawfish included). Personally I was amazed at how perfect the texture of the trout was. Now the regrettable part. The potato’s underneath the trout were of varying size and this meant that large ones were undercooked. Small we’re burnt to an unbearable taste. Medium sized wedges were amazing and complimented this dish incredibly. Same could be said for the green beans it may be worth steaming them a little before applying them to this dish which can be an absolute balance of flavor.

Ultimately the food weighted down my review in the sense it looks good. It has an expecting price tag slapped on it in which case you come to expect standards of which I’ve outlined to be covered.

Service was amazing save for front staff being a little unaware.

Atmosphere and layout is five star. Big congratulations to the architect of that vision.

Price is certainly mid range but fair given what ingredients accompany those dishes.

I feel like overall this place can soar high given a little tweaking but I’ll give it an opening review and wait to see if another visit...

My wife and I recently decided to break out of our culinary rut and try something new, so we ventured over to Salt Factory Pub in Mid-City Huntsville. From the moment we walked in, we were impressed by the unique atmosphere— a cool blend of pub vibes, industrial design, and a touch of 1960s New York restaurant charm. It’s the kind of place that feels welcoming and classy at the same time.

We opted to eat at the bar, and I’m so glad we did. The tap selection is extensive, with a great variety of craft beers, including plenty of IPAs, which is always our go-to. I couldn’t resist checking out their impressive bourbon menu as well, though I held off on ordering this time. The bartender, who was super knowledgeable about both the spirits and the food menu, made it clear this place takes pride in what it serves.

For appetizers, we went with the Pork Tacos. These were a fantastic start— bursting with flavor and perfectly cooked. They really set the tone for the rest of the meal.

For the main course, we went all-in on the classic Fish and Chips (full size). Let me tell you, this is by far the best fish and chips I’ve ever had. The fish was beautifully meaty and flaky, and the batter was light and crisp— you could tell it was made from scratch, which made all the difference. The portion was generous, and it was definitely enough for both of us to enjoy.

Overall, Salt Factory Pub has earned a spot in my regular rotation of places to dine. The atmosphere is laid-back but refined, the food is top-notch, and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I’m already looking forward to...