AYA Soulful Dining — Restaurant in Montgomery

Had brunch with several ladies on Saturday and the venue was very impressive. Whoever picked the music selection don't change a thing. Absolutely loved it. Our waitress Amanda (Mandy) took the whole experience to another level. Will definitely ask for her upon return. The food was reasonably priced but some dishes failed short. One of the ladies has tomoatoes on her ceasar salad. She and another lady had the shrimp and grits fritters, they both said it tasted ok but was very spicy. I had the chicken and waffles which was ok as well but the fried chicken could have used a little more seasoning/salt. And I'm a person who doesn't do a lot of salt but loves well seasoned food with herbs and spices. The chicken was well cooked and not greasy. I enjoyed the cornbread waffle. The other lady had a mimosa and wanted a small portion of food. They were very accommodating and added shrimp to her salad selection. We will definitely be back to this crown jewel in the City of...

Beautiful restaurant with great service. Very allergy-friendly. Definitely an asset to Montgomery. We had a party of 7, and Amandaaaaa from Chicago, our waiter, was 10/10! With that being said...

​As far as food? OVERPRICED, undercooked, and a MAJOR lack of seasoning. The rice was undercooked and crunchy on both smothered chicken plates. We had to send both sides back. The charred items on the vegan dish were giving "regular unleaded 87" and the beans were undercooked. We tried a variety of food : 3 of the appetizers including Ms.Ednas Biscuits...which definitely are not your Big Mama's.....( I'm not sure who Ms.Edna is or who she's making biscuits for) The short ribs, shrimp and grits, chicken dishes, and even the vegan BBQ mushrooms with sweet potato caramel "cake" (now, y'all know that's a burntt cornbread muffin), and the strawberry and cream trifle. ​Anywho, the vibes were immaculate, and the attached museum was a great way to...

More Amanda please🤩! Our charismatic and knowledgeable waitress made the whole experience worth it. While the food left much to be desired )the amazing service from our Chicago girl, the rest of the wonderfully accommodating staff from valet to the restaurant manager, the jamming playlist🤩 and beautiful venue really carried the evening for us. Would I return? YES! But only in a few months once the kitchen has hopefully found its rhythm. AYA has the potential to be the crowned jewel of downtown Montgomery but the food. The food needs improvement. It all sounds and looks good but pretty much everything we had was either overly salted or undercooked, but they are brand new so w gave grace. (Plus they sent out new dishes that were better prepared the second time around and free of charge. A good look, but maybe get it right the first time) Perhaps breakfsat is better? Try it for yourself with an open mind. Just ask...