Canal House - Birmingham

Additionally, it took them over an hour to prepare and serve a simple order of mozzarella sticks. This is a poorly run restaurant with even worse management and ownership. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time such an incident has occurred; it's just the first time for us at this venue. We have many musician friends who have faced similar issues at this place and their sister establishment, The Exchange in Rockaway. I strongly advise against spending your money here.

We visit this place frequently and really enjoy the bartenders, but many of the chairs are unsafe due to bent legs, which can lead to people falling when they give way. One of the lovely bartenders, Amy, actually helped me off a chair on New Year's Eve because she was concerned for my safety and got me a replacement chair. It would be great to see some new, safer chairs added to the bar.

We were a party of six, and unfortunately, our dining experience was quite frustrating. Each person's food arrived about 10 minutes apart, and it took an eternity to get our orders. The drinks were also slow to arrive, coming one or two at a time, and it took nearly an hour just to get our drinks after ordering. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy, so that made the delays even more puzzling. Despite bringing it to the staff's attention multiple times that both bathrooms were out of soap, nothing was done the entire evening. They really need to improve their efficiency and procedures. This place has the potential to be great.

I've been frequenting the Canal House for several years now, which started with my attending their Tuesday evening Trivia events. They also feature 50 cent wings on Tuesdays, and $2 Bud/Bud Light drafts as long as the Mets or Yankees are on TV. How can you lose??? Wings are great size, and complimented by zingy hot sauce that doesn't taste like it just came out of a jar. If you're still hungry, the nachos are a huge hit as well. Monster pile of fresh tortilla chips with a blend of cheese, meat as ordered, and guac/sour cream/peppers. It's enough for a group of four, in all honesty, and very reasonably priced. I've heard great things about the burgers and club sandwiches, but I've never tried one. I can say they look fantastic as they pass by being served to other patrons. Ashley is the best bartender you could ask for, very attentive and full of humor and good spirits. Get out and try the great food and spirits at The Canal House. It's tucked away off Main Street, so you can easily pass it by! I do see some very negative older reviews, but I believe they revamped the menu, made some kitchen personnel changes, and are really on the right track.

My wife and I visited the Canal House this past weekend and I really have mixed feelings about the place. The positives...1)The place looks great, especially from the outside. There's a big parking lot which is really convenient. The restaurant is big, plenty of room. 2)We sat at the bar and had drinks and a couple of small plates. The beer selection was great, good IPA's on tap. The crab cake appetizer was also excellent. The negatives...1)The bar was completely unorganized. The girl working there was not supposed to be working the bar and was clearly not happy about it. 2)As other wait staff came in to get drinks, there seemed to be either confusion or at the least uncomfortableness which the patrons at the bar could feel. 3)The small plate of steamers left much to be desired. There was no reason to add bacon to this dish. As we were leaving, other customers mentioned how they were disappointed in the place. It's the kind of place that you want to like, but just wasn't this past weekend. Maybe we'll give it another shot, but probably not.