South Bar Delivers With Basic Fare, Struggles With Dining Identity

When it comes to club and bar scenes, many in Metro Detroit head to Ferndale, Royal Oak or even Pontiac. In Birmingham, though, there's a new spot in town that's drawing individuals from all over the area: .  

With a modern exterior and sleek interior, couches, lounge areas, tables, bars and massive wall-mounted televisions, South Bar has become known as an upscale bar and hot spot for Birmingham nightlife, attracting the young and middle-aged alike.

However, I decided to investigate South Bar's claim as an upscale dinner location. When I arrived, it was a slow Monday night, the perfect opportunity to sit down for dinner. I was led through the restaurant, past a large bar, and seated at a small table for two. Around me, the interesting blend of customers reminded me Ferndale's Loving Touch: individuals relaxed on couches behind gauzy curtains, two businessmen watched a game on wall-mounted television and a couple enjoyed a date with red wine.

My waiter was courteous and attentive, even after I asked him why the restaurant was still using the lunch menu at 7:30 p.m. He assured me they were, in fact, serving lunch.

The entrées, however, were still expensive—between $20-$30. Plus, there seemed to be a lack of focus or themes in the entrée choices; between steak, Mexican, burgers and pasta, none of the options made entire sense. I mean, you can get steak anywhere, right?

To try something more specific to the restaurant, I decided on a popular menu combination: a half wrap and soup, followed by dessert. While most of the wraps only used standard deli meats, they had an unusual vegetarian option featuring asparagus and portabello mushrooms. The meal came with sweet potato fries, a house special, and I decided to skip the beer and wine and go with a black bean soup instead.

The soup was disappointing at first, but ultimately delivered. The menu had promised a cumin sour cream and avocado blend as a soup topping, but the final product only had two thin streams of both that I couldn't taste while eating.  However, the black bean soup was spicy and thick and though the beans tasted overcooked, the spicy and unique flavor saved the soup.

The half wrap and sweet potato fries arrived next, and these surprised me the most. I loved the sweet potato fries; they were crispy, hot, sweet and salty. The combination of brown sugar and salt with the sweet potato was clever and they were so addicting, I finished them long after I was full.  

The wrap was also one of the best wraps I've ever had, living up to my expectations as the most unusual item on the menu. The asparagus was lightly cooked—enough to be cooked but not so much to take away the crunch—and the mushrooms were thick with a meaty texture. 

Unfortunately, the dessert—the Kahlua fried ice cream—was a disappointment. I received ice cream and unidentifiable candy crumbs in a stale tortilla bowl that was so soft, I couldn't break or bite into it easily.

As for its claims as an upscale dining experience, South Bar would do best to advertise their munching classics: wraps, fries and soup. The venue should also decide on an identity—a lounge, sports bar, or upscale restaurant. For now, the bar would be best off as a lunch spot or late-night bar and lounge, rather than staking a claim in Birmingham's culinary scene.