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Birmingham, AL

North America

United States

# Overview
SLIDE Cafe is a vibrant restaurant located at 1025 20th St S, Birmingham, AL. Known for its hearty brunch offerings, this establishment has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike. With a menu that emphasizes traditional American breakfast and brunch dishes, SLIDE Cafe aims to provide a welcoming atmosphere where everyone can enjoy delicious food. The cafe's commitment to quality and customer service is evident in the numerous positive reviews, making it a must-visit spot in Birmingham.

## History
SLIDE Cafe has evolved into a popular dining destination in Birmingham, particularly known for its brunch. Founded by Chef Raquel Ervin, who gained recognition from her appearance on the Food Network show "Chopped," the cafe has become a staple in the community. The establishment reflects a blend of personal passion and culinary expertise, showcasing Southern flavors with a modern twist. Over the years, SLIDE Cafe has celebrated milestones such as expanding its menu and increasing its seating capacity to accommodate growing demand. The cafe's cultural influence is marked by its focus on inclusivity, being a black-owned business that actively supports the LGBTQ community.

## Community
SLIDE Cafe is deeply involved in the Birmingham community, partnering with local organizations to promote sustainability and support local farmers. The cafe hosts events that celebrate local culture and cuisine, creating a space for community engagement. Voices from the community highlight the cafe's role as a gathering place, where people from diverse backgrounds come together to enjoy good food and company. Regular events and seasonal promotions keep the community connected, fostering a sense of belonging among patrons.

## Offerings
At SLIDE Cafe, guests can expect a diverse menu featuring traditional American breakfast and brunch items. Popular offerings include:
- Burgers
- Breakfast sliders
- Chicken and waffles
- Biscuits and gravy
- Specialty coffee and house-made lemonade
The cafe also provides customizable options for patrons with dietary restrictions. With a focus on quality ingredients, each dish is crafted to ensure a delightful dining experience. SLIDE Cafe also offers catering services for special events, making it a versatile choice for gatherings.

## Pros and Cons
Review insights reveal a mix of experiences at SLIDE Cafe. Strengths include:
- Friendly and attentive staff
- Flavorful and hearty dishes
- Inviting atmosphere
However, some weaknesses noted by patrons include:
- Confusing ordering system via kiosks
- Occasional inconsistencies in food preparation
- Noise levels can be high due to the cafe's design
Overall, while many guests rave about their experiences, some have expressed concerns about specific aspects of service and food preparation.

## Location & Nearby
SLIDE Cafe is situated in the bustling Southside neighborhood of Birmingham, AL. This area is known for its rich cultural heritage and vibrant community life. The cafe's location makes it easily accessible for both locals and tourists exploring the city. Nearby attractions include parks, art galleries, and historical sites, providing visitors with plenty of options to explore before or after their meal.

## Visit SLIDE Cafe Today
If you're in Birmingham, SLIDE Cafe offers a unique dining experience that combines delicious food with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. With a menu that caters to a variety of tastes and dietary needs, there's something for everyone. The cafe's commitment to community and quality makes it a standout choice for brunch or a casual meal. Don't miss the chance to enjoy a meal at SLIDE Cafe, where every dish is crafted with care and passion. Plan your visit today!

e962d38b-80d2-49c0-8aec-578e36b7e54e

SLIDE Cafe was amazing. Immediately upon going in, i was greeted and attended to promptly. They helped me understand everything on the menu and make sure I got the brunch I wanted. I am visually impaired and had a bit of a concern with some steps in the restaurant, but the staff helped me up and down the stairs without issue. The food itself? Some of the best brunch I've ever had. I like simple things made well, and the chicken, egg, and cheese sandwich is most definitely that. Savory and crispy chicken on a bed of jam, honey glazed over a buttery biscuit, and eggs and cheese all roughly held together--it'd be a challenge to eat it with your hands, no shame in using a fork and knife like I did. I also had a side of potatoes, which were perfectly crispy, well-seasoned, and delicious. All washed down with the southern classic that is sweet tea. My waitress came by often to check on me and I felt well taken care of. Overall, great experience, would absolutely come back here for brunch next time I'm in town.

58ed66c5-3d80-46c6-9cab-959ca21d8c7a

Now this is brunch!! My girlfriends and I stopped by this location and we had zero regrets. The food came out hot and fresh, and the drinks were nice, flavorful, and super delightful! Ty greeted us at the door and checked in with us throughout our visit--she was so sweet and attentive. This new location is definitely bigger and brighter, which made the vibe even better. The only thing I didn't love was the kiosk setup. I felt a little rushed with a line behind me, so I couldn't really look over the menu. Maybe adding more kiosks or having printed menus available would help guests who get anxious in crowds.

87c10625-9481-4975-b7cb-46fd5171a004

We are not local-we were in town for a wedding and wanted an easy place for brunch in a group before getting ready for a wedding. I don't think I would return based on our one experience. You order on a screen and are assigned a table number. I do not love this style of ordering as someone with food sensitivities who typically needs to alter my order and ask a few equations. It was also kind of a confusing set up for ordering with multiple screens to click through-easy to kiss something. Portions are comically massive. Like way too much food. Almost no one in our group finished their meal. My husband ordered a biscuit sandwich and there was 3 pieces of fried chicken stacked in a tiny biscuit. He had to deconstruct it to be able to eat it and then you just friend chicken with no sauce with what reminded. That is not appealing. He said it tasted fine but the rest of our table all said their food was over seasoned. I ordered French toast and it was fine but nothing special. The syrup had a flavor to it. I can't remember what it was but it wasn't for me. I'm sure it's something done specially or in house but it just was not for me. A note that everyone had was that the sausage in particular was way too over-seasoned. Like to a point that it was inedible. They also forgot our waters. Then they forgot straws. There was no salt or pepper et the table we had to ask for it and they brought out an literal oil of little salt & pepper packets (like what you get a gas station) Lastly there was a guy who I assume may have been the manager who was also functioning as the greeter who was quite loud. We were seated very close to the door and stand so there was no getting away from him yelling at everyone he spoke to. Not angrily just he had a very loud and high pitched voice. There is also almost no soft surface in the space so the overall space itself is quite loud so all of it was just a lot. He also came around and asked for good reviews which kind of turned all of us off. We actually had a conversation about it. All in all I'm this place was a little too much for me. It wasn't a terrible experience but not what we were looking for and we didn't love our food. I can see a bunch of dudes maybe liking it but it was just too much for us.

2ba5dc26-0940-43e1-b4cb-4c039b4301bb

I visited Slide Cafe for the first time and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. I ordered the ribeye steak and eggs and specifically asked for the steak to be cooked medium. When my plate arrived, the steak was clearly well-done. I voiced my concerns to the server, who took the plate to the owner/chef. The server returned and told me the chef said it was cooked medium and would not be replaced. The steak was undeniably overcooked. Another server stopped by my table and I asked her opinion--she agreed the steak looked well-done. She told me she would speak with the owner but never returned. I waited 15-20 minutes for the owner to come to my table and address the issue, but that never happened. I was told by the a server if I wanted to voice my concern, I needed to go up to the counter to talk with the chef. I'm the customer, I'm not coming to you ma'am! What frustrated me most was not only receiving a steak that was not cooked to order, but also the complete lack of accountability and customer care. As a first-time visitor, I expected at least some effort to correct the mistake or acknowledge my concern, but instead I left unsatisfied and disappointed. Sadly this is why some black businesses get a bad reputation because of businesses like this one. I'm very disappointed because I had been looking forward to patronizing this establishment and for this to be my experience. I'm very disappointed to say the least on top of the fact I paid for food that I did not eat.

05f8e437-aa82-4ee5-9318-e1dfdea7c979

Came in for brunch on a Sunday and the place was busy! You're greeted at the entrance and order through the kiosk which makes ordering easy (plus see pictures of items you're ordering). We ordered 3 sliders which was enough for 2 people. The brunch sliders are piled high! You could tell a lot of thought went into curating this menu. The sausage was perfectly cooked and the sauces on the sliders made them even better. The favorite was the Sunrise biscuit slider. We also appreciate the complimentary mimosa with our meal. Will definitely be back to try all the other sliders!

ae6a31d8-bab7-4f52-8dfc-55ce5749c529

The Brisket egg and cheese biscuit with cheese grits was fantastic. The brisket was seasoned to perfection and the brown sugar glaze on top. Overall 10/10 , would definitely go back.

39c20156-b90f-4da1-acd1-0735f6116958

I came here for the first time yesterday and was absolutely taken back! After living in the south for so many years and looking for a proper Southern breakfast w no success, I can finally stop looking! This joint had the heartiest food, and every detail, down to the perfect mix of saltiness and spiciness on the chicken, to the crumbly buttery biscuits stacked with three different types of meat and sweet jelly, and the maple syrup that had cinnamon undertones to it, I was blown away. The chef is such a personable woman and made our experience so enjoyable -- she is so talented and deserves a lot more recognition, please do try this place out if you're near southside Birmingham!

658b4cce-02df-4f93-b532-23eea30fe035

Three of us had the hamburger, catfish with grits and seafood omelette. We all said it was some of the best food we have ever had. The staff was amazing!! We even met the chef owner. Wonderful experience!

1a750aff-49ea-4736-a8ac-1a9c68ec8de7

the experience was not what I expected. The food was overly sweet and the drinks were very strong and bitter. When asked for an exchange, I was met with rudeness. I was told that she couldn't do an exchange because of "personal preference." I just feel like as a customer, my needs are supposed to be accommodated and I didn't receive that. I spent $100 and I feel like it was a waste of money. 0/10 don't recommend.

00422a90-c635-4941-b07a-93e66ed364fe

After a long day of two friends grocery shopping and realizing neither one of us had eaten any breakfast or lunch we decided to eat a late lunch which ended up being my breakfast, lunch, and dinner lol. So yeah we were hungry and since this was on my list of new places to try and was in route of us heading home we stopped by SLIDE Cafe. Side story here this was on a Saturday and when we Googled to get the address and it said they were closed. I called the restaurant and they said they were open. I let them know of the issue and they fixed it and also confirmed to us that they are open till midnight. SLIDE Cafe is black owned by a LGBTQ couple with head chef Raquel Ervin who appeared on Food Network show Chopped. Got to meet her and her wife once we got there and both were very nice and we shared a good laugh about Google saying they were closed. The inside and out side of this place was beautiful and they definitely make sure you don't miss them. The menu is huge but not overwhelming with everything cooked to order. First up was the Smokehouse: burger slider with white American cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce, and white bbq sauce. This was so good and had so much flavor had this had some grilled onions it would have blown me to the moon. But still a great burger! 8.5/10 Next up the Chicken Pesto: this is what Caitlyn Sebastian ordered and I had the chance to try a bit of it and when I say that bite was all I needed to know that I wanted to order this again from now on! It had seasoned juicy grilled chicken, white American cheese, smoked bacon, house made pesto aioli, and lettuce and tomato. My only gripe with this sandwich was it had a but too much aioli on it for me but I can always go back and say light sauce. 9.5/10 And finally the Buffalo chicken sandwich: simple really hand breaded seasoned chicken breast deep fried with their house made sweet Buffalo sauce, pickles, blue cheese, and house mad Sriracha aioli. It was pretty good you'd think with all those sauces it would be to much but actually balanced well but the blue cheese does get lost a little. 8/10 The fries were really freaking good with the perfect crisp and fluffy inside and was seasoned perfectly as well. I was legit addicted to them! 10/10 All in all this was a great experience and I can't wait to go back. Everything all together gets a perfect score from me and I suggest you guys get to this place asap! 10/10 I completely forgot about the Lemonade they make in house as well. It was amazing 9/10!

Discover SLIDE Cafe in Birmingham, AL—where delicious eats and a vibrant atmosphere await. Experience the local flavor and indulge today.

SLIDE Cafe in Birmingham AL - Unique Dining Experience Downtown

Birmingham

SLIDE Cafe

Alabama

Discover SLIDE Cafe at 1025 20th St S, Birmingham, AL. Enjoy delicious food, specialty coffee, and a vibrant atmosphere. Visit us today!

SLIDE Cafe Menu Overview

Signature Dishes

Beverages and Pairings

Dietary Options

Chef Recommendations

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