Ironwood Kitchen and Cocktails

Breakfast: $8-$14 Brunch: $8-$28

Lunch: $10-$20

Dinner: $15-45+

Location: Ironwood Kitchen and Cocktails is located in The Valley Hotel in Homewood, Alabama. The Valley Hotel is a luxury hotel opened in February of 2021. It’s a beautiful hotel with attention to detail and upscale amenities. It’s a mile away from downtown Birmingham and in walking distance from boutiques and local attractions. Ironwood is housed in The Valley Hotel. It provides southern comfort cuisine and craft cocktails.

Lobby of the Valley Hotel, Homewood, Alabama

Design within the lobby of the Valley Hotel.

Coffee Shop in the lobby of the Valley Hotel.

Rooms in the Valley Hotel.

Interior: The interior of the restaurant (no photos but video on TikTok) is beautifully designed with a warm inviting light. There are large tables for groups and plenty of seating/tables for an intimate date night. The bar is large and is located at the entrance of the restaurant. The bar is very well stocked. There is a bar on the second floor with an outdoor patio. The upstairs bar is a lounge with side tables. You can order food from the upstairs bar, as well as ask for craft cocktails created specifically for your taste. I love that they can create a cocktail for you that isn’t on the menu.

Cocktail Demonstration.

Cocktail Demonstration in upstairs lounge/bar.

Cocktail from demonstration (not on menu)

Cocktail from demonstration (not on menu)

Service: Service at the restaurant was excellent. We were invited with a group and had a set tasting menu. We were in a side room for a “private” menu if the doors were closed. The servers knew the menu very well and were able to answer questions from the table. It’s so important for staff to know the menu in order to provide the best experience…. especially if the menu has cooking concepts and ingredients that aren’t common.

Meal: The cocktails were spot on. Speak to your waiter to find the perfect cocktail, beer, and wine for your dinner. The meal that we experienced was a tasting menu. Go through the photos and hover over to read ingredients and the name of the dish. Some of what we ate is not on the current menu. Menu’s change according to ingredient availability and season! The bacon hanger as a starter is a must! It’s absolutely delicious…. smokey and sweet with the perfect amount of heat, salt, and fat presented on a custom hanger made by a local artist. SO GOOD!

Menu and place setting.

Bacon Hanger: Corn cob smoked bacon, brown sugar, and chipotle.

Sweet potato biscuits

Ms Tammy’s Savory Tart: Braised collard greens, puff pastry, and confit tomatoes.

Steak n’ Egg: Smoked beef tartar, Wickles pickles, shallot, McEwen and Son’s egg yolk, and grilled baguette.

Pan Seared Gulf Grouper: Blue crab, shrimp, Conecuh sausage, fingerling potatoes, sweet corn, baby spinach, and asparagus veloute.

Dessert plate Chef’s choice: I can’t remember all of them but I do know the whoopie pie, cobber, and lemon square were my favorites!

Alabama products used:

Conecuh Sausage / McEwen and Sons / Wickles Pickles / Gulf Grouper & Shrimp

Comments: I want to start by saying that we have not tried anything from their menu except for the bacon hanger (which was amazing!). We heard that The Burger is excellent, so we’re excited to come try it! Judging by the tasting menu - the meal we had, the chef and kitchen staff are excellent and putting out some delicious food.

Will we go back? Yes. Would we recommend? Yes. This is the perfect restaurant for a special celebration or date night. Check out the menu on their website before you go!