central restaurant

today was our wedding anniversary and my husband suggested that we go to central. once we arrived at the restaurant, we were immediately greeted "by name". we were then escorted by two or three people thorugh the restaurant. we proceeded to the back out of the common seating area, through a door, and down a stairwell. by this time i am thinking..."where are we going?" once we get to the bottom of the stairs, we proceeded down the hall into a dimly lit private dinning area where there were candles everywhere and a bottle of chilled wine on the table. there was a place card on the table that said, "happy anniversary catina, love thomas". the atmosphere was very romantic and elegant. we were in our own private dining area with a private waiter. our waiter was robert and he was awesome! he told us about the history of the bulding and the owners of the restuarant. robert was very attentive to our needs and ensured that we were satified and comfortable. he would check in with us to make sure that we were enjoying ourselves. how could i not enjoy this kind of treatment. i felt as though i was royalty. i would really like to give a big thank you to michelle rivera and robert for going all out for us. it really meant a lot to me and my husband thomas. we will definitley visit central restaurant again and make sure our family and friends visit as well. thank you michelle for making this a day i will never forget. god bless!

lunch at central - just opened for lunch. i finally got to central to check it out after hearing good things about the dinners. i went to a lunch there after they'd just opened a week before for the lunch crowd and had a great meal. the patty melt was different than what one usually sees, but in a good way. the patty actually apperars to be a piece of their meatloaf and it's well seasoned. then they put pimento cheese on it in lieu of american or cheddar and it tasted great! the onion rings served with the sandwhich are made there and dipped in a beer batter i think. they were very good and the dipping sauce that comes with them is spicy, hot-ish and i did like it alongside a bit of ketchup. interesting taste. a buddy of mine had a san marcos flatbread that had jorizo, black beans, corn, avocado and white cheese. delicious and wood oven flatbread fired!

i have been to central 5 times since it has opened and i have not been disappointed! it is a great addition to montgomery. the service is excellent and the food is fantastic!

gluten free friendly & delicious!. we went to central recently, and had an awesome experience. i called ahead to ask about their gluten free options and was told to ask my waiter when we arrived, which i found odd. however when i asked her, she returned with a regular menu directly from the head chef, who had gone over the menu and marked off what i could not have and added modifications to a few dishes to make them safe. no one in montgomery is that accommodating! we started with the boiled peanut hummus (unique and tastes just like it sounds), which they brought out with some veggie sticks for me. then i chose the pork shank, and it was one of the best things i've eaten in this city, by far. completely fell off the bone, i had no need for the giant knife they brought. we will definitely go back here again. the ambiance is great, but even better was the helpful staff and tasty food. only thing i'd change is for them to have a gluten free dessert, because i know it would be tasty! thanks central!!

good intentions. poor execution. waited over an hour for a meal. fish was delicious but failed to tell me that it was unscaled. needs to improve.

downtown adds another asset. my husband and i visited central for the first time this past friday night. even though we did not have reservations we were quickly seated near the bar even though the place was nearly full. they had two private parties and a lot of prom kids there that night, but we were served quickly and courteously. our server who was also working the bar was one of the best we've had in montgomery in a long time. he was quick to help but not intrusive. we had the raw oysters appetizer and it was wonderful. for our entrees my husband ordered the meatloaf and practically licked his plate clean. i had the flounder and thoroughly enjoyed the red bell pepper coulis. we splurged on dessert and ordered both the banana cream pie and the krispy kreme bread pudding. although we had a bit of a wait (as one of the private parties seemed to have ordered dessert at the same time) our server was very diligent to keep us updated and keep our drinks filled while we waited. the desserts were excellent! the bread pudding came out hot with a nutella sauce drizzled over the top. the banana cream pie had an oreo cookie crust and tasted freshly made. portions were generous and in the future we may only order one dessert and share!
overall the atmosphere is good, decor has a great vibe (especially loved the gas lit lanterns) and the staff is excellent. this restaurant is definitely a great option for a date night or hanging out with friends!

we didn't like central. i took my husband to central for the first time for his birthday. we checked out the menu on their website beforehand, but when we got there they had a different menu. we both felt the price was too high for the amount on the plate, plus the food wasn't great - it was just good. there were too many waiters & waitresses just standing around looking at you - it made me feel uncomfortable. i loved the old-building look & feel. i'm excited about the growth happening downtown so i feel badly that we do not plan to go back to central.

wonderful dining experience!. ate at central on monday night with a friend from out of town. we arrived a bit before our reservation time, but was not a problem for the staff. we sat at the bar and had a few cocktails - the staff gave us plenty of time to sit and talk and asked if we would like to be seated early (which we did), and then took us to our table. we ordered the calamari with the wasabi aoili for an appetizer - wow! it had just enough wasabi to give it a "kick". very tasty!! for our entrees, i tried the steak frites (hangar steak with fries) and my friend had the wood-fired half herb chicken with brussel sprouts (instead of the roasted vegetables). again, the entrees were great!! if you are having dessert, let me recommend the krispy kreme bread pudding - it was very good as well! all in all, we had a great dining experience at central and will be back. this may be our new "go to" place!!

a little cramped when crowded but the food is good. the restaurant is hopping and going through its growth spurts. however, thursday (with reservations) we were seated quickly and served adequately. the wedge was very good and the duck delicious. we will go back.

i however, saw the garlic pepper stir fry and went for it "medium" spicy with beef. what a meal. it cleared my sinuses and forced me to drink about a gallon of water during the meal but it was soooo good i ate every bit. the group confirmed that we consider green papaya to be one of the best places for lunch in the gump.

we ate here friday night. must say our server charles was awesome. the food and atmosphere is what you would expect for a new restaurant in the middle of the alley. the only suggestion i have is this place is more suited for groups. the acoustics of the room allow noise to travel well and some tables are so close together that you could join in on your neighbors conversation. however we had no complaints about the food, differently a great mixture of flavors and textures to everything. the steakhouse wedge was shared between my husband and i and was well liked. his spare rib just crumbled of the bone. he did say it was a little too peppery but he still enjoyed it.

central is awesome!. central is a new restaurant located downtown montgomery, in the alley. it boasts a 'scratch' kitchen and a 'craft' bar. chef michael directs his kitchen like a conductor directs an orchestra. the wait staff is on top of things and the food is out of this world.

starters ,such as boiled peanut hummus and calamari, seemed to fly out of the kitchen. main dishes are to die for. the tomahawk short ribs and the duck are delicacies. with a creative signature cocktail list and an extensive wine list, you may have trouble making up your mind.

hope everyone takes the opportunity to check these guys out...

must try this new place!!!. very promising first visit. my husband and i went on their first friday night. the place was definitely hoppin'. the room screams, "i am an historic building with exposed ducting that's been turned into a place for the hip, beautiful people!" they let us in anyway. really, the place is very well done, open kitchen, beautiful decor; creative and varied lighting that complimented the exposed brick and high ceilings. it took a couple minutes for our waiter to show up, but one of the bussers jumped right in with water and bread--good teamwork. after that minor bobble the service was spot on. we actually recognized a few waiters from some of our other favorite restaurants, to include the now-closed ham & high, and the still excellent roux. the wait staff is a mix of doe-eyed youngsters and seasoned professionals. since this was the first friday of operation, there were the expected mix ups. one young lady tried to bring us someone else's food twice and another server was having trouble answering some questions for the diners next to us. hopefully, the kids will learn from the masters and the service will be as top-notch as the food.

the menu focuses on grilled everything--oysters, fish, steak, even vegetables--with a good representation of southern comfort foods. and they focus on local produce. we started with the wood-roasted oysters with leeks and parmesan. excellent. my husband then had the beet salad with pistachios and goat cheese. the presentation was colorful and creative and the beets were just tender. i don't even like beets. for entrees, we both went for the beef. i had the braised short ribs with "smashed" potatoes and carrots. presentation was simple, but it was one of the best beef dishes i've ever eaten. i know words like that and "fork tender" have become cliché in restaurant reviews, but i'm raking my brain to remember a better beef entrée and i cannot recall one. the rib had that delicious "fatty-rich" flavor, but in a good way! even the potatoes were fantastic! --perfect ratio of cream and butter and plenty of lumps--not whipped into submission. my husband went for the hangar steak and frites. the fries were good, and the steak was extremely rare, just like he ordered it, well-aged and very tender. it came with a house steak sauce, which was good (similar to, but better than a-1), but he said it could use a bit a bit of salt. they brought coarse sea salt in a small finger bowl.

they have a pretty good wine selection, from which we sampled a couple nice glasses. we finished with the krispy kreme bread pudding. yes, bread pudding made with krispy kreme donuts. killer! prices are as you might expect, a little high but not too bad. one final note for the ladies--the bathrooms are awesome!

we'll definitely be back, and with friends to sample more of the menu. highly recommend you check it out.