chez fon fon

good. i've only eaten here once, but it was successful. the service was great, the food was above average for a brasserie, and there was a nice selection or provincial french food on the menu.

this isn't a fine dining restaurant, nor does it try to be. it's a typical brasserie. aplacewhere you stop by after work for a bite and a drink. you can't even make a reservation here, so that should tell you something.

it brings an element to birmingham that's missing and certainly welcome it to the list.

safety in numbers. with so many reviews of chez fonfon available, i can only add that the reviews are collectively accurate. the categorization of the restaurant as a $$ romanticplaceis not. at best one can say it is either cheap, or romantic, but not both. while there are menu items for under $10, these are either petit menu items that are small even by appetizer standards, or grande menu items like a burger or a salad. if you wish to enjoy some of the more romantic-dinner-out selections from the grande menu you are looking at $20 for the highly touted trout with beurre braun. the grilled salmon, pork medallions, and two specials were $22-25. and then add sides and you are looking at $30 for an entree plate. it is unfair to welcome folks into your restaurant expecting applebee's prices only to be left with a choice of making a dinner out of 3 shrimp and a few shreds of lettuce, or breaking the bank. fonfon is a $$$-$$$$. the other less-than-romantic feature is the loudness that is addressed in previous reviews.

with that said, the food is superb. i made a meal of the fruits de mer from the petit menu and the fonfon frisee salad, also from the petit menu. the seafood salad was minuscule, but delicious. the shrimp was cooked to perfection, the mussels small, tender and tasty, and the crab preparation was respectful of the subtle taste on the crab. it was three medium shrimp, 5 dime-size mussels, and a tablespoon of crab, over shredded iceberg lettuce, all of which would have fit comfortably in a tea cup. the salad came dressed, which i usually don't like, but in this case it was perfectly dressed with the most delicious gorgonzola dressing i've ever eaten. the walnuts were lightly salted and perfectly roasted. except for the beets (which i hate, so that's on me) this was perhaps the most delicious salad i have ever enjoyed. my date had the shrimp remoulade salad from the grande menu. it too was delicious. it featured 5 good sized shrimp in a subtle (compared to arnaud's version) remoulade sauce, over iceberg lettuce. add two glasses of wine to the three salads and a cup of seafood and you are looking a $60 before the tip.

as for service, it was polite and attentive. was our guy rocking the "hey man this is an impressive french restaurant attitude" just a bit? sure. but i rocked the "i am not particularly impressed by french restaurants" attitude, and we got along just fine.

in the end we had a great time exploring a new restaurant, enjoying the wonderful tastes, and the lively atmosphere. if you want to bulk up, whisper sweet nothings into your date's ear, or feed a family on a budget, look elsewhere.

terrible service. the good food was over shadowed by the terrible service, which might have been the worst i've ever experienced. our waitress was point blank rude to the point i could feel my heart rate getting higher with every visit she made to our table. by the end of the night when we asked her to describe the desserts, she pointed to the menu we were looking at and said, "they are listed right there", then proceeded to list them verbatim from the menu. out of all of frank stitt's restaurants, this one is my least favorite. there is something off about paying a couple of hundred dollars for dinner alongside paperplacemats. the food was good but so many other great restaurants in birmingham, i will make a point not to go back to chez fon fon.

if you're looking for the best burger you'll have in your life, here's theplaceto get it! frank stitt is one of the best chefs so it's a treat to go to this french inspired restaurant. get there early though as they don't take reservations and the restaurant fills up fast! great wine selection too and excellent service! hands down one of the best in birmingham!

when people say thisplacehas the best burger, they aren't lying!! soooo good! such a cute, romantic atmosphere. perfect for a date! staff is beyond attentive and friendly. can not say enough good things about this place

voila, compliments to the chef. i thought this would be a stuffy french fartsplacebut theplaceis pretty causal. as a chef i want intriguing food and this fits the bill. ask a waiter to explain what's on the menu or you'll never get the whole experience. everything ordered was well presented and tasty. the hamburger was fantastic with the appropriate condiments. fries were crunchy with a good crisp. the salmon serving size was large, cooked to perfection and served with a delicious vegetable medley. the deserts, carrot cake and caramel cream, were not great but will be back to try more! cia

i might think i'm a tiny bit biased to thisplacesince my fiancé took me here to celebrate right after our engagement if it were not for the chicken liver mousse! it is phenomenal! i can't wait to go back just for a plate of that & a drink in their cute little patio with a splendid view of five points. i also had their trout almondine. though the bright star is my absolute favorite restaurant, i dare say chez fon fon's version of this gave the bright star's quite the run for their money!
see you again soon soon, fon fon!

every time i go to chez i leave happier than when i came. atmosphere is fun, casual, yet elegant enough to accommodate any group. business suits to jeans, thisplacehas a great crowd. and the food? i don't feel like typing for the next hour about how great everything is so i'll stick to the basic. if you haven't tried the steak tartare special, you're missing out. a decent sized portion of their always delicious steak tartare (best in town) and a glass of pinot noir for $12. it's only between 9-10pm but definitely worth having a late dinner... i'll see you at chez!!

a snobbyplacewith overpriced drinks and a staff of jerks. 'good burger though.

really good - if not entirely memorable. really liked it. i had the buttermilk blue cheese salad and an order of the escargot. both were good the dessert of a chocolate mousse was very rich, but absolutely wonderful. i would recommend thisplaceto friends; however, i didn't love it so much that i have to go back. next time i'm in birmingham, i will still explore my options.

favorite hotspot in bham. amazing food. fun and loud atmosphere. had the steak frites, the fries were good (not great) but the steak was to die for. ordered medium rare, and was cooked perfectly. topped with delicious seasonings, and really felt like something fresh. my meal was reasonably priced for what i got ($22) and i feel as if the other people at our tables meals were even better priced! if you're only in town for a few days, or you live here in town, give thisplacea try.

one of the top spots in the city for sure.

food is very good, but portions are a bit small. the waiter also had a pretentious demeanor which i did not care for, and theplacewas very crowded for the size. however, you should go just because the food is pretty tasty!

food is great. can be a little noisy but a great atmosphere and a wonderfulplaceto take a date

best in the ham. hands down bestplaceto eat in birmingham... the burger, the ham and cheese, french fries... trout... its all amazing and the desserts are to die for! i take everyone new to birmingham here.

quite nice. went for lunch with a group of friends during the holiday season. everyone was happy with their choices. food was very fresh and great looking. i personally was on a diet and thought, "no way was i going to find something halfway health conscious on the menu". but to my surprise, there was some yummy dishes to choose from. we all shared 3 desserts and the coconut cake by far was the favorite.
a little pretentious and the waitress was rather uninterested in working that day, but let's face it we all have our bad moments.
overall, it was a lovelyplacein the city of birmingham.
keep up the good work.