Mad Hatter Bistro

Went to Mad Hatter for my daughter’s birthday, upstairs décor is nice. Downstairs décor was old and tacky. There was a long wait for our food which was off putting since we arrived at 5pm. We ordered two burgers, the salmon & the queen’s chicken. The salmon was good and cooked nicely, the burgers were under seasoned and tasted bland, the fries were very thin shoestring fries. The chicken had a lemon caper sauce that overpowered the chicken, I love lemon but it was way too much. The only thing I ate on my plate of chicken was the few stalks of asparagus & half of the mashed potatoes that didn’t have the sauce on them. We told the waitress that I did not like the chicken, was told she would let the chef know but it was not taken off our bill. We spent $ 100 on dinner (not including tip) and will never go back. Maybe for drinks this place would be fun but the food was very underwhelming, disappointed in having to pay so much and left hungry.

Food was delicious. We started with the bruschetta which seemed like interesting topping choices but worked great together. Then we had steaks which were nicely done. My husband had the tiramisu for dessert while I had the pumpkin Spanish coffee. Both we very good. Service was great. We will be back!

Awesome atmosphere… but the food was just so-​so. the menu looks great, but what comes out doesn’t live up to expectations.

Cozy environment — good service. I had the salmon for dinner. It was cooked perfectly. Thought the potatoes were a little on the overcooked side. but still delicious.
Great little seating areas for small parties of 8 or the downstairs is available for reservation for a larger party.

This poor rating is only due to the terrible behavior and disposition of the hostesses. This would have been the third time they would have turned me away at the door to have dinner because they have reservations that start over an hour away (not smart to keep 4 tables empty at 6pm). If they are having problems with their reservations they should reserve half of the restaurant and keep the rest open for walk-​ins.
We convinced the girls to seat us because we would be quick and would not occupy a table for hours. Food was delicious, and Eddy is wonderful (ask for him).
I had a simple blackened salmon Niçoise salad and the salmon was perfectly done. Also tried the Mac and cheese and it was simple but yummy.

After working Sunday brunches in Birmingham for over a year, I decided to try one out for myself with two of my best friends. We picked the Hatter for it’s menu and theme, and left BLOWN AWAY.
First of all, our server, Bianca, was incredible. She said she’s usually a bartender there, but were were glad she was taking tables Sunday. So funny, sweet, and full of knowledge. She was attentive and everything a server should be.
We all ordered something different. Recommendations: the White Rabbit Omelet, Banana-​Nutella Crepes, and the Paris tea. Food was so full of flavor and we all had a nightmare picking something out off of the menu (which apparently had everything ever).
Ambience gets an A+. The Alice in Wonderland theme is clever but not over-​the-​top. The bar lighting changes colors and the dining room opens up to the outside which allows for people watching and fresh air. The tea pot and china are all Alice-​themed, as well. Very cute and welcoming, but also fancy enough to make you feel special.
Great location as well with street parking nearby. And while not terribly cheap, not as costly as other local brunches.

Fantastic fun time in Alice’s Wonderland. The food, drinks and wait staff are wonderful!
I will be back for sure,

You have to make a reservation for afternoon tea so be aware of this prior to your arrival. The tea selection is vast for a tea room — the tea is served by tea bag which is nice because you don’t have to finish off an entire pot before trying a new flavor. You can try as many flavors as you wish but know that you will need to constantly flag down your waiter for hot water. The entire time we were there, my group of 9 was only served four pots of hot water which wasn’t nearly enough for two cups of tea each. The trays of food (savory, scones, and desserts) cover the basics for afternoon tea bites. For $ 24 you get two small sandwiches, 2 other savory bites, 2 scones, 3 desserts and a few pieces of fruit. The scones were delicious as were the cucumber mint sandwiches. Overall, a great experience albeit the steep price.

No really. «Meh» pretty much covers it.
I’ve heard the downstairs décor is great, but the food was meh. Not good. Not bad. Had the spaghetti and meatballs. Atmosphere/​décor wise, it is unique and whimsical, so that might be a good enough reason to go.

Ask for josh if you want amazing service. He amazing and so friendly .
The Cheetos sushi was unbelievable so amazing. You know you love a place when u make plans to come back within a week from your previous visit. We also had beef tips for appetizer and it was delicious. We had an amazing experience over all. Highly recommend it for a unique outing it’s so different from any other place we’ve been too.

This is our first and last visit to the Mad Hatter. Once the fad wears off, I don’t expect this place to stay in business.
Pros:
–cute concept
–good variety on the menu
–love the tea party concept
Cons:
–cute décor, but «flea market» like. Just really random.
–very dusty in the rabbit hole
–slow wait staff
–slow kitchen
–have to book tea party far in advance at $ 20+ per person
— terrible food
–doesn’t run on time for reservations
We came with a party of 7 for a birthday brunch. Our reservation was at 2pm. We were sat at 2:40pm. Our server started out well, but went down hill quickly. Ordered the cheese platter to start– didn’t get plates. Asked another server after 7 minutes. When our food finally came over an hour later, our eggs Benedict were hard boiled, the hollandaise sauce was dried up, and the salmon was shriveled and gross, from sitting in the window for so long. We had to ask for new eggs, which appeared to be an inconvenience. The food was terrible.
Our party has two calls into management to discuss our experience. The owner is «too busy to talk» and has now threatened to sue over our reviews. Fabulous management and customer service skills there!
Don’t waste your time going here for a meal. Maybe just drinks if you can sit at the bar (that cannot be messed up too bad, right??)

Small intimate restaurant featuring interesting entrees and drinks. Low light atmosphere with soft background music. Started with a Bulleit Old Fashioned. Ordered the meat and cheese board next. It was huge with loads of prosciutto, salami, fruit, cheese, and fresh crostini. Next ordered a rainbow roll as a starter. For my main entrée I got the surf and turf. It was very good, cooked a perfect medium rare. Tender and juicy. Came on a bed of mash potatoes, some shrimp, and a side of asparagus. For dessert, we got the deep fried oreos. They were awesome. Drizzled in chocolate sauce and served with vanilla ice cream. I loved this venue and will be back.

Phenomenal food and drinks but have not had the friendliest of wait staff or witnessed very kind managers in my 3 visits.

I have had both great and not so great experiences here. I would give this restaurant 3.5 stars if I could because it is almost great, but just not quite there.
The cutest part about this place is the décor. As you can tell from the name, it is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. It works and makes for something nice to look at while you eat your food. I would recommend you sit downstairs where the décor is much more themed.
I had food there three times. The shrimp tacos are great and I would recommend anyone try them. However I was not impressed by the dessert. My wife and I shared a big cookie dessert that was way to sweet for me. Same thing with the fried Oreos. I did not have tea, but my wife said the tea was delicious. The scones were also tasty, but I am not usually a scone fan. All-​in-​all the food I had was good, but it didn’t blow me away.
The service was very good, and we were able to be seated quite quickly without reservations. The servers are kind and helpful, and checked up on us often.
The price was kind of high, but the quality of food did seem to match this high price so no real complaint here. The tea and scones do seem overpriced though, however I never ordered them (I just took a bite from my wives scones).

I would have liked to give a two and a half star rating but since that wasn’t possible, I went to 3 stars — bumped it up rather than down due to the staff overall.
The Mad Hatter Bistro is SO close… but just not quite there. A friend and I went for High Tea which we had to make reservations for in advance. At $ 24 per person, we were expecting a really nice tea. The place is adorable — the whole Alice in Wonderland scene. Very cute décor, but it just «misses» the mark because it also feels very seedy and worn. Going down the stairs to the seating area below is a beautiful floral carpet — fits the theme perfectly. But, the carpeting is filthy and worn and the only way I could tell that it was a pretty floral carpet was to look at the sides near the wall where no one had walked.
The tea service takes up a bit of space, teapot, teacups and saucer and tea plates, plus creamer, sugar, the silverware and the tiered serving dish. We were seated at a very small table which could not accommodate all the items which were put on the table. We thought about asking to be moved to a larger table as there were plenty available, but the chairs at those tables looked uncomfortable. So we stayed where we were and asked the waitress to remove all the unnecessary (but cute) stuff on the table so we would have enough room, still very cramped. Again, the décor was terrific, very much felt like we were down the rabbit hole.
While the hostess was somewhat of a deadbeat, our waitress was a doll. Very slow, but very sweet and did a good job taking care of us. In fact, everything was pretty slow in terms of the service, but again, she was great so she got a great tip even though we felt this place was over priced and slow. Some of the other waiters there were very nice too (one was taking a tray of food to another table and when he was on his way back, my friend asked him about it and he was very pleasant and told her all about the dish he had just delivered.)
As far as the «tea» itself, it was very mediocre. The tea (drink) was okay. I think we had the house blend which was a bit weak, but okay. The food served on the tiered tray was also just okay. The whole thing certainly wasn’t worth $ 48 for two people. The sweets were too sweet (I’m a chocolate lover and couldn’t even eat the brownie which was only about an inch to an inch and a half square because it was so sweet.) The little sandwiches (half triangles) were good, but there should have been a large plate full of them for the price. The small scone was good with the clotted cream, but the lemon curd again was overly sweet. There was two of everything so one per person. Just SO overpriced.
Glad we went, was a fun experience, but don’t think I’d go there again. They are so close to having a fantastic little place, but again, they just miss the mark.

We came here on a Saturday night, our reservations were at 5:15pm. Since its Birmingham, on a Saturday evening, it was hard to find a parking spot.
When we arrived we told the hostess we had reservations and the hostess said we were late and they only had a hold on reservations for 50mins. We apologized as we were 20mins late. (5:35pm arrival) The hostess said she could seat us — but only until 7:15pm. She was pretty rude about it & we already felt rushed.
They put us at a table that was very tight and cramped. Our waitress was slow to greet us and take care of us, which made us feel rushed even more since we had to be out by 7:15pm. We just ordered two appetizers, the meat and cheese board and bruschetta. We got the cheese board and had to wait for the bread. We waited and waited and when she returned we just asked for the check. The food was good, that I can’t complain about.
The gentleman who sat behind us with his three kids, they kept knocking our chairs and… wait. you know what, it was just a bad evening. I am not going to sit here and complain… anymore…I want to do positive reviews this isn’t one of them.
It was just one of those nights…

Eddie was a great waiter. He knows the menu really well. He’s great and funny. He’s always there if you have any questions. The food is great and the atmosphere is really comfortable. My friend Martin got the salmon salad and he really loved it. I myself got down the rabbit hole and it was amazing. We are always coming back if ever in the area.

I am really disappointed at how the quality of this location has decreased over time. First, the service was mediocre. Although he was attentive to my friend’s distaste at her dish (the Red Queen Rigatoni, a pasta with creamy tomato sauce infused with too much vodka) and asked if she’d prefer something else, he also had trouble setting things down at the table without knocking into our water glasses. He kept reaching past my face to serve the person next to me with little regard and warning. The Birmingham Burger I received was mediocre quality. It was so greasy and seemed to be sitting out for a while, as the bun was soggy and falling apart when I have received it. Additionally, tea isn’t charged by pot, but per cup distributed to everyone at the table, which tallies up to a $ 14 for a pot of tea (for a table of four).
I can appreciate the whimsical atmosphere, however, food and drinks are overpriced in comparison to the quality I had received.

Made reservations last week for Sunday scones and tea with 2 of my mommy friends. Arrived promptly at our resi time and was seated right away. Very cute inside, and a great waitress. The tea I really wanted to try they were out of, but I quickly found another that sounded great. The lemon scone was delicious with either the lemon curd or mascarpone. I didn’t care for the chocolate chip, and either did my 2 friends. The chips were pretty hard, and the cinnamon flavoring was overpowering. The waitress constantly filled our waters and tea pot, there was a bus boy that came around probably 4 times asking if he could take everything and we kept saying «no, we will let you know.» He would then do his rounds and come right back asking again. I am a little confused if you only get to try one tea, or you can try a few different because the waitress didn’t ask if we wanted anything else. She was very nice about letting us sit and chat for as long as we did– c’mon when you are a mom and have a babysitter you take what alone time you can get! My only other complaint was the parking. But, who doesn’t hate trying to from a parking spot downtown on a nice sunny day?! I will be back again with my SIL to try the finger sandwiches and tea, we have already picked a date!

One of my favorite childhood novels has always been Alice in Wonderland. I was so excited after reading the reviews that I had to check this place out myself! Wow what a great time, you do need reservations and they are very prompt to send you a text when your table is ready. The ambience is wonderful with the theme being very tasteful and mature. The staff was very friendly and made you feel welcome. Our server Alex was fantastic and suggested a great cocktail to start off … Through the Looking Glass ~ Fantastic cocktail the right mix of Gin, cucumber and lime with a splash of cream, it was very refreshing and will now be one of my favorites. We started with the Risotto bites and the King Ryan’s ~ amazing the Risotto bites are baked small round mozzarella balls which you can eat as is or with their fresh marinara sauce, yummy … And the Kings Ryan’s plate tender filet bites with mushrooms and their house zip sauce was amazing! For main course we chose the Plank Atlantic Salmon which words can not describe ~ the Miso glaze was just enough to give the fish a sweet not overpowering taste. Perfect!
Thank you to Alex our server who not only was prompt to our needs but a pleasure to talk with. You made our evening so enjoyable We will be back

The first thing our waiter says to us as soon as we sit down is «you have a two limit so you need to order soon». Wow so much for having a leisure dinner. Our waiter Eddie proceeds to try to bully us into ordering high end dinners. He also told us. You are going to eat aren’t you cuz I want to bat to get you this table. He also told my friend and I quote. ‘you’ve asked me three times about the fillet so obviously you don’t listen anyway’
We have never been treated so rudely in our lives. We asked to see the manager. Eddie said well he may not come over. We said we will wait and we aren’t paying till he comes. Kyle the manager came but didn’t really apologize for Eddies behavior.
We cancelled our dinner and left without eating. No to this restaurant

Arrived 15 minutes late, but they still seated my friend and I, even though the rest of my party was not there. The main floor was darkly lit and the interior was decorated eclectically. We were a party of 7, so our table was downstairs. Downstairs was also eclectically decorated, but it was brighter with a variety of lit lamps and bright décor. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive ensuring that our drinks were refilled and was patient with latecomers and giving us time to order our food. The food was delicious and the cocktail selection was different and refreshing. Definitely a place I would return to again and again.

This place has super cool décor and nice ambiance. Definitely should check out the downstairs. They have plenty of interesting cocktails on the menu and the bartenders are all very chill.

Came on a Friday night with a girlfriend and considering I’ve heard good things about this place and could appreciate a fun and exciting atmosphere that’s different than most, I set the bar high but maybe too high.
Made reservations over the phone which was easy enough, and while I didn’t know it was restaurant week, it was somewhat crowded. But then again, it was a Friday night in Birmingham so this was probably the norm.
Entering into the space it’s like stepping into a whole other realm. Really intricate details and architectural features. Tufted panels, velvet drapes, french curved booth backs, the list goes on and on. There was a bit of a shuffle with getting me seated, and once I did I was quite disappointed. The first bar height two top behind the hostess… facing the door.
I was hoping to sit more towards the center of the restaurant maybe even ‘down the rabbit hole’ to fully get the experience, but I made it five feet into the space. No more than minutes into ordering drinks I got cold. Because there’s no storm door, anytime someone walked into the restaurant I got a nice draft. This would’ve nice if it was a hot day, but it was 30 outside and I had my jacket off.
That aside Our waitress was amazing. Articulate, knowledgeable of the menu, genuinely sweet, and made up for having to sit facing a door. After our complaint they moved us to another table. about 5 feet to the left. This didn’t help much, but at this point I’ll take what I can get.
So we ordered a bottle of wine which was my cure to being cold and my way of celebrating Friday.
Their menu consists of a lot of small plates, salads, and a couple of main entrees. They also have a sushi list which threw me off considering this doesn’t seem like a sushi kind of place? That was somewhat strange to me, and made it feel like they were trying too hard to cover ALL bases. Instead of doing large meals we opted for their small plates and decided to share.
The risotto balls came out piping hot with a nice golden flaky bread crumb coating on the outside, the orzowas nice and al dente mixed in with a good heaping of melted cheese. You can’t go wrong with frying cheese, but these were done to perfection.
Bruschetta board was probably the best I’ve had in a long time. While I do think $ 15.00 for four slices of a french baguette and 4 kinds of spreads is a bit pretentious, it was executed well. The bread was perfectly toasted, had a good crunch, but was soft enough to bite into. When it came to the spreads/​toppings the tomato mozzarella was fresh with bright flavors and had a creamy aioli like sauce on top. The warm artichoke was one of my favorites although there wasn’t any other discerning flavor other than artichoke and some kind of cheese, but there weren’t any threads or hard edges that you can sometimes get when eating any kind of artichoke based dip/​spread, but overall, good flavor. The roasted pepper was balanced in acidity, and the cuts of pepper were consistent which made eating it a touch easier. Unfortunately they ran out of the goat cheese so they used a milder cheese instead. Kind of a bummer since I do think that goat cheese would’ve been the better accompaniment, but I was trying to cut my losses at this point. The brie and apple with a fig reduction was the perfect counterpart on the board considering everything teetered on the savory side. Overall, I would get this again, and just keep my fingers crossed they have goat cheese next time.
The mini chicken and waffles were a really nice surprise. Breaded chicken chunks coated in their Fiery House Recipe sauce which tasted like a honey sriracha concoction, sat on top of a mini waffle and came with a side of maple syrup. The pairing was a good twist on the classic and I thoroughly enjoyed the kick even though I’m not a spicy foods kind of gal. While I couldn’t decipher whether or not the chicken was frozen, I just wished it was more tender. But considering there’s no bone and it’s all white meat, getting that juice into there would be a challenge.
We ended the night with their funnel cake fried oreos and while we could’ve shared it among four people versus two, it was the perfect ending to a good ‘tasting meal’. I was impressed with the amount they gave us as well as the heaping of ice cream which seemed soft served since it wasn’t cloyingly sweet which was a nice change from the usual carton ice cream scopp.
Stuffed and finishing off our bottle of wine, our bill came out to roughly $ 80.00. I personally think this was a bit much for what we had, wine aside. The portion sizes are reasonable for being small plates, and the bottle of wine price was within the average price range, but considering all the hype, I just didn’t get it. I think there was just something that didn’t resonate with me. This is one of those places I’ll have to go back and try again, and maybe ask for a different seat, and see if I get that ‘a-​ha’ moment as to why this place is so special.

First and foremost, Aaron –Mad Aaron if you will– is THE man to have if you are looking for hospitality and quirk! He made the mad hatter experience original to the brand and sold us the atmosphere with his quirky puns.
Now to the good stuff:
They don’t skimp on quality.
The Red Queen Rigatoni was off the charts, as was the kale tabbouleh, wth chicken of course. I would recommend it to every one.
If you want tea and alcohol, don’t worry, they have tea WITH alcohol, rimmed with chocolate syrup and sprinkles.
The only less than desirable thing we experienced was the wait for the drinks, which he explained was due to fresh brewing the tea for the drinks that we ordered. Again, they don’t skimp on quality.
I’m so impressed, I’m bringing my picky husband here to try it out!
The dessert I chose, deep fried oreo with ice cream, was hands down the most AMAZING thing that I have ever tasted. It was deep fried in funnel cake and tasted unlike anything I’ve ever had. Definitely a unique dish.

My wife & I dined at the Mad Hatter recently and our food, our experience, and most importantly our server Eddie made our meal wonderful.
We each had a glass of Cab recommended by Eddie which was great. For dinner we shared some small plates — The spicy shrimp, the king steak bites, mad wings, along with mini chicken & waffles which were all delicious. For dessert we had the deep fried Oreo’s which were recommended by Eddie as well.
Everything was great and if all restaurants had an «Eddie» there would be a ton of very happy patrons!

I was with a dinner party of 38 people in the private dining area on a Sunday early evening. The food was good, but we had only one server handling the drinks and the food. It was also too warm in the private dining room and a strange odor was coming from back area. Needless to say, the service was very slow…
Also, there wasn’t any hand towels in the men or ladies restrooms… ijs

Not sure what to make of this place. It has a nice atmosphere and eclectic but leaves a bit to be desired from my vantage point.
Having not been here we decided to try happy hour as a way to get introduced. We arrived around 4:30ish and sat at the bar. The barented offers us water immediately, good sign. However, we didn’t get any information on the happy hour until the very last second because I asked. Not to sound cheap, but we would have paid considerably more for the things we ordered, which happened to be on the happy hour menu. What we ordered:
Tacos — somewhat bland and the soft shells were a bit weathered. Not a repeat item.
Fries — skinny fries with olive tapenade, quite good. Crispy and salty
Risotto Balls — very very bland. Not a repeat
Steak bites (not on happy hour menu). Good. Comes with a Masala type sauce and bread. 14 dollars but would buy again.
After a bit, the bartender warmed up to us and we had a very nice chat. Seems like a good guy and was very kind to us.
Overall, not sure I’d make it a point to come back but maybe.

I planned a private dinner party for nearly 30 people down the rabbit hole (the lower level). It happened to be playoff Sunday. Thank goodness they have 2 large screen televisions! That was a plus. In spite of the large group and one coming immediately behind us they managed to pull it off. I enjoyed the King dish which was the steak bites on the small plates options. Sushi was decent. The Mad Mojito was ok as well. Don’t expect sweet though. The rest of my guest enjoyed their meals. Mom didn’t like the chicken ‘n waffles my daughter loved them. The ambience is the best. Fun and whimsical. Despite the large awning several guests couldn’t find it. Maybe some lighting. The owner, Ilene, is very accommodating and hands-​on. Our server Bianca basically held it down and never lost her cool. I’m looking forward to go back when I don’t have to leave by a certain time.

Wonderful
Wonderful
From the unique décor to exceptional service
Laura was the best and deserves to be tipped double!!!
The food was almost as good as the food… Which was unreal!
Sushi — mad hatter roll was perfect
Chicken and waffle app great
Steak bites great
Please go and enjoy

Everything on the menu is delicious! The owner is so friendly and genuinely cares about her business.
I’ve been a couple times, I love the atmosphere and décor. Make sure you take a trip down the rabbit hole and see the basement while you’re there.

Cute concept though a touch overpriced for what you get.
I came here specifically for a tea party. I made the reservations ahead of time as it was recommended by the website and had a tea time set for the weekend.
This place got top marks for taking my request that we receive vegetarian finger sandwiches for the tea treats. Bottomless tea was great — try the mad house blend — delicious!
The three-​tiered treats were a little disappointing to say the least.
The norm is to get cucumber/​mint sandwiches, canapes and then salmon and caper. Being vegetarian, we did not get the salmon, but we also didn’t get extra of the cucumber and mint. I had hoped that would have happened since we basically received less food and had to pay the same price. The pastries/​sweet treats were incredibly small and cute, sure, but they also seemed like store-​bought treats that were then cut into squares or fun shapes. The scones and curd/​marscapone (no clotted cream this side of the pond) were probably our favorite items on the stand.
The total price per person is $ 24 which includes bottomless tea and the aforementioned treats. Not as expensive as high tea in places like NYC or in Europe, I’m sure, but it seemed like a lot of money for what you got. You’re clearly paying for the experience, the location and the fact it’s whimsical like Alice in Wonderland. Not sure we’ll be back; at least not for the tea. Maybe for drinks or brunch or dinner, but not sure about that either. Worth a stop once, but not sure i’d make a habit of going here.

Wonderful experience, had brunch with my daughter. She was fascinated by the décor and food.
Omelette and Pancakes were perfect and so was the coffee. Worth the price.

While visiting Michigan my sister wanted to take me to tea for my Birthday. We had tried calling multiple places in the morning (The Townsend, The Whitney, The Victorian Tea parlor.) no place had any openings, and defeated we were about to give up. I was leaving town the next day so we were quickly running out of options. Suddenly, Unilocal recommended the Mad Hatter, we called to see if they had available appointments. Lucky for us, they had a cancellation, and were able to seat us within the next 20 minutes. So we speed across town.
We would have booked here first had we know it existed and how amazing it is! Firstly the décor is so fun! It’s like walking into a scene right from alice in wonderland. They also sell little top hats to wear! So cute!
They offer a great selection of tea, and we ordered two pots. True to form for most high tea, you receive a 3 tiered tower with fruit, scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts. Extremely well priced, it was less then 50 $ for both my sister and I including our hats! For the same type of service at the Townsend would have been $ 50 per person.
The food was extremely tasty as was the tea. The service was prompt.
I can’t recommend Mad Hatter enough! My sister and I can’t wait to return!

Been waiting all summer to see what the hype is about with Mad Hatter. Unilocal describes this bistro perfectly: A-​OK.
I came here on a Thursday evening to meet up a friend for dinner. The décor is nice, but the restaurant is small. You can dine on the main floor or in the basement. The theme is tea time from Alice in Wonderland. They did a good job on décor and incorporating the theme into all the details. I ordered a Queen of Hearts drink, which was a martini. The glass had a charm on it that said «drink me».
We ordered the risotto bites appetizer (arancini). Both the arancini and the marinara sauce were delicious, and the appetizer arrived to our table less than five minutes from when we ordered it.
I have to say the service is great. The hostess is very friendly and accommodating. Our server was very pleasant and speedy. Our drinks, appetizer, meal and dessert were served very quickly, and the food temperature was good.
My friend ordered the chicken dish — she said it was okay. I ordered the rigatoni with palomino sauce (if memory serves me that was the sauce). This pasta dish came with four pieces of toasted bread, and you had the option to add meat — I didn’t. The pasta really did not taste good — very bland yucky flavor.
We ordered the brownie skillet for dessert — it was delicious, however it seemed like brownies they got at Restaurant Depot and threw it in the microwave.
We dined in the basement which is very small. So small that another table was literally right next us. It was so close, it seemed that we were together. Only 7 inches between our tables.

First time at Mad Hatter and I was there with a bachelorette party. We had reservations at 8pm but were late getting to the restaurant, so we didn’t arrive till much after 8:30pm. Even though we were late we got seated right away and there were 13 of us.
The restaurant was very dark and it was very busy. The bathrooms are right along the pass for the food, so it got hot standing in the hallway for the bathroom. The bathrooms are just single stalls as well. We went downstairs (aka down the rabbit hole). Lots of crazy clocks on the wall as we descended and the lower area is a lot more brighter. The lower level isn’t huge, but roomy enough to fit our party of 3 then a party of 6 and two parties of 2. The decorations and ambiance is what makes this place so great. Everywhere you look there is something new to look at.
We had two waiters and they said they could only split the bill 6 ways. Not as bad as having everyone on one bill, but still would’ve liked separate checks. Waiters were attentive to us and asking us if we wanted shots/​drinks.
The food/​drinks — Do not expect ice water. Instead it is just above room temperature water that the waiters serve the water in different colored glass bottles. The dinner menu had cute wordings like «Mad Queen’s Chicken» that went along with the theme of the restaurant. The entrees are at least $ 15.00 or more. I got the «Royal Garden salad and it was $ 12.00. Salad had mixed greens, michigan apple, walnuts, toasted ramen, sliced almonds, strawberry, red onion, goat cheese, raspberry vinaigrette. The toasted ramen was different but nice add to the salad. Salad was a decent size, but way to much dressing. Now I do love dressing, but the salad was swimming in it. Next time I would ask for the dressing to be on side. Otherwise it was tasty. Lots of people got the Mad Queen’s Chicken and everyone liked it.
The bills came quickly and we got out of there by around 10:00pm. Again the wait staff were great and the decoration is amazing. However, I think I need to give the food another chance either brunch or afternoon tea.

Mad Hatter Bistro does an excellent job of making you feel like you fell down the rabbit hole. It’s certainly a feast for the eyes. They’ve made sure to put thought into every detail — random array of clocks decorate the walls, the china is painted with caricatures from Alice in Wonderland, silver platters, and my favorite — French newspaper printed wax paper line your food. It’s beyond adorable and anyone that’s seen Alice in Wonderland would love it.
The food is honestly nothing to write home about, but they do their food well. I got a burger, the other got a turkey sandwich. We left happy and full. A bit pricey (it was 40 for the both of us), but it is definitely worth the experience, at least once.

What a great latte and in such a fun cup. That’s what I would expect falling deep into the rabbit hole. The décor is very interesting and certainly gives you something of entertainment of finding little props and cues from Alive and Wonderland.
I hope you enjoy the Hatter’s Chicken Panini as much as I did. It’s a simple sandwich with all the right ingredients that play well together. I’m glad to see they embrace more sustainable farming by using free range chicken too. Now add in all these delicious items to the panini such as roasted peppers, avocado, queso fresca, caramelized onions, and a chipotle aioli. It’s a great combination. I’m looking forward to trying their other plates and falling further down the rabbit hole.
The fries were on spot with a nice crunch and saltiness, not over seasoned.
Doing the review is getting me hungry for here. Time for a carryout.

I came here for lunch on a Saturday with a few of the girls. We tried a lot of the menu.
First off — the bloody marys were excellent. They were light and didn’t have as full of a feeling as you usually get after drinking one. And the best part — they have bottomless mimosas and bloody marys for $ 15. This does not include the antipasti skewers, but we added them to our first one because I was hungry. I also had several mimosas with the pomegranate. These were excellent and you can definitely get tipsy off of them.
As for appetizers, we had magic mushrooms (fried mushrooms), risotto balls, and the steak bites. All of these were great!
I ordered a Cobb salad for my entrée which did not come with the chicken i requested, but it was still good.
We ordered dessert — the cookie Sunday, the crème brûlée and the fried oreos. The fried oreos were my favorite thing. I definitely recommend this place. I’d like to come back from the breakfast half of brunch :)

This is tough to review but it’s what we experienced:
We went at 3:00 on a Wednesday and it was «happy hour». If I’d only had the $ 7 red sangria, this would be a 5-​star review because that was one of the BEST I’ve had!
But we ordered three things off of the $ 5 food menu: sweet potato fries, fried shepards pie and risotto balls.
Somehow, on the bill, I was charged $ 9.00 twice, instead of $ 5 three times, giving them an extra $ 3, which I took out of her tip since the card had already gone through, so watch your bill here: prices charged NOT as advertised.
The shepards pie and risotto balls seemed not house-​made… Like something from Gordon Foods frozen section, reheated. Just expecting something really special on the food menu because it’s such a fancy, cute little place right on the main drag in Birmingham.
So based on the food and the incorrect up charge, I would t ever go back.
We didn’t eat half of what we ordered and e usually clear the table, so that’s a fairly good cue to not return.

Finally got around to getting over to the Mad Hatter for tea, but my visit didn’t quite go as planned. Décor is pretty awesome and can’t be beat.
I got there at 11am and told them I was a party of one. It’s like they didn’t know what to do or say. Like they were offended I would try to go to a restaurant alone. The bar had all of 4 seats and the one empty place was pretty much cramped looking. I told them I’d be having tea so if they thought there’d be enough room or not. Again just blank stares and worried looks, finally one of them practically snapped at me that it was up to me and they could sit me wherever I just had to make a decision. WOW. Sorry for asking your opinion and taking up your time? I sat at a table and the three hostesses continued their conversation and hanging out. Not sure three were necessary to be there as they weren’t doing anything and two of them seemed more interested in how they looked than anything else. Whatever.
I didn’t know you had to make a tea reservation as it wasn’t stated on the website… until you scroll allllllllllllllll the way to the bottom. Oops. Oh well. I ordered a pot of Paris tea and Tweedle D’s breakfast which was just eggs, sausage and potatoes — nothing spectacular, and scones. Food was fine, and I liked the tea. I however again was upset with the service from staff. When brought my pot of tea I was given the hot water and the tea, that’s it. Had to wait a while for her to come around again to ask for you know, cream, sugar… the common items that should have come with in the first place or at minimum offered to me.
I’m not ecstatic with my first visit here. I felt like more of an annoyance than a guest, I wasn’t at all happy with the hostesses customer service skills not to just me but several guests who came in. They just were dismissive and milling about to me. They were nicer to some guests than others for whatever reason. And the inconsistency of service was noted. A table next to me, served by the same server, got asked more questions if they needed anything, brought out all the items included with tea the first time, and just generally felt like they got better service. I’ll try again with a reservation for tea, but hopefully this was just a one off experience. It’s that Birmingham uppity attitude that tends to permeate with many people that you run into from time to time and I think that was it. I’ll be back for another try and hopefully have a better experience.

Came just for drinks, sat at the bar and enjoyed the Juliet and Romeo (I like gin based drinks).