BIRMINGHAM THREAD (Home of the 2022 World Games & a Better Place to Visit than Serbia)

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by wes tegg, Apr 9, 2015.

  1. It'sAlwaysSunnyInAthens

    It'sAlwaysSunnyInAthens Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Honestly.. we had a place in orange beach for a while and I never really found a go to restaurant. I'd drive to Pensacola and easy Maguires a good bit.
     
  2. ramszoolander

    ramszoolander Guess what? Vulcan butt!
    Donor
    West Virginia MountaineersBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Yeah I didn't care for it. Everything way too salty and their grits were pretty obviously not Stone ground or Gouda as advertised. I wasn't paying or I'd have suggested something else.
     
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  3. Snakes

    Snakes clumsy interloper
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson Tide

    El Royale is a cool spot with immaculate vibes. It's solid high end mexican food i guess but not worth the price and was ultimately left a tad disappointed.
     
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  4. One Two

    One Two Hot Dog Vibes
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta Braves

    Voyagers is fucking delicious.

    D2F95102-762C-464B-B6EC-7BFCFE4D2BA3.jpeg
     
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  5. One Two

    One Two Hot Dog Vibes
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta Braves

    And Zekes of course. They have an immaculate seafood tower
     
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  6. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    You really need to order two to set the tone.
     
  7. One Two

    One Two Hot Dog Vibes
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta Braves

    Establishing restaurant dominance early is imperative for any dining experience
     
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  8. Arrec Bardwin

    Arrec Bardwin La Araña Discoteca
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

    Power move
     
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  9. double RL

    double RL old school
    Donor
    Auburn TigersDenver BroncosEdmonton Oilers

    Why did you edit me out of the picture?
     
    One Two likes this.
  10. Barves2125

    Barves2125 "Ready to drive the Ferarri" - Reuben Foster
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesManchester CityBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamPoker

    Is Live Bait still around and do they still have alligators in the pond behind it? That was the coolest restaurant in the world to me as a kid.
     
  11. double RL

    double RL old school
    Donor
    Auburn TigersDenver BroncosEdmonton Oilers

    My brother met his second wife in Live Bait. I remember his best friend telling him that if he didn't stop true loving on that chick, he was going to feed him to the gators. Neither happened and now my brother lives in Canada because of the choice to go to Live Bait that night.
     
  12. ElectricDreamMachine

    ElectricDreamMachine he was on the colgate comedy hour
    Donor
    Clemson TigersCharlotte HornetsCarolina Panthers

    apparently they treat their staff like shit
     
  13. DriveByBBQ

    DriveByBBQ Well-Known Member
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    Alabama Crimson TideTiger WoodsBirmingham LegionPGAGrateful DeadUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Please share.
     
  14. Snakes

    Snakes clumsy interloper
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson Tide

    Our waiter sucked so maybe he deserved it
     
  15. ramszoolander

    ramszoolander Guess what? Vulcan butt!
    Donor
    West Virginia MountaineersBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Bald white guy with tats and piercings? If so, had same. It's the only time I've tipped 15% in the last couple years. Table next to us had same server, no such issues, and we were just a couple sitting there ordering things and being nice.
     
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  16. Tommy Callahan

    Tommy Callahan Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta Braves

    Grew up with the owner of El Royale. Wild path he took
     
  17. ElectricDreamMachine

    ElectricDreamMachine he was on the colgate comedy hour
    Donor
    Clemson TigersCharlotte HornetsCarolina Panthers

    i don't know a ton of specifics but i know via a Slim's person that royale has hemorrhaged staff since their opening. most specifics i heard were that they were scheduling people for doubles and giving them like ten minutes to eat a standing meal in-between and that they were fucking with the staff's tips
     
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  18. Arrec Bardwin

    Arrec Bardwin La Araña Discoteca
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

    Restaurant people will put up with a lot, but don’t fuck with their tips.
     
  19. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    Have they done it before? It looks awesome, but Sloss could easily be hotter than the surface of the sun that day.
     
  20. It'sAlwaysSunnyInAthens

    It'sAlwaysSunnyInAthens Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Think they said third annual. Looks pretty cool.
     
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  21. DriveByBBQ

    DriveByBBQ Well-Known Member
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    Alabama Crimson TideTiger WoodsBirmingham LegionPGAGrateful DeadUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Mrs. got tickets through work last year, we had a great time, tons of delicious food everywhere. I remember the beef heart being a highlight.
     
    #17772 DriveByBBQ, Sep 10, 2025
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2025
  22. g8r

    g8r Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsBoston Red Sox

    8th grader from mountain brook just left the game against Hewitt-Trussville on a stretcher.
     
  23. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta UnitedTottenham HotspurGrateful DeadUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    The Amphitheater was solid, but the bathroom situation is easily the worst I’ve encountered at any venue of appreciable size.
     
  24. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    It makes zero sense. They should, at the very least, put portables on the perimeters to make up for the design flaw.
     
  25. Brandon Chicken

    Brandon Chicken Chow Time
    Donor

    It was awful. I can't even begin to imagine how they thought that was a good idea.
     
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  26. Barves2125

    Barves2125 "Ready to drive the Ferarri" - Reuben Foster
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesManchester CityBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamPoker

    Is it just one set of bathrooms and then one VIP section bathroom as well? That's how it felt.
     
    One Two likes this.
  27. Brandon Chicken

    Brandon Chicken Chow Time
    Donor

    I’m actually posting from the bathroom line right now.
     
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  28. Oranjello

    Oranjello Well-Known Member
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    Green Bay PackersNew Orleans SaintsGrateful DeadMississippi Rebels

    Two sets of bathrooms: one right when you enter, and another to the right that is near the VIP area. Looked like VIP does not have its own bathrooms.
     
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  29. Oranjello

    Oranjello Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Green Bay PackersNew Orleans SaintsGrateful DeadMississippi Rebels

    Also thought it was a poor design choice to only have food on one side of the venue. For N1, I was on page side and went to get a bite to eat and had to walk all the way to the opposite corner just get to an extremely mediocre (as expected) hot dog.

    On the other hand, they're happy to sell you $14-26 beers and there are beer stands all over the place. Hard to see the number of beer vendors vs. food options as anything but a money grab
     
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  30. Barves2125

    Barves2125 "Ready to drive the Ferarri" - Reuben Foster
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesManchester CityBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamPoker

    VIP does have its own bathrooms. And $26-35 single cocktails as well.
     
  31. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta UnitedTottenham HotspurGrateful DeadUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    The pit was an incredibly spacious and the sound quality blew me away. Pretty easy getting in/out as well though the UAB traffic made Saturday a bit of a cluster getting in. Huge upgrade over Oak Mountain as far as I’m concerned even if the venue is a bit generic. Orion is definitely better though.
     
  32. ramszoolander

    ramszoolander Guess what? Vulcan butt!
    Donor
    West Virginia MountaineersBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    My insurance is up for renewal in a few weeks. I've had Cincinnati through BRF&J in Irondale for a long time. I am *extremely* irritated because they blew off a review of my policy last year when things went up over 25%. I reached out in August, again two weeks ago, and again on Monday about how we can tweak the policy. Nothing.

    So at this point, I'm not worried about loyalty. Here are the local agents for Cinci, which I'd like to stay with...

    https://www.cinfin.com/find-an-agent?search=35212&filter=personal&within=5#maincontent2

    Any of you use these? Current firm, the dad was very communicative. Sold out to his son, who took early retirement. Now he seems completely retired. I'm not rich enough to need an umbrella, and I feel like I'm getting bad service due to that. Thanks for any help you can offer. A $2k increase in homeowners over two years seems unconscionable for a house that'd sell for $500k and replacement value under $1m.

    I also don't want to change insurance right now since I'll have a new driver in less than a year, but here we are.

    EDIT should add I really haven't changed anything with my insurance in the last decade, and have had two small auto claims, both almost 10 years ago. Just looking to reduce things at least to reasonable levels.
     
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  33. FelipeG

    FelipeG Well-Known Member

    https://agents.allstate.com/john-carlton-homewood-al.html
     
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  34. IV

    IV Freedom is the right of all sentient beings
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideUAB BlazersDemocratAvengersBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    I had to get rid of Cincinnati a 6 years ago
     
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  35. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

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  36. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    Prewitt Group is great.
     
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  37. ramszoolander

    ramszoolander Guess what? Vulcan butt!
    Donor
    West Virginia MountaineersBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Thanks. I love the coverage, but my current agent/brokerage leaves a lot to be desired. They seemed a little on the lazy side 10 years ago, but now it's a little ridiculous. Also not very responsive to financials (the PP limit is very high even though the only reason dwelling is high is because we live in a 100 year old house made of oak...)

    Thanks for the rec!
     
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  38. TheFreak55

    TheFreak55 By the power of Grayskull! I have the power!
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    Auburn TigersSan Francisco GiantsManchester UnitedGame of ThronesGrateful DeadCoors Light

    Well shit Iron Hills is being cancelled
     
  39. FelipeG

    FelipeG Well-Known Member

    Yeah. You just have to keep changing ever so often. They all start low and keep raising rates until you are forced to look elsewhere.
     
  40. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    To a degree, you get what you pay for. Allstate isn’t comparable to Cincinnati.
     
    One Two likes this.
  41. ramszoolander

    ramszoolander Guess what? Vulcan butt!
    Donor
    West Virginia MountaineersBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Thanks again for the rec. Called them, and the personal lines rep was fantastic. We'll see what sifts out.

    Also, did everyone get rain last night? Hell yeah.
     
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  42. One Two

    One Two Hot Dog Vibes
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta Braves

    I watered a bunch of shrubs and ran a sprinkler for over an hour yesterday so everyone is welcome.
     
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  43. FelipeG

    FelipeG Well-Known Member

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  44. ramszoolander

    ramszoolander Guess what? Vulcan butt!
    Donor
    West Virginia MountaineersBirmingham LegionUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Interestingly, Prewitt is wanting me to go to Auto-Owners. Substantial savings for us, but curious how they are with claims. Cincy has a weird system where you have an adjuster for all claims for certain areas. One straight up told me, "I'm more of an auto adjuster, but this seems legit [for a sewer issue] so we won't hassle you if it's done for under the coverage. Supplement is probably fine, too."

    Chubb quote was about 10-15% above Cincinnati for similar coverage, so some things never change, I guess. (I asked them to quote me AO, Cincy, and another of their choice.)
     
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  45. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    Auto-Owners is a good company. They have more local adjusters than most companies.
     
  46. Wywan Bwowna

    Wywan Bwowna Wywan Bwowna
    Donor
    Vanderbilt CommodoresTennessee TitansNashville PredatorsNashville SC

    Cincinatti in North Alabama needs some new/better adjusters.

    Tree fell on our lake house in June - 80’ oak fell through the roof etc. Roof has to come off and exterior walls redone, interior flooring and furniture is all fucked. They sent some 24 year old from Jasper who estimated less than 1/2 of what multiple contractors quoted.

    Ended up working out once we sent back our numbers, but wasted a good few months in the process. Hope it’s ready for Memorial Day next year.
     
    One Two likes this.
  47. DriveByBBQ

    DriveByBBQ Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideTiger WoodsBirmingham LegionPGAGrateful DeadUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Anyone familiar with Hippo insurance?
     
  48. Deuce

    Deuce Well-Known Member
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesTiger WoodsBirmingham Legion

    I’ve never tried, but I imagine it’s quite expensive to insure one.
     
  49. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    I don’t have any experience with it, but I would tend to avoid “startup” insurers. Touting AI and streamlined processes is a big red flag to me.
     
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