Automatic Seafood and Oysters

I had an amazing experience at Automatic Seafood and Oysters, and I have to give a huge shoutout to our server, Billy L. From start to finish, he made the evening feel effortless and enjoyable. Billy was not only attentive but also incredibly knowledgeable about the menu-he gave great recommendations on oysters and entrees that were absolutely perfect.
His timing was spot on, checking in just enough to make sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling rushed. On top of that, he was friendly and personable, which really elevated the whole dining experience. Automatic Seafood and Oysters is already one of the best spots in Birmingham, but Billy made it exceptional. I'll definitely be back and will be asking for him again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

If you enjoy fabulous food and service this place is great, however, as most oyster bars are very noisy due to the type of decor with a lot of steel wood and concrete ,etc. this one is no different so unfortunately since I like more quiet settings, especially when I am trying to converse with a young lady with me, then I can't really score the atmosphere very high. They might consider checking into some sound deadening decor available to change that. We ate off the Brunch menu since it is Saturday so my beautiful companion had the Tuna entree and I had the Grouper entree, of which we split each so we both could enjoy more variation. Exquisite display and taste I must say and tasty to the very last morsel. We both enjoyed both actually!! This was her first time here and she really didn't like the noise at all as everyone seemed to raising their voices as it filled in to talk over the party next to them, not my thing I must say. Sooooooooooooo with all said? IF, you are alone go kick back and enjoy some great food, HOWEVER, if you want to impress a hot date with some conversation this definitely is NOT the place to take her. Still 5 star all around other than for the atmosphere which is average for a typical oyster bar.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was way over priced for what was offered. There wasn't a big selection of seafood, no crab legs

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Raw Oysters on the Half Shell

Hector was an amazing server. This is best service we have ever had. The food was phenomenal! The atmosphere was also amazing!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of my favorites in BHM. Definitely recommend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Had fantastic oysters and drinks :-)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Raw Oysters on the Half Shell

If you haven’t been to Automatic Seafood and Oysters yet, this is your sign to knock it off your BHAM restaurant list. It is everything it is hyped up to be. I’ve now been at least twice for both dinner and brunch. Both phenomenal menus! If you go for dinner, just pray that the fish collar/cheek is on the menu. It will change your perspective on life. Pictured is what I chose for bunch (only because they were out of the Crab Cake Benedict). They usually have a choice of 6-8 different oysters you can choose from, but for brunch there wasn’t an option. DIDN’T MATTER, these oysters we like butter. Worth every penny.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Went for takeout lobster rolls. The rude hostess said she would have to ask the chef if they would do that because this was what the takeout menu is as she pushed a menu toward us. Be prepared for a snooty atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

I tried my first oyster (just one) at Automatic Seafood. Great food, service and atmosphere. Recommended!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Jeff C. was our server tonight and he absolutely killed it for our party of 8 plus a child. Half the table spoke English and half the table didn’t. He made every effort to ensure those that did not speak English got the full experience. He demonstrated how to properly share the fish collar, took time walking them through the menu, and told us the back story on dessert. The food was a solid 10/10 as usual and we ordered quite a bit- but the level of service we received from Jeff was unparalleled and exceptional.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Oysters were great quality. Expensive. Staff took a long time.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 2

We have heard about this restaurant from multiple friends talking about how excellent the food is and how everything is good. I will say this- the flavors were VERY good. But the execution was not there.

We ordered the yeast rolls as our appetizer- FANTASTIC. Loved them. I then ordered the melon salad- loved the flavors, but the melon itself was watery and not flavorful- needed to find a more ripe watermelon and cantaloupe. But I loved the feta and basil combination. With better tasting melon, this would have been a slam dunk.

I ordered the scallop dish with peaches. Scallops are my favorite kind of seafood ever, and I rarely order them at a restaurant because scallops are very difficult to cook properly. But here, I figured this would be the perfect place to order them because this is a fancy seafood place. Well… out of the 5 scallops I received, only 2 were cooked properly. TWO. The other three were smaller scallops that were totally overcooked and rubbery! The chorizo that came with it was cold and chewy. I was so disappointed! I loved the flavor combination of the scallop, chorizo and peach. But the execution was terrible. I didn’t finish the scallops because of how chewy and rubbery it was. The arugula in my peach salad was oddly bitter and the peace slices were mushy.

My husband ordered the fish and chips. The fish was delicious and not greasy! Very good batter and the fish was great quality. The fries were very salty, and we were trying to figure out what other spice was mixed with the salt- was it cloves? It wasn’t awful but kinda weird and didn’t love that either.

Our server did not check in on us during our meal to see if we were liking the food. If he had, I would have told him about the issue with my dish with the chorizo being cold and the scallops being rubbery! But I didn’t get the opportunity. I didn’t feel like his service was anything special, but he did fine. I think I expect a bit more personality from a fancy restaurant. The guy who brought our water to our table first had a better personality than our waiter. Overall service could have been better.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty cool though. I just wish the food was better and the employees didn’t take themselves so seriously.

Ultimately, the flavor combinations were for the most part very innovative and good, but the execution was severely lacking. We had an early reservation so it wasn’t super packed yet so I would assume food and service would have been better but perhaps not. I don’t think we will ever come back, and I don’t think this is something we can recommend to others.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 2

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Yeast Rolls

Blackened amberjack was phenomenal! Appetizers of fish collar, oysters, and pork belly were equally impressive.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

They absolutely crushed it! Oysters were perfect the octopus was next level, the bread was addicting, martinis were on point, entrees (snapper and amberjack) were delicious, and dessert (key lime pie) was the perfect end to the night. Well done! They also have complimentary valet parking. I'm a big fan and look forward to the next visit.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Raw Oysters on the Half Shell, Yeast Rolls, Marinated Crab Claws, Raw Oysters, Fish Collars, Red Snapper

Came through just before Happy Hour ended. Sat at the bar then eventually at a table. Food was GREAT. Seasoned well, hot plate and the 127% Old Fashion topped it off.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Yeast Rolls, Seafood