When my wife and I got married we were told to only go to one place and that was to Olexa's. We were most certainly not let down. We chose their vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream icing and did it in a five layered stucco finish. It was absolutely stunning at our wedding. And for my groom's cake I opted to go with their out of this world bread pudding. Both were so amazing people didn't know what was better. I've yet to go to another wedding with cake as good. Since then Olexa's is the only place in town that will suffice when it comes to cakes for our birthdays and parties. Although we have had a few experiences where the cakes were not made to our exact specifications and some even cracked or slid apart we are still very loyal to this establishment. Because of some of these short coming we have considered other vendors but their cakes are just so darn delicious we can't leave. If you are in the Mountain Brook area and have a sweet tooth, pop in and grab a slice. You will be hooked for life.
(4)
Susie F.
Loved lunch but thought their cake was too sugary.
(3)
Jennie B.
Olexa's is the perfect ladies' lunch spot. Their menu pretty much stays the same, and with good reason, because it's consistently delicious. My favorite item to order is the Trio, in which you get a half of a specialty panini, a salad (usually the strawberry mandarin salad), and a small cup of soup (my fave is tomato basil--creamy and delicious!). After eating lunch I never have room for it, BUT you can order a slice of their delicious Birmingham-famous cake for dessert!
(5)
Vasu M.
Can't believe I've lived in Birmingham for 6 years and never been to this place. I loved the decor of the place, as soon as I walked in. I got the speciality trio for lunch for $12.95 which included a beef and cheddar panini, goat cheese and walnut salad, and tomato basil soup. All 3 of the dishes were wonderful. The sandwich was toasted and had juicy meat and gooey cheese. It was perfect dipped in the tomato soup. The salad was well dressed with a tapenade and had yummy candied walnuts on it. It was a great amount of food and I loved the variety. Next up was the dessert which took this place from 4 to 5 stars. My friend suggested that we get the chocolate cake with peanut butter on the side. Wow. Amazing chocolate cake. I'm more of a cookie person than cakes but this slice was amazing. Slightly warm and literally melted in my mouth. Paired with peanut butter, it made for an amazing dessert. Definitely need a large glass of water or milk to wash it down. Eat this cake after a long day of work and I'm pretty sure all your worries would disappear. Followed by a sugar coma and then sweet dreams, literally. The price was a little high for lunch but I think that has to do with the area that it is in. I don't mind paying a few extra dollars for a great lunch. Service was great as well. Look forward to coming back many many more times!
(5)
Anna G.
Olexa's serves the best lunch in all of Birmingham. I eat here at least once a week. It is a great spot to go have lunch with the girls! I have introduced so many of my friends and family members to Olexa's and I have never heard a single bad comment about any of their dishes. I have taken 2 of my girl friends there and they loved the cake so much that they actually got them to make their wedding cake!
(5)
Caleigh R.
Had a very nice lunch here with my grandmother recently. It's a cute restaurant to lunch at--very popular with women, but food that's good enough for a gentleman, too. Especially, if he knows good cake :) I had the Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad. It was delicious!! In the past, I've enjoyed the Portabello and Smoked Gouda Panini--both are really enjoyable. I love the cake from Olexa's. Have had many tastes from previous weddings. It's best when you eat it at the restaurant because they heat it up before delivering it to the table. It melts in your mouth! Only downside is if you end up next to a mother who brings her child in (sigh). Can't avoid it as there are many women who like to lunch here. It's not a spacious restaurant and it is loud most of the time. It seems like the few times I've been, I always end up with a child near me and at some point they pour their water all over the floor or (bigger sigh) one time I was stuck next to a screaming baby for most of my meal. Not the best environment for children, so maybe Mom's can think through bringing their kids on this lunch date.
(4)
Becky E.
Olexa's is probably my favorite lunch spot in Birmingham, but I often pick a spot elsewhere because parking is such a bear around this restaurant. If it wasn't for the parking, I would give it 5 stars. I wish they would introduce call-ahead curb-side service like O'Carrs for those of us who would like a meal to go. My two favorite meals: Field greens with (extra) candied walnuts, pesto, and goat cheese; tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. They also have fantastic French onion soup and quiches. If you have room, get a warm piece of their chocolate cake, which is hands down the best cake in Birmingham.
(4)
Joanna T.
This is a cute place for the "ladies who lunch" crowd - it's very popular, so come outside of peak hours or be prepared to wait a bit. Parking is a premium too but there's a good sized lot to the rear of the restaurant and we found a spot there with no problem. I love the menu - so many tasty choices meant that it was hard to decide! Tons of sandwich choices, homemade soups and delicious salads - not to mention the tempting pastry case. I went with the daily quiche (ham & cheese) which is served with a salad and soup. Portions are on the small side, but perfect for lunch. My quiche was really good but could have been served a bit warmer. The salad of greens + balsamic was simple, but delicious. I opted for the chicken tortilla soup and it was full of chicken chunks and fresh veggies. I'd happily order any (or all) of this again! The person I was lunching with insisted we try some of their famous dessert - he didn't have to try to hard to convince me... We ended up with the caramel apple pie and it was a bit of a letdown honestly. The apple filling was way, way, way too sweet and not especially caramel-y. What was outstanding was their homemade whipped cream - it reminded me of Chantilly. Service was fast, efficient and friendly - we never had to wait for a refill which was impressive considering how busy they were. As other people have noted, you're not going to find a lot of dudes here (but single guys should know that this place is full of ladies of every age).
Only came in for dessert and coffee. The chocolate cake with chocolate panache and bread pudding were both outstanding.
(5)
John S.
Olexa's catered our New Employee Orientation for November and now January. January- I had the Beef and Cheddar Panini with a salad. Despite the mixed greens which are not my favorite type, the salad was good. In addition to the mixed greens included strawberries, mandarin oranges and walnuts. Dressing was a fruit based vinaigrette. Cloud Nine dessert is still the best part. November- Chicken and Pesto Panini was pretty good. Probably would have been better if I had been able to eat when it first arrived. Corn and Bean salad was good just too small a quantity. Expected more than just plain Ruffles chips. Cloud Nine dessert was best part. French Vanilla with Strawberry version. Would definitely try again.
(4)
Justin W.
Oh, wow! This place is super tasty! Yes, there were lots of ladies in there during lunch, but I love this kind of food and was not ashamed of being a rare dude. I had a trio which included tomato bisque, half a turkey sandwich, and salad. It was a super fresh and delicious. And...their...cake. Oh my. You must save space to try a slice of either the white or brown, man are they good. The service was super friendly and attentive, and wet had a wonderful all around experience in this surprisingly large restaurant. You will not be disappointed here.
(5)
Joe G.
Great lunch place, food was great. Everyone should try it. Really nothing else can be said
(5)
Sheri C.
My favorite lunching place!! Excellent food, service and atmosphere! A pure delight!!
(5)
Laurie M.
This is a gem of a bakery. I challenge you to find a fresher, more delicious, more beautifully decorated offering of custom cakes in Birmingham. I'm a bit of a control freak. Have to be hands on in everything. They made my vision of a custom cake for a special baby shower come to life... And even improved on my interpretation. No greasy shortening icing or cakes that have been in the freezer for months here. Restaurant is tasty too- some things, like homemade soups are exceptional- others are very good in terms of quality - just not over the top in terms of being different from other selections around town. Lastly, the customer service is old school. Positive, hometown friendly, and "customer first" oriented. In short -What we, as customers should expect- but in this day and age, are unfortunately, surprised by. I wouldn't hesitate to heartily endorse Olexa's - especially for custom cakes.
(4)
Sam N.
After driving around for 30-ish minutes, my roommate and I finally found it. It was totally worth getting lost and confused! We had the tomato basil soup. It was wonderful!! One of our friends' birthdays is coming up and we are very disappointed we can't take her there for dinner on her birthday. We really wish they had longer hours. The cake was warm, wonderful and melted in your mouth! The waitress was so sweet and made sure we had everything we needed.
(5)
Bryan Z.
talk about some stupid reviews--"Their cake is too sugary". How stupid is that? The water they serve is also too wet. The service here was outstanding, even during a busy Saturday lunch. I ordered the chicken, bacon and tomato caesar and couldn't believe how filling it was. Tons of protein and the dressing was outstanding. One of the people I was with had the French dip and the horseradish sauce was incredibly tasty. My wife had a panini and really enjoyed it as well. We shared both the bread pudding and the white cloud dessert thing with strawberries and they were both incredible. No complaints and would go back here in a second. Prices were pretty reasonable for Mountainbrook and portions were definitely respectable.
(5)
Meliya B.
Sunday brunch was delicious and I was super happy to get an awesome vegetarian meal. Chef Susan was great ! She came to our table and talked to us about her menu. Very enjoyable ! Will definitely go again !!
(5)
Meaghan R.
High marks for the cookies. Tried chocolate chip (a bit sweet but very good), chocolate caramel chunk, and cherry white chocolate. Honestly, very surprised. They taste very fresh, consistency is a nice mix of a bit crispy (large, thin cookies) with great chew, and overall just a wonderful treat. Lunch items were okay. We tried a few sandwiches and salads--nothing that knocked my socks off. I was expecting a bit more out of their salad dressings, but it is a great local option. Customer service was lovely!
(4)
Yorke W.
Olexa's in Mountain Brook Village s a great place to have lunch. It is mainly for women even though the food would satisfy both men and women. It s just that 95% of the customers are going to be women. My favorite is the black and blue salad. Their cake melts in your mouth. Enjoy!
(5)
Wherethefisfresh B.
After a long walk on the trail, my family and I stopped in to grab a nice afternoon lunch. The interior was nice. It was a tad hokey but overall a nice aesthetic for a little cafe in Birmingham. The service was fine. Young girls with nice smiles sprinkled our table with a healthy sized portion of good old southern charm. I ordered the seafood salad, which was described as a delicious mix of greens topped with crab, lobster and shrimp tossed in a light dressing. It also included potato salad and pasta salad on the side, which I found odd, but I guess most good southerners enjoy potato salad with any dish. The salad was not in any way fresh. I believe all of the three parts of my seafood marriage were imitation which made for a very rubbery consistency. It tasted watered down as well. I can only assume this came from the fact that the mix had just been defrosted. Probably a good reason to smother it in a secret sauce. Also take note the sauce was pink, not too appetizing. On another note, the other dish at the table, your classic grilled cheese and tomato soup was well received. I am not sure how hard it is to mess up, but all the while a compliment to the cook who warmed the soup. From what I gather, this place is a caterer, lunch hot spot and bakery. I would strongly recommend you only use this restaurant for the baked goods, which I found to be extraordinary!! Their cakes and cookies and crepes were amazing! They were crepes were beautiful and the cakes were moist topped with the perfect amount of buttercream icing that made me ooze with delight! This is the American Dream. Spread yourself too thin in fear that your one success will not prove lucrative.
Alan B.
When my wife and I got married we were told to only go to one place and that was to Olexa's. We were most certainly not let down. We chose their vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream icing and did it in a five layered stucco finish. It was absolutely stunning at our wedding. And for my groom's cake I opted to go with their out of this world bread pudding. Both were so amazing people didn't know what was better. I've yet to go to another wedding with cake as good. Since then Olexa's is the only place in town that will suffice when it comes to cakes for our birthdays and parties. Although we have had a few experiences where the cakes were not made to our exact specifications and some even cracked or slid apart we are still very loyal to this establishment. Because of some of these short coming we have considered other vendors but their cakes are just so darn delicious we can't leave. If you are in the Mountain Brook area and have a sweet tooth, pop in and grab a slice. You will be hooked for life.
(4)Susie F.
Loved lunch but thought their cake was too sugary.
(3)Jennie B.
Olexa's is the perfect ladies' lunch spot. Their menu pretty much stays the same, and with good reason, because it's consistently delicious. My favorite item to order is the Trio, in which you get a half of a specialty panini, a salad (usually the strawberry mandarin salad), and a small cup of soup (my fave is tomato basil--creamy and delicious!). After eating lunch I never have room for it, BUT you can order a slice of their delicious Birmingham-famous cake for dessert!
(5)Vasu M.
Can't believe I've lived in Birmingham for 6 years and never been to this place. I loved the decor of the place, as soon as I walked in. I got the speciality trio for lunch for $12.95 which included a beef and cheddar panini, goat cheese and walnut salad, and tomato basil soup. All 3 of the dishes were wonderful. The sandwich was toasted and had juicy meat and gooey cheese. It was perfect dipped in the tomato soup. The salad was well dressed with a tapenade and had yummy candied walnuts on it. It was a great amount of food and I loved the variety. Next up was the dessert which took this place from 4 to 5 stars. My friend suggested that we get the chocolate cake with peanut butter on the side. Wow. Amazing chocolate cake. I'm more of a cookie person than cakes but this slice was amazing. Slightly warm and literally melted in my mouth. Paired with peanut butter, it made for an amazing dessert. Definitely need a large glass of water or milk to wash it down. Eat this cake after a long day of work and I'm pretty sure all your worries would disappear. Followed by a sugar coma and then sweet dreams, literally. The price was a little high for lunch but I think that has to do with the area that it is in. I don't mind paying a few extra dollars for a great lunch. Service was great as well. Look forward to coming back many many more times!
(5)Anna G.
Olexa's serves the best lunch in all of Birmingham. I eat here at least once a week. It is a great spot to go have lunch with the girls! I have introduced so many of my friends and family members to Olexa's and I have never heard a single bad comment about any of their dishes. I have taken 2 of my girl friends there and they loved the cake so much that they actually got them to make their wedding cake!
(5)Caleigh R.
Had a very nice lunch here with my grandmother recently. It's a cute restaurant to lunch at--very popular with women, but food that's good enough for a gentleman, too. Especially, if he knows good cake :) I had the Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad. It was delicious!! In the past, I've enjoyed the Portabello and Smoked Gouda Panini--both are really enjoyable. I love the cake from Olexa's. Have had many tastes from previous weddings. It's best when you eat it at the restaurant because they heat it up before delivering it to the table. It melts in your mouth! Only downside is if you end up next to a mother who brings her child in (sigh). Can't avoid it as there are many women who like to lunch here. It's not a spacious restaurant and it is loud most of the time. It seems like the few times I've been, I always end up with a child near me and at some point they pour their water all over the floor or (bigger sigh) one time I was stuck next to a screaming baby for most of my meal. Not the best environment for children, so maybe Mom's can think through bringing their kids on this lunch date.
(4)Becky E.
Olexa's is probably my favorite lunch spot in Birmingham, but I often pick a spot elsewhere because parking is such a bear around this restaurant. If it wasn't for the parking, I would give it 5 stars. I wish they would introduce call-ahead curb-side service like O'Carrs for those of us who would like a meal to go. My two favorite meals: Field greens with (extra) candied walnuts, pesto, and goat cheese; tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. They also have fantastic French onion soup and quiches. If you have room, get a warm piece of their chocolate cake, which is hands down the best cake in Birmingham.
(4)Joanna T.
This is a cute place for the "ladies who lunch" crowd - it's very popular, so come outside of peak hours or be prepared to wait a bit. Parking is a premium too but there's a good sized lot to the rear of the restaurant and we found a spot there with no problem. I love the menu - so many tasty choices meant that it was hard to decide! Tons of sandwich choices, homemade soups and delicious salads - not to mention the tempting pastry case. I went with the daily quiche (ham & cheese) which is served with a salad and soup. Portions are on the small side, but perfect for lunch. My quiche was really good but could have been served a bit warmer. The salad of greens + balsamic was simple, but delicious. I opted for the chicken tortilla soup and it was full of chicken chunks and fresh veggies. I'd happily order any (or all) of this again! The person I was lunching with insisted we try some of their famous dessert - he didn't have to try to hard to convince me... We ended up with the caramel apple pie and it was a bit of a letdown honestly. The apple filling was way, way, way too sweet and not especially caramel-y. What was outstanding was their homemade whipped cream - it reminded me of Chantilly. Service was fast, efficient and friendly - we never had to wait for a refill which was impressive considering how busy they were. As other people have noted, you're not going to find a lot of dudes here (but single guys should know that this place is full of ladies of every age).
(4)Emily C.
It was a super crowded Saturday but we slipped in right before the line was forming out the door. The décor really is something, so you should come here at least once for that I guess. I was not super impressed with the food, especially at those prices. The portions are small, sure, but I'm a fan of quality over quantity and the quality just wasn't there. I ordered a chicken pesto panini with a side of the tomato basil soup. My Dude ordered the grilled chicken on sourdough and a side of broccoli cheddar soup. The soup was a little less on the creamy side than what I'm used to for tomato basil, but I'm totally fine with that - it was good. I feel like the chicken on my sandwich had little to no seasoning, and the pesto was barely there. I had a taste of the broccoli cheddar and it was spiced oddly - maybe nutmeg? Not really a flavor I've encountered with broccoli soup before, but alright, glad I didn't order that. Overall, completely underwhelming, and I can think of several other places at which I'd rather spend too much on soups and sandwiches. I understand they were busy, but I still feel like our food took entirely too long to come out. We were there for a solid hour from the moment we sat down to the moment we stepped back onto the street. Our waitress did the best she could but I feel like maybe their dining room is too overwhelming for their staff, or something. Sorry guys! This place just isn't for me.
(3)Rob S.
Only came in for dessert and coffee. The chocolate cake with chocolate panache and bread pudding were both outstanding.
(5)John S.
Olexa's catered our New Employee Orientation for November and now January. January- I had the Beef and Cheddar Panini with a salad. Despite the mixed greens which are not my favorite type, the salad was good. In addition to the mixed greens included strawberries, mandarin oranges and walnuts. Dressing was a fruit based vinaigrette. Cloud Nine dessert is still the best part. November- Chicken and Pesto Panini was pretty good. Probably would have been better if I had been able to eat when it first arrived. Corn and Bean salad was good just too small a quantity. Expected more than just plain Ruffles chips. Cloud Nine dessert was best part. French Vanilla with Strawberry version. Would definitely try again.
(4)Justin W.
Oh, wow! This place is super tasty! Yes, there were lots of ladies in there during lunch, but I love this kind of food and was not ashamed of being a rare dude. I had a trio which included tomato bisque, half a turkey sandwich, and salad. It was a super fresh and delicious. And...their...cake. Oh my. You must save space to try a slice of either the white or brown, man are they good. The service was super friendly and attentive, and wet had a wonderful all around experience in this surprisingly large restaurant. You will not be disappointed here.
(5)Joe G.
Great lunch place, food was great. Everyone should try it. Really nothing else can be said
(5)Sheri C.
My favorite lunching place!! Excellent food, service and atmosphere! A pure delight!!
(5)Laurie M.
This is a gem of a bakery. I challenge you to find a fresher, more delicious, more beautifully decorated offering of custom cakes in Birmingham. I'm a bit of a control freak. Have to be hands on in everything. They made my vision of a custom cake for a special baby shower come to life... And even improved on my interpretation. No greasy shortening icing or cakes that have been in the freezer for months here. Restaurant is tasty too- some things, like homemade soups are exceptional- others are very good in terms of quality - just not over the top in terms of being different from other selections around town. Lastly, the customer service is old school. Positive, hometown friendly, and "customer first" oriented. In short -What we, as customers should expect- but in this day and age, are unfortunately, surprised by. I wouldn't hesitate to heartily endorse Olexa's - especially for custom cakes.
(4)Sam N.
After driving around for 30-ish minutes, my roommate and I finally found it. It was totally worth getting lost and confused! We had the tomato basil soup. It was wonderful!! One of our friends' birthdays is coming up and we are very disappointed we can't take her there for dinner on her birthday. We really wish they had longer hours. The cake was warm, wonderful and melted in your mouth! The waitress was so sweet and made sure we had everything we needed.
(5)Bryan Z.
talk about some stupid reviews--"Their cake is too sugary". How stupid is that? The water they serve is also too wet. The service here was outstanding, even during a busy Saturday lunch. I ordered the chicken, bacon and tomato caesar and couldn't believe how filling it was. Tons of protein and the dressing was outstanding. One of the people I was with had the French dip and the horseradish sauce was incredibly tasty. My wife had a panini and really enjoyed it as well. We shared both the bread pudding and the white cloud dessert thing with strawberries and they were both incredible. No complaints and would go back here in a second. Prices were pretty reasonable for Mountainbrook and portions were definitely respectable.
(5)Meliya B.
Sunday brunch was delicious and I was super happy to get an awesome vegetarian meal. Chef Susan was great ! She came to our table and talked to us about her menu. Very enjoyable ! Will definitely go again !!
(5)Meaghan R.
High marks for the cookies. Tried chocolate chip (a bit sweet but very good), chocolate caramel chunk, and cherry white chocolate. Honestly, very surprised. They taste very fresh, consistency is a nice mix of a bit crispy (large, thin cookies) with great chew, and overall just a wonderful treat. Lunch items were okay. We tried a few sandwiches and salads--nothing that knocked my socks off. I was expecting a bit more out of their salad dressings, but it is a great local option. Customer service was lovely!
(4)Yorke W.
Olexa's in Mountain Brook Village s a great place to have lunch. It is mainly for women even though the food would satisfy both men and women. It s just that 95% of the customers are going to be women. My favorite is the black and blue salad. Their cake melts in your mouth. Enjoy!
(5)Wherethefisfresh B.
After a long walk on the trail, my family and I stopped in to grab a nice afternoon lunch. The interior was nice. It was a tad hokey but overall a nice aesthetic for a little cafe in Birmingham. The service was fine. Young girls with nice smiles sprinkled our table with a healthy sized portion of good old southern charm. I ordered the seafood salad, which was described as a delicious mix of greens topped with crab, lobster and shrimp tossed in a light dressing. It also included potato salad and pasta salad on the side, which I found odd, but I guess most good southerners enjoy potato salad with any dish. The salad was not in any way fresh. I believe all of the three parts of my seafood marriage were imitation which made for a very rubbery consistency. It tasted watered down as well. I can only assume this came from the fact that the mix had just been defrosted. Probably a good reason to smother it in a secret sauce. Also take note the sauce was pink, not too appetizing. On another note, the other dish at the table, your classic grilled cheese and tomato soup was well received. I am not sure how hard it is to mess up, but all the while a compliment to the cook who warmed the soup. From what I gather, this place is a caterer, lunch hot spot and bakery. I would strongly recommend you only use this restaurant for the baked goods, which I found to be extraordinary!! Their cakes and cookies and crepes were amazing! They were crepes were beautiful and the cakes were moist topped with the perfect amount of buttercream icing that made me ooze with delight! This is the American Dream. Spread yourself too thin in fear that your one success will not prove lucrative.
(3)