Little Betty Steak Bar opened in the beautiful neighborhood of Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2024. It’s tucked into the bustling Lane Park, across from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and the Grand Bohemian Hotel, making it the perfect dinner spot for locals and visitors alike.
When I arrived on my first visit, the warm and friendly hosts beat me to the grand front door to welcome me into a dining room that I can best describe as warm and welcoming but also elegant at the same time.
As we were seated glancing over the menu I saw many things I wanted to try, from classic steakhouse dishes like Caesar Salad and a signature Little Betty Filet. But also several mouth-watering, unique dishes like Cacio E Pepe Gnudi or Brussels Sprouts Calabrese. As my friend and I were perusing all of the delicious options, our server suggested we begin with the Wagyu Croquettes. And that’s the moment my life changed.
A Most Delicious Bite
The Wagyu Croquettes are little fried bites of braised beef and mozzarella, sitting atop a bed of caramelized onion aioli. Small but mighty, these are a decadent, delicious, poppable bite. I cracked them open and swiped them across that delicious carmelized onion aioli and I truly haven’t stopped thinking about them ever since.
Pro-tip: they come 3 to an order, if there are two of you, get two orders! You won’t regret it. They are that good. I think I may just stroll in one night, sit at the bar, and order myself a double of Wagyu Croquettes and a Little Betty Salad. Let’s call that the new Girl Dinner.
The Origin Story
Little Betty’s Chef Kyle Biddy was kind enough to chat and give me the scoop on how this dish came to life. He started with inspiration from a steakhouse classic not on the menu, French Onion Soup. Biddy told us that Jamey Shirah, Little Betty owner, “he’s a French onion soup guy, aren’t we all, right?”…