Ollie Irene
Ollie Irene was an upscale gastropub in Mountain Brook.
The restaurant is owned and operated by Anna and Chris Newsome, who were married at the restaurant in December 2011. It is named for Newsome's grandmother, a south Alabama sharecropper. Ollie Irene serves mainly small plates of regional and European specialties made with local ingredients. The bar, made from a 140-year-old oak slab, features craft cocktails and select wines. It has twice been nominated for awards from the James Beard Foundation: The pub was a semifinalist for "Best New Restaurant" in 2011, and Newsome a semifinalist for "Best Chef in the South" in 2015. It was also listed with Southern Living's "100 Best Restaurants In The South" in 2014.
The restaurant originally opened on August 9, 2011 in the former Browdy's/Pianeta 3 location at 2713 Culver Road in the Mountain Brook Shopping Center in Mountain Brook Village. When that strip was redeveloped as Lane Parke, the restaurant closed. Its last day of business there was September 30, 2016.
It reopened in its present location in October 2017. On November 5, 2021 it posted a notice that it was closed for the night, but never reopened. Real & Rosemary took over the space in 2022.
| Preceded by: Pianeta 3 |
2713 Culver Road August 2011– September 2016 |
Succeeded by: none |
| Preceded by: Tracy's Cafeteria |
75 Church Street October 2017–November 2021 |
Succeeded by: Real & Rosemary |
References
- Roussel, Christiana D. (August 5, 2011) "Cooking for real: Locals open Mountain Brook's latest neighborhood restaurant." Birmingham Weekly
- Horn, Jason (August 11, 2011) "Ollie Irene brings gastropub cuisine to Mountain Brook Village." Magic City Post
- Coryell, Alina (August 11, 2011) "Ollie Irene, delicious and homegrown in Birmingham" Adventures in Home Making
- Velasco, Eric (July 31, 2014) "Ollie Irene set out to be a neighborhood pub, and it's also become a second home for its owners." The Birmingham News
- Techo, Erica (September 30, 2016) "Mountain Brook Village restaurant Ollie Irene closing its doors tonight" Village Living
- Carlton, Bob (January 23, 2017) "Ollie Irene chef opening new Mountain Brook restaurant." The Birmingham News
- Swain, Sharron (December 27, 2025) "Our hearts broke to say goodbye to these 11 local spots that closed in 2021." Bham Now
External links
- Ollie Irene weblog at blogspot.com