On: House of ArmorThe 113-year-old Armor & Co. store in Birmingham city centre. With a new neighborhood brasserie and raw bar opening soon in the building, executive chef Jeffrey Compton and his team are counting the days until the restaurant’s debut on November 8.

“We want to be a great restaurant in the best city,” says Compton’s wife, Kristen Manolio Compton, the restaurant’s events and marketing manager. “We’re not trying to be the best restaurant here. . . .

“This whole city has incredible potential for food, drink, wine and everything it has to offer,” he adds. “There is so much to love and experience here. “I look forward to this company being a part of it.”

The Comptons came to Birmingham via Auburn and met while working there. “Iron Chef Showdown” champion David Bancroft next to him Acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant in Acre.

Kristen, who grew up in the Oak Mountain area, returned to the Magic City to work for CEO Rollins Montgomery. Montgomery Assets and one of Armor House’s largest investors.

Originally from Destin, Florida, Jeffrey followed Kristen to become the opening chef at The Battery in Homewood. He left in April 2023 to begin preparations to open Armor House.

Completed in 1911 – although construction began in the late 1890s – the old building had previously been occupied by another building. A processing plant and distribution center for Armor & Company meat packers.

In addition to Armor House and speakeasy cocktail lounge Pogo, the four-story Armor & Co. buildingFacing First Avenue North at the front and Morris Avenue at the rear, the development currently includes approximately 20 luxury apartments and a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of Birmingham’s Southside.

Christopher Architecture and Interior Architecture – Kristen Compton and her sister company designed the restaurant, says its president, Chris Reebals, another major investor in Armor HouseKaratas ConstructionHe supervised all renovations of the historical building.

The restaurant’s interiors blend the building’s history with modern touches, including original tiled brick flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows, and tables carved from repurposed wood from the building.

In this sense, the old building has come full circle.

“It really is,” says Kristen Compton. “That’s why you see these little (design) nods here and there to the beef industry that once existed.”

Continue reading below for a first look at the Armor House space before the restaurant opens for dinner service on November 8.

(Want good Alabama news delivered to your inbox every week? This is Sign up for Alabama’s weekly newsletter.)

dining outdoors

At the front of the restaurant, Armor House will offer outdoor seating for approximately 60 guests at tables along First Avenue North.

A row of emerald green arborvitae trees housed in sturdy steel pots provides privacy for diners and creates a barrier between the seating area and the street.

Twinkling lights hanging from cast iron, A-frame trellises CH Welding Special Iron Works It adds to the urban, industrial ambience.

“These (cages) were built specifically for Armor House,” says Compton. “They feature an ‘A’ shape and are intended to add an almost European feel to the space. “They are nice and tall and create this beautiful view in front of the restaurant.”

A look into the past

Inside, beyond the hostess station, a 12-seat bar with lacquered mirror arches and hand-crafted brickwork along the walls offers guests a view of the Armor & Co. It offers a look at the effort and craftsmanship spent in the construction of the building.

The glazed bricks are original to the building and survived the devastating fire of 1952.

“They are full bricks; They are not tiles,” says Compton. “Every brick was handmade, molded and glazed, and the bricks you see on some of our curved corners were all hand molded because they didn’t have the equipment at that time to facilitate the process.”

He adds that the Armor House design team continued this look by incorporating it into the curve of the bar.

“They took the effect they found from curves and chose natural stone for the bar top and the rounded shape of the bar top to mimic the shapes of the original bricks of this building,” says Compton.

first impressions

When guests enter the main dining room, the glass and stainless steel dry-age cabinets will whet their appetite for what’s on the Armor House menu.

“The first thing you’ll see when you walk in is all these beautiful Tomahawk steaks hanging in the window; prosciutto legs, fresh duck, all the good stuff,” says Compton. “At some point Jeffrey plans to hang a loaded swordfish in one of these cabinets and do a dry age program for it.

“And because it’s transparent on the inside, you can see our chefs working behind you, so you can get a glimpse of what you’re about to walk into.”

Armor House’s menu has not yet been made public, but according to an earlier press release, dishes include Black Angus beef tenderloin with pomme puree, charred broccolini, lamb shank jus and bone marrow butter, and bluefin tuna crudo. huckleberry and champagne granita, Fresno peppers, Georgia olive oil and herbs.

View from the dining room

The main dining room, including tables, booths and banquette seating, will seat approximately 120 guests.

“Every chair in here, the booths, everything is made of 100 percent leather,” says Compton. “This is kind of a nod to the fact that the beef production facilities and the meatpacking plant are located here.”

The dining room’s sanded and refinished hardwood floors and large windows overlooking First Avenue North are also original to the building.

“The glass actually dates back to the 1890s, which means it survived a lot in this building, between a fire and storms in Birmingham,” Compton says. “This is one of my favorite features in this entire area. . . .

“It creates really great light that comes in during the day and gives you a great view, not your typical view.”

A seat at the raw bar

Featuring just five seats, the raw bar will offer guests an intimate, up-close view of the Armor House kitchen team at work.

“I am so excited to be able to present this,” says Compton. “When we go to restaurants, I like to watch how the chefs work and how the team communicates. And nothing is more exciting than watching these guys work together in harmony because it is truly amazing to see the level of communication. . . .

“So our customers sitting at the raw bar will be able to see a little bit of everything,” he adds. “It’s quite a show.”

Seats at the raw bar will be walk-in only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Downstairs at Pogo

In the basement below the restaurant, underground cocktail lounge Pogo has its own secret passage for guests who want to stop by before or after dinner.

Guests will be able to access Pogo from the restaurant via stairs or elevator, or through a separate entrance on the Morris Boulevard side of the building.

There is a fun story behind the name Pogo.

“When Chris Reebals’ company first purchased this building in 2016 and we were walking around the space, the only thing found on the floor below ground was a toy pogo stick.”

The same pogo stick was also attached to a secret door leading to the lounge.

“Once the door is closed, it’s almost completely seamless,” says Compton. “We have a big, bright neon sign, but other than that, that’s our only signal of where Pogo is going to be.”

Pogo area with mini jumbotron display and a screen resin river bar top The building, which has LED rope lights underneath, is scheduled to open on Friday, Nov. 22, Compton said.

Armor House on Friday, Nov. 8, at 2309 First Ave. North will open in Birmingham, Ala. For reservations and more information, visit: armor-house.com.