The Harrington Pub opened its doors at Pepper Place on Thursday, bringing English-style pub food with a Southern twist, handcrafted seasonal cocktails, and a full bar to the former home of The Lumbar. The new spot sits at 212 29th Street South, next to Ignite Cycle and across from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, in a corner of the district that's long been a magnet for food and drink in Birmingham.
According to Bham Now, the pub describes itself as a bar and restaurant serving English-style pub food with a Southern twist alongside handcrafted seasonal cocktails and a selection of wine and beer. The menu was built by Chef Trenton Tisdale, who also created the menu for The Anvil pub in Lee Branch, the same team's original concept, per the same report. The Harrington Pub had hosted a friends and family night on Wednesday, the night before its public opening.
What's on the Menu
Early offerings lean into comfort food with a continental edge. Dishes include crispy eggplant tempura with gochujang, chicken tikka, shepherd's pie topped with sweet potato, and fish and chips, according to Bham Now's opening-day report. On the drinks side, the pub is pouring a cocktail called the Ci-Duh, made with vodka, apple cider and house-made caramel, along with a Pumped Up cocktail featuring spiced rum, pumpkin, lemon and egg white.
Those seasonal flavors fit the broader pitch for the space: a pub built around UK and continental European influences layered onto Southern ingredients. Bham Now had earlier described the concept as European pub-inspired food with influences from across the UK and the continent, while still highlighting Southern ingredients — and had initially reported the pub was expected to open this summer, a timeline that shifted as the opening ultimately landed in October. A Pepper Place tenant listing had separately pointed to a September 2026 opening, another projection that came and went before Thursday's debut.
A Sister Concept to The Anvil
The Harrington Pub was created by the team behind The Anvil in The Village at Lee Branch, according to Birmingham Parent, which described the new pub as a mix of traditional UK dishes, Southern ingredients and fresh local produce. Birmingham Parent reported that the restaurant serves everything from grab-and-go breakfast items to its full pub menu, backed by a full cocktail menu, wines and European beer on tap. The outlet also noted the pub offers outdoor seating and stays open late.
Bham Now's March preview had framed the new location as a sister, but not twin, of The Anvil, suggesting a related but distinct identity for the Pepper Place spot. The Birmingham Business Journal reported in April that the same team also operates a neighborhood hangout in Hoover, and described The Harrington Pub as a new Premier League bar aiming to fill gaps in the local market — part of a broader push toward an approachable, all-day gathering spot rather than a formal dining destination.
Filling a Long-Empty Storefront
The Harrington Pub now occupies a space that had sat empty since The Lumbar closed in April 2025. Its current hours are listed as 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily on a temporary basis, with permanent hours not yet announced. For now, Pepper Place has one more reason to linger past dinner, whether that means a pint of European beer on tap or a late-night order of fish and chips.
