Nightlife in Hoover

Fried Alabama-grown green tomatoes encrusted in cornmeal are a golden start to a journey through Southern favorites with European touches on The J. Clyde's dinner menu. The caprese stacks Italian standards (fresh tomato and mozzarella) with Southern flavors (fried okra and pancetta), while entrees ($8–$23) such as grilled grouper, steak au poivre, and Bavarian sausage further satisfy appetites for culinary adventure. Order off the comfort-food-filled pub menu (with items ranging from $5 to $12) to sup on steak and eggs or customizable pizza.

Jumpstart dinner with an order of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies, pastry rounds packed with onion, rosemary, and minced roast beef ($4.25). Traditionalists sup on hearty plates such as bangers and mash (roasted sausage stacked atop mashed potatoes and smothered with red-wine gravy and onions, $11.50) or boxtey (potato balls mixed with Dubliner cheese and Black Forest ham, $10.50). Vegetarians can opt for the banshee, a grilled portabella cap topped with cheddar and served on a yeast bun with chips ($9.75). Guzzle a chocolate Guinness milkshake ($6.50) for dessert.

Rare Martini promotes a lively joie de vivre with live entertainment, tasty drinks, and a menu of fresh tuna steaks, savory sliders, and shareable sides. A stylish color scheme of muted vermilion surrounds guests as they casually sip delicious cocktails by the cozy fireplace, or teach group hokey pokey lessons on the spacious, colorfully lit dance floor. A regular revue of live acts, including bands, DJs, comics, and karaoke, keeps crowds entertained as they savor the tastes of upscale pub cuisine and mingle with Rare Martini's crowd of young, energetic regulars.