Surf Hound, a new coastal-themed restaurant and bar from Birmingham chef Abhi Sainju, will open this Thursday, Sept. 19., in Mountain Brook.
The menu will feature dishes inspired by both the Asian beach cuisine Sainju remembers from his youth and the American coastal food he has experienced as an adult.
“From childhood memories spent on the beach in Pattaya, Thailand, to weekend trips to the Gulf, each item on this menu holds a special memory for me,” Sainju said in a media release. “We had a lot of fun elevating these beach classics, and I can’t wait for Birmingham to experience our take on them.”
A view of the interior of Surf Hound, a coastal-inspired restaurant and bar from Birmingham chef Abhi Sainju. (Blake Raymond)Blake Raymond
The restaurant, Sainju’s third, is at 2721 Cahaba Road in the former Dram Whiskey Bar and Carrigan’s Public House space in the heart of Mountain Brook Village.
It is downstairs from Sainju’s Asian-inspired Abhi Eatery + Bar and around the corner from Maro, a fast-casual Asian-fusion concept that opened in 2023 in Mountain Brook’s Lane Parke development.
The Surf Hound menu includes birria chicken nachos, Thai lemongrass wings, bison sliders, roasted duck tacos, a pork bánh mì, and a soft-shell crab sandwich, along with a selection of burgers made with Wagyu beef, bison and turkey patties.
Among Sainju’s signature entrees are Cry Cry Cry, with Wagyu steak marinated in a spicy Thai chili and served with lettuce wraps, and the Octo Reef Salad, with tender octopus, peanuts, sesame seeds and a coastal vinaigrette.
The Surf Hound menu will include a selection of burgers, including a Wagyu beef burger, a bison burger and a marinated turkey burger. (Photo by Eric Chapman; used with permission)
“The beach is a happy place for many of us, including myself, and we all become the most relaxed version of ourselves,” Sainju said in the release. “With Surf Hound, I wanted to celebrate those nostalgic memories and emulate that same environment, but with an elevated take on the coastal food that we all know and love.”
On the beverage side, cocktail selections include Sea Foam, with Aperol, St-Germain, grapefruit juice and prosecco; Chop Water, with Bacardi rum, mint syrup and coconut crème; and the Frozen Hound, with spiced rum, coconut, pineapple, orange juice and nutmeg. Mocktails include a cucumber mint cooler and a pineapple ginger fizz.
Surf Hound general manager Ashish Pradhan has also curated an extensive beer and wine list and has partnered with Voodoo Brewing Company on a signature Surf Hound Lager, which is available on tap.
Chop Water, one of the signature cocktails at Surf Hound, is made with Bacardi rum, mint syrup and coconut crème.(Photo by Eric Chapman; used with permission)
Lindsey Meadows Interior Design designed the space, using white-washed wood, shades of blue and surfboards throughout to create a 1960s-’70s-era California coastal vibe.
A cozy patio is available for outdoor dining and socializing, with televisions strategically placed inside and out.
“We’re going to have a lot of TVs,” Sainju said in a previous interview with AL.com. “We want to make it like a bar where you can watch all the games and still enjoy some good food.
“You can come in casual, just like you’re at the beach — flip flops and all that, no problem — but you’re going to get a high standard of food and a good atmosphere. That’s what we want to do.”
Surf Hound will open for dinner from 4:30 p.m. until closing on Mondays through Saturdays and for lunch from 11 a.m. until closing on Sundays. Seating is first-come, first-served, with no reservations.
Surf Hound is Chef Abhi Sainju Sainju’s third restaurant. (Blake Raymond)Blake Raymond
Sainju, a native of Nepal in south Asia, came to the United States in 1996, and, frustrated that he could not find the food he grew up eating, taught himself to cook some of the Nepalese dishes passed down from his mother and aunts.
In Birmingham, he founded Everest Sushi and began serving his food at catered events, private parties and at the old Blue Monkey Lounge in Five Points South.
Sainju opened his first restaurant, Abhi Eatery + Bar, in the Summit retail center in 2017, and two years later, he opened a second location of Abhi in Mountain Brook Village. The original Summit location has since closed.
Surf Hound is at 2721 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook, Ala. The phone is 205-747-0257. The restaurant opens for dinner service beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19. For more information, go here.
