One Eleven, a new restaurant in downtown Huntsville, officially opened on June 9 to much excitement, quickly becoming a buzzworthy destination for locals and visitors alike.

Located just a few blocks away from Big Spring Park and the downtown square, the eatery is well-placed in the heart of the city. It even has a storied history, as the building most recently housed the iconic The Heritage Club and, before that, the well-loved Ritz Café for almost forty years.

One Eleven’s warm and inviting atmosphere, combined with its unique cocktail menu, offers a reminder of upscale restaurants typically found in larger cities, well-suited for the city’s fast-growing community.

One Eleven’s Marketing Manager, Victoria Pittman, shared the concept behind the space, describing it as an elevated but approachable dining experience meant to draw a vibrant evening crowd.

“A lot of the feedback that we’ve gotten from people is that it feels like something almost in Nashville or in Atlanta,” Pittman said.

PowerBrands Hospitality Group is also responsible for other local restaurants in the area, such as Prohibition in Town Madison and the new Lola’s Cocina in Jones Valley.

One Eleven is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and also features two private event spaces: The Library and The Heritage Room, both available for reservation.

The menu features dishes crafted in collaboration with New York chef Pat Trama, including grilled branzino, gochujang-glazed salmon, and steak frites. House-made pastas like rigatoni with cacio e pepe are also available and can be paired with any of the restaurant’s carefully curated wine selections.

At lunch, food offerings include a hanger steak sandwich, a grilled chicken baguette, salads, and more. Gluten free appetizer, entrée, and dessert options are also available at both lunch and dinner.

According to Pittman, the restaurant will introduce a brunch and late-night menu in the future.

The restaurant’s late-night hours will be available on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to midnight, featuring a limited selection of food and drinks accompanied by music, either a live band or a DJ.

One Eleven’s craft cocktail menu features drinks inspired by local landmarks, including the appropriately named Space Race, Maple Hill, Lowe Mill’s Torpedo, and Redstone Arsenal, among others.

“Through even the naming of drinks, we want this to be a spot where we can attract locals for this to be their regular place. Even when tourists are coming through, we want them to be intrigued by the names of these different cocktails and look them up and maybe find things that they can go visit or things that they didn’t know about Huntsville,” Pittman said.

The mixologist who created the drinks, Samantha Robinson, works at Jobos, a restaurant located in Hotel Tupelo.

Pittman described her as “phenomenal” and said Robinson came to the restaurant and trained staff on how to mix and serve the special drinks.

Other local touches to the menu include the use of locally sourced ingredients.

“We have honeycomb that comes on our baby burrata, and that is from Blossomwood Honey. We also have locally grown edible flowers and microgreens,” Pittman shared.

Another fun addition to One Eleven lies behind an unassuming door, right off the main dining room —a free photo booth for patrons to enjoy with friends and family. Anyone who uses the photo booth can easily send the photos and videos to their phone via text.

This feature and others, like shareable cocktails, are all part of One Eleven’s mission to create a relaxed and social atmosphere where people can gather and connect.

“We want this to be a place where people can make new friends and see old friends. We don’t want people to feel like they’re in their own bubble. And, that’s kind of where being approachable comes in, where we want it to be that finer dining atmosphere, but without it feeling stiff or cold,” Pittman said.