A ‘big kitchen’ with tropical vibe

Chicago natives and Birmingham transplants Greg and Kathy Stein realized a long-held fantasy in spring 2017.

The couple — Avondale residents at the time — moved to the tropical paradise of Coral Bay on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They opened their own bar and eatery, called The Thirsty Donkey, after the wild donkeys that came by for water during a drought.

The Steins, who love entertaining, drew locals and tourists with their tropical drinks, comfort food, trivia nights and live music.

Nature intervened in a cruel way in September 2017, when Hurricane Irma hit the island, destroying The Thirsty Donkey and forcing the Steins to evacuate. But the couple — since their unexpected return to Birmingham in late 2017 — have written another, happier chapter of the story.

They’re reopening The Thirsty Donkey in Avondale in a space previously occupied by another eatery, Rowe’s Filling Station. At press time, they planned to open in early July.

The Steins seek to recreate the mix that made the restaurant popular during their short stint on St. John: good cocktails, good food, funky decor, reasonable prices and a friendly atmosphere.

“I think people like to be at a place that feels like home or your favorite hangout or your relative’s house and a good place to hang and have good drinks and good food,” Kathy Stein said.

The Steins moved to Birmingham in 1998 from St. Louis, where they lived for over a decade. Kathy Stein was an elementary school teacher who became a stay-at-home mom for the couple’s three kids, now in their 20s. Greg Stein worked in retail and the service industry, including Good People Brewing Company, where he ran the tap room for two and a half years before he and his wife moved to St. John.

The Steins first went to St. John to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in 1995 and fell in love with the place. They went back in 2016 and noticed a restaurant — a British-style pub — for sale.

They decided to buy it in February 2017 and were living in St. John by April 2017, according to Greg Stein.

“It happened fast,” he said. “We sold a lot of our stuff. We gave away things. We went down with just our dog, our clothes and our books.” 

The couple ran The Thirsty Donkey for nearly five months before Irma — a category 5 hurricane — hit the island.

After a few days, they evacuated to Puerto Rico, where they got the last flight out before a second category 5 storm, Maria, struck on Sept. 20.

“We lost our home, most of our possessions, our business,” Greg Stein said. “We lost almost everything.” 

The couple credits their good friends here with easing the transition back to Birmingham, when they were still somewhat in shock.

The Steins feel their temperament and lifestyle make them well-suited to the bar and restaurant business.

“My wife and I both like to be welcoming,” Greg Stein said. “We like to invite people in. A bar or restaurant is kind of the ultimate of that. You can bring people in and meet them and talk to them.”

“It is like you have a big kitchen you can invite friends to,” Kathy Stein said.

The bar program at The Thirsty Donkey will be heavy on tropical drinks, according to Greg Stein. One favorite from the island is the traditional Painkiller, made with Pusser’s Rum. Other offerings will include the Hurricane and a Moscow Mule “with an island twist,” Greg Stein said.

Food will include such staples as burgers, sliders and wings. There will be seafood, such as tuna, snapper and swordfish. One of the signature dishes will be cottage pie, a British meat pie with carrots and peas covered in mashed potatoes and cheese. The cottage pie was hugely popular on St. John, according to Greg Stein.

The Thirsty Donkey will also feature lots of vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Kathy Stein decorated the restaurant to reflect an island vibe. The eatery is painted in bright colors, including tables with umbrellas in the seating area.

“We have a nice outside area, and this is a great people-watching corner,” she said.

“It’s way more about the experience,” Greg Stein said. “The island is more about the feel and the welcome you get.”

The couple also want the prices in the restaurant to be very affordable, with entrees beginning at $6-7, and a market-priced seafood dinner likely in the range of about $25-30, according toGreg Stein.

The Steins, who now live in Highland Park, are happy with their new location in Avondale.

”We love the neighborhood,” said Greg Stein, who added that he and his wife “love the urban feel.”

“It’s a good spot,” Kathy Stein said.

The restaurant will hold fundraisers, such as trivia nights, to benefit charities, both in Birmingham and on St. John.