Rathbun’s

Wow. We had dinner here tonight. We started with the grapefruit/​arugula/​goat cheese salad. That was good, but I’d probably try the Tucker Farms next time. For dinner I had the scallop benedict. This was perfection — four well seasoned grilled scallops over flavorful ham infused grits. We split the corn side which was also excellent — rich and enough to share. We saved room for the Guest Pick 4 where we could choose smaller sizes of any 4 desserts to sample. Two of us split this and it was PLENTY — we tried the strawberries on meringue, toffee cake, crème brûlée with candied popcorn, and the evening special of goat cheesecake. The special was the best, followed closely by the toffee cake. It was a treat to try several desserts. The service was excellent, the atmosphere was cool and quiet enough to have a conversation. All in all, a great experience.

One star does not even begin to tell the story of this horrible experience. The service we experienced tonight was the worst experience of my life at a restaurant and I am frankly traumatized by it. After experiencing numerous delays with the meal (missed drink order, late on taking our order), our desserts had been forgotten and the checks had been brought to us. When we complained, the order for the desserts was resubmitted. After waiting about 15 minutes for our desserts, I approached the manager and he apologized and said our desserts were going to be comped. We waited a further 10 minutes and still no checks and no desserts. I approached the manager again. He was very upset with ME and I asked him to personally apologize to our group. He said he would. I turned and began walking back to our table and he blocked my way. I walked around him and he followed me and proceeded to pin me up against the wall with both of his hands on my shoulders. I asked him to let me go and to apologize to our group. He proceeded to apologize in a very terse and uncomfortable manner. He lastly came to me and asked me to shake his hand, which I refused and asked him to leave us alone to get our desserts and checks.
This was the single worst experience at a restaurant and I cannot imagine someone treating someone else in such a horrific and thoughtless manner. I think he should be fired.

Rathbun’s is right across from Krog Street Market with complimentary valet parking. (The Steakhouse is right down the street.) I came here for a group dinner on the patio. They had excellent service, but I wasn’t blown away by the food.
Pork belly taco: tasty but small and bite sized. The citrus hoisin sauce and little flour taco reminded me of the Chinese duck bao. Nice play off that and it works well.
House made ginger beer: fresh, bubbly, and bright with a strong kick, nice option if you can’t partake in other beverages :)
8oz Petite filet: cooked perfectly, well seasoned, but I still prefer the filet from Bones or Chop
Dessert platter included a delicious banana peanut butter cream pie, meringue cookie with strawberries, chocolate cake with cherries, and a fudge treat. My favorite was the banana peanut butter cream pie.
It was a nice dining experience and atmosphere but slightly pricey… other than the pork belly taco and banana PB cream pie, the food didn’t «wow» me. It’s tough competition in ATL!

Honestly-​I was underwhelmed, unimpressed, and disappointed. Good atmosphere and attentive service. I expected «amazing food.»

My friend and I made a reservation for Inman Park Restaurant Week 2016, on Wed. at 9:00 pm and we really enjoyed the meal. Our server was amazing, he was attentive, knowledgeable of the menu, and he paid close attention to details (he swept off crumbs in between courses)
Atmosphere: crowded. I know that Rathbun’s has a good crowd on a normal day, but I do think that it was more crowded than usual due to it being Restaurant week.
Restaurant Week is a special week, where there is a 3-​course meal for $ 25/​pp (+$ 5 extra for prime rib).
Appetizer: I had the seared salmon as an appetizer and thought that it was very refreshing and absolutely delicious. The skin was crispy while the salmon was cooked where it was flaky.
Entrée: prime rib — this was juicy, seared on the exterior and tender on the interior. There was a nice salt rub on the rib.
Dessert: strawberry cheesecake. I felt like I was in heaven after eating this. The cheesecake was absolutely delicious, heavenly, fluffy, light and airy. I would come back to Rathbun’s just for their cheesecakes! I love dessert, so this was my favorite part of the meal!
I would highly recommend this for a date night!

My fiancé and I went there for the Inman Park restaurant week and had a chance to have a 3 course meal for $ 30(we both had prime rib so they added $ 5 to the $ 25 options). I had the glazed bacon as an appetizer and it was the best bacon I ever had. The broccoli it came with was great too. My dessert was the salted caramel cake and it was in the smaller side, but was very tasty. Our overall experience was excellent and the service was excellent. Our server’s name was Dee and he had great recommendations on the wine and was very attentive to us.
this is a great place to for a date night and will come back again.

Loved my experience! I wanted to visit all of the stores and I finally completed my tour.
We came for restaurant week and everything was delicious and thoughtfully crafty. You can’t go wrong wth any choice you make.

We tried Rathbun’s during restaurant week since we had never been and we wanted to take advantage of the lower price tag.
I ordered the bagna cauda, a flat iron steak, and a strawberry shortcake. All three things were mediocore and disappointing. Bagna cauda was heavy on the anchovies and my steak tasted more like a stick of salt then a slab of meat. The strawberry shortcake was good, but did not taste fresh and the strawberry part reminded me of a DQ strawberry sundae the way it was over sugared.
Overpriced for taste and quality.
I give it two stars because the service was great and the location is fun.

Rathbun’s is definitely one of my favorite eateries in Atlanta. The food, staff and the atmosphere is just remarkable. Their cowboy Ribeye is pretty awesome and I highly recommend the bacon donut with salted caramel ice cream… I have never tasted such an enjoyable creation!

All in all Rathbun’s is a top notch restaurant you will definitely leave with a full stomach and a little lite in your wallet. (¬‿¬)

We chose Rathbun’s for our 3 year anniversary and they definitely exceeded our expectations.
Between myself and my date, we had their smoked salmon tostadas, a grapefruit salad (blanking on the name), the scallops, a filet and the chocolate ganache cupcake. I’m not sure a description on here would do any of the menu items justice. My scallops were cooked to perfection and the country ham grits were to die for.
The service was excellent, but the food was by far the star. Definitely put this one on your must have list for Atlanta!

I went to Rathbun’s to celebrate my friends bachelor party and had a great time there. The restaurant is a little hidden from the street, but it looked great inside and had a very modern ambience. The service was excellent and we were well taken care of.
For dinner, I had a Manhattan to start with. The drink tasted okay and wasn’t really for my taste since I’m not a big drinker. Since I really came for the food, I had to order the 20 oz cowboy ribeye and a side of Gouda creamed corn. The ribeye was cooked to nice and juicy medium rare with a magnificent char on the outside. Every bite was so tender and juicy with a charred crust that helped seal in all the flavors. The blue cheese butter and sauce were also very good. It didn’t overpower the ribeye at all. The creamed corn and brussel sprouts were both charred and had that great charred burnt taste, which I love.
Overall, the food and service were very good. They have a great selection of entrees, and I would highly recommend trying the ribeye.

Went out Rathon’s for a fine dining experience, and I was not disappointed. Rathon’s hosts a chíc yet modern atmosphere and offers good bar service as you wait for your table. I had the duck for dinner, and the meat was very tender, but it was the risotto that it was served upon that really caught my attention. It consisted of Thai Green Curry flavoring, and it was exquisite!
Great host that showed genuine interest on the dining experience and our waitress was very welcoming. She even provided a complimentary dessert and candle for my birthday! The banana PB cream pie was out of this world! Very rich but with a good balance of flavors.

We celebrated my moms 60^th birthday a few weeks back at Rathbuns… and it delivered as always. Most at the table had the monk fish special which was amazing. We all shared the Gouda creamed corn and brussel sprouts– omg both were amazingly addictive.
The big props goes to the pastry chef who did a pre made red velvet cake, which is my moms favorite. Um, yea… we have all been spoiled and will never be able to eat red velvet again… by leaps and bounds the best cake we have all ever had. She was so easy to work with and happy to make the cake. It came out with candles and all.
The whole experience lived up to everyone’s expectations… which can be hard to do!
Thank you Rathbuns for making my moms bday special!

Visited Rathbuns to check out the 2 items on the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Signature 100 list: The Soft Lobster Taco and the Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie.
The Lobster taco was decent, but it didn’t blow my mind or anything. Let me tell you about that banana cream pie though… Fricking amazing! I have never had that dish with the peanut butter twist before and it was to die for.
The place has a really nice ambiance, definitely a great date spot if you’re trying to impress someone!

«Ok, or… something *rich* like, like eggplant!» — Speak (2004)
I need to preface this with the fact that I am a big fan of the Rathbuns and so was my late father. However, I had not yet been to this restaurant in the group so I was pretty excited when this was on the agenda for my dear friend’s birthday. We made a reservation for 7, but they will not seat you until the entire party arrives. I will say that the place was only half full and our table was ready. Also, any drinks you order at the bar have to be paid for there — they will not transfer the tab to your table. Good things to know.
We were seated at a half banquette/​half table (sliding in is always a pain) and our server (Jackie) showed up very promptly to take drink orders. She missed one of us completely, so I had to flag her back down so he could order a cocktail. We all perused the menu and decided on some small plates to share by the time Jackie returned with all the drinks. After we placed that order, I got Jackie’s attention and discussed my tree nut allergy. Just a note: I have learned over the years that many people claim an allergy when they don’t like something, so I am clear to use the words «death,» «hospital,» «ambulance,» and let them know I have an epi-​pen and my friends know what to do. I also follow up with «can we please avoid that and you tell me what menu items I cannot eat?» Jackie was all about it and said she would inform the kitchen.
I ordered a salad (Ruby Red Grapefruit and Arugula) and my entrée (Lamb Chops) and the table decided on some sides to share. No red flags and Jackie was on her way. The small plates came out and we dove into them, each taking a bit and passing them around. Let’s be fair, I only cared about the Eggplant Fries. Really, the best reason to visit a Rathbun’s restaurant and also a fave of my Dad’s. Absolutely, my favorite thing all night. I also have to compliment the bread — fresh and warm, two kinds were brought to the table. One contained anise (we are sure of it) and was amazing and we asked for more. Insist it comes to your table on your visit.
Next, came the salads. My salad was delivered to me. It was lacking the pine nuts listed on the menu, despite my insistence to Jackie that pine nuts are seed, not a nut and I eat them almost daily. Okay, so the kitchen is being crazy over cautious. I guess I appreciated that. However, the greens were soaking in dressing — majorly over dressed, so it really needed that crunchy element. A gentleman came buy and offered fresh cracked pepper — I accepted. Here is where the night went sideways. First couple of bites of the salad were really peppery — understandable, arugula, fresh cracked pepper… 4^th and 5^th bites, my throat started to close. And we are done with the salad course. I flipped my fork over, pushed the plate away and drank an entire glass of water and downed a slice of bread. I’ll save additional gory details of what was happening inside, however I trudged through the dinner as I seemed to catch it in time to avoid an epi-​pen and ambulance trip (no one wants to go to Grady).
I downed a pill from my bag to make it through dinner (didn’t want to ruin the birthday fun) and was just rather quiet the rest of the night. When I got home and dealt with everything (heavier meds), the restaurant was closed, so I emailed management what had happened. I was contacted the next day around lunchtime and they were shocked and assumed cross-​contamination. After much discussion, the manager used the words «pink peppercorns» in reference to the salad dressing and I had to explain that those are tree nuts (cashews), not peppercorns.
I will say that the manager’s attentiveness after the fact has been great. Notification to all the restaurants in the group about pink peppercorns (though I am still disappointed they didn’t know this), and his offer to have me come back in to try again and he will see to my meal personally — all very kind. I am hesitant.
To explain my rating:
5 stars for food (not counting the death salad)
3 stars for food service (really slow — 3 hours for dinner)
4 stars for Jackie’s service
2 stars for nearly killing me (not properly informed)
=3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
I will add that the lamb was amazing and I wish I could have really enjoyed it more. The lump in my throat and my mouth being all cut up made it a bit difficult. I’m giving points for their work after the incident as I did not give them the chance to handle during the dinner.

You can find Rathbun’s in the building across from Krog Street Market. This area of town (right at the Inman Park end of the beltline) is certainly hopping with many new businesses and restaurants, particularly at Krog Street Market. Parking is a bit on the sparse side and thus it may be better to go during the week rather during a weekend. There’s valet and two outdoor lots, one behind the Market and the other across the street (but may be a bit muddy as it’s mostly gravel).
I always enjoy going to Krog Street Market, primarily due to Hops City and the fine selection of local craft beer you can get there (I’m talking about the keg-​pour and drink station) — I also am quite fond of Gu’s Dumplings and am glad he’s doing well there. Across the street is the very good Rathbun’s restaurant occupying what looks to be an old industrial building. The restaurant features high ceilings with a mix of industrial and polished, loft concrete and mixed-​recycled finishes and plenty of rich woods. I loved what they’ve done to the interior.
We arrived early on a Friday for an anniversary dinner which coincidentally coincided with the Inman Park Festival. I believe the wait was around 10 minutes while they got our table situated, I recommend reservations. We enjoyed a couple of drinks at the bar and carried them to the table. I loved the lit bottle-​wall and the fantastic lighting treatment — class all the way. The menus provided included both the regular dinner and wine list, plus a short set-​menu for the Festival — we decided to try those items.
If you’ve never done a fixed-​menu before it’s fairly interesting. At Bacchanalia you basically have two or maybe three paths to go with the food, each course paired with wine with few options beyond the initial choice. At Rathbun’s, for the Inman Park Festival the restaurant chose to go with four items for each of three courses, Appetizers, Entrée and Desserts. I sensed that these items were a bit easier to prepare and have moderately equivalent value (either price or cost) while providing a good assortment, all for $ 25 per person — quite a deal!
For appetizers, we selected:
* Venison & Bacon Meatballs, Blue Cheese Fondue, Picked Herbs — these insanely rich meatballs were delicious with the blue cheese.
* Crispy Gulf Oysters, Tabasco Tartar — these were positively delicious but with only three to the plate slightly small in portion.
We also added a small Caesar salad as we wanted more green veggies with our meal — bread was also served with our salad and it was quite good with two different varieties.
For Entrees, we selected:
* Herb Crusted Haddock, Roasted New Potatoes, Broccoli, Lemon Butter — the haddock was very flavorful and buttery, cooked with a perfection hard to master in this size of fish.
* Allen Brothers 10oz Ribeye, Creamed Spinach — I thought the creamed spinach sounded a bit weird but it worked well with the steak, which was a perfect rare cut. The creamed spinach added a cheesy-​like quality that provided some mouth-​feel.
For Desserts, we selected:
* Spumoni Gelato Sundae, Waffle Crisp, Crushed Pistachios — anything with ice cream works for me and this was no exception.
* Warm Pecan Pound Cake, Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Bourbon Sauce — as much as I liked the Sundae this was my favorite by far. Great flavors.
In all, the highlights were the fantastic setting/​ambiance, great service and of course the food. I did feel like the evening was a bit rushed and the staff certainly looked to be overworked. When we come back it will be in the middle of the week and during a time where the place isn’t so packed. In all an exceptional meal.
(also posted to my food blog)

What do you say about a perfect meal? From the minute you walk in and you are greeted by the beautiful hostess, Grace. You only hope the food is half as good as Grace is pretty but fear not, the food might be better? Even the house Merlot was excellent!
The foodies I dined with are usually hyper critical, picky and have a comment about everything in a restaurant. This time NO complaints!
Kevin Rathbun is my favorite restaurateur in the city. Everyone of his place’s is fantastic that’s because he knows really good food and while some might think his prices are a bit pricey they’re actually not since the quality is so high. They are priced just right!
Everything we ordered was the same in the sense that all were perfectly prepared and seasoned perfectly. Each dish had its own distinct flavor. No one had to add salt or pepper since the seasoning was perfect. So here’s what we had and they were all 10’s.
The spinalis cut steak– is the most decadent piece of meat you will ever eat. The hell with Wagu or Kobe steak when Kevin serves The Spinalis or in this case Nick the chef who came to the table to make sure everything was prepared properly.
Eggplant fries– fabulous give me more!
Thai Beef– fresh and vibrant
Hush puppies– best ever
Octupus– melt in your mouth
Cream Corn– spot on perfect
Fries Fondue– Blue cheese heaven
Brussel Sprouts– Wow Wow Wow.
PERFECT 10 DINING EXPERIENCE!

This is my go-​to restaurant for special celebrations. In terms of food and drink, it’s you pretty standard fancy-​restaurant fare — but in a good way! Good variety on the wine list, all the food is fantastic, etc. What I like most about it, though, is the atmosphere. It somehow feels more relaxed to me, more inviting and comfortable, than other «high end» restaurants. The wait staff is very responsive and knowledgeable, helping to choose wines and recommending dishes.
Tip: Have a drink at the bar co-​located in the parking lot before your meal. Also a great spot to meet up with friends!

Ah Rathbun’s, how I was excited to try you. I’ve heard so many times about the famous steaks, the chef and just couldn’t wait to come here. And now, I can’t describe how much of a disappointment the actual meal was. After eating here on Valentine’s day, here are my thoughts.
— DRY and FLAVORLESS steaks — this is the biggest and most important element for me. I know, I cannot believe I am saying this about such a well renowned restaurant in Atlanta. To put things into perspective, I don’t consider myself a heavy steak eater. I’d say I visit steakhouses about 4 times a year or so, in different cities. Both the filet mignon and the new york strip were honestly some of the worst steaks I’ve had anywhere. They were coated in a heavyset layer of black pepper, that was overwhelming. Neither was cooked right, my date’s was cooked Medium Rare despite her ordering Medium, mine was Medium despite ordering Medium rare. The meat was nearly flavorless. I don’t know where this beef came from, but it was just not up to expectations at all. FYI, Hal’s remains my favorite steak in Atlanta.
— COZY big room — I loved how they were able to take such a tall room and still make it feel cozy. Noise level was very reasonable and the industrial look worked really well.
— HIT AND MISS on desserts — the coconut cake was overly sweet. The passion fruit sorbet was wonderful.
— WELL SELECTED wines on the menu. I loved the list, served at the right temperature. Spot on.
— SIMILAR salads on the menu. This is not a good thing. Although one had beets and the other was more garden salad, both were loaded with arugula. I absolutely hate arugula. It’s just a personal taste and I can’t blame them for having a salad with it, but did not expect them to have the same main ingredient, when those are the only salad options available on Valentine’s day.
Obviously, if Rathbun’s cost me a fraction of what it did, I would have had a different set of expectations and perhaps would have given it a better rating. Even then, I dont think it would have deserved more than 3 stars or so in my book, the steaks killed it at the end of the day, and not in a good way either.

My most recent visit to Rathbun’s, almost four years after my inaugural visit, merits an update, as it re-​solidified this Beltline spot as one of my favorite dining destinations in Atlanta and a great spot for a date.
On this revisit, we sat at the bar for drinks and appetizers. Though the ambiance and décor at Rathbun’s is stunning and feels like a five star experience, the prices for small plates and cocktails are quite reasonable and comparable to other less fancy spots nearby, making this perfect for a date night. Props on this particular night for having a hot (be still my heart!) cocktail, with warm apple cider flecked with cinnamon. While it might not have been the most appropriate cocktail for our Thai beef and seared tuna plates, it was totally delicious.
And speaking of food, that jerked seared tuna plate is out of this world. While seared ahi tuna might seem like something out of a page of a mid-​90s country club menu, this one is anything but. The seasoning is unique, spicy, and memorable, elevating this dish to the «must try» list.