The Pig & The Pearl

Garbage… I usually don’t bother to write reviews but I had to chime in here.
Wings were bad, Mac and cheese was bad, fries were old… the water was about the only thing I enjoyed.
Oh, I sat at the bar and froze my ass off.
Then I got to sit through a movie smelling of the terrible «smoked» Wing flavor they have managed to f**k up.
I love BBQ and thought it was next to impossible to mess up until I ate at this dumpster stand.
I did however enjoy their diet sized water glass that the bar tender neglected to fill up.

Out of the 12 oysters I ordered, 3 of them had worms.

I went to this place for $ 1 Oysters yesterday (between 4−6pm) and I really liked it. My server was AWESOME, great atmosphere, its located kind of at the edge of Atlantic Station (outside the main restaurant strip) so it lacks the annoying tourist types that Atlantic Station is known for.
The food — we ordered Oysters, Brunswick stew, corn bread and Ribs tip and Grits — ALL DELISH
*Oysters were bomb — Good dressings to go with it, good size
*The Brunswick stew was easily the BEST I had ever had — Very hearty, not too sweet, I had two rounds it was so good.
*Cornbread — This cornbread was like the mini loaf so you get to rectangles with all the great crunchy edges… YUM.
*The Rib tips and grits were good — the only con is Rib tips have a small bone in the middle so it was a bit messy to eat in public but both the Rib Tip and Grits were great.
Overall — I like this place, definitely coming back.

Been wanting to eat here for a very long time. Finally today was the day. It was delicious and we had dessert. I had the pimento croquet for appetizer and the pastrami sandwich. Hubby had fish and chips and niece had peel and eat shrimp. We had a Mac and cheese we shared. Awesome I want to try dinner there next.

Was pretty excited when my dinner club announced that we were going to be dining here for brunch. The Pig and the Pearl is located near the valet stand in the back of Atlantic Station. It is right by Yard House. The restaurant was great at accommodating our large group — we had two long tables. Though service was a bit on the slow side. We used up pretty much all of those 2 free hours that Atlantic Station offers for parking. I barely made it down within the window. I ordered the ½ lb Angus burger (triple grind patty, smoked cheddar, crispy onions, aioli) and fries. I added bacon for an extra charge. Overall, I thought this dish was OK. I expected more.

I don’t get to Atlantic Station very often, but I feel like I’ve always been disappointed in the restaurants that I have visited. I was a little nervous about trying out The Pig and The Pearl, but it exceeded my expectations.
My husband and I dined here before catching s movie across the street and we had a great experience. They have a $ 5 feature cocktail during happy hour! Score! For eats, I ordered the smoked wings appetizer and we shared a wedge salad. The wings were amazing! They are a really nice size and the smoking preparation combined with the bourbon hot sauce is so good. The wedge salad came with pork croutons, and I think these were deep fried chunks of pork belly. I love me so pork belly, but these «croutons» lacked seasoning and flavor. They just tasted like fried nothing and like maybe the frying oil needed to be changed. We were able to push them to the side and the rest of the wedge was crunchy and delicious with the perfect amount of blue cheese. My husband really enjoyed the $ 1 oysters and said they were fresh and briny. Super bummed that I have a shellfish allergy and couldn’t taste them :(
You can tell that Pig and Pearl is accustomed to diners being on a timeline to see a movie and we were stuffed and on our way in a timely manner. We will definitely eat at The Pig and The Pearl on future visits to Atlantic Station. I might even consider making a special trip on a Wednesday for $ 1 wings!

I hate to give bad reviews. As a small business owner, I know word of mouth is so very important. But so is customer service.
On a date night last week, we decided to eat here after attending a movie nearby. When we walked in, we were greeted respectfully. There was a bit of a wait so the hostess took our name and invited us to wait at the bar as they cleaned a table for us.
As we waited at the bar, with one of the bartenders looking at us, it was over 5 minutes before we were greeted and asked what we wanted. After realizing we did not have a drink menu, it took another several minutes to before the bartender gave us one.
In the mean time, the hostess sat 3 groups that game in after us. When I confronted the hostess, she said she was just about to come get us. Yet we still had to wait several more minutes to be sat. All awhile, still no assistance from the bar.
Once we finally got to a table, our waitress was great. She was fast (I guess anyone would be in comparison to the start of our experience), friendly, and well mannered. And then the kitchen continues the trend set at the beginning of our experience.
My food came out cold and very bland. I had to add far more of their house sauces than I wanted to just to get «some» flavor. My wife’s food was okay, but nothing to write home about.
Needless to say, we won’t be visiting this place again. Sonny’s has better bar-​b-​que and there are plenty of other sushi places around. I suggest you try them.

I now live in San Francisco so when I come home to ATL I am always excited for BBQ!
We started our meal with deviled eggs which were 3 whole eggs over stuffed with a nice fluffy yolk. Yum! We ordered the smoked salmon in flat bread which was nice and light feeling compared to the rest of our meal. Our 3^rd app was the pork skins! These were still crackling and popping when delivered to our table! Loaded with buffalo sauce and blue cheese — perfection.
I ordered the pulled pork with green beans and mac & cheese. The pulled pork is marinated in a nice mustard vinegar sauce which to me was perfect as I don’t like too much sauce one of the other guests would’ve preferred more but he’s from the Midwest so I forgave him. The green beans had a perfect crunch and a nice charr on a them. The mac and cheese was good but not the best I’ve ever eaten.
Other guests ordered same pulled pork but with fries — which are fresh and taste double fried — just how I like them — also arrived with a tasty sauce. Our last friend had a side salad and peel & eat gulf shrimp which were sweet and cooked perfectly.
No dessert as we were stuffed! The service was very responsive and management stopped by to speak to us. Beautiful restaurant — we will be back!

Cool restaurant with a great bar and specials!
I came in to grab a quick bite and some cocktails before a movie.
Food:
Pimento Cheese Croquettes — $ 10. This is one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life. Nice lightly breaded outside with perfect pimento and cheese. These were so good I wished I didn’t have to share them!
Drinks:
I had a couple of Dark and Stormys. They were delicious. They were served in weird tiny little glasses though. Not sure what that was about. My friend had a couple of martinis which she enjoyed.
Service:
We sat at the bar. Marco was a great bartender. Nice and friendly– made great drinks. Perfect amount of attention with no hovering.
Atmosphere:
I loved the bar area. Nice and quiet. Restaurant was pretty full. This is a very cool looking restaurant.
I will definitely be back to hit up their sushi and oysters!

Yes! The Pig and the Pearl made me a fan this past weekend when I visited for brunch. First, I fell in love with the atmosphere, which was well lit, modern, and comfortable. We were a party of nine and we were seated immediately. Our server was wonderful; he really handled our table professionally and made the visit a pleasure. Drinks filled without requests, plates cleared as needed, and well-​timed check-​ins were a few of his good deeds during our stay.
Did you say that you love unlimited mimosas? Thought so. $ 16 and have yourself a ball. What I loved the most though, was that pulled pork sandwich that I had. It was just flavorful and good. I didn’t even have to put any of the sauce that they had on the table on it. It was moist and just on point. I was truly impressed with it. I also liked the fries, which is good because I can’t really find fries that I like that often.
Back to that sauce on the table. I was a little disturbed to read that they were both hot sauces and not bbq sauces. One was just hot sauce and the other was a bourbon hot sauce. Bourbon hot sauce got my attention. I tried it on a section of my sandwich which didn’t need anything added to it, and it was pretty good.
I had to order the mac and cheese… or did the mac and cheese order me? I can’t remember. Anyway, bomb! Creamy and piping hot in an cast iron skillet. Darn good.
Other meals that were a hit with our crew were crab benedict, brisket, and the cornbread appetizer. Some had breakfast items, but I know what eggs and bacon taste like, but note that they serve this items for brunch.
I will most certainly return to P&P for some of the dinner items. I’d also like to return to try that little $ 16 lunch deal where you get a salad, choice of selected entrees, a cookie, and a sweet tea. Sounds good to me!

Beautiful food! We came for a birthday and had a party of 8. Ordered the Seafood Tower which was amazing and came with oysters, shrimp and some sushi. Also got the buffalo pork cracklings and pimento cheese balls were delicious. For entrée I shared the special for 2 with the brisket, pork, chicken, ribs,
Mac and cheese and veggies. Standout Mac and cheese, ribs and pork.

Very good, but something is missing and I can’t figure out what???
We decided on The Pig and The Pearl based off my faint recollection of a ROTD that featured this place, so I decided it was worth a shot. P&P didn’t disappoint, but I can’t put my hands around what is lacking.
Maybe it’s the barbecue and seafood combination? Nope. Turned out to be well rounded.
Maybe it’s the odd layout with awkward decoration for food genre? Nope. Works well for me.
Is it possible that I had higher expectations? No, because it exceeded them
What is it? Why am I questioning that final star when the lady’s meat was delicious, tender, and falling apart in smokey fork pulls? The smoked trout tacos were on-​par with great flavor explorations for a familiar dish for this guy. Our server was on-​point the entire visit, so it isn’t a personnel issue? Maybe someone else can help pinpoint my confusion.
Until then, we will return for a five-​star attempt soon enough.

I was really underwhelmed by the Pig and Pearl. I went with a group of about 7 friends one Sunday in September. It was beautiful outside, so most guests sat outside while we sat in the practically empty interior. The service was really not great, but I don’t think that was all the server’s fault. It seemed from the kitchen to other parts of the restaurant this place was behind.
My friends started with the mimosa special that’s worth getting if you normally drink more than two mimosas at brunch. We couldn’t decide between the brunch and lunch menus, and I think those that ordered lunch faired better. I got the smoked sandwich biscuit since this place is known for it’s meats. It was pretty good, but it took a while to come out. Most of the table had to wait a while for food, and my friend even ended up with under cooked sausage patties. If someone suggested this place, I would go back. But it’s definitely not my first choice for places to dine in Atlantic Station.

I really wanted to like this place, I really did. It’s located in the corner of Atlantic Station, so it makes it a great place to shop and eat at the same time without driving anywhere else, but with many other choices, I think I’ll skip The Pig & The Pearl next time around.
The ambiance is quite nice. It’s dimly lit and an open area. The design of it is modern, but not overly harsh with their edges. It kind of didn’t make sense if what they were known for was bbq, but I wasn’t about to judge. It was pretty and welcoming, no need to fuss.
I ordered what the server recommended which a lot of people on Unilocal said was pretty good: the smoked brisket. I was really excited cause I was almost expecting super tender meat that I usually expected from bbq. Instead, I was greeted with half an empty plate. There were only a few rectangular chunks of brisket layered over a small scoop of mashed potatoes and whole spring onions strewn throughout. There was a thin sauce at the bottom of the plate that pooled at the bottom of it.
Not only was the portion small for all 5 of us (I think the only one that wasn’t disappointing in its portion size was the burger) the food wasn’t anything remarkable for that price. It would’ve been different if the brisket had melted in my mouth and all the parts of the dish melded together into a symphonic harmony, but sadly, that’s not how The Pig & The Pearl worked for me. The brisket was dry, so extremely dry. The sauce was off and almost too salty. The mashed potato wasn’t bad, but that wasn’t what the dish was supposed to be focused on.
The other people in my party weren’t impressed with their food either. The only bites I did enjoy were the fried catfish special my neighboring friend had. They said substituted part of the catfish with a filet, which ended up being better instead because the bones were so difficult to take out of whole fish encased in fried batter. That catfish was the last they had that night, and boy was I sad cause I wish I had that one instead of my brisket.
Nothing amazing about this place, and disappointed with how long it took our food to arrive when it wasn’t overly busy that night we went. Food was sub-​par and not worth the price. Even though I like to spend a little more when I go out to eat, this was definitely nowhere close to being worth it. They use their bbq as their selling point, but honestly there wasn’t much to sell.

In our continuing support for Midtown Restaurant Week, we visited The Pig & The Pearl in Atlantic Station. We’d first learned of The Pig & The Pearl when we had done a review of The Shed at Glenwood and found that they were sister restaurants. We had such a fantastic time at The Shed, we knew The Pig & The Pearl wasn’t going to be far off.
It was later in the evening on a week night when we chose to visit and we were able to walk right in and be seated. I would expect however, that on the weekends this place is hopping and Saturday and Sunday afternoon are particularly busy so plan accordingly.
The idea of barbeque and a raw bar sounded like a strange combination to me, but the name fit together so well and was so representative of the concept, I quickly began to see the light. I mean, this should be heaven for Melanie and I with our strong affection for both food genres, right?
As par for the course with most barbeque places, we almost always order the Brunswick Stew (not pictured). Melanie, the ultimate judge when it comes to Brunswick Stew, LOVED IT! It was thick and meaty and wonderfully delicious. She thought it was some of the best Brunswick Stew she had ever experienced! I found this to be interesting because it was so thick, it was rather untraditional and didn’t include many of the vegetables normally found in a Brunswick Stew. Still, the flavor is what took home the day and therefore we must recommend this as a MUST TRY when you visit The Pig & The Pearl.
We also ordered the Cornbread for starters as well. Normally we are disappointed with cornbread because its so easy to not make this properly and, worse still, to overcook cornbread where it dries out and then loses its flavor. I am pleased to report though, this cornbread would make any true Southerner smile. It’s sweet, moist and a pleasure to enjoy.
There’s many choices on the menu that were off limits for Melanie though because they were just too spicy. I’m a fan of «the heat» so I like to see those things as options, but I think sometimes restaurants get carried away and don’t consider the vast majority of diners who don’t enjoy spicy foods.
Melanie chose her staple meal for barbeque, Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breast and Smoked Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese. I went with the Smoked Rainbow Trout that comes with Green Chile Grits and a Mushroom & Green Bean Salad.
The Pig & The Pearl is an awesome place to gather with friends or family. The restaurant is large and welcoming and the staff was so friendly. I can see how entertaining here on the weekends would be great fun!
The Pig & The Pearl won my heart when the meal arrived and it was steaming hot! I love, love, LOVE hot food! I really enjoyed the presentation of the Smoked Rainbow Trout dish. The trout, was seasoned perfectly and cooked to perfection. Every bite was splendid! The mushroom and green bean salad was surprising good. I think these are Enoki mushrooms but perhaps one of our readers may know for sure. The Green Chile Grits had just the right amount of kick to them and I absolutely LOVED them!
Melanie said her Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breast was a fantastic piece of smoke chicken with a bold, smoky flavor. The meat was moist and tender and the breast itself was so large, she couldn’t finish it.
The Smoked Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese is served in a cast iron dish which help maintain its temperature throughout the meal. Melanie wasn’t enthusiastic about the Mustard & Bacon Potato Salad but I think that had more to do with the choice to use dijon mustard, which is one of my favorites. I really didn’t care for it cold, but I took her leftover chicken, mac & cheese and the potato salad to the office the next day and heated it up and it was pretty awesome. I also realized then that’s there’s bits of celery in there too and that may have been another thing she was picking up on that she didn’t like about it. Heated, I enjoyed it much more than cold.
We had a great time at The Pig & The Pearl! The food was great and our service was top-​notch! Best of all its in one of our favorite spots on Earth — Atlantic Station! When in Midtown, you simply MUST visit The Pig & The Pearl! Guten appetit!

We’re giving The Pig & The Pearl a very solid 4 ½ stars! We arrived a little after 1pm today (Monday), and it was mostly empty. Great to know that there isn’t always a wait here.
Because most of the ingredients used are seasonal, the menu rotates on a seasonal basis as well. This means that there will likely be something new for you to try, each time you visit.
Cobb Salad– Amazingly delicious. Every bit of this salad tastes like it was either grown in a local garden, or made right in-​house. The greens were so flavourful, the veggies were crispy, the egg & avocado were creamy and the pork croutons… my oh my oh my… those were so incredible!
Pastrami Sandwich with Fries– The best pastrami sandwich my beau has ever had. I don’t really care for pastrami, but I tried a bite, and even I loved the flavor of the meat & the horseradish! Super scrumptious! The fries that came with the sandwich were super hot & fresh, had just a light dusting of salt, and were just perfect!
Mac N Cheese– I order mac n cheese just about anywhere they serve it, and let me tell you… THIS is not your bland, run of the mill, tastes like nothing mac n cheese. Oh no. It’s baked & served to you piping hot, in the generous cast iron skillet. The smoked cheddar, which definitely gives this dish a rich, but not greasy unctuousness.
Smoked Chicken Soup– We were a bit disappointed in this soup. Don’t get me wrong, it was good. It just seemed to be really missing a little bit of salt, and maybe some herbs. We really didn’t think that it was worth the $ 8 that they are currently charging for it.
Creamy «Super Slaw” — I’m still not sure what is supposed to make this slaw so «super». The cabbages were very fresh, and super crispy, but as far as the dressing went… all we could really taste was vinegar & horseradish. Even if the dressing isn’t meant to be a sweet one, some salt & pepper, and maybe some celery seed or something, would go a very long way in this. Just too tart & one note for our tastes.
Sweet Tea– They brew a mighty fresh & fine sweet tea here. Just sweet enough.
Cookie– We *think* that the cookie we got was a molasses cookies, and we *know* that it was crispy, not too sweet, and sumptuous. We must try more desserts from here!
The few little things that keep us from giving The Pig & The Pearl a solid 5 stars?
A couple of our items were a little under seasoned for our tastes, and they don’t set salt and pepper on the tables.
The gnats. There were a few gnats flying around our table & landing here and there as we ate. That really bugged me.
We will most definitely return, and maybe enjoy some future meals out on the nice relaxing looking patio, once the weather cools down.
I nearly forgot to mention! They can do both catering sized take away orders & smaller orders of meats by the pound, baked goodies, and even holiday meal orders! More info. about this can be found on their website.

If you love tomatoes like moi, go to P&P before summer ends and they don’t have the heirloom tomato small plate. Perfect slices of perfect tomatoes — eight or so on a plate– with EVOO as the often-​annoying woman named Rachel would say, and s&p. So. Amazingly. Good. And $ 4.
With it, I suggest a serving of their thick, amazing grits. In a skillet-​like bowl, and a generous serving, these two items combined make a perfect Sunday brunch. For me. If you’re hungrier, throw in something else like the eggs that I haven’t tried but are probably delicious, too.
You’re welcome.

For a place in basically a large outdoor mall, I set the bar a little low. Plus, some of the reviews I read made the food sound no bueno. But, I had a night off with my boss and we came here — and had a blast.
First of all, if you’re going to drink this place has some good options. You can order a traditional cocktail, or get their $ 5 daily cocktail, or if the timing is right, get some bottomless mimosas. (I suppose you could do all of the above, too.) Next, the menu is comprised almost entirely of meats and seafood, so keep that in mind, especially if you have an aversion to the raw.
I ordered the daily cocktail (it had egg yolk in it, keeping with the raw theme, and was super good) and their coffee-​rubbed lamb ribs. They were delicious, and served atop sweet potato was perfection. My boss got mimosa after mimosa and got the pork ribs — note that even the ½ order is huge! Be prepared to eat, share or box ‘em. The hot sauces on the table were really tasty, too.
Aside from the good eats, there’s a cool chic ambiance in here. If you like wood, metal and mason jars I think you’ll appreciate the décor.
Didn’t explore much else in Atlantic Station but I was happy we picked this as our dining spot. (Plus with Opentable reservations and in the Rewards Network, what’ve you got to lose?)

This was probably the best meal we’ve ever had at Atlantic Station.
We came here to get a quick bite before our movie. It was that odd time of day – too late for lunch but barely dinnertime – and there were only a handful of other diners in the place.
I ordered the Duck Leg Quarter (served with Smoked Pineapple and Dirty Rice) but subbed Smoked Cheddar Mac and Cheese for the rice. My guy got the Smoked Brisket with Grilled Spring Onions, Beef & Potato Hash. Our food came out the kitchen with lightning speed.
The brisket was the best he’d tasted outside of Texas. The au jus and vegetables complimented the meat so well that he didn’t need to use the P&P barbecue sauces our server put on the table. I was less pleased with my duck because it was so tough; it took serious effort to pluck the meat off the bone.
I did a double take at the mac because for a second I thought there were bacon bits sprinkled on top. When I looked closer I realized it was just bronzed bubbles of cheese. Plunging my fork in popped the top of the cheese crust in a way that reminded me of crème brûlée.
Underneath this crisp cheese curtain, al dente elbows were nestled in a silky sauce. The dish was unbelievably cheesy and smoky… almost as if they skinned the feet of firewalkers and tossed it in.
It’s great that they avoided the temptation to add unnecessary elements (breadcrumbs, jalapenos, bacon, or vegetables) and just let the mac and cheese be great. Phenomenal mac and cheese served without distractions.
This has to be the best mac and cheese in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, the world, or the universe. It’s not for the calorie stalkers, so if you’re watching your intake then you may want to steer clear of this indulgence. Or have someone help you eat it like I did.
We didn’t order any of the pig or pearl options and dining here was still an immensely delicious experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed my food, the atmosphere and the staff at The Pig & The Pearl!
This restaurant is so unique in the sense that it’s a smokehouse and raw bar. It is so cool and really works for them!
It’s also family friendly! Has a well laid out children’s menu/​coloring sheet as well as high chairs. Also they have indoor/​outdoor seating and seating at the bar.
The layout, décor, and overall atmosphere of the place is a little trippy! I can’t exactly explain it, but I LOVE it! It’s super sexy and trendy, but then the oyster shells hanging from the ceiling and chalk board wall in the back, and their house made BBQ sauces sitting on the table bring it back down to earth.
Now, about the food… Spectacular! My friend and myself both ordered the 5 oz. Pork Belly with smoked apple butter and Brussel Sprouts and a side of the smoked Mac n’ Cheese. Holy Cow… Or should I say Pig?! Absolutely amazing! Everything! And if you haven’t had smoked Mac n’ Cheese, you are seriously missing out!
To add more emphasis on the food and how unique the menu is, my husband ordered the Smoked Salmon and my son got the children’s Smoked Turkey and Mac n’ Cheese. Both of them rarely came up for air while indulging in their dinner!
I must add, great drink menu! There are even some awesome non-​alcoholic selections like their Blackberry Mint Tea!
I must add, every single person we encountered; our waitress, hosts, other employees were all super friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy their job. I feel like that rarely happens! haha
There’s no doubt in my mind that we will be coming back!