TRACE

I really want to extend my thanks and compliments to all the staff at Trace for our amazing experience there on New Year’s Day. Our group of 58 all showed up together for the brunch, and it was outstanding! The food was off-​the-​charts good, and everyone in our group was saying it was the best brunch they ever had! It was a special menu for the holiday, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
ALL the staff was so accommodating and made us all feel very welcome. Not only did Manager Terry go out of his way to help with the planning for that large group, he also helped afterward communicating with us to make sure we were satisfied with our experience. Such a nice memory for us after a wonderful New Year’s Eve wedding!
The everyday brunch, of course, was not as extravagant, but I thought it was adequate and very tasty. It is served nicely, very hot, and just right for a regular day. The free coffee bar is perfect — all set up for «serve yourself» and better than the average coffee/​tea arrangement… and much, MUCH better than those little coffee makers in the rooms.
Thanks again to Trace and everyone there for everything!

Delicious. I was hesitant to eat here after reading some Unilocal reviews but I am so glad
I did! We arrived at the W late in the evening for a two night stay. Loved everything! Pay those negative reviews no mind!

The staff was friendly, great menu offering, and catered to a unique pallet. Food was on the high side for a sports bar, however that’s to be expected at The W.

I was at the W Hotel in Midtown for the NOH8 photo shoot and I was a volunteer so it wasn’t exactly like I could just say, «Toodaloo! Going on a lunch break!» I ordered my food to go from Trace and the server delivered it downstairs for me. When I ordered, I really wish someone had told me how much the delivery charge was… because when I was given the check, my eyes widened a bit lol. I ordered the shrimp and grits that cost 17 bucks, a bottle of Coke that costs I have no clue how much (my bill didn’t show it either) and the total came out to… something like 32 dollars and some cents. I was surrounded by people at the time and didn’t have time to look at the receipts with a microscope but all I saw was 32 something dollars for brunch without an explanation what I was charged for. I tipped the waitress because I didn’t want to blame her for what the hotel restaurant receipts didn’t show. I know it’s the W Hotel, I went in prepared to spend money but I just felt a bit blind sided.

I went for my boyfriends birthday after having such a great experience a couple years ago. I was so disappointed. The food was not as good and I ended up not even eating my entrée — shrimp and grits were cold and not completely done. My boyfriend got the steak that was so tough and red, that regretted the decision to return. The only saving grace was the service and that he loved his dessert. Can’t say that I will return. Just not my idea of a good meal.

Went here for Sunday brunch. The restaurant is a mixed (sports) bar /​restaurant. The menu is limited, but overall a greta selection. We had the Southern Breakfast. The chicken sausage is spicy and one note. The rest was tasty and well prepared.
The service is slow and not attentive at all. Good food but not a service to match it.

Trace is my favorite after work bar! They have great food and tons of space. When you go ask for Omar is my favorite bartender.

Extremely disappointed after my first (and last) visit to Trace. I stay at the W Midtown frequently and had modest hopes for the restaurant. Unfortunately they were not met. Not even close.
Burger: thin, small patty, about the size of a fast food burger. Ordered medium rare. Delivered well done.
Kale Chicken Ceasar: chicken breast cooked to oblivion. To the point where it hurt my jaw to chew it. Dry, flavorless, and not even that hot. I don’t even want to know how long this was sitting around before it was served to me. Salad was under-​dressed and covered with an unnecessarily large amount of Parmesan.

I was here on a Monday evening
Food: 3.5. Pimento mac and cheese was quite delicious and that means a lot because I am not a huge M&C fan. The shrimp and grits was positively interestingly with its top tomatoey layer. The meatloaf laced with arugula was quite a taste bud pleaser.
Drinks: 2. Okay I had only one drink called the OTP. Maybe I’m not made for green tea based liquor but I was so sad having sips of it.
Service: 4. Just pleasant and attentive.
Location: 4. It is in the W, cmon. Not too loud and just chic :)
I may go back
Tip: there is complimentary valet. Don’t park in the colony square deck because there is no validation

I was staying at the W for a work conference and also came down with a bug. I had to avoid the social opportunities and ordered dinner for pick up at Trace. I was told 20 – 25 minutes and that I’d be called when the order was ready. After 40 minutes and no call I decided to just go down there. My order had been forgotten and I was offered a drink while I waited. Well wine cures illness (:))so I accepted. Waited for my food, it finally arrived. I got the check and was a little annoyed I was charged for my drink. I thought to ask for silverware, and he ran and got it. Good thing I asked or I would have gotten my sick self back to my room to discover no way to eat my food! It was an expensive meal — should’ve ventured into the neighboring mall for a salad.
Oh! For a brief moment I thought that I could brave the dining room and eat alone without breathing on anybody with my bug. I tried to make an online reservation but they said there were no tables available until the following evening! When I got there to pick up my takeout, the place was pretty damn near empty! Nice online feature they have there!

Came here again for lunch. Server was friendly. The roasted squash was excellent, the kale chicken Caesar was very good, but the deviled eggs were not as good as I remembered them being last time.
Slow, slow, slow. It was not very busy, but it took 20 minutes for the deviled eggs appetizer to arrive. Everything else took a long time, too. If I was here for a business meeting, I wouldn’t have had time to finish my lunch.
A very nice space on the second floor of the W hotel. High open ceiling. A range of tables, banquettes, and sofas. Unfortunately, the music coming up from the DJ in the Living Room bar on the floor below was so loud that even at 6pm holding a conversation was difficult.
The service was excellent. Joan was very friendly and attentive without being intrusive.
The wine list was limited, even with the offer to open any bottle with a commitment to have at least two glasses. The higher end Malbec at $ 72 a bottle/​$ 20 a glass (if two are ordered) was decent.
The deviled eggs were outstanding. As good as I’ve had anywhere. The garlic roasted cauliflower was also outstanding. The meatloaf was okay. A bit too much on the «loaf» side for my taste. Being topped by a pile of arugula and the chipotle sauce didn’t work for me. The carrot cake for dessert was disappointing. It was a bit dry and the texture of the icing seemed like it had been in the fridge for a while.
Okay for a hotel restaurant, but I wouldn’t recommend a special trip if you aren’t a guest here.

TRACE is located inside the W hotel.
I was staying there so my friend and I stopped in for drinks at the bar before we headed out to dinner. It was 5:30 on a Friday so the bar area was half full so it was easy to grab a seat at the bar. It’s pretty, very posh.
We were welcomed and received a menu quickly upon sitting down but then it took a while to get water and place our order. Once we did place our order it was a another good amount of time before we received our drinks. I wasn’t impressed with customer service here as it was slow and the few people working the bar just exuded «I would rather be anywhere else except here.» To me, that just speaks volumes to me when the staff isn’t excited to be there… then why should I be?
When the drinks arrived, I was very underwhelmed. Everything stood out on the menu, however, when we actually tasted everything, nothing stood out.
I was extremely underwhelmed.

The food here is pretty good, and the service is pretty decent, at least at the bar. For food that is local and southern, it’s not bad. It would be an easy 2 stars if it was really expensive, but they don’t charge an arm and a leg like some other hotel restaurants do.
I don’t frequent the W, but I’ll give this place a second shot if I happen to be around again.

TRACE is located inside the W hotel on 14^th, but be aware that they do NOT validate parking. You’ll be charged full price if you park in the 14^th Street deck. When you enter the hotel, it’s at the top of the staircase on your right, next to Whiskey Bar.
A friend chose this place for dinner because we were seeing a concert at the nearby Atlanta Symphony Hall. If you’re considering the same, I recommend parking at W’s public lot. You can have dinner at Trace or Whiskey Bar and see your show for only $ 11 in parking for almost 5 hours on a Sunday evening. However, as you’re about to discover, I recommend parking here and eating someplace else.
The concept behind Trace — farm to table, upscale Southern cooking — is well-​known to most frequent diners by now. As soon as you enter, you’ll see loud and proud signage reminding you that all ingredients are farmed, foraged, and/​or raised locally and organically. I’m granola enough to appreciate all of that, and was looking forward to my meal.
I had no problems with the service. It wasn’t very busy on a recent Sunday evening, and I honestly don’t think I saw our server working any other tables. That might tell you something about the word of mouth this place has, though there were a few people sitting at the bar.
My friend and I decided to start off with the chicken and waffles appetizer. It’s actually chicken friend in waffle batter and served with a side of warm maple syrup that has bacon chunks floating in it. This was actually a tasty dish, though not distinctive. There wasn’t much chicken there, honestly, but what we did have was tasty enough.
My cocktail — the Six Flags over Georgia — reminded me of my beloved Moscow Mule.
Made with orange infused vodka, cucumber water, and ginger beer, it’s a beautiful translucent green served in a tall glass. I feel like the drink is quite overpriced at $ 13, especially considering the lack of presentation. A little sugar rim or candied ginger on a toothpick as a garnish would take minimal effort and add a lot to the presentation. As tasty it was, the drink was weak and I felt unsatisfied given the cost.
Finally, the entrée. At $ 15, their family farm burger (top sirloin and brisket) should rock your world. It won’t. Meat is under seasoned, bun is stale, and onion straws are more soggy than crispy. I had to add ketchup to mine to give it some flavor — and I’m not a ketchup fan. I have had better burgers at fast food restaurants, and that is no exaggeration. I chose the fruit salad as a side, and it basically consisted of pineapple and honeydew. That’s fine, I like both pineapple and honeydew, but the knife work was so rough that I was left thinking a prepackaged fruit salad from the supermarket would have been preferable.
With so many options in Atlanta, I can’t see returning to Trace as a viable option.

I came here for New Years Eve to sit at the bar. They were pretty busy so its hard to judge the service but I think the staff was friendly and accommodating. I ordered the Chicken and Waffles which were good but the syrup was a little too sweet for me. I will say the idea was cool having waffle batter on chicken. I’m new to that so I thought it was awesome. I also tried their cheese spread. Absolutely amazing cured meats and cheeses. The bread was a little too hard but that’s my preference.
On to the drinks. Really good and top of the line. Only bummer is this place is a little too pricey to get drunk but definitely worth stopping by. Its the W so it has that cool boutique and I’ve got swag atmosphere going. So that’s a plus if that’s what you like! Also I’m not sure what its like usually but it was definitely a night of look at me, look at you… everyone let’s stare at one another’s awsomeness. Lol. I prefer more laid back but I would return to Trace.

I am not sure how impressed I am with Trace. I was super excited to try the menu because it sounds like everything I love: local ingredients, a well-​planned menu, and interesting twists on traditional fare. Plus, the W Hotel is centrally located and absolutely gorgeous.
We tried the grilled chicken wings, house meatloaf, and chocolate ganache pie. The wings were pretty good! The meatloaf was… not. The flavor was off and because the meat was so finely ground, it was a really dense odd texture. I like my meatloaf to melt in my mouth, but this was more like a hockey puck in my mouth. The chocolate ganache pie, on the other hand, was delicious. Super rich and definitely needed to be paired with a drink.
Visually, this place is stunning (omg, I feel like Gordon Ramsay using that sentence). Beautiful art and cozy couches.
Overall I think this is probably a great place for cocktails and maybe dessert.

Trace has replaced Spice Market in the W Hotel. I was there for a food crawl and was treated to, Turkey Meatloaf, Grilled Chicken Wing and a Chocolate Torte. The specialty cocktail was Fall Harvest.
Trace brings you fresh ingredients from local markets. The meatloaf is made with turkey, bacon, cranberry and a bacon demi. Anything with bacon listed twice in the ingredients list should be awesome right? I found the meatloaf to just be eh The grilled chicken wing was eh as well. It was a chicken wing.
But let me tell you about the Chocolate Torte. I am eating in now. Slow bite by delicious slow bite. Trace says is flour less. That works for me because its delicious. I love chocolate and this torte is awesome.
The drink Fall Harvest made with Hendricks gin, Cointeau and apple rosemary purée. Gin will make you sin, but this drink will make you wish you could hear the waves crashing when you close your eyes. Nice, light and so refreshing.
Trace is a cool spot. I would recommend it for desert and drinks. The bar is large, the ambiance is sexy and the staff was pleasant.

big ups for serving accommodating us!
One of my biggest pet peeves is coming to a birthday dinner and people are late. Like cpt late. Sigh. We were late, so I can’t say much, but the fact that they seated most of the party and didn’t tell us to wait until the people we thought were coming all came was great.
Our server, Noah was so nice and patient and was very forthcoming about recommending things that were hits and things that were misses.
HIts–
— the chicken and waffles were a hit. The folks at our table devoured them. It was chicken prepared in waffle batter, something a little different.
— roasted corn hushpuppies. Okay, most of the table didn’t like them, but I did!
— shrimp and grits. The shrimp were huge and it was served in a cute Le Cruset container mixed in with the grits, peppers and seasoning.
— skillet corn. This was good, like how I make it. Your basic corn off the cobb (grilled first)
— pimento mac & cheese. I hate pimento, but this wasn’t half bad. The flavor of the pimento wasn’t overpowering at all
— vadalia onion rings. I loooove vadalie onions!!! These along with the mustard were tasty.
— flourless chocolate cake was yummy, although I thought it should have been served warm
Misses
— the apple pie had a strange flavor. Folks at the table thought it was a miss.
All in all, the service was really great and Noah dealt with a table of women who might not have been outside of the house in a while!

Came here with my husband who dined for lunch. He ordered a turkey sandwich with chips and a soda.
Service was good. Food was not. He picked out a few bones from his sandwich. Why would you serve a sandwich with bones? That was not something we would expect. Thankfully he chews well. Not to mention it wasn’t even tasty.
We won’t be coming back.

Good food, good prices.
Food menu highlights — Chicken Waffles Bites, Pimento Cheese and toast on the Appetizers. Farm Fresh Fried Chicken and Garden Salad with bacon for small plates.
Didn’t really have any entrees but the couple next to me had Grouper which looked awesome.