The Back Burner Restaurant

The food and service was great Saturday night. The restaurant is a pretty old southern house that is perfect for a enjoyable dinner.
The crab cakes and NY steak was outstanding, the lobster bisque could have been warmer.

The food is always fantastic, and the hostess (/​owner?) makes you feel right at home, even if it is your first time there. This is the best French food I’ve had in the States other than Le Cirque in Vegas (however, a full meal here is $ 100, not $ 600, for two). I would rather eat here than the Four Seasons, Baccanalia, or a number of the other «elite» restaurants in Atlanta.

Julio, the owner/​chef is absolutely awesome. The food is really good and he makes the best cake in town ! Hands down !

When I am in Macon I always try to eat here. The interior is amazing as well as the staff.
I’ve tried the crab cakes, seafood trio almondine, prime rib, and tenderloin and each time it was perfect. Call ahead and see if they are serving their grilled octopus appetizer.
Be sure to leave room for dessert and order the strawberry cake.

What an amazing little gem! Our server, Constantine, was great on his first day on the job! My love and I truly had a great experience and I highly recommend this restaurant to any locals but especially to any out-​of-​towners looking to indulge in some of Macon’s finest local cuisine. This place will always be near & dear to my heart.

Can’t recommend it… I’m I’m generally generous with my rec’s.

Seated on porch, ignored until associate cleared a phone call in parking lot. Water and no offer of drinks. Gotta hop to it Back Burner.

The Back Burner is an experience. It is among Macon’s finest dining with simple, unpretentious, expertly crafted dishes. There is nothing superfluous on the plate, nothing inaccessible on the menu.
To start, I had the special, three Cajun seasoned scallops in a lemon caper sauce. Though one of the three giant scallops was slightly underdone, the color was beautiful and the sauce was perfectly tart and light.
The Seafood Trio Almondine is a generous medley of trout filet, three butterflied jumbo shrimp, and two of the hands-​down most delicious lump crab cakes I’ve ever had. (Just lump crab seasoned to perfection and seared perfectly. Nothing better.)
The service is first rate. The servers are attentive and extremely knowledgable without a hint of pretense. The atmosphere is surprisingly laid back for the type of fare. The prices are higher than many Macon restaurants but fair for the offerings. This is certainly a hidden gem.

This place has recently gotten new owners and you can definitely tell. I loved the old Backburner, their signature lobster bisque, crab avocado salad and delicious lamb were just some of their classics. But, the new place’s quality has definitely gone down. The soup was watered down & salty. Not to mention half of the portion it used to be. I was very disappointed because this was one of my most favorite places in Macon. Maybe the quality will step back up after some switches in the kitchen.

I FRIGGAN LOVE THIS PLACE! i went here once with my class in high school. The food was great and the dessert was my absolute favorite. Chocolate cake! The ambience was nice as well.

3.5 stars. I had the pleasure of dining at what is probably the schmanciest restaurant in Macon during my visit, the relatively new Back Burner Restaurant. It’s situated in an old house and is super adorable, with white tablecloths and a very intimate ambiance.
We started off with their fresh (hot!) baked bread and balsamic/​garlic/​olive oil dipping sauce — so, so good, as well as a complimentary amuse bouche of bruschetta that was sent out. Very flavorful and delicious!
I started with one of their special salads, and Asian-​style avocado salad with mandarin oranges, crab meat, shrimp, and a ginger sesame dressing. Not exactly what I was expecting at this French/​Italian-​seeming establishment, but it was certainly delicious!
My sister got the tomato and mozzarella salad (caprese) and it was divine. They use an aged balsamic that was sweet and thick and oh-​my-​goodness. Mmm.
For our entrees, I opted for the sea bass special, which came with a champagne sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes, zucchini, and a stuffed roasted tomato. It had a beautiful sear on it, though the fish was cooked a tid bit more than I think I would’ve preferred, and the sauce was delightful.
The actually don’t have any vegetarian entrees listed on their menu, but after my sister told them she’s a vegetarian, they simply whisked her menu away and said, «We’ll come up with something good,» which I thought was cute. They ended up bringing out a pasta primavera-​type dish with tons of roasted veggies and dressed in a garlic olive oil. It was very good, and an enormous portion.
Having heard rave reviews about their desserts, we couldn’t leave without trying one. We shared a slice of the keylime cake served with handwhipped whipped cream. It was moist and flavorful and very delicious, and a great way to end the meal.
So as you can see, our meal was very good and I’m definitely glad that we got a chance to try this place out. The reason I can’t give it a more robust star rating, however, is that the service was just not quite up to par with what I’d expect for the price point — this place is not cheap, ESPECIALLY for Macon!
The hostess and our waitress, (Marni, I believe), and the bartender (didn’t catch his name) were both very nice and nothing was WRONG, exactly, it was just a little bit lacking. We came in around 8:15 PM and were seated, then asked if we’d like to order a drink a few minutes later without having actually been given any drink menus. It took another five minutes or so to be given our actual menus, and though there was dipping sauce on the table from the start, the bread didn’t come out until after we had placed our meal orders.
The specials all sounded delicious, but there was no mention of what, if anything, they were served with. I didn’t know my sea bass came with potatoes or zucchini or anything until it was placed in front of me.
Also, after our salads were finished, our knives were taken and not replaced, so when our entrees came out I actually had to reach behind me (where it happened that the cutlery cabinet was located and had been left open) and pick out a new knife for myself.
The most telling issue in terms of service for me, though, was that at the end of the meal, it felt pretty clear that they were in a rush to get us out. We weren’t offered dessert, we had to ask for it, and I just felt kind of awkward and rushed. We came in at like 8:15, which I guess is a little on the later side of things in terms of Macon dining, and I get that the restaurant closed at 9:30, but usually that’s a guideline for when you stop seating people, not for when you actually close up and lock the door. We ordered dessert at like 9:20, so it’s not like we were waaaay overstaying our welcome or anything like that.
For an expensive restaurant restaurant that seems to consider itself as true fine dining, I just didn’t think the service was as good as it should have been. Again, everyone was very NICE, I just didn’t feel that well waited-​upon. And in general I guess I didn’t feel particularly, I dunno, wanted by the end of the evening.
I’m still glad that I got a chance to try this place out, and it might be a great place to take your parents or something for a nice night out, but I’m not sure that I’ll be returning next time I’m in town.

Passing through Macon, my world traveling brother’s usually flawless gps skills failed to find a chain steakhouse for a quick dinner. Searched Unilocal to the rescue.
We stumbled into Backburner, at first, wasn’t impressed with the exterior of the building, but there were a number of nicer cars in the clean parking area. Pleasantly greeted, seated quickly and our much needed liquid nourishments, delivered. Menu has adequate amount of diverse choices, in addition to the daily specials sheet. Wait staff is second to none, every need was anticipated without being intrusive, true professionals. Appetizers and salads crafted with unique combinations. We picked the ribeyes, cooked exactly as requested, the meat didn’t require a knife to cut. Asparagus spears cooked perfectly, with some sort of seasoned mashed potatoes complimented the ribeye.
Pricing isn’t cheap, but the epicurean delight with highly attentive staff is worth the premium.

Been here twice. And never fail. Seafood is my best. Grilled sword Fish is mouth watering. Delicious !

Best night of my life! [ while in Macon ;-) ]
Sometimes those quaint restaurants are just that — cute, yes, but leave much to be desired on the actual dining experience or talent in the kitchen.
Established in an attractive old home, Back Burner has it all: comfortable dining area that caters well to single diners, large groups and the romantic couple. Service was impeccable and my perfectly-​cooked rare steak was made ever more excellent when it was delivered by the chef himself. Love the rustic pesto and feta cheese on top of the tomato and grilled squash — a nice touch that really heightened the flavours of the plate. Small, but enjoyable wine selection, and several by-​the-​glass options.
I was the last diner in the restaurant, it was pouring rain, and taxis, I discovered, are on the endangered species list in this town. Christian, the owner and chef, came out one last time to ensure that I had the perfect dining experience (I had), and when he learned I was attempting to find a taxi within a 30 miles radius (I was having some challenges doing so), without a thought otherwise, he offered to drive me back to my hotel. Yes, I know, this may seem strange in most places, but we’re talking the south here, and refusing the offer seemed downright rude. Best idea ever.
And that should paint a picture of one of the most attractive, delicious, welcoming and enjoyable dining experiences you will find in Macon.

This evening I dined at this eatery with my fiancé to celebrate our new engagement. I was very pleased with both the ambiance and the food quality/​options. I ordered a scrumptious plate that consisted of medium-​rare lamb chops abed steamed and buttered brussel sprouts, snow peas, and carrots. A halved golden potato was an additional accoutrement and a steamed and stuffed tomatoes completed the plate. My fiancé ordered a plate of penne pasta with a mildly spicy saffron and basil sauce completed with jumbo tiger shrimp. Tiny saffron threads fingered themselves between the al dente pasta and were almost rivaled by her appetizer of heirloom tomatoes slices, buffalo mozzarella, sweets basil, and a balsamic reduction. I had a summer salad of organic greens, boiled eggs, crispy bacon, mushroom slices, and a house raspberry-​balsamic reduction. We finished our engagement celebration with a slice of fresh coconut cake topped with buttercream icing and filled with coconut custard — the restaurant gave us complimentary celebratory dessert which we got to-​go and enjoyed it from the comfort of our king sized bed.
We highly recommend this local eatery. Support local restaurants and keep this neatly tucked away gem an option in Middle Georgia.

Excellent in every aspect, a great place for any occasion, from an impressive fist date, anniversary dinner or any celebration. I ordered a wonderful pomegranate martini, medallion of beef and a wonderful desert. It’s is a very small room, with just several tables, the chef does come out to check on your dinner experience as he can, which shows pride in his life’s work.
I can’t wait to return again next week!

This place just didn’t live up to previous reviews. Maybe it’s because most if them are over a year old, or maybe they were understaffed that night (there was a private party going on in the back room) but despite reserving weeks in advance and arriving early, and many tables remaining unoccupied the whole time, I felt like we were rushed and the server would rather not be bothered with us.
I mean, this isn’t the Olive Garden. I don’t require much as a restaurant customer, but I do expect attention to be commensurate with price. Dinner for two plus ONE alcoholic drink and ONE dessert between both was $ 162 before tip, and this is a low cost of living area. One way to appear engaged and attentive to customers: stop walking when you arrive at the customer’s table to drop something off.
The food was generally good but not good enough to justify its pricing, which explains why another reviewer noted that lunch pricing is about half of dinner pricing. My husband’s sea bass was partly undercooked and my tuna was overcooked. For dessert I ordered what they call «twelve-​layer chocolate cake» (which BTW is actually yellow cake, only the frosting is chocolate) had frosting so oversweetened it was inedible. I could taste no chocolate, just powdered sugar.
To their credit, someone (not our server) did take the dessert off the bill and gave me another to go at no charge. But we were charged for refills of a Coke — really?

Mmmm. Some of the best food in Macon. Anything on special will always be fantastic. Have to deduct a star as many of the seats are hard and uncomfortable.
An amazing place for lunch.

In the land of chains and fried food I was please to find this pearl hidden on a small side road in Macon. The service was great. The food was delicious and they even gave me a complimentary dessert. Please do not believe the bad reviews on this place. They’re so wrong.

We’ve been to the Back Burner off and on over the past 5 years. It was one of the staples in Macon when the family would gather. In general, we’ve enjoyed the food but our last experience there will be our last ever and bad enough for us to write this review which we hardly ever do (and usually it’s for a restaurant that has gone above and beyond). So what happened that one of our family’s staples would warrant a 1 star?
For a recent family gathering, we called to make a reservation for 8 including 3 small children for 2 weeks out. They mentioned they only have one high chair and we needed 3, but we made the reservation anyways and then called Marco’s to see if their availability was more accommodating, which it was. We called The Back Burner that same evening to cancel the reservations… again this was for 2 weeks in advance. All was well, until the day of reservations. Our family had a wonderful meal at Marco’s (which reminds me to give them a positive review). On the drive back to Atlanta, my wife received a belligerent call from a man at the Back Burner saying we were no shows for our reservations there. He was rude from the get go. My wife was taken aback and explained to the man that we had called two weeks ago and canceled that reservation (which I’m 100% sure happened as myself and my mother were sitting next to her when she did… we were all having a discussion about where the family dinner would be held as it’s rare for all of us to get down to Macon at the same time). The man refused to believe her and continued to rant until my wife hung up on him. He was yelling so loud I could hear him sitting next to my wife driving on I-​75. It was completely unprofessional and rude/​insane. This was wrong on all sorts of levels but really:
1) We did call and cancel the reservation. Is he really suggesting that there is NO WAY whoever was working that night forgot to cancel it despite the call? So we’re the targets of their own management slip ups. If you’ve been to the place, I wouldn’t say they have modern reservation or ordering systems. I’m pretty sure they’re still on the old paper and binder methods.
2) Even if someone did forget to call and cancel, is calling them to berate them and literally call them liars really the answer… way to make a customer for life. I work in marketing, and anyone who does will tell you that word of mouth is the most effective and powerful marketing there is… and with sites like Unilocal,facebook, and twitter the kind of behavior the back burner displayed is not just something that happened to a pregnant woman he verbally harassed but anyone looking for a good restaurant in Macon and beyond.
The icing on the cake was this jerk actually then sent us a derogatory text message. One of the classiest restaurants in Macon… yeah, right. This guy either has serious mental issues or the Back Burner is about to go out of business if it is reacting this way to a reservation mix up. Honestly, despite the many great meals we’ve celebrated there as a family with this outrageous behavior they should go out of business or at least take their attitude and french food to where that behavior is tolerated… although I’m not sure were that is because I’ve never experienced anything like this dinning in France or any restaurant on any continent I’ve been.
All I can say is stay «classy» Back Burner meanwhile we’ll take our family dinners to Marco’s or Tik Tok or even the Outback would be more palatable.
Now the question is will Mr. Ugly raise his head on Unilocal!in response to this post. Honestly, I don’t care. To other Unilocaler’s, good food but horrible customer service n the Back Burner.