empire state south

this past weekends adventures took me to the empire city of the south: atlanta, georgia.   there are a few things that make proper brunching essential:   the right handbag & outfit...i can assure y’all, both trips to empire state south were perfect- and that i will be finding myself back there very soon!

absolutely the worst restaurant i have ever been to in my life. gave it 3 chances and 3 strikes and you are out. servers are jerks. i thought i would grow old enough to retire waiting on our food. this place reminds me of the kid's story "the emperor's new cloths" people say they like it because it is the in thing to say. it is terrible go somewhere else!!!!


-----05 dec, 2010-----

very disappointed. all 4 meals in our party were overcooked. the service was horrible. had to chase the server down to order entrees and dessert. probably the worse dinning experience i have ever had. word to the wise ignore the hype and go to eat somewhere else!

perfect. perfect. perfect. anyone who says otherwise is a non-voting,suburban troglodyte .our waiter was amazing . black guy , middle aged.... only mention because i forgot his name and he was one of the best waiters i have ever had. pimm's cup was perfect...atlanta get with the program on this place . otherwise y'all are a bunch of damn fools.

i’ve been back once since for lunch (had the bacon marmalade and pimiento cheese again) and i can’t wait to get back for dinner.

down south, done right. if there's one thing i know, it's southern food/cuisine. i had been wishing to dine here for some time (for free). last night was my chance. beautiful evening, 85/sunny, midtown was hopping at 7pm and many ppl were dining at empire.

i reviewed the menu on line several times. i had three items i wished to sample, if available. they were. the place is a 20 ft high flat floored warehouse with southern decor. the bar is vast, almost too big. they have outdoor seating available under canopies and also boccee ball for whomever wishes to partake.

the prices, in my eyes, are steep but befitting of a high rent joynt in midtown. the menu is limited. they have five (5) "snacks", seven (7) apps and only five (5) entrees. plus, there was no special for monday nite. odd.

i settled in with a dozen mixed oysters on the half. 3 varieties, fresh-cold and tasty. served with 3 sauces. next up veal sweetbreads. cooked til pink, tender, sauce was soft and you could savor the flavor of the brains. not for everyone, but we grew up on offal foods. i would have liked more for $14, but it was good. the oysters were pricey at $26 per dozen as well. i also had the onion soup ($7) and it was fabulous.

for dinner, i really thought i was pushed into a corner here. 2 fish, 1 pork, 1 steak and 1 veggie entree. i really wanted something more southern, chicken fried ribeye or something. maybe shrimp n grits, etc. i had the redfish. it was good. served on polenta with roasted root veggies. not a lot of food, but enough. you'll need an appetizer if you wish to walk away stuffed. i had a side of ramp faratto, which was prepared perfectly, ramp isnt something most places do well, thus you never see it. i finished the meal with the best fried strawberry handpie i have ever had. you must try the handpies.

the bar was packed and the restaurant filled with 25+ business people and families.

the one huge negative was the service. they only had one bartender for 20+ patrons and he absolutely could not either ask for assistance or work it himself. we waited 20 min each for all courses to arrive and another 10 for him to run our bill. it appeared that diningroom waits were doing alright, perhaps they should have ran food quicker.

bottom line: $50 per person with one cocktail. incl app + entree, no dessert.

not southern. terrible disappointment no mashed potatoes. no fried chicken. no biscuits. no sweet tea. i had the pork chop. it was ok. not worth the price. veggies were just badd. i should have gone to cracker bartel!

empire state south is an institution that has long been on my list of places to visit in atlanta.  chef hugh atcheson is involved with an old athens favorite (five & ten), but alas, it’s rare that we ever stay over in our university town.  however, our airbnb did happen to be located very near empire state south, and after a last minute change in our weekend plans, i was more than happy to make a brunch reservation.  while the restaurant wasn’t crowded at 11 am, brunch was much needed after a late, but very fun night, at ponce city market (a location well worth a visit if you’re even in the city).  the exterior, a well-known bocce ball area set between two massive buildings, gives way to a covered outdoor eating area.  the interior is spacious, filled with tall ceilings, dark wood, and a lived-in feel that sets guests at ease.

tip: park in the parking garage, the elevator takes you directly to the restaurant. we had the valentine's day meal. fried oysters with creme freche and chives was very good. shrimp & grits were very nice a flavorful; fennel oil was a nice touch. duck was excellent, it cane with braise cabbage and mushrooms. orange sauce was wonderful. it was crispy and right amount of fat. hubby said he would eat out everyday if he could. i had the trout with potatoes and greens. greens were crispy, trout flaky. chocolate brule was smooth and rich.

excellent empire

the restaurant is a little hard to find within the complex of buildings. but you’ll be happy that you made the effort to get there.

the interior has a casual feel. service was helpful and fairly efficient. prices are a bit high.

we had a couple of excellent cocktails. for appetizers we shared the whole georgia shrimp which was actually delicious. we moved on to the house salad which was fine but a little uninspired. then we shared the pickled shrimp toast which was wonderful except that it should be served on toast as advertised rather than a rather soft, white bread. the steelhead trout crudo was also excellent. for the main course we had a sablefish which was very nice but needed a bit more seasoning. for dessert we enjoyed the small but rich maple cream with crumbled chocolate and hazelnut ice cream.

it is a pricy restaurant and i would go for a special night out.

by far one of the best restaurants i have ever eaten at, the food was phenomenal and the atmosphere was perfect. i congratulate mr. acheson on yet another wonderfully pulled off fine dining experience.

fun atmosphere, great drinks, and really good food. duck was a prepared really well and apps were really good as well. would go back and play bocce.

the ambiance is great and the concept is very cool. the bocce courts outside are a great touch. the food is good but i think there are better options in midtown of similar price and ambiance. worth a try but was a one time go for me.

enjoyed the experience. and that's what i'd call it here. we went with a tasting menu and whilst i'd say on the whole we were 60/40 on the line up that evening it was still memorable and worth the visit. would give it another try for sure to see if they can wow me! see you then :)

guided by the recommendation of a friend who lives in the city, i chose  hugh acheson’s empire state south and it did not disappoint...

a few months back, i was in search for a restaurant in midtown atlanta for dinner before a concert at fox theater. while doing my research i came across empire state south and knew this restaurant needed to be on my to do list if i didn't make it on this trip. i ended up not going on that trip, but i decided to check it out for brunch during my most recent stay. the inside of the restaurant has a rustic southern feel to it. i loved it! there isn't much of a waiting area, but they do have outside seating, a full bar and a bocce court.  the menu changes daily, but from my understanding there are a few items that get a variation of them done all of the time. i had the english muffin with a side of rice grits. the english muffin had a fried egg, candied bacon, spinach and ham on it. i had already been looking at it, but once the waitress said it was one of the more popular items i decided i should try it. the grits were pretty good, but i think i'd like to stick to the ones made from corn