ria's bluebird

used to love this place. enjoyed the vibe and the eclectic menu. food was good, waitstaff although apparently indifferent, were effective. had breakfast there today. heard the counter staff making fun of a customer who'd just left. swapped sliced tomato for baguette with my meal. they charged me $2.25! it wasn't a bushel of tomatoes. and $2.25 for a cup of coffee? this is memorial drive, for goodness sake, not buckhead. almost $18 (with tip) for breakfast for one, at the counter at a "dive" place? food and coffee were indeed tasty but seems they're experiencing a bit of an identity crisis!!!! heard the waitress complaining they weren't busy on a recent saturday morning shift. doesn't take a genius .. bye bye ria's. too much great competition without catty waitstaff and exorbitant prices.

delicious. excellent for vegetarians. be prepared to wait 30 minutes for a table on the weekends, though. while you're waiting, take a stroll through historic oakland cemetery.

vegetarian. had a vegetarian friend treat me to breakfast at this place this morning. lots of vegetarian items on the menu but also a lot for meat eaters. i've had a bunch of meat on this trip so decided to pass on the brisket breakfast for $9. sounded great, a 14-hour slow-roasted angus beef, shredded in its own spicy tomato broth, with 2 eggs poached and toasted baguette. i ended up getting the bluebird burrito, which was 2 eggs scrambled, skillet potatoes, white cheddar, choice of beans, i had black beans, topped with salsa verde & sour cream, and a choice of one side which for me was a fruit cup, although i almost went with the organic grits. good portions for $8. my friend who eats here frequently had some sort of bionic tofu scramble, lol. i would eat here weekly if i lived in atl. just a breakfast and lunch joint, i will eat here again the next time i am in hotlanta.

ria's bluebird is a local legend with an incredible following.  the diner is small, leaving the parking lot filled with diners waiting for a table.  i was lucky enough to visit after the brunch crowd one day with a friend, to which we ordered brunch.  we decided to split a few of their specials.  the biscuits and gravy was quite good, the gravy being vegetarian.  the biscuits were buttery and soft while extremely filling.  the pancakes were incredibly fluffy, though there was little syrup given (we likely needed more toppings to sweeten it).  the early bird special had plenty to offer, the eggs cooked to order with fried potatoes and bacon, a biscuit on the side.  the food was incredibly filling and the service was fast.  i'd highly recommend this restaurant, but be prepared to wait!

i was prepared to skip the biscuit until i saw it. oh man. that biscuit was worth the carbs. cool place and food was even better. coffee was good too. ria’s did not disappoint.

this place has affordable and healthy options for vegetarians. the spinach omelette was delicious. it also came with two sides: a biscuit and some soy-sage.

delicious........don't let the small parking lot and dining space deter you from this wonderful spot. the food was great, service was good and even though there was a wait to be seated, the wait was not that long.

maybe i'm biased to this place because i love breakfast, but this place is one of my favorite restaurants in atl. after i read the story about ria i felt even more in love with this place. they have amazing vegetarian food and also an amazing beef brisket dish for meat lovers. the atmosphere has a slight hipster feel and i loved it. the food that comes out from those double doors is entirely satisfying and exceptional. it is talked about and true that they have the best pancakes. by far. i've taken my boyfriend here and it is a great place for a date. i've also taken my friend here who was visiting atlanta, and it is a great place to show tourists a great moment of atlanta.

i always get the grilled pimento cheese with brisket and sweet onion jam. this grilled cheese is to die for!!! it keeps me coming back and is definitely worth the wait.

brisket breakfast. brisket with side of skillet potatoes


-----14 apr, 2015-----

really good brunch. stopped in around 10am on a tuesday and had the brisket. turned out to be really good and paired nicely with the skillet potatoes. coffee was also excellent and strong, yet smooth and silky. i recommend this place based off of my one meal.

we waited a hour to be seated and had the good food and excellent service. we had the duck special and the early bird special, enjoyed our food. great place!!

breakfast so delicious we went two days in a row!. my friend and i shared the breakfast burrito and pecan pancakes with sides of bacon and skillet potatoes (and of course coffee). it was all so delicious we ordered the same breakfast two days in a row! the breakfast burrito has an amazing salsa verde served on top and the pecans were baked into the pancakes. yum! the coffee was great, and the atmosphere was charming.

here's some background from the ria's bluebird website about chef ria pell and her culinary experiences (rest in peace, chef!): "from berlin to san francisco, ria’s cooking has gained a cult following for her gourmet southern classics in the heart of the atl: light & fluffy biscuits, topped by a generous portion of thick, spicy milk gravy, just like grandma used to make. buttermilk pancakes moist and delicate enough to prompt locals, and jane fonda, to tout them as the ‘best in the city’. and innovative sandwiches like the popular prosciutto, brie, dates & basil on toasted baguette. locally roasted coffee from batdorf & bronson acts as the bass note to ria’s creations. chef ria pell earned her stripes in some of the toniest kitchens of the city, like dish, mondo and chef annie quatrano’s

great service! delicious food. the brisket with poached egg is the best thing i have tried this year

long wait...very dim, hot and muggy seating. sort of like i imagine hell to be...the shrimp n' grits was good, but smallish...5 med to small shrimp on cup of grips with hot/sweet buttery sauce...frittata was small square of kale, potatoes, onions and squash baked in cornbread with tomato sauce....blah...in summary, long wait for overpriced small porting servings....won't be back.