Cake & Ale Restaurant

I hope this restaurant takes note on critiques before they run out of ""one and done"" customers like my wife and I. Let us first say that the service was impeccable but that's the only kind thing we can say abou this establishment. A hundred dollars (before gratuity) for an ice tea, two salads, their $48 steak that we split (and was not cooked to order), and a rather terrible $9 dessert. And, the topper was being charged $2 for their so-so bread. All toll...we feel we got a $50 meal for our $120 charge. It appears C&A wants to cater to only to those who could care less about the ""value"" of their meals Hope there's enough of them in Decatur to keep the doors open more

When first told of Cakes & Ale, I was overjoyed. What a combination, I thought. Best idea since Pills & Pilsner, the pharmacy with a beer tap. But it turns out that this is actually a restaurant that doesn't even serve cake! The server said the concept came from a guy named Shakespeare, who clearly has no future in the restaurant business. Regardless of the missteps above, the food is really good. Appetizer was kale wrapped in country ham. If you have to eat kale (locally grown, don'tya know), I recommended in wrapped in ham. Our lamb was appropriately seasoned and cooked to perfection. Dessert was delightful. We were't sure about the strawberry shortcake, so the server brought us some strawberries to taste. Very kind; we ordered the marscapone parfait, and it was excellent; the fennel shortbread made the dish. Everything is excellent. However, note the serving size is appropriate, and by that I mean too small. I am sure that this is the correct amount people are supposed to eat, but you may find it lacking. If so I suggest getting a few Phatty (Matty) Cakes to go. It never hurts. Pros: Ever Changing Menu, Fresh Ingredients Cons: Misleading Name more

Cakes & Ale in a wonderful addition to Decatur. They specialize in locally grown organic foods, and the menu changes pretty frequently from what I've seen. I've been four or five times, and everything I've had has been great. The appetizers, especially the arancini, are great, and the gnocchi is my favorite. The only downside I've seen is that the cheese plate is rather small for the price. It's not cheap, but the prices are reasonable for the quality of the food and are on par with comparable restaurants. If you're looking for huge portions of food with a ton of preservatives, this isn't the place for you. If you're looking for locally grown food in interesting dishes, I think it's great. Pros: Local foods more

we had two apps and two entrees and two glasses of wine....$80.00 and we left hungry and went to anotehr restaurant to eat more. service was not good...good luck to this business. wont return. more

I always get excited when a restaurant opens in Decatur since it is my N. hood. We tried C&A last weekend. First of all I was very surprised to hear that they reserved the bar seats???? Well we sat at a table and had the cheese platter which was veeery small and pricy, I could not even taste it .... it was so small, so I can not tell if it was good or bad. Than I ordered a salad which was veery small and pricy but very tasty at the same time and we asked for the check since the entrees were pricy and there was not enough selections and also they looked very small portioned as we saw them at next table. I have to say it is a Beautiful place though. We really loved the decor. Bummer I wanted to love this place. Would I go back? Maybe for a glass of wine, I do not know...I certainly would not eat there...We walked to the ""Tastings"" after that and had a great dinner there. Pros: pretty place Cons: pricy, small portions more

What a clever makeover of the old Viet Chateau. The clean simplicity gave a somewhat casual elegant feel. A nice wine bar, to the right(they are waiting on their alcohol license), and large chalkboards posted as menus. It's a very small menu, with only about five entrees offered. The owner/chef is Billy Allin, who worked under Scott Peacock, just down the street at Watershed. So their is a nod to Southern Cuisine. We started with an app. of deviled eggs. The eggs were whipped w/butter, and were wonderful. And served with a side of homemade Bread & Butter pickles. A clever presentation, instead of putting the relish into the yoke. We had a hard time trying to decide on an entree, since it was a very limited selection. We both decided on the Gnoccchi w/Fennel Sausage, in a light tomato sauce. When the entree arrived, it looked tasty, but a very small portion, and where's the sausage? It was very good, but it just made us more hungry. It was just like another appetizer. Do they offer bread? Service was very nice and pleasant. Several families with children were dining. This is going to be a family destination, so if little ones bother you, it might just be back to Watershed, down the street. Pros: Good Service, Love Those Deviled Eggs! Cons: Small Entree Portions, Limited Menu, Expensive! more