Rathbun's

Dined at Rathbun's during our annual visit to Atlanta and as expected, it was just as good as ever. The greek salad was perfect, and the appetizer of ahi crudo was like eating candy.(I wanted more) The entree that I had was the roasted duck with risotto and it was perfect. (Crispy on the outside and tender inside) For the desserts, I had a platter all by myself. A krog bar (candy bar), a blueberry something, the banana pie, and the sorbet ended this great dining experience. Skip the rest, cause this place is the best. I wish I had more time to eat here a second night! Pros: great for a guaranteed tasty dinner Cons: only had time to dine here once :( more

We have boycotted Rathbun's for years since I had a disagreement with Kevin Rathbun's brother, Kent, who owns another eponymous (these guys don't have egos at ALL..lol) restaurant in Dallas (well, he did at the time). After depriving this place of our business, we decided to give it a try with some friendly coaxing. Upon arriving and literally almost being terminated by the valet who backed a Honda almost into me (literally within ONE inch), we made it inside. The place looks just as it does on the website, dark but not particularly romantic. Inman average, I'd say. Our pleasant waitress HIGLY recommended the last thing I would probably have ordered: steak. In particular, the filet and the ribeye (both the highest dollar items on the menu, which makes you suspicious). Two (of the four) of us decided to go with it; one of us ordering the filet and the other, a ribeye. Now please keep in mind that Rathbun;s just opened a steak house, like the highly overrated Prime or the boring but good Bones (Chops is still the best in ATL with McKendricks and Capital Grill a close second). In one word, AVERAGE. Two words: VERY AVERAGE. Not a great superlean cut, not marbled if you like that, just average. The preparation? Served warm, but not sizzling hot. Cooked fine but underseasoned and oversalted (if you understand what I mean). So please, stay away from the steaks (and probably that steakhouse too). Other entrees included duck (also average) and pretty decent lamb. But all in all, we hadn't been missing anything by boycotting this place. It's way average in a town full of more beautiful and less pricey superlatives. And shame on that waitress for leading us astray!!! Pros: Decent appetizers Cons: Poor quality steaks and service more

five friends and I went there for dinner a few nights ago. Service was attentive, and the food was good. My tuna was tasty, but not superb - however, my friend's lamb chops (special of the night) and scallops were beyond compare. What really sealed the deal, though, were the desserts, which come in small plates (at $3.75) so you can sample a few. I had the chocolate cherry cobbler with almond ice cream. It was by far one the best dessert I have had in Georgia, and my friends agreed Pros: Food, desserts, service, parking Cons: a tad pricey... more

Rathbun's has been on my list of places to eat since I've lived away from Atlanta for many years. Therefore, I was excited to eat there last night, but Rathbun's sadly didn't live up to my expectations. Perhaps living in New York has spoiled me? Pros: Well prepared and tasty food Cons: Subpar service for this level of dining and food choices all over the place more

I really wanted to love this place. Rathbun's is just a few blocks from my house, and I just adore Krog Bar, so I'd hoped to make the restaurant a regular haunt. The decor was sterile, the seating was cramped, and the waitstaff was a bit pretentious. When we asked for appetizers, our server asked if we had decided on entrees. When we said we hadn't, she said she'd give us a few minutes to decide, and walked off without placing the appetizer order. I thought this was weird and pretty rude. The food was fine, although I'd expected much better, and the presentation matched the surroundings. Overall, I'd say the experience was satisfactory, but nevertheless disappointing because I'd gone with such high expectations. I've heard this same remark from many friends who have visited recently. Pros: Price, Parking, Bar Cons: Service more

We had about the nicest and most relaxing evenings at Rathbuns that you could ask for. There was not one thing that I could find fault with. The ambience was really neat. Upscale without being pretentious in the least. The wait staff was friendly and attentive and timed the food well enough that there was plenty of time for conversation, not to mention a chance to sit and relax after the meal. The main courses were delicious. All were done imaginatively but with a level of restraint that allowed the flavor of the food to come through nicely. The dessert sampler was wonderful and very pretty and the wine list was very user friendly. I simply can't come up with even a whisper of a reason as to why I wouldn't want to go back. Actually, I can't wait to go back although I would wager that it can't be easy getting into that place on weekends. We went on a Tuesday night. Bottom line, I'm wondering why we didn't go sooner. For sure it's on my list for a return visit and a place to share with good friends. Pros: Too numerous to mention Cons: can't think of one more

We had dinner there last night and this restaurant was awesome. Great food and service along with a fun crowd. We will tell all of our visiting New York Friends and business peers. I would suggest making a reservation though because the place was very busy. Pros: Great food and service with knowledgable staff Cons: location is an old warehouse that is cool looking more

they tried but no way. Pros: THE FRONT DOOR Cons: i walked in the door more

As a disclaimer, I should mention that I was on a date I'd been looking forward to for 3 weeks. We would have been happy at Chik-Fil-A, but we were much happier at Rathbun's. Pros: Ambience, food, and wine were outstanding. Cons: Traveling 3000+ miles to get there. more

The atmosphere, the staff and most importantly....the food! This place is AMAZING!!! By far, the best meal I've ever had in my life! The scallops with grits are to delicious but the mini desserts are to die for (especially the peanut butter banana pie)! You can not call yourself a true Atlantan unless you've dined here. I recommend it to everyone and have never had a complaint! Pros: The food and atmosphere Cons: Reservations needed WAY in advance more

This restaurant was my first really great dining experience in Atlanta in a long time. Everything was great - we were seated promptly for a 7:30 reservation on a Wednesday evening. Strangely enough, it wasn't that crowded when we got there, but when we left at 9:30, the restaurant was completely full - I suppose due to the restaurant's target crowd. The waiter was very attentive and knowledgable about the menu - he had great suggestions for both small and large plates. Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere Cons: The main room can get loud - if you're looking for something quieter, request the wine room more

This past year shortly after Rathbun's opened, we went with another couple to have a Birthday Dinner celebration. And it was an experience to remember. Started with drinks at the festive bar, and was seated shortly after. Lobster Taco's blew us away. Kevin made it a point to come by the table to say hello, and well as his lovely wife. Loved the birthday candle on the Banana Split Desert. Service is just first class, and Rathbun's is one of our fave's. Pros: Lobster Taco's! Great Service! Personable Owner! more

I've been to Rathbun's twice and each time was an excellent experience. I'm a vegan, and they cater to my dietary restrictions even if such a dish is not on the menu. The bread is also vegan too! I love the bread there. My fellow meat eater's that accompanied me were also very satisfied. Love this place! However, make reservations if you want seating inside (there's some outside patio seating also). Pros: Service caters to your personal needs, attentive waiters, excellent food Cons: Only valet parking, can be a bit pricey (but most of the time it's worth it) more

We were extremely impressed with every aspect of our dining experience! We had a reservation for 2 last Friday night, and we were promptly seated. Our server was very professional and pleasant. The atmosphere was nice--sophistocated but not snobby or pretentious. The real star here is the food though. Everything was perfectly prepared and amazingly good. We will definitely be back for more! Pros: high quality food at reasonable prices, nice atmosphere, professional service more

The food is good, but leaves you thinking that you could find food of similar quality in many restaurants around Atlanta. The service and host staff, however, make us not want to go back to Rathbun's. We had to settle for a 9:30 reservation, but found it strange the restaurant was not crowded during the 8 o'clock hour. It was extremely frustrating as we observed that several walk-ins were seated immediately. The host staff was extremely snobby, and put a sour note on our anniversary evening from the start. Once seated, the distinct ""we are better than you, and you are lucky to be here"" attitude continued. For a professionally-successful man and woman, both dressed exceptionally well and always very polite, we felt like we were viewed as second class citizens. We have $125-150 dinners twice a week on average, and we won't be having another at Rathbun's. This is unfortunate as we live less than a half a mile away. Definitely not the traditional Inman Park attitude! Pros: Good wine list Cons: Host staff, Service more

Went back to this stellar place last night and had a fantastic experience. Great food, great service, and we all had lots of fun. The dessert special Tres Leche was awesome and I should have taken one home for lunch the next day. The chef stopped by our table to thank us for dining there. The bar was fun and we were seated quickly. It is a little loud, but what restaurant isn't that is packed? I would recommend this restaurant to all of you in search of dining at the best place in Atlanta. Pros: Awesome desserts and seated quickly Cons: Weird location but very accessable more

Save your money and your time and go elsewhere. The food and service are both subpar. My scallops were gritty and my date's steak was undercooked. When the problem with the steak was pointed out to the server, he was unapologetic. When the steak was brought back out, it was overcooked. The server then rushed us out. He seemed to be hanging around our table quite a bit, so we jokingly asked him if he wanted us to get out of there. His response was ""no, I just want to get me out of here."" Not the type of service and quality food I would expect for the pricepoint. Management's promises to accomodate me on my next visit on account of the poor food and service were not kept. There are plenty of other great restaurants in Atlanta to have to deal with poor service and food. Look elsewhere. Pros: At least a minor attempt to emulate the tapas bars of Spain (Krog Bar) Cons: Poor food and service more

Just when you thought you were too proud to eat at a place you needed to get reservations days in advance for, here comes Rathbun's. When I first heard about this place I thought ""what could possibly be so special that you have to get reservations days ahead of time? Who do these people think they are???"" When I finally ate there I made reservations for the next time before I left, because it was just that good. The ambience is nice, with industrial exposed brick walls and a garage door that makes you think ""now wait a minute... am I eating in a warehouse? And when did warehouses become so swanky?"" The dish I can't get enough of is the Kobe Beef with Chimichurri sauce (which comes and goes from the menu, but any of the steak items really can't miss). There's also a sweet corn and gouda sauce that makes you wonder if anyone would notice you eating it by the spoonful. They have a number of great sides, and the menu lends itself nicely to dining tapas style with a few friends. Dessert-wise, I recommend the banana peanut butter pie -- it's an individual sized banana pie with a marshmallow topping on it that makes you sit back and think ""well... being fat wouldn't be SO bad."" Pros: Hip, Trendy, Tasty Cons: Pricy more

We arrived early for our 8:45pm reservations and settled into a spot at the bar The bartender was wonderful and made great drinks from the traditional to the creative. Our appetizers were good but not outstanding. The Ahi Tuna and Hamachi were overpowered by their respective marinades. While they tasted good, they didn't please the sushi purist looking to actually taste the fish. Our 8:45pm reservation came and went as we remained at the bar waiting for a table to open as we were told they'd ""overbooked"" that night. At 9:15pm, the hostess told us our table was ready so we gave up our prized bar seats and headed to the dining room. No sooner had we rounded the corner when we see another party being seated at ""our table"" and a flurry of activity at the hostess stand. Apparently someone with 8:30pm reservations who had been ""waiting outside"" was seated at our table. Thankfully we reclaimed our seats at the bar to wait it out for another table to open. The maitre de was extremely apologetic and once we were seated he sent over a complimentary appetizer of eggplant fries which were great. For dinner we sprang for the Maine Lobster & Roasted Green Chile Soft Taco and 20 oz Bone In Ribeye. The Ribeye was outstanding- cooked to perfection and full of flavor. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the lobster. Although it's one of their signature dishes, I was so disappointed to find it really was one big taco (more like a burrito) dripping with sauce. While it certainly tasted good it seemed more like something you'd find at Moe's and definitely not your typical $30+ entree. I think it would have been great in miniature form on the small plates menu. I will definitely come back to try Rathbun's again as there were so many other things that looked good to me on the menu and the ribeye alone would be enough to bring me back. Pros: Variety on the menu Cons: close quarters between tables more

I hate to agree with some of my tragically hip friends, but this place is as good as they described. We were waiting (even hoping) for something to go horribly wrong, but everything was excellent. Ample parking, friendly staff, beautiful decor, strong cocktails, big wine list and delicious food. Make reservations well in advance or be willing to take a very early or very late table. Or roll the dice and look for seats at the bar. Pros: Great food and wine, cool ambiance Cons: Reservations required well in advance more