97 Estoria — Restaurant in Atlanta

I feel like this place is really polarizing - either you're going to be into it or you're really not. I read the reviews online before going for dinner and beers last week so fortunately I was prepared. As people have noted, there's no table service, and limited to no seating inside. If you're good with sitting outdoors in whatever weather is happening at the time (and dealing with things like copious clouds of mosquitoes), have at it. The food itself is really good and portions are large. Service, on the other hand, was pretty awful. Female bartender texted continuously every time I was at the bar, and had little to no interest in answering questions about the beer (which is all bottles/cans, no draught) or food. No one will alert you when your food is ready, either. I was told it would be on the counter in 10-15 minutes. Went up after 15 minutes, food not out. Had to either stand there and wait for it (leaving my companion at the table) or check back repeatedly until it came out. I think I would've enjoyed it more had I just gone for beer, and not expected any real craft beers to be available. Between all this and the general decor, layout, etc of the place, it just...

The service is terrible. I walked up to the bar and ordered chicken wings (and tipped 20%). I didn't expect table service. But with a large patio, a restaurant will usually call you when your food is ready. They don't. After about 30 minutes I went to check on my food, and it's just been sitting there, getting cold, while I'm sitting hungry, and while the employee is sitting there chatting it up with a friend. After about 10 or 20 minutes, it'd be nice if she could consider that maybe the customer is waiting to be called, and would take a break from the socializing and actually do some service work. Or maybe be a bit apologetic about the mishap. But apparently that's not how this place operates.

If this is your local dive bar, it'll hit the spot and you don't need to read reviews. But if you're at all interested in the quality of the food or service, then this place deserves a solid 1 star, tops. There are so many good bars and restaurants within a mile. Please, do yourself a favor and go to...

Good cocktails, great vibes, friendly staff, and delicious food, in a casual, come as you are environment, and a dog friendly patio! I live near 97 Estoria, so when the weather is good I like to walk my dog up there, where he is always enthusiastically welcomed by staff and patrons, alike… They have a nice specialty cocktail menu, plus your standard drinks, like vodka tonics, and plenty of domestic and imported beers. They also have delicious, slightly upscale bar food. I haven’t ordered anything there I didn’t like, or even felt was mediocre. For St. Patrick’s they went all out and did corned beef and cabbage, with house made pickled vegetables. I ordered some to go, and was distraught when I got home, because I hadn’t ordered 2, so I’d have one to eat, later in the week. It was SO delicious!!!! And apparently on some nights they have live music. I highly recommend 97 Estoria to anyone who wants to chill out at a bar with a relaxed environment, great food, and a highly...