Fellaship.ATL — Restaurant in Atlanta

So my buddy's birthday was this weekend (today, actually) and since we hadn't hung out since last year - and since I felt the desire to capitulate to a couple of Gurkha's, H.Upmann's, & some small-batch whiskey, I decided to go ahead and make it a thing. I had heard about Fellaship, and saw the televised grand opening of Cam Newton's upscale cigar bar restaurant & lounge, but had not the opportunity to check it out. So I called up some of the guys, and we all agreed on meeting down at the Centennial Olympic Park location. I could get very verbose (if you've read any of my reviews - this one included) however, i'm going to stick to the POI's for this one.

The website is rudimentary - very amateurish and clunky. I tried to make a reservation, and the submit button wouldn't work. So I called the number, and the woman answered "Hello?" Like she was shopping in Publix and I was her husband reminding her to get some Cocoa Puffs cereal. I had to ask: "Umm, is this the number to Fellaship?" at which point, she hesitated for a second, and then said "Umm, yes, it is..." Thoroughly confused at this point. So I asked about reserving a table, and she explains "Oh, you can't reserve a table online...actually unless you have a party of 8" So I say to her that the website has a "Reserve" option in the menu. She then tells me, "Oh yeah, that needs to be worked on & fixed...you can just walk-in and get a table if it's available..." The Gallery pics are hit-or-miss when it comes to them opening without an 'error'. The Events page has 2 events. One which has already passed (New Year's) of which, you can still 'Book a Table'...if the reservation page worked. The "Menu" options, both Food & Cocktails, try to get you to save a PDF to your PC to view. When really, they could have just put the stuff on the page(s), respectively. Needless to say, the online presence is weak. GRADE = D+👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽 Parking - City of Atlanta parking is pretty much terrible on ANY given day, BUUUT, even though most of the spots were filled, I was able to pull up and park close to the entrance due to someone leaving when I arrived. Fellaship has a valet service though, so that would eliminate the parking woes for most (you're out to have a good time & you're DEFINITELY going to spend money - come on...don't be cheap😎) I was pleased with this. GRADE = A-👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 Ambiance - Walking into this smoke filled lounge is like walking into a scene from a movie - the decor, the layout, the seating sections, all have a very laid-back and authentic vibe. The Cigar Dispensary had good, QUALITY cigars (even though I brought my own👨🏾‍🏭💨).. I didn't go upstairs to the Mezzanine, but talking with one of the patrons there, it's pretty much a replica of downstairs, but less smoky - due to the location of the ventilation system. The seating was comfortable, but loud, so not really suited for serious discussions, but for hanging out and 'fellowship' time, it was good. Everyone was dressed to suit (figuratively & literally) and the atmosphere was friendly and light. VERY PLEASED!! GRADE = A+ 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 Food - The appetizers were awesome!! Lobster Bites, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, and the Fried Cauliflower were very well presented and tasty, fresh, and they were on our table in short order! I ordered the Lamb Chops, and though very tasty as well, I felt like they could have been more 'generous' with the serving size. But, that's super subjective, so you have to draw your own inference from your experience. PLEASED!! GRADE = A 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 Staff - From the street to the bar to the tables, very nice and professional and not overbearing. Made for a pleasant experience. The Hostess, Serenity(?) was very accommodating as I arrived earlier than my party, and she made sure we would have a table once everyone arrived. She had a smile the whole time, which is rare nowadays in customer-facing positions. GRADE = A 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

OVERALL, Fellaship is a nice place to hang out, meet new people or with friends & have a smoke,...

I used to really love it here, but it seems like the last few times I've been coming here the service has declined TREMENDOUSLY. I have a very full and lengthy complaint, so hopefully they read all of it…. Not sure what’s happening right about now, but they need to really get it together. It's like there is ALWAYS an issue with the service somehow. I’ll start with my second-to-last visit. It took almost 30 minutes to receive my drink. I noted this to Akbar, and absolutely nothing was done or looked into. He just brushed it off and said, they've had “a lot of orders for that shift, and the bar and kitchen were backed up.” The second issue, my food (during that same brunch) was initially brought to the wrong table , which had me waiting curiously for nearly one hour. I kept asking the same server about the food, and she assured me that “it was coming” … Come to find out, not only was my food sent to the wrong table, but she didn’t even notice it, and when she finally did figure out the delay with my food, the food item was no longer available in the kitchen for it to be remade. And guess what the manager said and did about the matter …. NOTHING! He just said I would have to order something else. The third issue, this same terrible server “accidentally” charged my card for an extra drink (during the same brunch, once again) for a drink that was never ordered. Once again, I turned to Akbar, who said they could not take the drink off. A DRINK THAT I WAS NEVER EVEN ORDERED. So that visit made me stop coming for a good bit of time. I was invited out by of friend of mine yesterday, which made me give it another chance, which turned out even worst then the last time. Yesterday, our server who was very short and brown skin (with an unflattering haircut) took nearly 20 minutes to address us. Actually, she never even addressed me, I HAD TO ADDRESS HER, and ask if she was our server. She said yes. She never brought us silverware or water. Had to ask for all of that. My friend even noted how bad of a start our service got off to. Towards the ladder part of my meal, I boxed my food to-go, and the server had accidentally thrown it away thinking it was trash. I “politely” asked her about throwing my food away, and she immediately acknowledged it and apologized. I asked her could they bring back NOT EVEN the full item, but at least some or a portion of it, since SHE THREW away the $40+ meal that we paid for. Not to mention, It was quite a bit left, might I add… she said she needed to ask Akbar. Akbar said there was nothing they could do about it, it was simply “a mistake”. Talk about 0 stars for management. As a regular that used to come there often, and fully knows the manager, I would’ve thought this would’ve been handled in a more professional manner. If your team messes something up, as a manager, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure that it gets taken care of/fixed. I was not asking for any refunds or discounts , but simply for the portion of my food that was thrown away BY MY SERVER to be replaced. Akbar does not really seem like he knows conflict-resolution skills or how to handle REAL issues. He’s more passive and surface-level as a manger, which is never good for a business. It seems like every time there’s an issue (which seems to be quite often now) , he’d rather run from the issue and ignore it, or avoid it...

Can I just say this place is definitely a go to spot for the best cigars, drink and atmosphere! Hands Down!!🙌🏾 Cam Newton did his thing with this one! $10 valet. Get there early because it fills up quick. I went on a Saturday at 930p and there were no chairs. Ventilation could be better. The food was awesome. The wings and shrimp were cooked perfectly! Wings were not fried hard so if that's your thing, ask in advance. Food came out quickly and was hot! Beautiful people all over the place! Can I just give special shout out to the DJ! I never asked his name but he wore an ATLien shirt so I love him just for that!💚💙💚 The DJ had good music playing. I had a chair but couldn't sit down because I wanted dance to his mix! There was no room to dance and the staff was busy running food and drinks by but no one seemed to mind that we were turning up in the aisle.

The Manager - Akbar was dress to the Gods! Very friendly and accommodating. He always was there with the torch ready to keep you lit. He always had a smile on face and a great attitude. Very handsome. He made sure to work the room and made everyone feel like a high roller in Vegas! 😘🥰👍🏾

Bartender - Valerie has a body to die for! Although it was busy, she handled that bar like a pro! Drinks were amazing! I drink my Henny straight but she made sure to ask exactly how I wanted it! There was also a bearded bartender who made the perfect Manhattan with orange zest and a cherry. Delish!!🥰😜

The Cigar Sommelier - Rio was dressed straight from a Parisian Runway!! From the hat to the shoes...and his teeth are so beautiful! The place was more and more packed but he had it handled. Rio was accommodating to newbies and answered every question with no problem.

Table Support - Blake was such a sweetheart and so handsome! He kept the ashtray emptied and the table cleared off. He always had a smile on his face. He continously asked if we were ok and if we needed anything.

As an Atlanta native I understand that my city is the ideal place to have a club, bar or lounge. But everyone doesn't put as much thought into the staff, location, menu, and essence needed to create the perfect environment. Cam Newton if you're reading this, your place is amazing and your staff with keep me coming back for...