Georgia Boy — Restaurant in Atlanta

Bottom line up front: the food was delicious, the price was way too high, the experience was confusing, and the service left a lot to be desired.

I planned an overnight trip for the experience of dining here with close friends. We knew the price tag, at $295 per person, was high. However, it felt like it was appropriate for a special occasion, especially where so much was promised.

The Service: We were greeted by friendly hosts who offered us complimentary half-pours of prosecco which was nice.

Then we were taken into an extremely cramped “library” where we were uncomfortably squished together at tiny bistro tables. The third person in our party had to share a table with a stranger. No context was given as to what was happening.

As I was trying to make my way into the cramped seating, my foot accidentally slid the table forward. The general manager piped up “please refrain from moving the tables!” I was shocked she scolded me loudly in front of everyone when it was clearly an accident. A pointed overreaction on her part that made me so uncomfortable.

Next, the wine director asked if anyone would like to hear about the wine pairing option. When nobody said anything for about 3 seconds, he became annoyed and exasperated by this. He said “ok, clearly not!” in a very condescending tone and then left. I was under the impression that you had to pre-register for the wine pairing and I had already made the decision to not partake. He was generally very unpleasant the whole night.

There were a few other moments throughout the night where the service was snippy and abrupt. I’m pretty shocked they aren’t more dialed in to the customer experience especially at an establishment that charges what they do.

I appreciated the waitstaff who were kind and attentive.

The Experience: I understand the chef wanting to curate a whimsical, unique experience that reminds diners of the magic of childhood. This fell short for me. The hot, cramped library setting at the beginning of the experience made us feel uncomfortable and confused instead of excited and at ease. The lack of context (I guess in their minds, “the element of surprise”) was not all that enjoyable.

When we were escorted to the main dining area (which is a "surprise" by entering through a secret bookcase), I was a bit bummed to find the communal table was a high-top. I understand that for men or tall people, high tops may be fine. But for short women like myself, it’s uncomfortable to get into a high-top chair while being dressed up. The silky fabric of my dress kept sliding me out of my chair. A normal height table would have made a WORLD of difference for my comfort during the lengthy service. Instead, I shifted uncomfortably all night.

Lastly, I feel like the staff might feel tired/bored by the “surprise” element because they didn’t seem bought in or excited, which made me feel the same way.

The Food: The food, for the most part, was absolutely delicious. The flavors, but especially the TEXTURES, were impressive! I absolutely loved the “trip down Buford Highway” as well as the PB&J dessert. Mind-blowingly good. The cereal and milk dish was pretty hard to stomach, though I did appreciate the creativity. I wish I had more characters to go into more detail about the food, but sadly, it was not the center focus of my experience.

The Price: The stakes are high when you charge $295 per person. Given the service and experience, I feel like $150 would have been a more appropriate price tag. If the service was out-of-this-world and the restaurant was comfortable, spacious, and impressive, then MAYBE I would have felt better about what I actually did spend.

Lastly, it was off-putting to be asked to leave gratuity at the end of the meal. Earlier research of the restaurant said the experience was all-inclusive, but I guess that’s changed. All-inclusive pricing is typical in other fine dining tasting menu experiences I’ve enjoyed. Tipping on top of $295 per person is astronomically expensive for the average person. It just added to the already...

One night before dining at Georgia Boy, I had been to another Atlanta establishment that everyone told me would win a Michelin star if they ever surveyed Atlanta. I was incredibly disappointed and thought that if that was the best Atlanta could offer, the city was far off from a star. Then I ate here and my faith in Atlanta fine dining was restored.

There were no new flavors for me (although my tablemates did experience a lot of that), and some of the surprises (which I promise not to reveal) were derivative of other restaurants I'd been to (Test Kitchen in Cape Town [RIP] and Pujol in Mexico City come to mind), but rather than disappointment at the familiar flavors from around the world or rolling my eyes at the incoming plot twists, I found myself excited to taste these fabulous plays on worldwide cuisine and giddy about watching my tablemates' reactions as they discovered the playful way in which Chef Joey Ward and his staff presented each of the 15 dishes we enjoyed throughout the evening.

While most of the flavors I tasted were familiar to me, the way in which they were presented or created were not. The creativity that went into each dish was mind-blowing. Dishes whisked me away to a far-away land or a long-forgotten time, and kept me interested in the next dish and the one following that. After 15 courses, I was sad that the experience was ending, and I was hoping there was a secret encore or two.

My main takeaway from Georgia Boy is that cliché isn't always a bad thing. Chef Ward took some of the best flavors, techniques, and gimmicks from cuisines and restaurants around the world and combined them with his limitless imagination to create his own storybook fantasy meal, and it was all implemented flawlessly with impeccable service, creative and unique wine pairings, and a social interaction that I truly loved. If any restaurant in Atlanta is deserving of a Michelin star (or two, in my opinion), this is the one.

Some favorite dishes. A Trip Down Buford Hwy: An homage to the Chamblee neighborhood of Atlanta, this dish showcased Mexican, Thai, and Indian dishes done in a very Chef Ward way. I still want a box of that jerky to go..

Blueberry Pancake: What an incredibly surprising and delightful reconstruction of a classic childhood dish, elevated to the stars with technique and premier ingredients. If it weren't seasonal, I'd come back to Georgia Boy every time I visit Atlanta just for this.

Green Oyster: An example of how you can pull the exact same flavors of a popular dish from completely different ingredients. A lovely bite.

Sweet Corn, Sunny Side Up: I literally happy-danced in my chair while chewing my first bite of this masterpiece. I wish there was more.

Cornbread: Nothing out of the box here, just incredible cornbread. This ticked one of the boxes for my trip to the South in a stellar way.

Lick the Beater: Another trip down memory lane, but elevated in a wonderful way. This is the desert I'll remember.

And finally, the wine pairings. At the start of the meal, our Somm invited us to explore how the wine changed the food and the food change the wine. Rarely have I had a meal where the wine worked so elegantly with everything on my plates, inviting me to sip and mix and match with each course, immersing myself in the flavor changes throughout.

This is a meal I will not soon forget. I can't wait to come back next time...

How we ended up there: Neighbors recommended it.

Final tab: $580 for two ($155 per person for tasting menu, $105 for one wine pairing, couple of cocktails, tax, tip.) Few days before Christmas. They have been open about 2 weeks.

Other favorite Atlanta spots: Marcel's, Chops, Agave, Atlanta Fish Market Other "best" tasting meals I've had: Noma, Geranium, French Laundry, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

Arrival: Surface Parking Lot. No Valet. Greeted inside. Vax card, matching ID and masks required.

Once inside we were set in large U shaped booth with cocktail tables. It's set up for 4 parties of 2 at each seating. Drinks and the first 6 or so courses are done here. There is a large curtain that separated us from the rest of Southern Belle that the wait staff entered through. It felt like an intimate theater. The set up encourages conversation with other parties you are dinning with (might not be good if you are intent on conversation with just your date.)

Drink: I am a bourbon or rum guy. Their bourbon selection is very, very small. I had an old fashion that was just run of the mill (fine but not great). My wife did the wine pairing. The wine pairing was more of an alcohol pairing as it included Sake, a Belgium Flander's Red and a number of unique wines. (Side note: They gave us the Southern Belle cocktail menu which showed the wine pairing as $59. However, the Georgia Boy wine pairing was $105. We saw no prices of anything until we got the bill at the end of the night which I found odd. My wife said she would have just gotten a couple of glasses had she known it was $105.) They did offer a non-alcoholic pairing which one person in broader group ordered. It looked great from a distance. Lots of mocktails. Second phase of dinner: You move to a kitchen and sit at a high top table for 8. Vibe was relaxed. Staff was friendly but in the background for the most part.

Food: Some world class quality, some forgettable. Overall there was a heavy sweet potato theme (about 3 dishes) which I liked. Every dish was served with a quick memorized introduction by one of the staff. Favorites: Mushroom jerky, Chicken and Waffle Cone, Cauliflower Coffee Lobster, Lamb tenderloin, Cake Batter beater. Misses: Found the wasabi did not allow me to taste the tuna. Found the over-salty soy sauce in the broccoli and steak ruined a 90day aged prime rib. Food presentation: I found it fun and creative (even if a bit over the top). Others felt it was pretentious - I disagree. Allergies: One person in the group of 8 was doing a gluten free menu which the staff seemed to accommodate well by altering dishes.

Overall: Worth trying if you are a foodie. Some really world class dishes...