McCray's Tavern — Restaurant in Atlanta

Let me start with this being my second time here. The first time they gave my friend the wrong wings and they DID take them off, we had the bartender with the cool glasses and he was amazing. Very understanding, helpful, and attentive. I'm leaving this review specifically bc of the second time I came with a group of four. Our server, a redheaded young woman, who never mentioned her name, was kind, but not attentive. We ordered 2 chopped salads (1 with chicken) and a panini with drinks. Food took a while to come out. The food was alright, prices a little steep for basic bar food. We're pretty flexible and understanding with servers as I also work in the food industry. I've never left a bad review before, but I felt this experience made for the exception. Our issues arose when my boyfriend's salad was came out as a Caesar salad, instead of chopped, and it was missing his chicken. They said the chicken was on its way, but it never arrived. Our server didn't come back to see if our food came out correctly. When she did finally return, we told her about the incorrect salad and missing protein. She glanced at the salad, noticed the chicken wasn't there and noticed it wasn't a chopped and kind of just made a face of disappointment. We asked for the check and also asked if she fixed the price (considering we got a different salad with protein on it) she confirmed that she had fixed the bill and brought the ipad with her then she held it close to her body and wouldn't show us how much it was or give us a receipt, just looked at us and awkwardly said "So, who's paying?" We gave her a gift card that had $50 on it, which she was confused about then walked away to enter, then returned with our remaining bill which was $46.29, to which she had my boyfriend follow her to pay. She did finally give him a receipt, once he paid, to which we discovered she charged us for the incorrect salad and chicken (which was more expensive than the salad received). When my boyfriend asked her about this, she lied and told us it was taken off, despite the fact that it was on the receipt with all the prices and total. Needless to say, not a great experience. I hope they put a little more care, effort, and honesty to a customers experience. We are all just trying to enjoy food and have a great time. Also, I did have $16 cash out to tip her with but after discovering deceitful charges we decided not tip and I always tip bc again, I too am in the service industry and know what it's like but this was...

Came here to grab a patio seat and watch football. There are signs everywhere that say “see hostess” before you grab a seat, so I came in to the hostess and there was no “hello” or “welcome”. When I greeted her, it was almost as if I was bothering her. When I asked about being seated outside, she told me that it was open seating. By the time I got back outside, all the seats were taken.

Welp, it’s just me so I grabbed a seat at the bar. The bartender walked back and forth for about 10 minutes without acknowledging me. Finally a young man (maybe the bar back) came from out the back to ask me if I wanted anything. He was the silver lining in this whole experience. I slowly sip my beer and now my cup is empty. Another 10-15 minutes goes by watching now two bartenders go back and forth. The young man who helped me before is now delivering food and is bouncing back and forth. He’s super busy. One of the bartenders was standing behind the bar eating a meal, so couldn’t help me… smh. I finally call out to the other bartender for a replacement beer and she obliged. I also ordered a side of tots and it came out quick (but not hot) and I notice that I don’t have any utensils or napkins. I ask the bartender that was previously eating if I could have some napkins and he didn’t respond. After a minute or so, I asked again and he retrieved. He placed them on the bar without a word… no “here you go” or “sorry about that”. He seemed a little annoyed that I asked him.

The patrons sitting at the bar were...

From the moment I walked in, I knew I was in for a great evening—but what truly made the experience unforgettable was our server, Mary. She was the perfect combination of professional, warm, and attentive without ever being overbearing.

Mary greeted us with a genuine smile and immediately made us feel welcome. She knew the menu inside and out and offered spot-on recommendations, from appetizers to dessert. Every suggestion she gave turned out to be exactly what we were craving (even when we didn’t know it yet). You could tell she truly cared that we enjoyed our meal.

What really stood out was her timing and attention to detail—our drinks were never empty, she checked in just enough to make sure everything was perfect, and somehow managed to make the whole night feel effortless, even though the restaurant was buzzing with guests.

I don’t always write reviews, but Mary made this meal memorable. If you’re lucky enough to dine here, do yourself a favor and ask for Mary. She’s a gem, and any restaurant would be lucky to have her. We’ll definitely be coming back—and bringing friends!

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