SM44 Atl — Restaurant in Atlanta

I was overall very disappointed. I frequently dine at fine dining establishments, and SM44 fell far short of the mark. My server was inattentive despite the restaurant being nearly empty. The atmosphere was at odds with itself—loud music and blaring TVs overpowered any attempt at creating an elegant, intimate dining experience.

The appetizers and sides were bland and under-seasoned. While the meat was delicious once prepared correctly, my date’s steak was initially served well-done despite being ordered medium-rare. The valet even managed to lose my keys, adding unnecessary frustration to the evening.

If an establishment wants to operate at a fine dining price point, attention to detail and consistency are non-negotiable. At SM44, even the silverware didn’t match. Regrettably, they pre-charged a 20% gratuity for our party of two, removing any incentive to deliver a truly exceptional experience. The unfortunate part is I am, and have always been a performance tipper, the better the experience, the better the tip.

I had been looking forward to this visit, as I’ve explored numerous Michelin-starred and James Beard Award–winning restaurants. SM44’s prices suggest they aspire to that level, but they are nowhere close. There was no party in my mouth, no surprising flavors—just a reminder that price alone does not...

I had high expectations for SM44Atl after hearing so much buzz about it being an upscale steakhouse with top-tier food and service. Unfortunately, our experience didn’t live up to the reputation.

Despite having a reservation, our table wasn’t ready when we arrived. Once we were finally seated, we were placed next to an extremely loud group—it was so noisy we could barely hear each other speak, which really took away from the ambiance we were hoping for.

Service was another letdown. Our server seemed distracted, forgot our appetizer entirely, and delayed putting in our entrée orders. We ended up waiting nearly two hours for our main course, which is just unacceptable at any level, let alone for a restaurant marketed as fine dining.

To be fair, there were a few redeeming points. The drinks were excellent, and when the food finally arrived, it was flavorful and clearly of good quality. I also appreciated that the manager and some of the other staff noticed our frustration and made an effort to adjust the bill to help make things right.

I’m not sure if we just caught the restaurant on a bad night or if timing was particularly off, but overall, it was a disappointing experience for what we were led to expect. I won’t write it off completely, but I’d be hesitant to return...

Let me start off by saying this place decor and ambiance is really nice. They have some cool experiences. I ordered the SM special where they cook the meat table side. The meat was so tender and juicy. I love the cotton candy head with the slice of cake. But I didn't like my sides. We ordered the cream spinach and sweet potato risotto. The cream of spinach taste like spinach dip not cream of spinach there is a difference between the two. The risotto was okay. My boyfriend had the lamb chops. I am not giving a review on this because that was his first time trying lamb chops. I like that the wait staff helps out because our waiter was a little slow. But the worst part was the $25 valet parking. How in the world do you charge me to park my car in a public parking lot across the street? When I saw they ran across the street to a public lot. I was pissed. I thought they had their own lot. Plus, I asked did they take cards before I got out my car. They told me yes. But when I went to pay after leaving the restaurant. They was like we take cash app. Guess what they were in luck that I have cash app. Because my boyfriend doesn't and he was the one paying. Also, add sweet tea to your menu. You in the south and we...