Mellow Mushroom Atlanta - Emory — Restaurant in Brookhaven

I write this review with a heavy heart. This was my go to pizza for over a year ever since moving to Atlanta. But my last 3 orders have all been disappointments and I will not be coming back for a while now unless something changes.

Order #1: I order a large "light bake" Holy Shitaake. The mushrooms were sparse, the garlic aioli tasted straight up like regular mayo, barely any cheese, and worst half of my pizza if not more was crust. It was basically like eating dough with mayo. Barely any mushrooms and cheese. I'd say 60% of the dough was just crust. It was also basically the same size as medium with just more crust. Oh and it was well done, not light bake. The undercarriage was nearly burned.

Order #2: The next week I order a large "light bake" Super Pepp. From the outside, it looked like a proper large pizza. Filled with the toppings, cheese, and just the right amount of crust. Only for it to be well-done to the point of the undercarriage being burned. The actual flavor of the pizza was good but the burned undercarriage (which has been a particular problem in this location) was even worse than last time. This was the 2nd time in a row I had specified light back only for the pizza to be well done if not outright burned.

Order #3: Not placed by me but by a university club a few weeks later. A part of me was excited, only to get three slices and each of them to be way overbaked, massively chewy crust that was nearly half the slice. It was as if all the problems I had in my individual orders were combined in the catered orders.

In the past I have had "subpar" pizza from this place but it was rare, maybe 1 in 4 orders and usually the "bad orders" were usually just overbaked. The last 2 months or so, not only is the pizza constantly overbaked, but more sparse toppings and the crust being nearly half of the slice has basically become the standard. I don't know if you've changed management or the kitchen staff but unfortunately something has definitely changed in this location in 2025. I really hope...

After looking at some of the reviews, I felt the need to leave my very negative experience review. Natalie was our server and I see she has another negative review, similar to mine. Also, just as the other family posted that they were treated, my family also felt the same way. Natalie is horrible.(Now confirmed after reading the other person's review) Here is my experience:

I came here with my family this past Sunday. The server was totally inattentive. We first asked for our alcohol to be on a separate check. Next, she brought us VERY dirty plates. My husband showed them to her, there were caked on food crumbs on 3/4 plates. She took awhile to bring out our pizza and brought out MORE DIRTY PLATES! My husband had to hand those back too and she walked away! Such a lack of care! She NEVER came back to bring us new plates or apologize, my son and I ate off a NAPKIN that was rolled into silverware. We kept waiting for her to follow up, even offer us more drinks, but she did NOT. Last, my husband was very irritated by the lack of service and had to get our "to go boxes" on own because we were annoyed and also huge flies kept swarming around our food ( not their fault we sat on patio). Another girl gave us our check and we decided to NEVER COME BACK after the server said "bye guys..." as I left. I said "whatever!". I did email the company and the manager replied and said the server is usually great, and he would like to give us a free pizza. NO THANKS, the lack of service and cleanliness was enough to steer my family and friends away. My friends and coworkers said "you should have left and just walked out". It's not like the food is inexpensive either. I will just order an organic ingredient pizza from Whole Foods from now on. Forward ever, I will NEVER bring my beautiful family back to these...

Mellow Mushroom at Emory, a paradox of culinary brilliance and careless ownership, leaves me with a bittersweet array of emotions. On one hand, the pizza is an undeniable masterpiece, a testament to their classic recipe, seasoned oven, and the cooks' passion and skill. On the other hand, the restaurant's ambiance, continued turnover of hard-working untrained waiters and overall presentation fall short of the standards set by its long-standing culinary achievements. It's a place where culinary excellence coexists with a sense of disarray.

In the end, it's their perfect pizza that leaves the most lasting impression. Its flavors, etched in my taste buds, serve as a reminder that even amidst signs of owner's neglect, culinary excellence can still flourish. Mellow Mushroom @ Emory is a diamond a place where the power of great food transcends the imperfections of its owner, so please enjoy it before the new owner ruins it for good. It's a culinary enigma, a place where one can savor the world's best pizza (even without beer or wine), while simultaneously bemoaning the signs of its owner's neglect. Believe it or not, for too many weeks the staff still believes their liquor license will be ready "by next week." And yet, amidst the owner's created chaos and disarray, one thing remains clear: ...is a place where culinary pizza magic happens.

UPDATE: After months of waiting, the owner finally got the issues with their liquor license squared away. It's a real pizzeria again! The cooks are doing their job, let's hope shift managers, waiters, and bartenders can hide all the owner's malfeasance from...