Casa Balam — Restaurant in Decatur

When we saw that Casa Balam has been added to that list of “The top 10 hottest new restaurants around Atlanta” by Atlanta Eater, We knew we had to check them out. We went ahead and made reservations for a party of 3 on a Thursday afternoon.

We started off by ordering some appetizers. The first one being the ceviche ahumado, which was in itself an experience. The flounder was brought out covered in a glass dome smoked in apple wood. It was the first time I had ever had ceviche with peaches incorporated into it, and it most certainly did not disappoint. The citrusy juices complemented the peaches alongside the flounder very nicely. We also ordered the Filete de Atún which was topped on a strawberry& habanero sauce. These liquids are two very unique and different flavors so I was a small bit nervous to see how they would mix together. To my surprise they were perfectly executed for this dish! For our main course we ordered the ribeye steak cooked to be medium. Their medium definitely aligned with the way I like my meat done. The steak had a perfect balance of flavorful marbling throughout the cut. Our server Zeb was beyond knowledgeable with the wine pairing for our main course. He suggesteda glass of their red cabernet to enhance the flavors and tie it all together. Of course we had to end with a dessert, so we went ahead and ordered the Corn tres leches. I don’t mean to exaggerate by any means but when I tell you this was the best dessert I have EVER had I am not playing. If I could only order one thing off the menu each time I went there it would 100% be this dessert. The burst of unique flavors and texture this dessert offered is something to rave about. I’m not big on sweets but will never skip out on this dessert when we come back to visit.

Over all the staff, specially our server Zeb were beyond friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere of the place was immaculate. The interior design of the restaurant will have you thinking you are somewhere in Tulum Mexico. Our experience from the second we walked in to Casa Balam up until we walked out was a 10/10 for us! Chef Luis has out did himself with this spectacular...

This was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in Atlanta. Imagine having food that looks seasoned but has no salt or seasoning in it. Imagine having dessert that has no sugar but is spicy to a point where your server apologizes for it.

I had high hopes for Casa Balam because it is new and has a really great aesthetic but we were sorely disappointed by every edible thing that touched our table.

We ordered a bunch of different things to try out. The ceviche, queso, and guac lacked salt and lime so we asked for a plate of lime and more salt to season everything.

We also ordered empanadas (Birria and pollo) and we had to send back the birria one because it was one of the worst things we have tasted. It lacked flavor and soul that Mexican cuisine is known for.

For our main dishes, we ordered branzino and scallops and while they look beautiful, it was NOT SEASONED. We are big seafood lovers and it was very disappointing to taste both. We added more salt and salsa verde to add any flavor to both. Maybe use more butter and just literal salt to both these dishes.

Then for dessert, we got the bread pudding, cheesecake, and affogato. We had to send back the bread pudding and the cheesecake because they were both terrible. The bread pudding had no sugar and seemed undercooked. Yall, we are in the south so maybe let’s learn about bread pudding from people of color in this city. The cheesecake was SPICY. I’m not talking cinnamon kind of spicy…this was cayenne kind of spicy. Really horrible.

Our server Juan was amazing and the drinks were really well curated which was the only saving grace during our experience. He was also gracious when we provided feedback and sent items back so thank you!!

Overall, please season more and don’t just cater to white people. We can taste it and it’s really disappointing. PLEASE TASTE EVERYTHING coming out of the kitchen here. Maybe test dishes with a variety of people with different palettes to learn and grow here and for the love of God, please use salt and sugar and butter. Mexican food deserves justice because it’s...

There's nothing like a Foodie Friday made in #404day heaven at @casabalamatl !!

When I tell you we were both so excited, we are on camera for this one!!

The restaurant was beautiful, the customer service of our waiter Jorge was impeccable, and our food was the thing of dreams. Here are the details you are looking for:

Drinks Balam Margarita with house guava nectar 😯😯😯😯😯😯😯 Pueblo Viejo Blanco tequila, orange liqueur, agave, lime, and house made guava nectar Such a beautiful drink. It is definitely fighting for the best margarita in Atlanta spot!! It was that dang good!!

Food: Queso Horneado 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 Who would have ever thought that mushrooms in a queso would be so dang amazing. Tie in the pickled jalapeños, and chorizo.... you have a cheese miracle in a deep bowl!!

Birria de res (half) 🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂 OMG, this beef could be separated with just a fork. It was so butter soft and delicious, and the house made tortillas on the side were so warm and just right. Amazing!!

Tacos de Pescado Frito 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟 Fish of the day for the fried tacos was grouper, and it was amazing. Light, flakey, and fresh. Everything just came together so magically in this dish.

Sticky toffee cake 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰 This was amazing. A toffee cake with a barley cream sauce and German beer ice cream. You heard me, German beer ice cream. It was amazing!!

Overall, Casa Balam is a place we are going to revisit very soon. We just visited Friday, and we are already trying to figure out when we will make a return trip. Amazing!! Run, dont walk!!

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