Garden & Gun Club — Restaurant in Georgia

Buckle up guys, because I wrote a novella. As a long time devoted reader of Garden and Gun, I had high hopes for this place - and they mostly did not disappoint.

Pros:

Upon arrival, the aesthetic of the restaurant exceeded expectations. Every detail of the space was thoughtfully considered and looked (quite literally) like something out of the magazine.

The wait staff overall was good. Our server was still in training so she wasn't the quickest on the draw, but she was sweet and attentive. The food and drinks were delicious. They make one hell of a cocktail (I wholeheartedly recommend Exhuming McCarthy and their Proper Old Fashioned) and their burger is truly out of this world. I'm not kidding when I say that I feel it will soon be one of the best burgers in all of Atlanta. Thoughtfully prepared and every bite left me hankering for more. I was sorely disappointed when it was over. But, I remembered to not cry because it's over, but smile because it happened and drowned my sorrows in their delicious fries.

Cons:

That being said, their appetizer game needs improvement. We got the ham with biscuits and tomato jam. First off, the biscuits are not biscuits. They are these strange (and dry) "mini-biscuits" that look and taste as though they're from a cardboard box at Trader Joe's. Also, you only get three, which is laughable considering how much deli ham they provided. Additionally, the pimento cheese left something to be desired. They provided more crudite than dip, which was a disappointment too.

One thing I have serious beef with is the location. I can't understand how they came to the conclusion that it was a good idea to place this restaurant in The Battery. It may be upscale and hip, but at the end of the day...it's a baseball stadium... in Cobb County. I have a feeling they're going to be hard pressed to get Atlantan's to come in droves to experience what they have to offer. I say that because we arrived at noon on a Saturday and there wasn't a soul in the joint outside of the wait staff. As much as I am not a fan of Buckhead, Garden and Gun Club would perform much better close to The Shops at Buckhead. Just some food for thought...

Since I have dreams about that burger and the Exhuming McCarthy, I'll be back. I just might have to go on a game night to really make it worth the...

We should have left when we saw the Health Score of 88. Seriously.. I allow a ton of grace with restaurants- but.. I requested salmon well done- only to receive it medium rare- flagged down the hostess (Clair) who was the best part of this experience- so she retrieved the salmon of which I hadn't taken any bites- and Destiny (our server) returned the same piece of salmon (Destiny confirmed this) of which they'd taken the temp to well done with 1/2 of it almost missing - but again- 1/2 gone from them trying to PIECE the flakes I'd made to it prior when I was investigating whether or not it was cooked to the temp I requested. So basically, the Chef, put a piece of contaminated salmon back to the stove, broiler or whatever cooking vessel they use to recook it - and sent the same piece out- Destiny seemed either irritated or busy - either way not the service we expected Her responses were extremely non-chalant and she'd often walk away before we could finish our sentences - When she approached to greet us her EXACT words were "so y'all ready to order?" I had to ask here what her name was.

Darius King (the name on the Serv Safe Certificate displayed) needs to " do better" in his/her kitchen as I definitely told Destiny I NEEDED the salmon Well done after her quick "salmon cooked to medium ok?" Spill! I said "NO, not this time". Apparently I was neither heard nor respected enough to warrant a proper meal.

By the way, Destiny even acknowledged that they'd recooked the same piece of salmon and sent it out.. but most was missing because you can't glue flakes of salmon back together to make it a full portion.

It was a raggedy performance by the kitchen...

Admittedly very disappointed in our first, and more than likely, only outing to G&G. Love the magazine and expected the restaurant to feel like I'm walking into the pages of one of their issues. That only happened walking into the bathroom since that's where most of the G&G feel is at. Lackluster is how I would describe the "decor" because there is none except for the bathrooms and a couple of other spots. Our server was great, the service was disappointing. Had to return the Shrimp and Grits due to being cold and by the time I got a new order, the g/f had about finished her meal. The sides were lukewarm but didn't want to waste anymore time sending those back as well. The bourbon pecan tart could barely be cut with a spoon but it was removed from the meal due to it being her birthday. Shameful that they also charge you for each refill of tea (make your own sweet tea) and soda. I'm sure most Southern grandmothers would be disappointed with that. The menu is okay but overpriced for what is served. Probably got to cover the insane high rent in The Battery. Don't expect cozy and romantic, the acoustics in there make it hard to hear if there's a party next to you and the lack of a dress code made it feel like a sports bar. Yes, I do get it, it's at the ballpark but still. If you want to shop the small retail section, be ready to state, "I'm not in line for the bathroom" because you have to stand right there in front of the bathrooms to browse what's up for sale. Appetizer, two entrees, two sides to share, a dessert that wound up being free, tea and soda with charged...