Marietta Fish Market — Restaurant in Woodstock

This was a surprise dinner date for my bf. I called to see if we needed to make reservations. The person that answered the phone said that I did. She asked when, what time, & my last name. I gave her my last name & told her that I needed it for today (Monday, June 19th) anytime after 7pm. She took my last name & said that she had us down. Strange thing: I asked the time to be there & she said anytime after 7 since that's what I asked for. She didn't say it rudely. I just found it strange. Upon arrival, the hostess didn't ask about reservations. He just asked, "How many?", grabbed 2 menus & said, "Follow me, please."

We were greeted almost immediately by our server, Brian, after being led to our table. Brian was amazing!! He was very attentive & hospitable! Because we were celebrating, he even took my silly request to have our coke n sprite served in wine glasses (which he kept refilling on cue). He was very knowledgeable about the menu. I mentioned liking bisque while looking at the menu. After putting in our orders, he stated that he really wanted me to try the bisque so he ordered a cup on the house for me! It was soooooo delicious!!!! It had soooo much seafood in it.....I really wanted to lick the cup! My bf jokingly (or maybe not) suggested I use my bread to get the rest of the bisque. It fleetingly sounded like a great idea. But I did manage to maintain control & did neither. LOL The homemade cream cheese bread was hot, fluffy, & superb!! We had the fried seafood platter which had flounder, scallops, oysters, clam strips, shrimp, hush puppies, & fries. It was an actual PLATTER of food! We both dislike scallops, but no substitutions are allowed. We thought we might just throw them away. We tried them and LOVED them! NOTHING on that platter was over battered, overseasoned, nor greasy!! My bf LOVES shrimp n grits. So much so that if it's on the menu, 9 out of 10 times he orders it. But because we read how much food would be on the platter, he tried to talk me out of ordering it. But I ordered it anyway. After all, it was a celebration & we drove over 35 mins to get there. MFM's version is shrimp & cheese grits with bacon. My bf was overjoyed that I ignored him. He actually said that it looked so good that he didn't want to eat it! So, he took out his phone & took pix. (For the same amount of or sometimes for more money, a lot of places skimp on the shrimp. If the shrimp are large, they give so few that we have to practically shred them in order to get some in with all the grits! If the shrimp are little, they give a modest amount that can be stretched to get some with every spoonful or forkful of grits. Sometimes the grits are either too watery, too thick, and/or underseasoned). This was by far THE BEST shrimp n grits we have EVER had!! The shrimp were big and VERY plentiful!! We also had add-ons of 1/2 lb. crab legs and an 8 oz. fried lobster tail. Neither of us had ever had a fried lobster tail before. Tho a lil salty, it was very good. Brian also treated my bf to any slice of cake of his choosing. My bf chose what Brian called "a suicide of chocolate". LOL Brian placed a candle in it & had other servers sing happy birthday to my bf. It wasn't a slice of cake. It was a WEDGE!!!! It was almost the size of an actual cake!! Needless to say, we left with PLENTY of leftovers!! PLENTY!! The only downer of the dinner date was an older female server YELLING at another male server about closing duties & going home. She didn't care who heard & yelled from one end of the restaurant to the other end until I guess when he walked out the door! When Brian came back to check on us, I asked was she the manager or the lead server. He said "no" to both. Not that it mattered one way or the other if she did have a title. She was VERY RUDE & OBNOXIOUS!! Other than that, Brian made our first time a memorable time!! The service and the food was outstandingly FA BU LOUS!!!!!! Portions for the money are RIDUNKULOUS!! LOL Recommend with ALL the stars possible!! Not only thumbs up....ALL fingers AND toes too!!...

I’ve been a longtime regular at Marietta Fish Market — it’s always been one of my favorite spots. The food is great, the service consistently warm, and I’ve brought friends and family from out of state here proudly over the years.My kids absolutely love this place.

But today, I write this with a heavy heart.

I’m deeply saddened and disappointed to learn that the management and ownership of this restaurant are allowing a racially charged, xenophobic, and anti-Muslim event to be held at their facility on Monday, August 25th, 2025.

In today’s world, providing space for hate is not a neutral act — it is a conscious choice. By choosing to host this event, Marietta Fish Market is making a very clear and harmful statement about what it’s willing to tolerate, even promote.

This decision is deeply hurtful, alienating, and frankly dangerous. As someone who has supported this business loyally, I now feel betrayed, saddened, and unsafe.

There is no place for bigotry, racism, or Islamophobia in our communities, and there should be no place for them in the businesses we choose to support.

I urge the management to reconsider the values they want their restaurant to stand for. Until that happens, I will no longer be bringing my family or friends through your doors, and I hope others will reflect on what this decision truly means.

Response to the Owner:

Thank you for replying. But let me be absolutely clear: this is not about rumor or misunderstanding.The Madison Forum’s own emails confirm every detail of this event at your restaurant.

Here is the text straight from the forwarded email chain (sent by Madison Forum President, Michael Opitz, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 11:19 AM::

"The Madison Forum is very pleased to announce that Holly Kesler will be the Guest Speaker, Monday, August 25th at our Madison Forum Dinner Meeting at the Marietta Fish Market, 3185 Canton Rd, Marietta. -Dinner: 6:00 PM -Program: 6:30 PM -Speaker: 7:00 PM -Mrs. Kesler will be speaking on: "Islam and the Threat to America!’

That subject line alone “Islam and the Threat to America!” — should have been more than enough to raise red flags for any responsible business.

"This is not neutrality". It is a clear decision to allow your space to be used for the promotion of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and dangerous rhetoric that directly harms members of your own community.

Restaurants are not just businesses; they are community spaces. And community spaces have responsibilities. "Not knowing is not an excuse when the event details are openly promoted online, in emails, and even link back to your restaurant’s website".

As a loyal customer who has supported your business for years — bringing my kids, friends, and out-of-state family — I am heartbroken to see Marietta Fish Market associated with an event that spreads bigotry under the guise of “discussion.”

"Leadership means saying no when it matters most."

You can cancel the event,. -You can implement an anti-hate booking policy. You can make clear to the public that Marietta Fish Market will not be a venue for racism, xenophobia, or Islamophobia.

Right now, silence or deflection is complicity. But you have the chance to make this right — not just for your reputation, but for the diverse community you serve.

Please, choose courage over convenience. Choose your...

It was a spur-of-the moment decision to treat myself to dinner here. I am new to the area, and I love fish and seafood. This restaurant always seems to be busy, so I decided to try it. This was no easy decision for me. During my 37 years of married life, we ate out several times a week. Now, divorced and solo, I rarely go out to a nicer restaurant by myself. A solo diner does not generate the gratuity that a larger party does. Sometimes, it seems we get ignored a bit. My server, Jakeela, was 5 ☆ from beginning to end. I was casually dressed and was made to feel welcome by all I had contact with. I did observe that most other people were casually dressed, so I was comfortable with that before going in. First off, I love espresso martinis and have for well over a decade-long before they became more popular. There are still a lot of restaurants that can not make them. Well, Marietta Fish Market can--and it was superb. I skipped an appetizer because I was set on one of the decadent desserts in the dessert cases I saw at the entrance. There were so many entrees to choose from--it was a tough decision. I finally went with one of the fish platters. I think it had 7-8 different kinds of fish...and I could try them all! I also opted to get a house salad with ranch dressing. I thought I was getting the salad instead of the sweet potato, but nope, the sweet potato came also. The cinnamon butter for the sweet potato was delicious. Each table receives a loaf of yummy, soft, warm bread-which came just before my salad. The ranch dressing was very good-nice and thick. Not all watery. My platter of food came just before I finished my salad....and oh my, it was huge!!! There's no way I could eat anywhere close to this. Besides all of the seafood, there was at least 10-12 hush puppies. That is unbelievable. Jakeela kept checking on me-just the right amount of times. She was awesome as a server. She also has a beautiful smile, making anyone feel welcome. You should ask for her when you go in to eat. You won't be disappointed. She made my evening very special with a nice touch that I greatly appreciated. Thank you, Jakeela! Dessert-I enjoyed a few bites of a huge piece of cheesecake, but had to take it and the rest of my dinner home. It was just way too much food for me. Prices on everything were very reasonable--especially for the portion size. The decor inside was very nice--dark ocean blue abounds. Loved the big circular fish tank and water walls. It was dark outside when I left, but the parking lot is extremely well lit. My only suggestion is to pressure wash the entrance area and that where the stairs are. It is smelly and overly dirty. It detracts from an otherwise perfect dining experience. Thank you, Marietta Fish Market, for a very...