Marietta Proper — Restaurant in Marietta

Based on tonight's experience we won't be setting foot back inside. What was supposed to be a rare and special date night for myself and the wife started amazing but was ruined as a result of the conduct of the restaurant Chef and our server.

Let's start with the good.

FOH got us a "reservation" because it said none were available. Later experienced the restaurant was only maybe 1/3 seated. Ambiance - Fantastic. Drinks - on point - zero issues Service (part 1) - When our server was engaging with us on the floor, he was awesome.

Spicy Pimento Cheese. The pimento cheese and bacon onion jam was really good. We loved it. The traditional "chips" potatoes room temp, and had been sitting out for some time..

Bulogi short rib appetizer. Bulogi was also room temp, and tasted like it had been sitting out most of the day/evening.

Deviled egg trio. Pick one that is amazing and make that your deviled egg dish. Cool idea, but too much going on. One great, other "ok." Kills the dish.

Blueberry mint lamb chops. Came out raw in the center, and we had chewed through one (like leather) before I realized.

Pork belly tacos. These were "ok." Not great, not horrible.

And so this is when things get funky. While the server was hanging at the table with us (reminder, the restaurant was not busy at all), I gave him his feedback, all delivered positively as some constructive criticism. Because he appeared so kind at the table, I gave the kid a $33 tip on a $107 bill.

Finally - this is when things REALLY go south. After paying the bill, I went to the restroom. I was in the restroom and heard the chef and the server loudly talking and laughing making fun and light of our whole experience. To be clear, they were actively trash talking a customer who could clearly hear them from the bathroom. In my effort to 1) try what appeared to be an amazing menu and what could have been a great dining experience, 2) provide some positive constructive feedback on our experience highlighting the amazing ambiance, the service (until then), the amazing drinks, and just some nudges of advice on my experience about the food, I heard these two basically making fun of the whole situation.

When they turned around, I was standing at the end of the hall right by the kitchen hall entrance and told them I heard it all, and it was absolutely unacceptable.

Some further sidebars for the owners.

We weren't allowed to keep copies of all your menus (asked so we could order a large swatch of things), and were told they needed them back. Not enough menus? PS - the menus we had were stained, so might want to get some fresh ones.

The server made comments that they were told they "really needed to make money" which didn't cue in with me until I had the full experience. Yep, I understand why now.

Even after that experience with the lambchops (likely should be reported to the inspector), the incident near the back with the chef and server blasting and making fun of a customer with valid feedback and concerns, the chef (was told he's an owner) didn't even bother to address the situation. Never saw a manager, and the poor front of the house hostesses had to witness the end at which point I was very angry.

Well, I hope someone there reads this to the end. There's probably more to this, but at this point, it's a waste of time for me to try and recall. Bottom line - the menu and ambiance drew my attention in for the reservation, and we really really wanted this to be an amazing go to place for us from now on when we get to go out. All said - never again, and I hope the public reads this and makes and informed decision going forward. They need to make the menu a little more simple, do things better and more consistent, and especially not trash talk customers who could have pulled the complaint trigger at dish one, but sat through and provided some feedback delivered honest, positive, and...

Marietta PROPER has officially become my number one restaurant in the U.S. Everything about this place is simply exceptional—from how effortlessly you can make a reservation to the very last moment you spend there.

The interior design is stylish and inviting, the service is top-tier, and even the appearance and demeanor of the staff deserve a standing ovation. If I could give this place six stars on Google, I absolutely would. Five just doesn’t feel like enough to express how impressed and happy I was with the experience.

Our server, Justin, was nothing short of amazing. There were three of us dining that evening, and I arrived a bit late. When I walked in, Justin greeted me by name. He had remembered all of our names and used them throughout the dinner—it was such a small gesture, but it truly left a lasting impression. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this kind of attentiveness and genuine care in any other restaurant in the U.S.

Now, let’s talk about the food. The presentation was a show in itself—thoughtful, creative, and clearly made with love and passion. You can feel the heart of the chef and the vision of the owner behind every detail. And the taste? Absolutely phenomenal. Each of us ordered different dishes and drinks, and we shared everything. Every single bite was perfect.

One highlight we all talked about was the barley dish—yes, barley! I’ve never seen barley served at a restaurant in the U.S., let alone in such an elegant and delicious way. It truly blew our minds.

Another thing that really impressed me was the variety of non-alcoholic drink options. There were three types of non-alcoholic wine and several non-alcoholic cocktails. That’s honestly top-tier—because not all restaurants and bars offer such thoughtful choices. This is incredibly important for people who don’t drink alcohol but still want to enjoy the atmosphere of a beautiful bar with elevated drink presentations.

There was only one small thing that caught my attention—and I hope the owners might take note: a few of the plates had visible chips on them. The dinnerware is absolutely gorgeous, but perhaps not ideal for high-volume bar service, as it may wear down quickly. That said, I’m not taking off even a fraction of a star for this, because it’s a completely fixable detail and didn’t affect our overall experience in any way. Everything else was genuinely perfect.

By the end of the dinner, we were so full we could barely breathe—but we still couldn’t resist trying dessert, and of course, it was as flawless as the rest of the meal.

Marietta PROPER is not just a place to eat—it’s a place to experience. A place that shows what true hospitality, creativity, and culinary mastery look like. I will be recommending it to everyone I know, and if you’re reading this, please do yourself a favor and go. I have no doubt it will become your...

Marietta Proper boasts a visually stunning ambiance, but our recent dining experience fell short in several aspects.

To begin with, our appetizers, which included empanadas, pork belly, and bruschetta, were underwhelming in flavor. We ordered 6 empanadas but received only 4, which was the first of several issues.

Service proved to be a challenge; despite our 7pm reservation, we encountered delays in drink orders. I even had to request my drink multiple times and waited over 30 minutes for it. The service confusion continued when our food arrived. We ordered short ribs in two different versions – a small plate and an entree. One arrived promptly but lacked the accompanying sauce, while the second (IDENTICAL dish) took an additional 20 minutes to arrive, leaving us baffled about the difference between the two.

We addressed these concerns with our server, Selena, who assured us that the manager, Justin, would compensate us for the inconvenience. The resolution process was less than ideal. Initially, Justin offered a 20% discount, but when I requested the removal of my delayed drink and a complimentary dessert to share, he hesitated by offering a 10% discount - mentioning the owner felt they are giving too much. Reluctantly, they agreed to a 15% discount in addition to my requests. Negotiating compensation left a less-than-pleasant impression after the overall dining experience. I don't feel I asked for too much.

The last issue emerged when we realized our previously ordered additional entree to-go was never placed. Despite this, we were still charged for two short rib plates. We asked the manager to remove one of these to which he replied - "but you ate it." - this was a shock considering we split one of the short rib plates between 4 ppl and still never even received the full, completed order with side dish. The original dish that came out with no sauce was never touched.

After spending around 2.5 hours there due to delays and negotiating compensation, only one bill was correctly discounted initially. When we brought this to Justin's attention, he delayed correcting the error, stating that he will get to it after clearing some other tables (in an almost empty restaurant).

In conclusion, while Marietta Proper offers a beautiful setting, our dining experience was tarnished by service issues and communication challenges. I hope they address these concerns for future patrons, but regrettably, I am unlikely to return anytime soon.

Thanks for taking the time to read my detailed review, and I welcome further discussion around my...