Pandora On The Square — Restaurant in McDonough

My husband and I tried this restaurant about two weeks ago. We were excited because we love exploring new places and were looking forward to a fine dining experience close to home. We had reservations for 10 PM and were seated right away, which was a great start.

However, once seated, we noticed there were no napkins on the table just the gold silverware, which looked a bit murky. This was a bit unnerving as we could not tell if the silverware had been left behind and someone was supposed to come and clean the table. Our server came to take our drink order and offered several bottled water options, so we chose Fiji water, since it didn’t seem as though regular unbottled water was available. We also ordered two cocktails: my husband got an Old Fashioned, and while I can’t remember the name of my drink, I do remember it tasted more like fruit punch with no trace of alcohol.

For our appetizer, we ordered the fried green tomatoes. Unfortunately, they had little to no flavor. The corn served with them was tasty but lukewarm. When it came time to order entrées, I asked for the lamb chops, which were supposed to come with seasoned vegetables and mashed potatoes. The server informed me they were out of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fries. With so few options left, I asked what the seasoned vegetables were and was told only green beans were available. I settled for green beans and ordered Brussels sprouts as an additional side.

My husband ordered the steak, which also came with potatoes—except they were out of those too, so he chose green beans as well. A few minutes later, our server returned to let us know the kitchen was also out of Brussels sprouts, and that they had substituted asparagus instead. Fortunately, we both like asparagus, so we agreed to the change.

When our food arrived, my lamb chops were served over rice, which was surprising since it wasn’t listed as a side option. The lamb chops themselves were delicious—tender, flavorful, and well-seasoned with a nice sauce. Unfortunately, the rest of the plate fell short. The carrots were unseasoned, the green beans were bland, and the rice was slightly undercooked with a crunchy texture.

My husband’s steak, ordered medium-well, came out closer to medium or even medium-rare. He didn’t finish it.

While eating we observed the staff cleaning off tables and resetting them. We found it very unsanitary for them to carry the silverware against their clothing to the table before placing them.

Our total bill was a little over $200. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. We understand the restaurant is new, and we’re hopeful they’ll work out the kinks, but being out of so many basic menu items—and not being told upfront—was frustrating.

Because we believe in giving second chances, we’ll consider visiting again in a few months to see if things...

A Promising Start for Pandora on the Square: A Strong 8/10

My wife works from home and by 5:30. I have dinner on the table for her. But tonight was different. I treated her to date night at Pandora on the Square. Let me tell you what a pleasure to have an upscale restaurant like this so close to home. This place is definitely in my rotation and I look forward to it only getting better. My overall rating would be a strong eight. (Understanding, this is only week one and what is probably considered a soft opening.) Sometimes the more you know about something will increase your expectations, which tends to heightened disappointments. Here’s what I mean, I researched what kind of cuisine would be served at Pandora? Gullah and the Gullah experience. I was expecting to step away from the norm to experience cuisine with the blends of African, Caribbean, and Southern influences and flavors. Dishes like Okra, rice and black-eyed peas, Gumbo, red rice, and stews. I had the lamb chops. They were very tender and cooked very well. I finished all three and was very tempted to pick up the bones and do a number on them, but I was wearing a suit so I decided not a good look. So I was pleased, but I wanted Gullah lamb chops. A lot of thought was put into the interior of this restaurant the decor, the ambience, and the atmosphere were top-notch. The restaurant was full and you could hear everyone talking, but you couldn’t hear everyone talking. The music was soft and in no way overwhelming. I look forward to the next couple of months when everything comes together and the little things start to gel. The service timing, the plating (my mashed potatoes and lamb chops centered the plate, causing the tasty squash to spill over the side), and a missing steak knife are small details that, once refined, will elevate the experience. There is no doubt in my mind I will be back. Thank you Pandora...

We arrived for our reservation for my husband's birthday and were seated at a very small round table near the bar. We asked the hostess for a real table and since the manager/owner heard us she advised it would be a few minutes since she did have patrons leaving. It's obvious the wait staff does not have much experience but they were friendly. We ordered the prawn appetizer and it arrived cold. The waitress returned with a new dish she stated she saw come off the stove and it wasn't much warmer. The shrimp was not deveined which I think is ridiculous for the cost and the cornbread was cold as if it was just taken out the refrigerator- the prawns did have a good taste though. The tomahawk we requested medium well was more medium or medium rare but was delicious. I believe they forgot to season the green beans (not pictured because they came out later) but the serving size is right, the mashed potatoes were great, the Brussel Sprouts were good, and the Old Fashions were well worth the price. We were not offered dessert which we may have ordered so I cannot speak on the options. We also saw a few people with crab legs which we were told came with the pasta that was not on the menu. The waitress couldn't tell me much about it but said I could order it, I was more concerned with what other dishes they had which were also not on the menu which I felt was minimal. It's great to see a black owned upscale restaurant in the area and I think it could be much better in the future (you can tell they're trying) but I don't believe I'd return; we've had much better for...