The space is quite large but yet had that cozy cottage feeling. The bar up front is just too large for this type of establishment even though it's nicely stocked with a good selection of liquor and wine. It seems more family oriented than a sports/hangout bar but what do I know. I like this set up in some former life as a bumpkin kinda way. Sat down at the table and everything's dandy so far... 5 minutes passes and not a single soul has stopped by the table. Ok. Finally, our server (who looked kinda like Kevin Rathbun's doppelganger with the manners of a goat) comes by, does his quick pitch and then walks off. This is really freaky. Comes back a few minutes later to take drink and appetizer orders but he decided to walk off once again after only taking the drink orders. Fuck me. Where am I, I can't breathe. I knew then that I needed to order everything at once the next time he breezes by at his earliest convenience or else I'll be here for 4 hours and I didn't want to be stuck out here in Children of the Corn country.
I looked at the menu online before I drove up there but they didn't bother to update it with the most current one. This is a classic move. The old bait and switch... Because everything was priced more than the menu online. I can understand offering a new monthly menu but how long has this place been opened... Two months tops? How the hell can the prices go up already? Nothing is more annoying than being bamboozled. But whatever... If you're that hard up for that extra dollar, I'll pay it just to make you happy and not the other way around... Just cook me some delicious vittles and all is good.
(Mushroom Bisque)One word: Salt. Salt. And more salt. When this hits your tongue, that salt smacks you in your nuts. I don't know if the saltiness got more concentrated as the bisque was reducing down over time on the stove or if whoever made this bisque just doesn't know the difference between a pinch and a punch of salt. Even the two sabertooths at the next table were shocked by how salty it was and made this face like they were being forced to give head again. What a waste of great mushrooms. Just awful.
(Buttermilk Fried Oyster, creole tartar)I heard these things were nothing to write home about but I don't believe it until I have eaten them for myself. Nice medium sized oysters, crispy crust, moist and hot inside... Sounds spot on right? Except for one thing, these oysters had zero taste to them. It didn't have that outta the water briny freshness and they were not seasoned when they came out of the fryer. I have had better with more flavor and they haven't even been shaved in days. This dish looked great but it still baffles me to this day how tasteless they were.
(Rustic Pate, mustard, cornichons, honey comb, griddled bread)What's missing in this picture? Prolly the most interesting thing on this menu... The honey comb. I asked the server if they left it out by mistake... Nope, they were out of it, so they just decided to pass it off without even mentioning a word about it. Who are they trying to fool? I notice everything on a plate. Worse part of it, they didn't even try to substitute it with something else with a sweetness to compliment the pate, that is until I asked about it. The pate was acceptable... It reminded me of SPAM (not that it's a bad thing) except it was a bit on the dry and unseasoned side. The bread was toasted way in advanced that it had basically dried out to bread crumb consistency but yet it still had that just griddled look to it. If you try to cut it in half the entire thing will just shatter into dozens of pieces. The cornichons were great though. The honey comb replacement of tomato jam was better than nothing. The grain mustard needed more kick.
(Farm House Burger, fried egg, bacon)Props to them for allowing the patrons to cook it to temp... Medium rare, pweez. Too bad it came out medium well+ with an ashy gray center. Do I even dare at this point to send it back? Fuck it, I'm so over it. The fried egg was cooked properly with a runny yolk, nice. But the bacon... How does one make bacon taste like nothing? This was one mysterious tasteless bacon. Mebbe the hand cut fwies will fare better... Maybe not. The fries were barely warmed through, limp, unseasoned and starchy in the middle. What happened to the first stage of poaching the fries? You know what, nevermind. What's next...
(Iron Skillet Fried Chicken)Aaaahhh, the pièce de résistance... Looked wonderful and kept separated from the sides (now that's thinking ahead, bravo). Super crispy crust and hot... But it wasn't very juicy inside. After working on this for awhile the crust seemed thicker and thicker and the meat drier and drier. It wasn't a bad fried yardbird, just not a great one as you would expect with a $16 price tag. Everyone would like to think they have the best fried southern bird but then again everybody would like to think that their ugly babies are the cutest babies on earth.
(Real mac & cheese, braised greens)The mac & cheese was pretty tasty, it came out nice and hot reheated in it's own serving vessel. Cute. The braised greens were cooked well but the jus that it was cooked in at the bottom of the bowl was super salty.
(Banana Pudding)Desserts aren't my thing but it's one of the better renditions in this town but after a bite or two, I was over it. I'm sure some people could eat a gallon of this in one sitting. Not too shabby.
Overall, I don't see much of a difference between this place along with the shitload of other new southern restos in this genre with the same ubiquitous menu except that this joint has some consistency issue. The execution needs work. The seasoning on each dish was either overkill or none at all. It's obvious that no one in the kitchen is tasting anything. I've worked in restos like this, where the cooks are pushed too hard to get the food out whether it taste right or way off. It was about turnover. The service was spotty and could be a little more attentive (coulda been just our server that night but that's no excuse on the management's part), making the guest feel like they're a burden is that last thing you want. They have so many servers out front but not a single one of them took it on themselves to pick up a finished plate on the table even when they saw it with empty hands. It was that "it ain't my table" kinda attitude.
This resto has a lot going for it this area, it just needs leadership and someone who has a grasp on running the front of the house as well in the kitchen. One can't do without the other. Would I come back on a regular basis, prolly not, but I may check back here in a year or so.
2 Stars.
800 Whitlock Ave.
Marietta, GA 30064
678-388-8813
www.chickenandtheegg.com
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