Mary Mac's Tea Room

(404) 876-1800

224 Ponce De Leon Ave NE (At Myrtle St, Midtown)
Atlanta, GA 30308 33.7726 -84.3805

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Neighborhoods: Midtown, Northeast, Northeast

MARYMACS.COM

Years in business

Established in 1942

Hours:

Daily 11-9

Price:

$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Check, American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Breakfast, Lunch Spot

Cuisine:

Southern, Meat-And-Three, Traditional American

Smoking Permitted:

No

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Mary Mac's Tea Room

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Long the standard for the sweet tea, meat-and-three crowd, this half-century-old tea room has played host for generations. Lately, the celebrity photos have begun to yellow, and the dining room is a little frayed around the edges. But it's still good for Ponce character sightings and a cheap, hearty meal. – – The Food – The Pot Likker was once known citywide and the fried chicken merited a special trip. Add the full bar, an offbeat West Ponce location, Krispy Kreme nearby as a dessert option, and a local legend was born. Nowadays, food is a bit more…

Editor's Tips

Look Good:
Each table has its own caddie for pencils and order sheets, or "dupes." Write down your order and present it to your server.
What to Drink:
Sip the flavor of the old South with a Mary Mac mint julep. It's not served in the traditional silver cup, but it is served every day.
Know Before You Go:
If it's your first Mary Mac experience, tell your server and get a free sampling of the famous Pot Likker.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “Great service, great food and great atmosphere!”
  2. “My fiancee (now husband) and I were trying to come up with a place to go for our rehearsal dinner - we were having a pretty formal wedding so wanted to find something casual and fun.”
  3. “The atmosphere is comfortable and the service is great.”
dessert
0.0% positive
  1. “No room for dessert too full.”
drinks
90.0% positive
  1. “The sweet tea at this place is delicious.”
  2. “Everything's fantastic; from the sweet yeast rolls to the golden chicken to the delicious sweet tea.”
  3. “And their sweet tea is just perfect.”
  4. “know I will always get the best sweet tea, fried green tomatos, fried chicken, mashed 'taters, and green beans.”
  5. “The servers are a little slow to refill the drinks but besides that a very pleasant dining experience.”
food quality
78.5699987411499% positive
  1. “The food was NOT good and it was rushed to appease us.”
  2. “Me and my husband went to this restaurant after reading several reviews and hearing everyone tell us that the fried chicken is the best in Atlanta.”
  3. “Great service, great food and great atmosphere!”
  4. “The fried chicken (four pieces to an order) was good, but really not as good as my dad makes.”
  5. “s. The menu makes the food sound more interesting than it is.”
  6. “Wonderful southern food at reasonable prices.”
  7. “The food still comes out in great quantity, but it didn't seem all that fresh.”
  8. “Everything's fantastic; from the sweet yeast rolls to the golden chicken to the delicious sweet tea.”
  9. “What I thought was going to be a delicious beef dish turned out to be just a hamburger patty.”
  10. “I'm sorry, but in Texas, when we say homestyle, we mean real food and a friendly smile.”
  11. “Here you can try some of the best classic Southern cuisine around.”
  12. “The sweet potato soufle was divine!”
  13. “everyone is sweet and kind and it shows that you can serve a great meal and provide people a warm welcome, the walls are covered with famous folks and people like you and me that have enjoyed Mary Macs for years, I believe it has been serving Southern Coo”
  14. “The food is spotty, so stick to the tried and true - Grits, Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Okra, Fish, Chicken - in other words "the good stuff”
  15. “Great food, especially the Fried chicken, Mac n Cheese, homemade breads and the best banana pudding this side of Grandmas house.”
  16. “The sweet tea at this place is delicious.”
  17. “know I will always get the best sweet tea, fried green tomatos, fried chicken, mashed 'taters, and green beans.”
  18. “The chicken was really really BAD.”
  19. “The last time we were there, my friend and I (along with ALL other customers), received a pleasant rub on the back to go along with their wonderful comfort food.”
  20. “the food was awful!”
  21. “Affordable fresh homeade food.”
  22. “The collards and the sweet potato souflee were pretty good I don't think we'll be back.”
  23. “Great value for the amount of food too!”
  24. “All of the food is real good and the staff is nice.”
  25. “mean the chicken was dry, the corn bread dressing bland, the cinnamon rolls--I've had better out of a grocery store can.”
  26. “The service was great and the food was good.”
  27. “atlanta in general has the worst food in the country and this restaurant made me come to that conclusion.”
  28. “The baked macaroni and cheese was swimming in grease, my fried chicken breast was dry and unseasoned, as were the fried crawfish tails.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “s. The menu makes the food sound more interesting than it is.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “great place to get some of Mom's cooking.”
  2. “It's a great place to get some hearty southern cooking.”
  3. “great place to bring your out-of-town friends.”
  4. “I've been going to Mary Mac's for probably 15 years and it's always been a great place for some home cookin.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “The collards and the sweet potato souflee were pretty good I don't think we'll be back.”
service
75.0% positive
  1. “everyone is sweet and kind and it shows that you can serve a great meal and provide people a warm welcome, the walls are covered with famous folks and people like you and me that have enjoyed Mary Macs for years, I believe it has been serving Southern Coo”
  2. “The service was great and the food was good.”
  3. “And YET, they had a room full of people, how?”
  4. “the service is extremely friendly.”
  5. “The service was a bit slow- it took a while for the waitress to come to our table.”
  6. “The atmosphere is comfortable and the service is great.”
  7. “THe hospitality was awful and we were not greeted by our waitress for over fifteen minutes.”
  8. “The servers are a little slow to refill the drinks but besides that a very pleasant dining experience.”
  9. “Our hostess was also very unenthusiastic, although we had a nice server.”
  10. “Great service, great food and great atmosphere!”
  11. “Vegetables are marked for vegetarian friendly.”
  12. “I'm sorry, but in Texas, when we say homestyle, we mean real food and a friendly smile.”
  13. “Our waiter, Lael, was superb.”
  14. “All of the food is real good and the staff is nice.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “Great value for the amount of food too!”
  2. “The price is reasonable considering the portions.”
  3. “Meaty, moist, saucy, and a huge serving.”
  4. “Great home-cooking but prices have gotten too high.”
  5. “Wonderful southern food at reasonable prices.”
wait time
12.5% positive
  1. “The service was a bit slow- it took a while for the waitress to come to our table.”
  2. “THe hospitality was awful and we were not greeted by our waitress for over fifteen minutes.”
  3. “btw, the wait is slow.”
  4. “The servers are a little slow to refill the drinks but besides that a very pleasant dining experience.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

10/14/11

I wasn't a fan

by Jessicaparker125611

I was told they had some great food and I was told wrong. I had collards and I could taste dirt in them. I couldn't enjoy anything else on my plate after eating the dirty collars. I was very dissatisfied with the service and the food and I will not visit this place ever again.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/07/11

Cliffs' Notes Review

by M and M Maltese

The Cliffs' Notes: Great authentic Southern food in an authentic classical Southern restaurant. One of the required eateries to become a local Atlantan.

TIPS: Park behind the Tearoom; it's not fast food so don't go if you are on a schedule; engage the waitstaff on suggestions as most have worked at MMTR for years and are devoted to customer experiences.

I ORDERED: Hoppin John (first time since I left home in rural GA), Chicken & Dumplings, Fried Green Tomatoes w/ ranch, Pot Licker (for true Southerners only), some sides dishes I can't remember.

PRICE/VALUE: The prices are a little higher than Po Folks and Cracker Barrel because the food is more authentic and tastier. The staff is devoted to the restaurant's image and seem to enjoy their unique environment.

PROS: Great historical place with accompanying atmosphere (Google its history in order to fully appreciate your meal). A wide variety including hard to find Ol' South vitals to more popular regional dishes. The wait staff is hospitable and engaging. A great experience for out of town guest and it may even surprise seasoned Atlantans/Southerners. Real Sweet tea (not sugar water, not tea with artificial sweetener, but great tea which has a strong "tea" taste with a great balance of sugar).

CONS: Don't even think about splitting a meal or sharing without paying. Don't arrive the hour before they close as the wait staff as a lot of task to complete before going home and you will not receive their best service. DON"T TAKE YOU KIDS (under 12) HERE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY OR YOU ARE LOUD! When the loyal customers complain, the staff/management will make them happy.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/06/10

great food

by duetto

My family when o mary mac's and we were not dissapointed! First the rolls,the pot lickers soup, and did I mention the cinnamin rolls... all were great. My children were so filled that they did not want dessert. Great food good price and great service all at a fair price. I will reccommend his place to all, but come hungry!

1 Star Rating: Poor

06/12/10

Don't call this Southern food

by otphere

This place must be living off it's former glory and heyday from the 40's and 50's. Wonder if it has switched owners and how many times?

I'm from the deep south and I've never had "SOUTHERN FOOD" like this before. Please don't think this is the way southern people eat. I was with an extremely large group as part of a cultural exchange. I was humiliated and consistently apologized so that people didn't think southerners really eat this way. I didn't pick this place and never would.

I mean the chicken was dry, the corn bread dressing bland, the cinnamon rolls--I've had better out of a grocery store can. The mashed potatoes looked runny and instant, I didn't even bother, then they bring out more fried food-green tomatoes fried and then more starchy food. What happened to hearty vegetables? Does everything need to be FRIED???

And then a peach cobbler that was fattening as all daylights, but halfway decent. And YET, they had a room full of people, how? I don't know. No wonder the U.S. if full of colon, ulcer, stomach digestive problems.

Next time I want more traditional southern food I'll go to COLONNADE RESTAURANT ON CHESHIRE BRIDGE ROAD or just save a few bucks and go to Kentucky Fried Chicken.

One person said the dinner rolls were good. That was the only compliment I heard throughout the meal.

  • Pros: It's a convenient in town banquet hall, but not worth it
  • Cons: Greasy, dry, starchy, fattening, bland, boring, not good
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/18/08

A Fantastic Southern Experience

by fourthirtysix

For years I had driven by Mary Mac's Tea Room and never gone in and after all those years, I could kick myself for missing out on sucha fantastic experience. Not only is the food top-notch and affordable, but the atmospohere inside is worth the trip alone.

Everyone I know has had a similar experience, driving by but never going in, and I am telling them all that this place is superb in every way. The 3 dessert choices offered would alone make it worth the trip.

The Details on Mary Mac's Tea Room

Place Categories:

  • great place
  • great service
  • great homeade food
  • love mary macs
  • best fried chicken
  • not like mac n cheese
  • delicious sweet tea
  • fantastic experience
  • best ribs
  • great southern dining
  • flavorful collards
  • worst meal
  • comfortable atmosphere
  • dry chicken
  • nice server
  • nice staff
  • unseasoned fried chicken breast
  • favorite legendary restaurant
  • like ol southern cooking
  • reasonable price
  • great fried green tomatos
  • pretty good sweet potato souflee
  • great throwback
  • worst food
  • too full room

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