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Legal Sea Foods - Downtown…
Tips for Legal Sea Foods - Downtown Atlanta
Serious Seafood Salvation!.
KeithKNOWS, been there, Ate there!
My first visit to Legal Seafood was not a pleasant experience, however, I believe in second chances. So on a beautiful Wednesday evening, as I strolled through Wednesday Winddown @ Centennial Park, I was hopeful that my experience would be memorable and pleasant. We were warmly greeted, in fact, customer service was excellent. We decided to sit on the balcony with a magnificent view of Centennial Park and downtown. Legal Seafood is a boston chain that prides itself on superior customer service and the freshest fish on planet earth. (well, I exaggerated, maybe not planet earth, how about Serious Seafood, is that better?) Located in the Hilton Garden Inn, across the street from Centennial Park, Georgia Aquarium, tourist rave about the food non-stop. Legal has an extensive seafood menu, you name it, it’s on the menu. (can’t eat seafood, there’s something for you too) The wine list features recommendations for food and wine pairings, which make it easy to pick a wine that compliments each meal. (I know you are wondering, when did he start drinking, NEVER!!! This is for your information!(LOL). I decided to try the Rainbow Trout, it was tasty, fresh, grilled the way I like it. My dining guest ordered oven roasted herb chicken, and was very pleased. For sides we both grazed on braised collard greens and slammin’ sweet potatoes mash Now after every good meal, let them eat cake, I want my chocolate bon bons filled with delectable strawberry & coffee ice cream. Prices are moderate to expensive, just bring extra cash, in case you want one of those signature drinks or to eat at the Oyster Bar. (LOL) There’s free parking unless you prefer valet, that’s $5. Legal Seafood is worth the trip, the wait or whatever you have to do to get in.
Great and Very fresh Seafood, Amazing Views. Last Friday after work a bunch of us went to Legal Seafood for dinner. I started out with the Crab Bisque with big chunks of fresh crab. It was pure heaven. My girlfriend had raw oysters from the east coast and they were so fresh that we order another dozen before dinner. Our server was excellent, she asked if we had any food allergies and we stated no. The wine list was great. I ordered a crisp white wine and my co-workers ordered cocktails. For dinner we order a New England clam bake which my co-worker could finish. Another co-worker ordered grilled salmon and I had a combo of shrimp, crab cake and scallops. For dessert, I had a sweet wine and they ordered the chocolate cake. The view of Centennial Park was beautiful. This is a great place if you want a romantic evening since we went the Friday before Valentines Day. The couples who were dining where all having a great time. I parked my self and only spent about 2 dollars on parking. We will be back!
Unseasoned Food, Rude Service. We had reservations for this restaurant for the first time this weekend for a friend's birthday. I found the food tasteless, especially their "signature" clam chowder which was more like onion chowder. It had absolutely no flavor, except for the taste of onions. It was brought to the table lukewarm and the lobster Caesar had no taste as well. Our server for our party, which was quite large, was very rude and short with everyone. When taking the orders for water he asked if we wanted sparkling or distilled leading us to believe that those were the only options available so we mistakenly assumed the distilled was complimentary, which it was not. Needless to say we were quite surprised to find several charges for water on the bill. Overall, it was not a pleasant experience for me. While the restaurant is lovely with a very nice view, I doubt that I will be back.
Food not seasoned. My co-workers and I found the food plentiful, but tasteless. I wonder if management ever sample the food? The chowder had no flavor and the batter used on the seafood didn't appear to have any seasonings. Will not be returning.
The worst restaurant experience ever.... you don't serve raw lobster!!!. This was the worst dining experience in my life.The service was lackluster from the start...the seating was tight and cramped. We asked for another table and was denied as it was reserved. I ordered the lobster special, and ask that it be served de-shelled. They said that they could not do it in the kitchen but would do it at the table. When they brought the lobster to the table, they did not make a move to de-shell, so I committed to doing it myself.... broke open the claw... took two bites... and noticed it was RAW!!!!... She finally came back to the table, then ready to de-shell...and as I was proeceeding to tell her it was raw...I threw up the entire meal (the soup and the nice bottle of wine already consumed) right there on the table infront of my 4 other guests! Then headed to the bathroom only to continue spewing up the raw food! Yeah, undercooked lobster is gross. The management of course comp'd my meal, with the exception of the bottle of wine! WTH... I didn't get to enjoy that either...as I had thrown it up. They kept trying to feed me food...and being nice about it but the night was ruined. My other guests were not even offered a complimentary dessert or comp'd any portion of their meal or moved to another table, after I had thrown up in the middle of the meal. We have decided to NEVER eat another Legal Seafood...ever.....and never again dawn the doorstep of the Atlanta operation and plan to advise everyone we know...which is a broader circle than they think, about this horrific experience.
Long wait time, poor service and overcooked food. We recently ate at Legal Seafood on a Sunday afternoon. Reservations had been made days in advance; however, we still had to wait approximately 30 minutes before we were seated. Service was horrible as we sat unattended for another 10 minutes. Finally, I got the attention of a manager who promptly assigned us a server. The oysters on the half shell were very tasty, but they were not on the menu and we had to ask our waiter to find out they were available. I ordered tuna medium rare, but it came out looking gray and overcooked. My wife's stuffed shrimp was decent, something that you would expect from Red Lobster.
De-Licious. As usual, we were out for lunch and decided to give Legal Seafood a try. It was a tiny bit stuffy for an easy going southerner like me, but quite nice and I can handle the upper class act when needed. We were seated immediately and knew we were in for a TREAT when we passed the oyster bar! While the server was a bit too attentive and animated (no names to protect the guilty), she was good entertainment. The food was great. We had a crab cake appetizer - FABULOUS; the fried shrimp lunch - BEST EVER; and the shrimp and grits - good but odd at the same time. Not sure I'd go back to the shrimp & grits, it was just not good enough. But we WILL go back to Legal Seafood! Next trip it's appetizers and desert to share among the girls! Oh, yeah - the view is really nice, too!
Corporate Bostonian seafood giant makes their first Atlanta appearance in downtown's Garden Hilton Inn..
In Short
Ironically located just a few steps away from the Georgia Aquarium, Legal Sea Food is the country club crowd's answer to a good, honest seafood house. With a stunning view of the city skyline, the contemporary dining room is comfortable and purposefully contains low-brow elements like paper place mats and affordable wine by the glass. Fittingly, traditional seafood is where Legal thrives. The crab cake is a monster home run; thick chunks of crab are complimented by an addicting honey-tinged mustard sauce and fresh salad. The New England clam chowder is exactly what you'd expect from a restaurant that hails from Boston and the split-able "wood grilled assortment" includes seasonal fish pairings. While the service is a bit rigid and slightly serious, they are more than willing to guide you through a somewhat complex menu.
Good For Aquarium Tourists!. About twenty years ago, we were visiting friends in Boston, when they insisted we go with them to Legal Sea Foods. And I remember, the food was great for the time. Today, Atlanta is a seafood junkies delight with Aquaknox, Oceanaire, and Atlanta Fish Market, just to name a few. We mentioned to our old friends in Boston, that LSF was coming to Atlanta. They laughed, and said no one in Boston goes there, except the tourists. But we had to go for ourselves. The space is great, overlooking the Aquarium. But honestly, it's just a gussied-up Red Lobster. The service was very stiff, as if, the staff thought no one had ever had fresh seafood before, in a somewhat upscale setting. It's def. good for the Mom "N Pop crowd with kids, when they come to the city ,to visit the Aquarium.
Legal Sea Foods - Downtown…
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