Buckhead Diner - Priority Seating

09/09/08

Best Brunch PERIOD

by vcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvc at Citysearch

I just ate at the Buckhead Diner this past Saturday and enjoyed the best brunch in the city. So many of the dishes read so well I had the hardest time deciding what to order. The SauceScottish Smoked Salmon Benedict, Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ?Oscar? With Poached Eggs And Bernaise Sauce, the Shrimp And Georgia Stone Ground Grits With Homemade Sausage I opted for the New England Red Flannel ?Corned Beef & Beet Hash,? Two Poached Eggs And Hollandaise. I have to tell you the food is extrordinary. I have been to the Buckhead Diner countless times over the years and have enjoyed one of the best values in the City. It has long been called the Ritziest Diner in the country and last Sunday just confirmed it. However, I can see this concept going over the lesser savy diner who is looking for a greazy spoon, sorry, the Buckhead Diner is not in the same ballpark!

• Pros: Food, Service and ambiance
• Cons: Small parking lot forces the restaurant to have to use valet

07/28/08

What is the hype REALLY all about?!?!

by MissDavis2003 at Citysearch

In a nutshell, don't waste the gas or the money to dine here.

Went there yesterday, with a couple of friends who had been previously and raved about how nice this place was. Like another poster said, "it's a supposed to be a diner"....what else is to be expected? Well, I can tell you that this is like no other diner I've ever been to. The decor was nice, but the food definitely left something to be desired.

We started out with what I would consider one of the two best parts of the entire meal- the Homemade Potato Chips with Maytag Blue Cheese-absolutely sinful!!! Could've eaten that by itself. As for our meals, my two friends got the Berry-Scented Fried Chicken, which was accompanied with Green Beans & Carrots, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy. I opted for the Fish & Chips....(how bad could you mess THAT up?). Nothing about any of our dishes was what I would consider very good food. This definitely wasn' Mama's Fried Chicken-it looked old and unappetizing. The Fish & Chips-well, I've had better-much better-at Red Lobster, and that is NOT saying much at all. In addition, since dinner was a complete bust, I thought I'd treat myself to some dessert. Saw that they had a Chocolate Layer Cake. Now, if you're thinking like me, I expected a hunk of devil's food cake , slathered with a rich and satisfying chocolate frosting-just like the kind you would see on a box of Duncan Hines. NOT!! As a matter of fact, I think the Duncan Hines BOX ITSELF, would've have been a lot tastier that that chocolate mishap that crossed my table. And they had the nerve to place a dollop of whip cream and ice cream on the side, as if that would help to make the dryness of that cake go down easier. What a waste of time!!

This place is WAY over-hyped for their exorbitant prices. If its a good dining experience you seek, look elsewhere, 'cause this ain't it!!

Oh, the 2nd best parts of the meal yesterday? The free glass of ice water, which I needed to wash down that crappy meal!

• Pros: The Homemade Potato Chips with Blue Cheese, nice decor
• Cons: WHERE DO I BEGIN?? You'll need a pad of paper to write it all down..

06/25/08

Something Left To Be Desired....

by kevvyeats at Citysearch

We arrived and opted not to go for the valet parking. Nice touch, but... it's a diner. The exterior isn't much to look at, stereotypical stainless 1950's diner. Once inside we had a short wait and were then seated. The service was good, not great, and it was a little loud where they seated us. The food was representative of the place in general. It was good, not great and overpriced. Two spring rolls, that tasted like I'd popped them out of the freezer myself were $7. I had an entree salad, small enough that in many other places would pass for a side salad. This is the issue with the Diner. If you want a diner style setting and food there are plenty of places that can give you the look, the feel and the menu you want for a lot less than what you'd spend here. Granted, you won't be valet parked or be waited on by a server in a jacket, but you won't be served an overpriced ham and cheese sandwich either. If fine dining is what you seek, there are many other places you can find that will give you the aesthetic and atmosphere you expect for a slightly higher price. The Buckhead Diner just seems like a mixture of the wrong things. Fine dining in... a diner. I've been there, but see little reason to go back. With some places, the atmosphere, the feel of the place as well as the quality of the food warrants the price. The Diner is not one of these places.

05/29/08

Great food, not-so-great service and management

by writer27 at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I chose to eat here while Buckhead Restaurants was having its $29 prix-fixe three-course menu. While the food was absolutely incredible, the service and the manager were not. My boyfriend grew increasingly annoyed when each course was delivered to us well before we had finished the previous one, making us feel that we were being rushed out of the restaurant (a pet peeve). When the manager came by to inquire if everything was OK, my boyfriend politely told him that. The manager's response was extremely lukewarm. He never apologized. He just said, "Oh, well, I'll talk to them" and walked off without another word. It's too bad the food was so good, because we will not be returning.

• Pros: Great food!
• Cons: Feeling rushed, manager not responsive to customer concerns

05/03/08

Great experience ... will definitely go back!

by Constan1 at Citysearch

I rarely write reviews, althought I certainly refer to them when I am planning to visit a new restaurant/establishment. Based on some of the reviews on this site I decided to take my wife for a nice dinner at the Buckhead Dinner; needless to say that it was such an enjoyable experience and that I had to share it with others.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted warmly at the hoststand and promptly taken to our table. I should mention that I had called earlier on the day to put my name on the call ahead list, and was glad that we didn't have to wait at all.

Our napkins were placed unto our laps by the host and shortly after our server arrived. He was entertaining, knowledgeable, yet professional from the beginning and made some great recommendations. We started out with some drinks, a 1/2 order each of the calamari and the potato chips and both were excellent. The calamari was cooked just right and topped with a nice and tangy chili sauce.

For entrees, we had the Ahi Tuna and a NY strip. Both were prepared just as requested (medium rare) and were also nicely presented. I have to stress that every course was perfectly timed by Brian (our Server) , including desserts and that he regularly checked on us throughout the meal.

It was our first experience with one of the Buckhead Life Group's establishment and it will certainly not be the last based on our recent and enjoyable visit at the Buckhead Dinner.

• Pros: Great service ... and atmosphere.
• Cons: None

03/20/08

hot dogs hamburgers spagetti and meatballs

by youcough at Citysearch

With a simple all american fare like garlic mashed potatoes and calamari makes this a great place to go for snacking or a full meal. I always have a taste for something, and they do a great job with fairly routine stuff. The service is always excellent, and it is never too busy. I really like it as a meeting place, because it is quiet enough to talk and yet busy enough so we do not feel isolated. Anytime I am around buckhead, or east of Piedmont, this is one of my first suggestions for a place to meet. It is like a waffle house, but really up-scale, better food, service, atmosphere, everything. So for a waffle house kind of guy, except I would rather run into people with my kind success, this diner is the place to go.

09/24/07

Great for a FUN and DELICIOUS meal!

by nolefoodie at Citysearch

I've been to the Buckhead Diner now 3 or 4 times, and every trip there I have been met with impeccable personal service. The waiter even greeted me by name the last 2 visits. Our server has always had great suggestions on what to try, depending on our taste. The fried calamari has to be some of the tastiest in the city, served along with this sweet and spicy chili sauce. Of course you can't go wrong with an order of the Blue Cheese Chips served fresh, hot and quickly upon ordering. I finally tried the Veal Meatloaf on my last visit, and it was even better than our server had claimed! If you save any room for dessert I would go with a strawberry milkshake, the perfect Diner treat to wash down a tasty meal.

I think the Buckhead Diner has a really fun and busy atmosphere, perfect for a group date or a great place to bring out of town visitors.

• Pros: Great service and mix of menu items.
• Cons: None!

08/17/07

Comfort food, good desserts

by sttarlite at Citysearch

My husband and I went to the Buckhead Diner for our 2nd anniversary. They do not accept reservations although they have call ahead seating. We went at 6:30 in order to beat the crowds, and there was no wait. The decor reminded me of old train dining cars and was quite neat. Service started out slow; we waited about 10 minutes for our drinks. It got better after the server took our dinner orders. I started out with the tomato soup. It was good, but JCT Kitchen?s is better. The mini corn muffins served with the appetizers were very good. My husband enjoyed his homemade potato chips with blue cheese dressing, one of their signature dishes. I was in the mood for something lighter and got a Cobb Salad for my entree. It was a little bland although the homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing was good. Dessert was the best part. I had a huge vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce sundae. Overall, the food was good but not the best I?ve had at a Buckhead Life Group restaurant or other ?better dining? establishments in the city. Service was adequate after starting out slow. The restaurant got quite noisy as more people came in.

• Pros: Desserts, Valet Parking, Decor
• Cons:  Somewhat slow service, food a little plain

08/07/07

Great food, great service

by mgold1035 at Citysearch

A wonderful experience at Buckhead Diner begins as you pull into the parking lot of the classic looking diner. A favorite of many Atlanta icons since its opening, the Buckhead Diner is a great place to grab a meal, especially if your in the mood to treat yourself. With an extensive menu and great service, I've never been disappointed by my choice to visit the Buckhead Diner. First off, you don't want to miss out on the always popular Homemade Potato Chips, covered in Maytag Blue Cheese. They are absolutely fantastic. Feeling a need to indulge at the DIner, I tend to always gravitate toward Cheeseburger. Piled high and served with a side of fries, the Buckhead Diner gets it right time after time. Finally, if you can manage to save room, I would definitely suggest a taste of the White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie. They say its won lots of awards, and after one bite, you'll know why.With great service, great food and a fun atmosphere, the Buckhead Diner is guaranteed to please. It's even low key enough to enjoy with the kids. As far as I'm concerned, if you're looking for great American food, Buckhead Diner is the place to be.

• Pros: service, ambience and comfort food
• Cons: not saving enough room for dessert

06/07/07

good brunch

by swissmiss2000 at Citysearch

Our waitress was very nice and provided some great recommendations: the shrimp and grits (it may have been a special) were absolutely delicious - even better than ones in established restaurants specializing in Southern cuisine. This upscale diner is also accommodating with young children's needs.

• Pros: friendly service, great brunch, valet parking
• Cons: banana cream pie wasn't too tasty