04/26/09

Sick from Oysters

by ginny318

I tried this restaurant for the $5 Oyster special and got sick from this place. The location is great, but they are not keeping this place clean. The bathroom was dirty and the patio was not clean. Servers could also use more training. I have a rule to never return to places that made me sick so I will not return. I'll go to Six Feet Under the next time I am craving Oysters. Be careful if you order food.

• Pros: Great Location with Comp Valet behind restaurant
• Cons: Poor Service, Dirty Restaurant

01/02/09

Cheap beer and oysters and chill spot!

by evilmagicmarker

Fontaine was a bar that my boyfriend and I stumbled upon on one of our "let's just get out of the house" escapades. I admit, it was a nice find. Both my boyfriend and I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. He had the chicken fingers and I had the raw oysters, which were so fresh and briny. I was so surprised because you just can't get fresh seafood in Atlanta without paying out the a** for it. And the best part is that it was only $5 bucks, which is the special every Tuesday after 5 pm! $4 Heinekens, fresh seafood, and chill atmosphere? You can't beat that.

However, I didn't care too much for the service. The hostess was incredibly sweet and inviting but the bartender was very nonchalant. So long as service isn't rude, overly intent, and incompetent, so long as he gets my order right and on time with no sass, then I'm good. Other than that, this is the spot for seafood lovers and people who just wanna chill.

• Pros: Freash seafood with great specials!
• Cons: Mixed medicore to excellent service.

01/01/09

Great Oyster Rockerfellers!!

by azianbrat

Went there for a pre-Christmas dinner and even though the service was a bit slow the food more than made up for it. I highley recommend the oyster rockerfeller. Perfect amount of cheese and fresh spinach on plump oysters. And the lobster bisque was full of lobster. Will definitely be coming back for more.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: parking

12/02/08

Expected great food, but what about the service?

by funspot

My girlfriend and I visited Fontaines last Saturday and were treated to the usual great food and drink. While not regulars at Fontaines we have noticed a lowering of the service levels. We would like to congratulate the young lady working at the bar as she was the bright spot, always smiling and outgoing trying her best to make our (and other customers) enjoy our time at the restaurant. This was not true of any of the other staff on duty who seemed to be going out of their way to be illusive and neither of us can remember any of them raising a smile. We would suggest the staff model themselves on the young lady behind the bar who we presume was the manager. Good food needs to be accompanied by good service. 3 stars for the food, and one additional star for the bar tender.

• Pros: Great food, best oysters in town, great bar tender
• Cons: unhelpful staff

09/08/08

This place rocks

by mld365

The oysters are incredible plus they have a cool scene. I love the happy hour and late night specials! Not to mention at lunch, you can really get in and out.

• Pros: patio seating, food, crowd
• Cons: None

06/30/08

Raw Bar

by grgagrl

The food is very good, but the bar is frequently crowded. The fresh oysters are excellent, the fried seafood PoBoys are not as good as other places. The margaritas are horrible, they use very cheap mix.

01/05/08

great laid-back bar

by bgorham

This was a great recent find for me. It has a cozy pub feel and I can only imagine how fantastic the back patio is in the warmer months. The service staff was very helpful and attentive. The menu is fairly standard, but the food itself is far from it. I highly recommend the freshly made spinach dip appetizer, and I do mean FRESH. Also, the grilled chicken sandwich reminded me of backyard summer cook-outs - perfect! If you are looking for a completely unpretentious locale, this is it.

• Pros: parking in back and no valet before 5pm!

08/17/07

Service & Seafood With A Smile!!!

by atlbabe

We LOVE Fontaine's and dine there often due to the outstanding and attentive service and tasty food. The food doesn't disappoint, including various cajun dishes and specials throughout the week. They've even added the famous "steamhouse bisque" to the Fontaine's menu. The atmosphere is unique; you can count on fun quotes posted throughout the restaurant to brighten your week. The staff adds to the neighborhood atmosphere and overall charm. The last time we were there, our waitress was efficient, friendly, and personable. She never stopped smiling -- even when my husband teased her about her baseball hat and watch. As a frequent guest, I whole-heartedly recommend you visit Fontaine's often. I'll see you there.

• Pros: Great service, delicious food, excellent location
• Cons: Gets crowded due to populatiry

08/06/07

Grumpy bartender, great atmosphere

by sweepea

If you go (and I don't recommend it), don't sit at the bar. My friend and I went on a Sunday afternoon after laying by a pool all day and wanted a refreshing cocktail before heading home for the evening. The bartender was as rude as could be, hated being at work that day, acted like she was hungover or stoned or both. She didn't want to wait on us, obviously, and only wanted to speak to people that worked there. Couldn't recommend a refreshing cocktail, didn't bother with fruit, and was just out and out ugly. I'd been there before and had bad service, but considered it a fluke. I love the way the bar looks, and if you like Katrina oysters, then this is the place for you. Oh yeah, some fool "mother" had their child sitting with them at the bar with about a dozen smokers around. Nice! I only eat cold water oysters, and they don't have many of those. Used to like Fontaine's, but not any more! Stay away from the bar at all costs.

• Pros: Great neighborhood location
• Cons: Crappy, surly service from the Sunday bartender

06/30/07

Horrible service overshadows good food

by unc_annie

After hearing rave reviews for months, we finally decided to check it out. Unfortunately, we left bitter and disatisfied with no desire to visit again.

The food was very good but completely overshadowed by the rude, obnoxious service. From the moment we were seated, our waitress clearly had no interest in serving us: she chucked our coasters at the table and stalked off without so much as a greeting. Later our drinks ran out repeatedly and when she did finally come back to fill them she acted like she was doing us a huge favor. She split our check incorrectly (after simple, explicit instructions) and then yelled at us about it. Then when we politely pointed out an error on the bill, she proceded to argue with us loudly and angrily. Finally she snatched the bill from my hand and stomped away lke a petulent child. I have had neglectful or disinterested servers before, but I've honestly never had one so aggressive and angry. Before leaving, we spoke to a manager about to the service. She (insincerely) thanked us for telling her, but was disinterested and unapologic.

There are lots of great bars and restaurants in the Highlands. We don't have to subject ourselves to this sort of treatment in order to get good food. I'll never go back and I'll never recommend it to friends.

• Pros: Good food
• Cons: horrible service, music so loud you have to shout to be heard