Tierra

02/16/09

Fantastic Latin bistro, one of Atlanta's hidden gems...

by abcgroup

We went there on Valentines Day (2 days ago) and the restaurant was packed (which heightens the liability for your food to get messed up in my opinion). The atmosphere was nicely lit, the color of the room is amazing and I learned they have a back patio too. We were greeted immediately and we surveyed the plates in the room as everything looked fantastic. The food we ordered: Caesar salad w/Manchego--the strength was the cheese. The Casar we okay but nothing great, needed more dressing. Roasted Chicken breast

in Oaxacan black mole served with onion quesadilla and grilled zucchini--this dish was amazing. The mole was complemented by the quesadilla and the zucchini was firm, not too watery, and served as a solid way to clean your pallet. Grilled filet--Free range beef tenderloin over gordita with Mayan green sauce and cheese--this dish was the kicker for me. I don't normally order filets as I think they can be quite boring. I was compelled by the green sauce and gordita. I was incredibly happy with my meal. My meat was cooked perfectly, the Mayan sauce (a nice salsa verde) blended well with my meat and the gordita--which I felt held the dish together. Both dishes were plated perfectly, the presentation couldn't get much better. We had bottle of the Paul Hobbs 'Cocodrilo" Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (all the wines are very reasonably priced) which blended well with our meal. Dessert was the fig pie, another great accent to the night. Hands down, Tierra is a new favorite..

• Pros: Great service, food & wine.
• Cons: none

07/11/08

Good, but not great

by spiffsteph

I'm split on Tierra, everything I got was mediocre at best. we had mussels for an appetizer, I got the beef tenderloin for the entree and the flan for desert. The mussels were cooked very well, but were in a very mild broth that made the fishy taste very apparent. The beef tenderloin was smothered in seasonings that completely overpowered the taste of the meat. The dish was not bad by any means, just overpowering and not what I expected. The flan was so bad that I could barely choke it down. It tasted like I was eating coffee beans plain. My boyfriend ordered the pionono to start which was absolutely delectable. He got the scallops for his entree which were easily the best scallops I've had in a very long time, intense flavor and cooked to perfection. For desert, he ordered Tres leches cake which was also great. I'd love to give Tierra a higher rating, but considering our experience, I feel like it's too hit-or-miss to be much above average. The restaurant itself was nice and made for a romantic setting, however, we were seated extremely close to other tables and could clearly hear our neighbors' conversation, it made me feel self conscious the whole time, as I felt like I was talking too loudly.

A side note- though I wouldn't say this affected my experience at all, there was a woman, who I now believe may be the owner, that sort of lurked around the restaurant, and since it is a small space, it almost felt a little intrusive. She seemed to keep a very close eye on the tables, though she never actually served anyone.

Overall, it was a nice place, and even though I got a few disappointing menu items, the rest of the food was good enough to pick up the slack.

• Pros: Good food, good service, good wine list
• Cons: Bad food, sitting uncomfortably close to other

06/08/08

Best Latin Food

by tomk42

Tierra is my favorite restaurant. They have a small menu, but it changes frequently. The steamed kale and the calabaza (squash) are incredible side dishes. The restaurant is small and can be crowded, but is not unpleasant.

03/01/08

Most Controversial Colesaw In Midtown

by InezVelasco

I am the world's foremost authority on cole slaw. As such, I feel that it is my duty to protest the wildly inappropriate use of pineapple in coleslaw. Who do these people think they are? First, pineapple in slaw; then what's next? Anarchy in the streets? Public displays of affection? You people and your coleslaw get a room!

Sincerely,

Inez Velasco

02/04/08

Cuban & Latin American at it's finest

by david0123

Seriously good food, and convenient to Piedmont Park and the Botanical Garden. Best tres' leches cake in ATL. Be sure to go on Wednesday, when wine by the bottle is half-price.

• Pros: good ambience, owner looks after you
• Cons: very limited parking, limited seating

08/29/07

Best Mussels in Town! Tres Leches for Dessert is a Must!!

by eatingoutpc

We recently had dinner on a Wednesday, when bottles of wine normally less than $50 are half price. Great deal for a very nice wine list. Started off with two appetizers - the mussels were delicious in a tasty broth, and the bread basket was the perfect for dipping in the broth. The crab frittata was a very generous portion, loaded with seafood on a crispy tostada-type round. For dinner, we had the seared tuna, which was cooked perfectly, i.e., medium rare, and the pork tenderloin with a tropical relish. It was moist and delicious, and was served with creamy chipotle mashed potatoes. For dinner, we had to try the Tres Leches, which I understand they are famous for. I can see why! Though not ordinarily a fan of desserts, I would eat this dessert at any given opportunity - breakfast, lunch or dinner! Our server, Jennifer, was excellent. Always there just when we needed her, but never hovering or intruding. And she really knew the menu and gave us good descriptiions and recommendation for our food and wine selections. Both of the owners stopped by our table to check on us and were very friendly. We will DEFINITELY be back!

• Pros: Great food; Great service; Plenty of parking; Reasonable prices
• Cons: Tables are close together so it can get a little cramped, and it can get a bit loud.

07/30/07

Hawkish eye of the host/owner

by cheryl_atlanta

After reading other reviews, I realized that we were not alone on the attitude of the owner/host. We were a party of four, the first couple arriving, with a reservation. Early on a Friday (definitely PRE-rush). Although we sat and waited for our friends at our table for over 5 minutes, no one came for a drink order. Then when our friends did arrive, we waited again. We actually had to go and ask someone to take our drink order. We realize now that we asked the owner/host, who treated my boyfriend like he had asked him for something out of ordinary.

I hope the staff doesn't feel like the dinner guests feel--under the evil eye of the owner throughout the entire evening. I felt like I was doing something wrong...just being there.

It's a shame because the food was good, but it's amazing how attitude and ambiance can add bitter to my taste buds.

If you're representing Brazilian food, you need to add caiprinhas to the drink menus.

11/07/06

One of the Best Restaurants in Atlanta

by bjp2592

Tierra is the place that I take people when the visit from out of town. The food is simply amazing. Everything I've ever had at Tierra has been wonderful. The wine list is also fantastic. It's a small restaurant so make a reservation.

• Pros: Great food and wine
• Cons: none

07/26/06

Great recommendations!

by jde2

Our waiter was amazing, great service and even better food! The host was welcoming and accomodating. You can't go wrong with half off bottles of wine either! Thanks

• Pros: Service, Dessert
• Cons: Small, Can be loud

06/15/06

How Rude!

by jenjeff

My husband and I did not know that this is a resturant that if you are not a regular you get terrible treatment from the owner/host! We had to wait for everything and our poor overworked waitress tried but she did not have enough help. I would never waste my time and money on such a rude resturant with such a limited menu! There are too many resturants to even think of going here. The owner needs a class in manners!

• Pros: Good wine
• Cons: Bad service, limited menu, load