Mary Mac's Tea Room

Free parking always starts things off nicely, but Southern comfort food like Mama makes it (and lots of butter, naturally) seals the deal at this long-standing establishment. Avoid lunch rush if possible. more

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. more

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. more

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! more

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? \r \r 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. \r \r 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??? \r \r 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. \r \r 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. \r \r 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 more

Anything that is southern, fried and fatty is DELICIOUS. Especially here at Mary Mac's... where we all had... more

Anything that is southern, fried and fatty is DELICIOUS. Especially here at Mary Mac's... where we all had some fried chicken, mac and cheese, coll... more

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.\r \r 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. more

Went to Mary Mac's when relatives from New York were in town. Thought the southern fare would be a treat for them. We were not disappointed. Our waiter, Lael, was superb. He offered suggestions, and even let us try a side we'd never heard of before. Our table got fried chicken, country fried steak, ribs, turkey with dressing (times two). Everyone loved their meals. The ribs were enough to feed three people! The fried chicken (four pieces to an order) was good, but really not as good as my dad makes. The turkey and dressing were awesome. The atmosphere is very sophisticated while quiet even with a full house. That was a real relief, since we were visiting with our relatives. Also, we didn't feel rushed to eat and go as so many places make you feel. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in Atlanta and will be going back again soon. Go hungry, because they feed you like real southern folks would. You won't be disappointed. And, again, the ribs were the best I've ever had in my life. Meaty, moist, saucy, and a huge serving. I ate it for three days--yes, I love ribs. :) Pros: everything: service, food, price, location Cons: none. everything was absolutely perfect more

I have traveled throughout the state and country and I have NEVER experienced the amount of disrespect and poor customer service I witnessed at Mary Mac's. I personally went to Mary Mac's on previous occasion and my experience was very well during those times, so when my family and friends came into town I suggested Mary Mac's. I must say I am thoroughly disappointed and ashamed with the service we received. Our waitress (Sylvia) was the most rude and unprofessional person I have ever encountered! We waited an hour and a half before our food came; we received no refills on drinks, while other customers who arrived after us received their food and drinks before us. It was apparent that she did not want to serve our party and instead of being professional she chose get very hostile, talk back and get loud with several of my family members. I have never witnessed nothing like it in my life!! As much as I would like to hope this type of treatment was not a racial issue, I am sad to report that in this case it was evident that it WAS! The manager was called and complaints were made and instead of managing his employee while she continued to be disrespectful he chose to send all the African American staff to continue waiting on our party, which was a further insult. The food was NOT good and it was rushed to appease us. The food was not hot and it lacked seasoning. I thought we had come so far in learning to accept all. A word of advice to Sylvia and the rest of the Mary Mac's staff, who agrees with the way we were treated, please be careful on how you treat and talk to people...#1 It's the right thing to do and #2 You have no idea who was sitting at that table and when you might cross paths again. I am truly disgusted and I will not be going back!!!!! Cons: Service more

After receiving my glass, my friends and I noticed lipstick on the rim. I was not wearing lipstick. The training manager, Terry, made the Shirley Temple. Terry gave the drink to the manager, Brandon Haywood, to serve to me. I actually drank from this glass. As I was drinking out of the glass, I saw the lipstick. The thought alone almost made me vom!t. I reported the incident to the manager who did not seem to care. He stated that they try to wash the glasses and get them clean, but sometimes this happen. I could not believe it. I told him that this was unacceptable. ""I apologized to you, what else do you want me to do"", he asked. I was shocked. He did absolutely nothing. I never ?I mean never want to visit this restaurant again. If you choose to visit, please ask them to use paper plates, forks, and cups. The reporter that did the story on the dirty glasses in the hotel should do a story on restaurants or just Mary Mac?s. more

The food still comes out in great quantity, but it didn't seem all that fresh. The baked macaroni and cheese was swimming in grease, my fried chicken breast was dry and unseasoned, as were the fried crawfish tails. Isn't it basic to add salt? It has been several years since we've been, and Mary Mac's just doesn't seem that great anymore. Dirty/sticky table, one of our dining companions had a dirty water glass and dirty fork. Our hostess was also very unenthusiastic, although we had a nice server. This isn't the southern gem it once was. Pros: Large portions, good service. Cons: Food was poorly seasoned, dirty silverwear/glassware, dry fried chicken. more

If you like southern cooking, this is the grand dame! It might be getting a bit tired around the edges, but there is nowhere like in and it is a great throwback to real southern restaraunts. 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"". The Sweet Tea is the way it's meant to be south of the Mason-Dixon and the fried green tomatoes are just right!\r We love it with all it's warts and all - like your favorite aunt who is past her prime but still a joy to visit with. Pros: A True Southern Gem more

The sweet tea at this place is delicious. The service was great and the food was good. The only problem was the mac and cheese. The sweet potato soufle was divine! Great place to take kids. Pros: value Cons: mac n cheese more

Wow, Mary Macs will make you forget Mom, Grandma and anyone else that has tried to prepare down home meals, if you have one night in Atlanta and truly want to experience a taste of the South, look no further than Mary Macs. Great food, especially the Fried chicken, Mac n Cheese, homemade breads and the best banana pudding this side of Grandmas house. The service and hospitality is truly Southern and will make your dining experience one not soon to forget, they even employ a Goodwill Ambassador, a sweet little Grandmother that comes around will rub your back......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 Cooking for over 60 years...its a great place and is certain to make you want to return. Thank goodness for Mary Macs Tea Room, if there was ever an Atlantan classic, this is it! Dont Miss IT!!! Pros: Value. best Southern Resturant in Atlanta by far more

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... we were not impressed. The service was a bit slow- it took a while for the waitress to come to our table. What we thought was funny was that the owner came around making conversation and rubbing all the men's backs that were sitting at the tables- very awkward while you're trying to eat. We had to request more bread and rolls- the cornbread was a bit hard and the fried chicken was not well seasoned through the meat. The collards and the sweet potato souflee were pretty good I don't think we'll be back. It was nice to see a bit of history nonetheless. Maybe we had too high expectations going in. more

What a treat to get honest home cooked food. Fried Green Tomatos were great. The fried chicken was to die for. No room for dessert too full. A fun low key casual dinner with a real waitress with a personality to boot. Great back rubs. Can't wait to go back. Pros: Food, Service Cons: Only open til 9 more

If you are visiting, there are plenty of restaurants other than this one to try. Mary Mac?s may be good for lunch if you work in the area or for lunch after church which the Atlanta government insists you attend. The food is not Southern cuisine. It is just basic and uninspiring; the kind of food you?d get at Shoney?s or Barnhill?s. The menu makes the food sound more interesting than it is. What I thought was going to be a delicious beef dish turned out to be just a hamburger patty. The building is old and patched up. The staff was loud and even loudly talking on cell phones. I also could not understand why I and my dinning companion were seated in a room in the back, where the staff proceeded to clean and sweep the floor while we were eating, while other patrons were seated in one of the rooms in the front. Pros: Historical Cons: Food, loud staff more

I had researched the ""best"" place to eat in Atlanta for southern comfort food and felt like Mary Mac's would be a good choice. I was wrong. It didn't live up to all the hype. Service was rushed, and not the southern hospitality I was expecting. My husband got the country fried steak and was disappointed. There were 2 very small pieces served swamped in a half plate of tasteless gravy. He had to put so much salt and pepper to get any flavor that that's all you tasted. His mashed potatoes were just so so. I had the veggy plate, it was ok but nothing to brag about. The Brunswick stew tasted like it was made with BBQ chicken? Not what we were expecting. Had to sit at a tiny table up against a wall, no room to move. I've definitely had better! Will not be a repeat customer. Pros: Street parking, prices were ok Cons: tiny table, rushed service more

There is a reason this place has been called Atlanta's Dining Room. It speaks for it self. Great Service better Atmosphere. Side dishes are worth trying, and don't forgett to end the meal with their delicous Peach cobbler. It's simply the best. Pros: Great food, and service. Cons: Nothing. more