Blue Ridge Grill has been a staple in the Atlanta community for years. The restaurant is designed to resemble a luxury cabin with its stacked-stone fireplace, and timbers rescued from an 1890s cotton mill.
While you won’t find the trendiest decor or haute new cuisine here, what you will find is consistently well-executed dishes, excellent service and well-made cocktails.
To say that Blue Ridge Grill is stuck in the past wouldn’t be fair. We were given iPads with the restaurant’s wine list on them from which to order. I love this swanky new way to order wine, though I still leaned on our waiter for advice on the wine and I was pleased with the Malbec I ended up getting thanks to his recommendation. But you’re missing out if you don’t get one of their delicious cocktails to start your evening.
Two starters caught my attention immediately: the Hot Smoked Salmon and the Lobster and Gnocchi. The salmon tasted like regular salmon, albeit a very nicely prepared piece of salmon. And the Gnocchi was completed with bits of ricotta and enoki mushrooms.
Blue Ridge Grill is a rather large restaurant, with a pretty open floor plan, which could get quite loud. I like that they put special thought into the noise level and have clear dividers between booths which helps keep down the noise. The innocuous dividers do their job while not distracting from the beautiful decor of the dining room.
The special of the evening was a whole red snapper at Blue Ridge Grill. The whole fish is brought out fully cooked and deboned table side. Served with a fennel slaw, it was tasty and a rather healthy dish.
In the past five years or so, I’ve resisted ordering lamb chops at restaurants even though I’m a lamb lover. The problem? Restaurants have gotten stingy with their offering. Three used to be standard and some even went as low as two. I got tired of paying around 30 bucks for not a whole lot of actual meat. At Blue Ridge Grill, there are FOUR chops per entree at Blue Ridge Grill. Cooked medium as I’d specified, the curry emulsion on top was fantastic.
Blue Ridge Grill is the kind of restaurant you can enjoy with your parents. Good cocktails and locally sourced foods for you. Fantastic wine selection, upscale yet comfortable decor plus southern favorites for them.
Not in the mood for a full meal? Relax on the Porch of Blue Ridge Grill. Here you can order drinks, appetizers and dessert. I could see myself enjoying a hot toddy on a cold winter’s evening on this porch. My meal at Blue Ridge Grill was complimentary but the opinions expressed are my own.
Blue Ridge Grill Website
1261 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30327
P 404-233-5030
