In March of this year, The Nook Restaurant opened, after a complete overhaul of the space that once was the Prince of Wales. I chose The Nook as I was taking someone from out of town to eat and wanted to go to a place that was relatively close to Piedmont Park and we would walk around there afterward.

I know that The Nook has not gotten many good reviews for its food, but I wanted to see for myself. We drove around for about 15 minutes for street parking, as the valet parking for The Nook was full. But after not finding any, parking became available in The Nook’s lot on our second loop around. Tip: They deduct the $3 from your bill inside, just show them your voucher.

One of their drink specials is a fish bowl, for 3 or 4 people to share, a reminder of the good old days of Lulu’s Bait Shack). Several of the groups were enjoying this concoction and I was able to snap a picture.

Glen and I were starving and in a mood to eat nothing healthy. We started with the coca cola bbq wings to share and each ordered the burger; one with a side of onion rings and one with a side of bacon mac n cheese. Our companions ordered hummus, a chicken sandwich and the jambalaya.

The wings were excellent. There was some heat and spiciness but it didn’t take away from the sweet tangy bbq sauce in the least. The blue cheese that comes with the wings isn’t even necessary. Everyone enjoyed the hummus as well but they give you like 6 pita triangles when you really need about 20. But our server, whose name I didn’t catch, noticed this and brought out some more.

The burger with smoked gouda cheese was great, and although mine was a little more done than I would have liked, it was still juicy. The picture doesn’t do the burger justice. But the mac ‘n cheese pic is spot on – it was awful just like it looks in the pic. There was no flavor at all to it. I thought the bacon would add a bit of saltiness to it, but nothing could help this bland side dish. So, we put in for another order for onion rings, which were hot and oh so tasty. Surprisingly the side portion you get with your meal is much smaller than if you order a side individually. What gives?

I didn’t taste the chicken sandwich but heard it was pretty good. I did taste the Jambalaya and it was terrific and I kept an eye on this plate and there seemed to be a very generous offering of shrimp and sausage – not all rice like at some restaurants.

Our server was on top of things the whole meal. When we finished our wings, he brought us out a wet napkin with lemon to clean our hands. Not a wetnap in a tear away package, an actual napkin that was soaked in lukewarm water. Nice touch.

The Nook is great for what it is, a comfortable, simple restaurant serving sandwiches, wings and just basic bar food. If you take it for what it is you won’t be disappointed. The perfect meal for 2: Wings, Cheeseburger (order it with a side of onion rings and get an extra side to share).

1144 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-745-9222
Website