Oak Street Cafe, Roswell GA

The Oak Street Cafe is an “in” thing for a group of Roswell foodies, to the point they claim for it “Best Burger in Town” honors. On top of that, a coworker of mine loves the place. I can’t visit him without him asking me to try it. So I did.

To get there, head north on Roswell Road, and start watching street signs after you pass Spiced Right. At the corner with the Krispy Kreme, turn right. Oak Street Cafe will be a block or so down on your right, at the first strip mall you see on your right.

Oak Steet Cafe is pretty inside, lots of wood, plenty of space between tables. The service is counter style. You go to a counter, make the order and sit. No number cards, they remember where you sit. Staff are in black Ts and jeans, a good look. Clientele were, for this lunch, largely female and largely well dressed.

The burger was fine, made well, and I can see where the claims of best burger come from. The product quality puts it there. But it was grey meat with a hint of pink when I ordered a medium rare, and that loses a point on a five point scale for me. If I could get more consistent doneness, then yes, I’d be happy to reconsider.

I’m told by my friend that there are large crowds for Oak Street’s brunch, that lines can extend outside of the eatery. It’s a small eatery, less than 20 tables, perhaps, and I can easily see a line forming here.

Recommended, especially suitable for a mixed sex casual lunch.

Oak Street Cafe
45 Oak Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 594-1300

 

Grand Champion BBQ, Roswell GA

It’s in a Publix shopping center, after a considerable drive from highway 400. My path? Take Holcombe Bridge to Warsaw Road. That road becomes Norcross Street. Turn left at Alpharetta Street. Stay on this road. It will become Marietta Street, then Pine Grove Road, and then eventually Shallowford. After a long period of passing subdivisions, a Publix sign will appear on your right. Turn in there.

Sampler platter

The sign almost doesn’t exist, just a red “BBQ” near a S shaped zigzag in the strip mall. Inside, however, is very neat and clean, and encouraging is that their card says they travel with their competition gear. And once the food arrives, and you get a smell of it, you know you’re in for a treat.

Ribs? Excellent, both smoky and tender. The pulled pork had a bark, smoke ring, and smoky flavor. Brisket? Smoke ring, tender, smoky flavor. Everything was smoked, everything was good. Even the chicken was clearly smoky and delicious.

Upshot? This is BBQ on the same class and caliber as Fox, Heirloom, and Big Shanty. Yeah, the sauces aren’t stellar – the mustard sauce has the better flavor, in my opinion, but runs a little thin – but these meats don’t need sauce. The two sides I tried were good. I liked the sour notes in the greens I had.

An hour after I ate, the smell of the smoke was still on my hands.

Highly recommended. This is a primo BBQ eatery.

Grand Champion BBQ
4401 Shallowford Road
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 587-4227

 

Lucky’s Burger and Brew, Roswell GA

Lucky’s is on the left as you’re heading north up Alpharetta Street, relatively easy to see and with plenty of parking. It is named after the owner’s dog, and it has been noted in other reviews that dogs can eat here if they sit outside on the patio.

But the biggest reason to head here is a well priced burger made to order. That’s what we had when we dropped by, and that’s exactly what this place can deliver. Want a medium rare burger? You’ll get one here.

Inside, the dog theme continues with photos of Lucky pretty much everywhere. The look inside is functional, not beautiful, but clearly clean and neat. Staff are friendly and efficient.

Lucky’s Burger and Brew
1144 Alpharetta Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 518-5695

 

The Roswell Tap, Roswell GA

The Roswell Tap is a pretty restaurant, a virtue not easy to emphasize enough. There is a huge oak tree in front of the restaurant and outdoor seating in front of the oak. The house in which the Tap lives has plenty of glass, and the light through the glass makes for a wonderfully visual experience.

The food is pretty good too. They have a house salad with added bits such as pine nuts,kalamata olives, and hearts of palm. Their Pittsburgh Club sandwich has a layer of meat, a layer of peppered slaw, and then a layer of french fries. The bread is a soft white with a hard crunchy crust. Their mussels are flavorful and earthy; no heavy creams are there to drown out the flavor of the seafood.

I want to thank Northside Food for reviewing this restaurant, and without that review  I wouldn’t have tried this place. For those near Roswell, this is a bar well worth considering on your regular rotation.

One last point: the pale green house isn’t the easiest thing to see as you drive north on Alpharetta Street. Once you see the longish yellow strip mall to the left, look to the right for the house. You probably won’t see the “Tap” sign until it’s too late.

The Roswell Tap
1090 Alpharetta Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(678) 294-3620

 

Inc Street Food, Roswell GA

Inc Street Food is an exceptionally pretty restaurant, and one based on a theme. What looks like a side of a food truck is actually the portal to the kitchen, and otherwise, the restaurant features a carefully crafted look, suggesting plenty of age. The look, and the very pleasant staff helps gets customers in the mood.

Something about it reminds me of Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. I can’t tell you entirely why.  Perhaps it’s that the half car look of the kitchen reminds me of the bustle of the converted rail station. But the look for me is transporting.

steak, fish, and pork tacos.

I wish I could say the food were as wonderful as the atmosphere, but it’s merely good. There was a bit too much sauce for my  taste, and my  tacos all had oily inner tortillas. I pulled those out and threw them away; not as if I need extra carbs anyway. But really, this is a place to see and be seen. The food just has to be good enough and it is. If I were after the best and freshest tacos, I’d be prowling taquerias rather than this place. I suspect its best use is as an after hours respite. In that spirit, you could show up around 7 pm, kick back a few drinks, and eat enough food so that you could drive home.

To note, it’s a small place and seating is pretty close. You’ll end up hearing the conversations of the people around you. It’s just part of the flavor.

Inc Street Food
948 Canton Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 998-3114

 

Mc Alisters Deli, Lawrenceville and more

I ran into Mc Alisters the same day I visited the Waysider in Tuscaloosa. I was hungry, tired and the signs near Jackson MS were appealing. So we pulled off the road, took a look inside, and were generally impressed.

Deal is, you go inside and order. They have a large selection of sandwiches, some soups of the day, plenty of large filling salads. You pick up a number and sit.  As you wait, staff will refill drinks, make sure everything is okay. The spacing of tables is roomy. It’s a good place for, say, a mom weighed down with a few kids and needing some help getting them all calm and fed.

At the time I got the impression Mc Alisters was a small regional Mississippi chain. The food was good, not mind blowing, but good. There was a smart, interesting menu; things like gumbo and muffulettas were available, pointing out how close Mississippi was to New Orleans. Another sandwich, the Memphian, pointed out that Tennessee and Memphis was a neighbor as well. They served other southern favorites, such as iced tea. For those who didn’t like the stock sandwiches, they had a “build your own” option. I was thinking it’d be cool if they expanded into Atlanta.

Turns  out that Mc Alisters is much larger than my original guess. They’re in 22 states, and there is a location in Lawrenceville. One of the things I was planning to do before being snowed in  this January was find the Lawrenceville location, and try it out.

The menu, as currently posted in Georgia, is much reduced compared to the menu in Mississippi. I ordered a sandwich for myself and then a couple sandwiches for my family. I spoke with a member of the Lawrenceville staff (Tyler I believe) for a few minutes, asking the questions that were on my mind.

To note, the menu in Georgia is about to change. Things available in Mississippi can be had in Georgia. For now you have to ask for them. The one meat item they didn’t have is pastrami, and  that meant the New Yorker was off the menu here in Atlanta. But having the muffuletta available is huge for me. I’m a big fan of muffuletta sandwiches.

The Lawrenceville location is off Old Peachtree Road, and it’s just a minute or two north of Discover Mills. For those of us near Snellville, considering Mc Alisters when we make a jaunt up Sugarloaf towards 85 and Discover Mills simply makes sense.

Mc Alister’s Deli
1030 Old Peachtree Road
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
(678) 407-0818

From the corner of Brown Road and Sugarloaf Parkway, next to Discover Mills, take Brown Road north. Mc Alister’s will then appear on your left, as you approach the intersection of Brown Road and Old Peachtree. It’s in the strip mall that has a Publix.

Mc Alister’s Deli
200 Riverwind Drive
Pearl, MS 39208
(601) 933-0476

There are two other locations in the Atlanta area:

Mc Alister’s Deli
1425 Market Blvd
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 594-3220

Mc Alister’s Deli
2950 George Busbee Parkway
Kennesaw, GA 30144
(770) 499-1581

This last location has an interesting review by John Bickford.

 

The Pie Hole, Roswell GA

The Pie Hole is Alayne Graham’s homage to one of the oldest and most treasured desserts, the pie. The shop is small, neat, and pretty, but clearly the work of a single individual. The day we arrived she was replacing her freezer. She had managed to outgrow her old one.

The offerings are seasonal, based on what Alayne can get. What you as a customer can get are marked on a blackboard. To my untrained eyes, the costs seem entirely reasonable for a hand made product. To note, many of the pies are simply huge, especially Pie Hole’s apple. My wife was openly comparing this restaurant with Houston’s House of Pies, which we both love.

I wasn’t able to eat anything, so comments on taste are based on second hand experience. My wife had a slice of the cherry pie, liked it immensely, and called the cherries ‘humongous’. My daughter had a slice of the mango key lime pie, which she liked. The conversation went something like this:

“I just had the mango pie. It was good.”

“Pretty good, good, or really good?”

“It was good.”

In any event, the Pie Hole is away from the street in a small building, up in the part of Canton Street that are remodeled homes. It’s perhaps 1-2 blocks north of Ceviche, on the right hand side as you’re heading north. A small waist high sign is the only thing you see as you’re traveling along the road.

Verdict: As good as its reputation, the Pie Hole is a must-stop-by in my book. Very Highly Recommended.

The Pie Hole
1025 Canton Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(678) 461-3776

 

Relish, Roswell GA

Relish is the sister restaurant to Fickle Pickle, and is found in Roswell at the corner of Mimosa Boulevard and Marietta Highway. Unfortunately, that’s not where Urbanspoon (via Google Maps) locates it, so it took two tries to actually find the place. You can get to the parking lot a couple different ways. The simplest is to turn onto Marietta Highway and turn right just beyond the building that houses Relish.

The outside is good looking, with plenty of windows and shades, and a lot of stone used in the construction of the building. Inside, this kind of cool classicism is maintained. Staff are dressed in black and are largely good looking and efficient. Napkins are large, black, made of cloth. Silverware is heavy and feels good in the hand.

Relish has a menu oriented towards modern interpretations of Southern classics, and as such has a lot of starches (grits, corn breads, peas, beans), a lot of fried foods, and is relatively unafraid of butter and sugars. That said, there is quite a bit  for a carb conscious dieter to eat here. It’s not the easiest place to eat on a diet though, and I missed not having someone to eat with here. I toyed with the idea of getting their hummus and their cornbread or their spicy pecans but decided against it. I ended up with their pickled green tomatoes and a trout salad.

Pickles are my friend these days, considered a freebie on my diet. So I ate them with some gusto after a nibble or two, savoring the mildness of the tomato and the tart of the vinegar. The salad was peppered with spicy pecans, so I did get to try these. I set most of these aside and ate what I could. There was some apple in the salad and plenty of trout. There was some dressing on the salad, though if the dressing had a component other than oil, it wasn’t very noticeable.

The pecans were good, but were dusted with a powder that had some sweet to it. I’d guess brown sugar, but wasn’t entirely certain. They had a very mild spiciness that would become noticeable after you ate a few. The greens were tender and welcome, the serving size pretty large. The trout was also good, and I have to admit having pangs about the time the meal was over. It would have been better with a partner, who could have ordered cornbread and hummus. Then I could have had some of the carbier side of Relish, without feeling compelled to eat more than would be good for me.

Verdict: Well respected Southern eatery in Roswell. Graceful and with very good food. Highly recommended.

Relish
590 Mimosa Boulevard
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 650-7877

 

Greenwoods, Roswell GA

Greenwoods, a restaurant founded by Bill Greenwood and located on Green Street in Roswell, has an over twenty year history of seating customers and satisfying appetites. Like so many other restaurants in the historic district of Roswell, this one is carved out of a house, brick walls and wooden sides the dominant elements as you approach. The grounds are quirky. A black truck frame sits on one side, and figuring out where the entrance lies presents a bit of a problem. I followed sidewalks and opened the first door I found. Luckily it was the right door.

Staff and patrons were friendly this lunch time, the patrons telling me this was going to be some of the best food I’d ever eaten. In the various rooms, tables were a dark brown, the color scheme was a white and dark orange, and paintings could be found on the walls. Greenwoods is well known for its chicken dish, but I have a serious weakness for duck, and was pretty sure before I came that I was going to try their duck with plum sauce, and that’s in fact what I ordered. It comes with two sides, and I asked that the plum sauce be placed on the side.

I was told it would take 20 minutes to prepare my duck, and in advance they left a good cornbread on the table. It seemed shorter than 20 minutes to me, as the duck arrived quickly. It was a good looking bird, with a pretty skin and dusted with cracked peppercorn. It tasted fantastic. The duck skin was crisp. The peppercorns were a nice touch, adding heat and flavor to the skin. I could have the duck with the spice of pepper, or pour on the plum sauce and add the sweet and fruit flavors the plum sauce provided.

The collards surprised me. They were a little dry and they were tart. I liked the change, thought the collards were well worth eating. The black eyed peas were decent but not outstanding. Serving size was really large. There was enough food here to feed me for two meals, not one. The cost overall was comparable to a mid priced steak house, but given the generous portions, a group could eat rather cheaply here by sharing entrées.

Left to right: plum sauce, black eyed peas, collard greens.

My overall impression is that Bill Greenwood’s restaurant deserves its reputation. The duck was excellent, the service was good, and the patrons largely enthusiastic about this icon in Roswell.

Verdict: Excellent traditional eatery in the heart of Roswell. A great duck. Highly recommended.

Greenwoods
1087 Green Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 992-5383

Notes: Lindsey Z’s Adventurous Tastes and the blog “..and the eggs” have interesting, useful reviews of Greenwoods.

 

Fickle Pickle, Roswell GA

The Fickle Pickle Cafe is found in a gray wood frame house on Canton Street, and as you’re traveling north on Canton Street it’s on the right. Like many other restaurants in along Canton, it’s easy to miss, and the parking is a little haphazard. There is overflow parking on the left hand side of the road, near the Founder’s Hall.

When you enter, you are greeted with a man sized green pickle, and the routine is, once you enter, to find the counter, make an order, are given a number, and then find yourself a seat. I’m pretty sure the Pickle staff is doing this because of the popularity of the eatery. They were scrambling for space when I arrived. And in the room I was finally seated, almost all the other customers were female.

Fried pickles came first. The order in the photograph is just a half order and is almost a meal in itself. They were quite good. Soon after the rest of my order arrived, the daily special, a pork loin sandwich, and a bowl of chicken tortilla soup.

The sandwich was warm, and the toasted ciabatta bread had a pleasing amount of crunch to it. The loin was sliced thin, and at times had a bit of a bacony air. The sandwich itself also had some cheese, melting as I ate, which added rich creamy flavor to the sandwich. The caramelized onions were genuinely brown and caramelized. Overall, I liked the sandwich quite a bit. The soup was good, but the “extras” in it: the chicken, the tortilla strips, the avocado, all seemed superfluous to the soup base. At the core it was a spicier tomato based soup, and was good in itself. The soup didn’t really need any of the other “stuff”.

Inside, in the area I was sitting, the color scheme was white and cream and the walls were covered everywhere with art for sale.

I enjoyed this restaurant. I enjoyed the food, the atmosphere. It was a bit like a traditional southern tea house during lunch. In the evenings they start offering entrées such as shrimp and grits and fried catfish.  And the grounds are nice, if you like green and trees, outdoor seating and a look from a time when Roswell was a separate town, instead of part of a vast metro area.

Verdict: Fine sandwich shop at lunch, offers Southern foods at dinner. Highly recommended.

Fickle Pickle
1085 Canton Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 650-9838