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Dogwood Restaurant - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Southern Southern [Edit]
565 Peachtree StAtlanta, GA 30308
Neighborhood: Downtown
(404) 835-1410
- Nearest Transit:
-
North Avenue
Civic Center
- Parking:
- Garage, Valet
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Gunn V. said: "I and my friends went there for a brunch during the weekend. We ordered nasty royale and gordon breakfast. It was very delicious. The only complaint is that the portion is a bit too big (if you can call this a complaint). I ate about…" read more »
94 reviews for Dogwood Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Be sure to take a flight of grits from the grits bar."
(in 19 reviews)
"...the buttermilk fried "Springer Mountain" chicken breast..."
(in 6 reviews)
"...bread pudding with peanut butter ice cream and blueberrie..."
(in 6 reviews)
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94 reviews in English
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Review from Christopher E.
Decatur, GA
4/1/2011
Okay to be perfectly honest I had no desire to go to Dogwood. The menu is brief and I tend to be picky. Nevertheless this was the place of another Birthday meal - this time dinner.
From the host staff to the elegance of the restaurant I was immediately pleased.
The butter was whipped - plus number one. The salad was fancy and good if small. The Fish special was DE LISH. I mean it was just wonderful. The service was perfect. I can hardly wait to bring my parents here the next time they are in town. I am cheap and this place is a little more upscale pricey than my typical price point but it was definitely worth it.
Best Birthday Meal yet. Thanks Casey! -
Review from Leah D.
Atlanta, GA
9/6/2011
From the moment you walk in through the door, the vibe of Dogwood is nonchalant sleek. We knew that this would not be the type of night to order two bottles of wine and talk about boys at a high volume, as if we were the the Sex and the City girls, Atlanta edition. Tonight, we were going to be fancy. The four of us arrived having our hearts set on the dish that we had heard and read about, the fried chicken. Being raised on true southern food may have created a biased opinion, but Dogwood has sophisticated southern comfort cuisine that would impress everyone from the inexperienced to the refined palette.
It became very clear that our server highly underestimated our love of grits as the four of us savagely cleaned the grits flight and debated ordering a second. The flight consisted of grits prepared and presented three ways. Pimento cheese, pulled pork and a beer battered fish all served over creamy grits in separate small dishes. I personally apologize for the photo that was taken after a few bites. We like grits.
Our "supper" of fried chicken was served with macaroni and cheese and collard greens. The chicken was moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. Collards have never been a love of mine but these collards were perfectly salted and flavorful. The macaroni and cheese was creamy and rich. Each girl at the table took a bite and agreed that this delicious. Since we were seated near the kitchen, the expediter made sure to ask how our meal was and I think we were all surprised that it wasn't as expensive as we thought it tasted.
Dessert and cappuccinos were ordered and the chocolate molten cake with ice cream just melted in our mouths. During dessert we remind ourselves that we are breaking every diet that we promised we wouldn't break next time. The serving sizes were more European than American. -
Review from Pat R.
Updated - 2/27/2011
Another excellent meal at Dogwood. We started in the bar with classic cocktails: a Manhattan for me, a vodka martini for my wife, and a gin martini for my brother. Other than the Manhattan being shaken (a big no-no), the drinks were good.
Dinner started with the grits flight for me and my better half. How somebody can transform something as simple as grits into a culinary delight is beyond me, but it works. The trio this night were pimento cheese, fried fish, and pulled pork with chow-chow. Unbelievably good. Entrees were fried buttermilk chicken with mac and cheese and collard greens (the chicken was still sizzling hot at the table); braised short ribs with polenta (really tender beef), and flat iron steak with blue cheese grits and fennel (perfectly seared steak and loads of flavor in the grits).
Every time I eat here, I'm amazed how much flavor they can pack into a single plate. One of the best meals in Atlanta.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/12/2010
Fantastic experience from the minute we walked in the door! We parked with the valet on Linden,… Read more »
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Review from Chris V.
Baton Rouge, LA
4/1/2011
Dogwood, to put it succinctly, is just spectacular!
This restaurant is incredibly upscale and unique, and I was impressed with it from the moment I walked in. The staff is very professional and attentive here, with our waiter staying on top of absolutely everything.
The food is outstanding! We had the Grits Flight for an appetizer, which is a must-get for everyone. I had the striped bass, which was a phenomenal dish! I was totally impressed with my meal here.
Needless to say, I will return next time I am in Atlanta! Kudos, Dogwood! -
Review from Larry C.
4/3/2011
What a wonderful restaurant!!! Room was delightful, and service/attitude was professional, thought cold and curt. Food was divine---that's the main draw.
Good selections of wine by the glass ($9-12). We shared the grits flight starter ($10), which was fish, pork, and cheese---all good.
Mains were fish of the day (redfish with champagne sauce--out of this world!!) @ $32 and pheasant breast (flavorfull but too dry) @$28. Bread pudding @ $7 to finish was not too sweet, and not like New Orleans style---could have been a little moister or soaked more.
All in all a most pleasant experience, and we will look forward to returning. -
Review from Brian D. F.
Atlanta, GA
3/17/2011
Fabulous restaurant, plain and simply.
The food is fantastic. My first experience with Dogwood was my partners birthday dinner about 3 years ago, and since then I have probably eaten there 5 or 6 times. The atmosphere is lovely, classy and comfortable. The wait staff are very professional and attentive.
One of my favorite appetizers is the grits buffet, its hard to describe, but simply delectable. I call their food...Southern fusion (maybe that's what they call it too). I mean, southern food is either good or horrible, there is not much in between, but Dogwood puts such a pleasant and elegant spin on traditional dishes...plus they add a very nice splash of flair.
I highly recommend Dogwood before an evening of theatre at the Fox or for any special occasion, or just for a nice romantic dinner. -
Review from Jerry C.
11/17/2010
Impeccable service at every point . Dogwood is cool, sophisticated, and does things with an understated panache.
The valet service was convenient and friendly. We were professionally greeted at the door. Our server was most helpful, representing the house well expressing informative exuberance over every item on which we had questions.
For starters, I had the apple bacon fritters. Annie had Wagyu carpaccio which was better than the fritters but the fritters were pretty good. The carpaccio was sliced "vapor thin" with a nice drizzle and capers. Everything worked well with this dish especially the mustard sauce.
The duck breast has good taste. However it was a little chewy and not crispy at all. The "forbidden rice grits" added an unwelcome earthiness to the plate. The butternut squash mouse, however, was excellent and we wish there had been more.
Ah but the pork chop was possibly the best I have ever had. Perfectly grilled to a nice medium rare, it had great taste and consistency. The sweetness from the pomegranate molasses gave a nice bright flavor to the meat without over sweetening.
Next time we will order from the grits bar.
Although a few things on the plates did not work for us, you have to appreciate the creativity that goes into everything they do at Dogwood. Overall, a great experience! -
Review from Ryan V.
Atlanta, GA
12/24/2010
Great service, great food, period. We were looking for something close, new, and good on the day before Christmas Eve, and OpenTable led us to Dogwood. I mean, grit bar - what could go wrong?
Nothing, that's the answer. There were a lot of moments that, in other fine dining establishments, would have made us feel awkward as guests. Showing up in jeans when we didn't realize we'd be the only ones there like that? No problem. Entering the restaurant through the back-door elevator that took us past the storage locker? Greeted heartily at the door by a waitress who asked us kindly to "follow her to the host station." We were coat-checked, seated, and enjoying our experience immediately.
The waiter was polite and helpful but not pushy. He led us to a terrific mouthful of wine that we never would have selected on our own (but wasn't more than we indicated we wanted to pay) and matched our food selections. He explained the somewhat opaque grit situation, and we were blown away by the flavors infused in those little bowls of pulverized hominy.
The mains were equally impressive. I love me a braised short rib, but this one was in another league - beautiful presentation under a cheesy, fresh cube of brussels sprouts, and just the tender morsel of beefy goodness that it should be. Part of me wondered if the parmesan overwhelmed the beef a bit, but the totality of the dish was terrific. My companions had the pork tenderloin and the steak, and both were outstanding - the braised fennel that came with the steak was particularly good.
The only pedestrian thing here was the bread pudding for dessert - not bad, just not in keeping with the stellar nature of the rest of the meal. No complaints here, though -- I'm a Dogwood fan, for sure. -
Review from Veronica S.
Fremont, CA
1/24/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Delicious - definitely a new American fine dining restaurant concept with Southern influences. I wouldn't classify Dogwood as only "Southern" since most of the dishes have their own unique touch added.
The grits are nice and creamy but each have their own topping. The trio of tastings is good if you want to try all three but I think the one with fried fish is worth skipping and the one with bbq pork was the most flavorful ($4 per grits or $10 for the 3).
The entrees are all solid and have outstanding, flavorful sides. The pork "porterhouse" came with mashed yams and collard greens...delicious! Entree dishes range between $20-$30 with the exception of the NY Steak at $38.
Great for a date spot, small group dinner, or business meal. -
Review from Rachel P.
1/15/2011
This place is fancy, with outstanding service (really, I think the best service I've ever had), and fantastic food.
We got a reservation, though on a Thursday night we didn't really need one. We started with the pimento cheese grits. These were unquestionably the best grits I've ever had. They were smooth, creamy, and with a wonderful tang from the cheese.
I then got the butter lettuce salad with buttermilk dressing, truffle cheese, and chives. It was delicious. I love truffle cheese. My boyfriend got the apple bacon fritters, which were amazing and unique. Such a delightful combination of flavors!
For dinner, I got the fried chicken with green beans and mac and cheese. I will be honest here: I usually don't care for fried chicken. But, if fried chicken were always like this, I would absolutely love it. The sides were excellent too. My boyfriend got the fish of the day (striped bass). He liked it a lot but I thought it was just pretty good.
Basically, this restaurant was rather wonderful. I absolutely loved it. -
Review from Roshanda P.
Ellenwood, GA
8/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
Didn't really know what to expect from this place.. I think I showed up right when the place opened so they we still setting up so I was little bombed about that because I had to a wait a lil while...
But one interesting thing was the grit bar, I didn't think that was something that I would care for, but boy was it good, I had the sampler of all three and I have to say that the pimento cheese was the best the running up has to be the vodka tomato sauce..
For Dinner I just had to try the fried chicken collard green and mac & cheese, I dont think my mother could have made that dish any better then that..
The wine selection on the wine was a plus for me always, and they have there on special brew of drinks that they make in house..
So once again this is a really nice spot for a date ! -
Review from Joey L.
West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
9/29/2010
More of a 4.5, but since I don't have that option, I'll go with the 4 (mostly because of some minor issues).
Wow, nice restaurant. Great food, even better service.
The first thing I noticed upon entering was being greeted like an old-time guest. I was in town for a trade show and just looked like crap after being at the booth setting-up. T-shirt, jeans and flip-flops, and they didn't even blink twice.
I wouldn't recommend it, mind you, but wow didn't even give me a side eye. The restaurant is WAY too nice to be going there like I did.
Second thing I noticed? The acoustics and sound in there were amazing. You could actually have a conversation with the people at your table without shouting. You could hear the murmurs from the other tables and even the background music, but it didn't interfere at all with your own conversation with your dinner party. Amazing, no?
Thirdly? The grits bar. Now, I must have been a red-neck or Southern gal or SOMETHING in a former life where I love, LOVE grits. And the grits bar sampler? YUM.
Dogwood had some amazing food. Though, I do have to say my fried chicken was a little on the dry side and the "crisp" part of it got soggy because of plating. The mac-n-cheese was a little too thick and cheesy for my taste, but the collard greens totally made up for it.
Definitely on my list to recommend to others and to visit again when I'm in Atlanta. -
Review from Brian J.
Atlanta, GA
7/11/2010
A good friend had gone to Dogwood several times in the past and told me how good the food was. I decided to go this weekend to treat another friend to dinner for her post-birthday celebration. I have to say that Dogwood was one of the best restaurants I've eaten at for dinner this year.
The food was really delicious. We both ordered summer inspired cocktails. I had the Strawberry-Ginger cocktail which had a nice ginger kick to it. My friend had the Melon Citrus martini which she liked.
We started off with a salad that we both shared. It was made with Baby arugula salad, Champagne vinaigrette and pickled strawberries. I loved the balance between the tart dressing and the sweet strawberries. We also devoured two baskets of Bread with our dinner. I really loved the butter spread that it was served with.
For my main course I ordered the Charred Berkshire pork tender loin, Georgia gouda grits, butter beans with bordelaise sauce. Everything was seasoned to perfection including the butter beans. The Pork tender loin was charred on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. It was as if I was eating a grilled steak. I loved it. My friend ordered the Bacon wrapped Halibut with lady pea & corn succotash, with crawfish-tomato butter. It was really tasty. The bacon definitely added flavor to that dish.
For dessert we shared the Chocolate Truffle cup cake with ice cream and caramel sauce. The Chocolate was dark and rich. I asked the server what kind of chocolate was used. She told us that they used melted Ghirardelli chocolate inside the cake. It was delicious.
Everything about Dogwood was five star including the service, decor, food and drinks. I definitely recommend this restaurant. Since it is located a block or two down from the Fox Theatre, it would be a perfect place to go to dinner before a show. -
Review from Genevieve B.
Atlanta, GA
7/11/2011
Food delicious and ambience outstanding. New menu launched about 2 weeks ago- just excellent. If you are a duck, pork or steak lover you will be thrilled- they get most of the meat directly from top farms- free range and organic- wow-all if us could taste the quality difference. It was shocking how much better this quality was compared to even good whole foods quality. If you ever saw food Inc.- you will appreciate how they source their food. But most importantly our group of four adored the cuisine. It's a not to be missed meal!
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Review from Kathleen M.
Atlanta, GA
3/14/2009
Around 5pm today, a feeling of death hit me like a ton of bricks. I had a severe headache, was feverish, and would have waves of nausea take over me whenever I moved too fast, drank water, or did much of anything. As awful as this feeling was, I was more upset at the low likelihood of enjoying myself at Dogwood, as we had reservations for my mom's birthday.
Due to the deplorable parking situation at my building, the famdamily luckily scrapped the drinks at my place and we headed to Dogwood about 30 minutes prior to our reservation time, figuring we'd just chill at the bar. Again, the nastiness I was feeling didn't make me too enthused about much of anything beyond coming home, getting in jammies, and watching Felicity, but I had to pretend like I was having fun. Luckily we were able to get seated immediately and I tried to sip water to keep myself from likely being the first person to get sick in Dogwood's bathroom.
I was most upset as the menu looked incredible. I've never had such a hard time deciding what to eat, and I've never been so crestfallen that I had absolutely zero appetite. Everyone else at the table was having similar issues, as all of the options looked so dang good. I settled on the trio of soups and the arugula/proscuitto salad.
The soups were each phenomenal. My favorite was the special soup of the evening: a caramelized sweet onion; perfectly creamy and flavorful, it's certainly something I am going to crave. The tomato bisque was just as delightful, quite tangy, and the goat cheese ball served in the middle was the perfect complement. While I wasn't as wild about the mussel corn chowder, it could have been that the slight fishiness of the dish just didn't mesh well with how i was feeling at that time. The pimento cheese grits I sampled could best be described as all of the goodness of the South in one little bowl.
As the soup settled, I began to feel miraculously better. One wouldn't expect cream-based soups to fix pangs of nausea, but I realized I was no longer calculating the time to get to the bathroom from the table or slyly putting cold water on my neck to try to stop the headache.
The arugula salad arrived and it too was perfection. Crisp bundles of arugula wrapped in thinly slices prosciutto, served atop a crunchy french bread and caramelized onions. Heaven on a plate, and medicine for my soul. After polishing off the dish, I daresay I was running at 90%, and kind of wishing I had gotten an entree. Not because I was hungry, just because everyone's food looked SO good. I certainly felt well enough to order dessert, and the table sampled both the chocolate molten cake and a blackberry dish. The flavor of the cake was good, although it was far too dry. The dulce de leche ice cream that accompanied was fantastic, as was the sour cream ice cream that came with the blackberry dish. I loved the blackberry: perfectly tart berries served with a flaky biscuit and super creamy ice cream. Refreshing and not cloyingly sweet.
Service throughout the night was on point: never rushed us or hovered but was always there when we needed him. Once I finished my mint green tea, I felt alive once again.
I'm pretty sure the food here is magic, and I can't wait to see how great I feel trying it out again when I'm feeling fully up to snuff at the beginning of the meal.Listed in: Southern Eats, in the South., Thanks, Dad!, Peachtree., Grits.
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Review from Joel C.
10/20/2008 ROTD 3/27/2009
This song is dedicated to: David G, Sheena S, Pam L, Max S, Douglas O, Kit F, Melissa L, Katie W, Joel D
To Boyce Avenue version of Omarion's "Ice Box"
*** Sing Along - http://www.youtube.com...
"Grits Bar"
Tweetin and Yelpin, we back it again.
Lets go out, to Dogwood; for good food with great friends.
Have the hungries, stomach growling.
This Restaurant serves the food I used to know.
Boy, I really wanna try this out, lets do prix fixin
Start with the tomato bisque and I'll take the cheesecake too!
I said I really wanna try this out, want the fried chickin
It's no excuse, no excuse
I got this grits bar where my heart use to be
I got this grits bar where my heart use to be
It's so good, it's so good, it's so good,
it's so good, it's so good, it's so good -
Review from Lauren S.
8/7/2009
When Mies van der Rohe said "God is in the details," it's clear Dogwood took note. Accordingly, when my dad noted on his reservation that we would be celebrating my 26th birthday, we were greeted at the door with "well who's birthday is it? Congratulations!" and seated at a table lightly sprinkled with some Happy Birthday confetti. Nice touch - these are the things that make special dinners memorable.
The excellent service was probably the highlight of my meal - the wonderful recommendations, the service that was always available but never hovering, and the birthday candle adorned desert. Who doesn't love a free birthday desert?
My food was excellent - we started with a sampling of the pimento cheese and the fried green tomato grits. I preferred the pimento cheese over the fried green tomato - the blood orange hollandaise on the tomato grits sort of gave them an odd flavor. We all agreed to get different entrees so we could sample - I went with the Springer Mountain fried chicken & baked mac & cheese, others had the flat iron steak, the potato crusted halibut, and the trout. Everyone enjoyed their dishes and cleaned their plates, but I have to say the big show stopper was my sister's flat iron steak. We all mmmm'ed and oooo'ed over the extremely tender cut of meat and the lobster & garlic fingerling potatoes.
My favorite part was desert, they served me a warm chocolate cake with peanut butter ice cream. The rest of my family shared the special desert of the day, blueberry peach cobbler with fresh vanilla bean ice cream. Since both plates were cleaned I'm sure you can figure out that we enjoyed them.
My only issues? No sweet tea. I do like the idea of them giving you some simple syrup to make it your desired sweetness but any good "Southern" restaurant ought to have sweet tea as a regularly available option. I would also prefer cornbread in the basket over the bread we were given, or at least a mix. And the music, like others mentioned, is not so good. Bad elevator tunes. Just my two cents.
I can see Dogwood becoming five stars for me over time, but nothing in this town gets my five star vote without several outstanding experiences.
But I must say thank you to Dogwood for making my 26th birthday dinner with my family special and memorable. -
Review from Kristine M.
Portland, OR
Updated - 12/9/2008 ROTD 9/18/2009
Dogwood is becoming my go-to spot when I'm too lazy to cook, which is more often than I like to admit. They took my burger and fries off the dinner menu, so I was forced to branch out. Tonight I tried the cauliflower soup and the prosciutto & arugula salad. The former was ahhhhhh-some. It had brandied apples in it, and was just really great. The latter was interesting. Perhaps because it came with caramelized onions, and I am not an onion fan. Not what I imagined in a salad, but how can you go wrong with arugula, prosciutto, and goat cheese?
I love going to Dogwood because the bartenders Doc & Sterling totally take care of me. Sterling is great about getting me to try new wines, other than chenin blanc. He's a good teacher about wines, and isn't patronizing. Doc is great, and the guy for mixed drinks. Tonight I asked for a bartender's choice girly drink, and got an amazing concoction from Doc consisting of Absolut Pears and a mystery ingredient which turned out to be rosemary simple syrup. Unfortunately I failed to ask its name. But I got to be the first to be served it. Yum.Listed in: A Gold Star for me!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/9/2008
I went to an event for the people who live in the building, and ended up staying for dinner. One… Read more »
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Review from Naoya W.
Atlanta, GA
10/28/2008
It's the day of my birthday celebration, and I already know what's going down for the night. I know I need to eat before the festivities begin, so I ask Shelli to see if it would be ok to check out Dogwood. After all the reviews I have read, I had to try it. What better time?
Walking in, it's a nice space. I love the kitchen in plain view. The decor is fairly nice, but I'm not here for that... I'm ready to get serious on some "drunk preventative" food. Here goes:
Grits w/ Lobster: I am not a huge lobster fan, so I let Shelli eat that part. She said it was very tasty. The grits were wonderful. Nice texture... Well prepared.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi: Quite nice. The "dumplings", as Blais would call them, were unlike any gnocchi I have had before. The toasted pecans were a nice touch. Very fall/warm/cozy app.
Tomato Bisque with Fried Goat Cheese: This was one I had to try. Quite punchy flavor, and the fried goat cheese was an awesome addition. So rich... Love it!
Fried Chicken with Braised Greens and Mac & Cheese: Chicken, awesome. Greens, awesome. Mac and Cheese, not-so-awesome. The chicken was super crunchy and moist beyond belief. The greens were quite tasty as well. The mac & cheese however fell short. Dry... Dried cheese on top. No crunchy crust... I am pretty certain that anyone who eats this won't be a fan. I even think that "Wada-Ya-Want?" can make a better one than this, though I haven't eaten there in a while. :P
I will say however that the service there was quite good. The manager even remembered Shelli's name on the way out. "Good night Mrs. Crouse. Good night Mr. Crouse." Well he almost had that right. Haha! -
Review from Alayne H.
10/7/2008
Went to the Dogwood late on a Monday night and decided to sit at the bar rather than in the dining room and "Doc" took good care of us.
I ordered the buttermilk fried "Springer Mountain" chicken breast, baked mac and cheese and braised greens. The breading on the chicken was seasoned perfectly and light enough that it didn't take away from the taste of the deliciously moist breast; the mac and cheese was cheesy and rich; the braised greens were cooked with bacon and were really flavorful - wish I could make my greens taste as good!
I look forward to trying some of their other menu items and I will be ordering the pan fried bread pudding, for sure next time, without any guilt! -
Review from Deanna J.
Atlanta, GA
9/2/2008 2 photos
So, one of the bartenders, Doc, that I had met at another restaurant totally called me out for taking pictures for my Yelp review! At least it was a decent photo!
I was on the search for somewhere to take family visiting from out of town, and lo and behold- recalled that it was Midtown Restaurant Week! Dogwood's menu looked appealing & I thought it would have a vibe the 'rents would enjoy (read: not extremely loud).
As other reviewers mentioned, the space is lovely - very calm. Decorated in a lot of creams and dark woods, the kind of place you don't want to spill a glass of red wine. Just as their vibe is contemporary Southern, I'd describe the decor as contemporary classic. Plush seats, round tables that are great for a party of six, too. Decor is simple, with some black & white photos of, what else but dogwoods, and artwork.
Our waitress was friendly and professional, and service is what you want at a place like this - timely but not too fast.
The absolute favorite of mine? The grits bar! As a starter (and in true Southern fashion) you can get grits with one of three toppings. . . and these grits topped the charts on my "Top Grits" chart!
Glad to hear they are open for lunch - this for sure has 'business lunch' written all over it! A lovely space, and literally it was impossible to tell that they had been open for just shy of a month, as the experience/service was flawless.Listed in: Atlanta Southern Food!, Acceptable Atlanta places to…
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Review from Michael E.
Atlanta, GA
2/4/2009
I went here for dinner with a group of friends to celebrate my honey's birthday and I was very impressed!
First, the space is amazing. It's definitely hi-end/upscale, but it still felt comfortable and approachable. You could wear jeans here for dinner, but they can't be off-the-rack - designer only. Otherwise, proper attire is required.
We dined in the PDR, so I can't speak to the energy of the main dining room, although it was buzzing with it as we walked through. A nice mix of yuppies (do people still use that term?), richie Richs, gray hairs and business folk. Our gay posse just added to the already eclectic mix.
We started with, of course, the grits. I had the butter-poached lobster topping on mine and it was sublime - absolutely heavenly and lives up to the hype. Next time I plan to try the ham and pimento cheese.
For my main, I ordered the grilled NY strip rare, natch. It was cooked perfectly and was nestled on a bed of Thomasville tomme cheese whipped potatoes. Honestly, if I could pick only one food to eat for the rest of my life it would be potatoes. I friggin' love them and when they're prepared like this, well, I'm a goner.
I nibbled a corner of my boyfriend's fried chicken, a signature dish. It, too, was very tasty, but I prefer a big fat breast (words I never thought I'd utter). This chicken is pounded flat which is just something I'm not used to. It does not affect the flavor one bit, though - I plan to order it next time.
Dessert was Jake's sour cream ice cream - wonderful and light. The perfect ending to the meal.
Service was outstanding. Ask for Ron - you won't be sorry.
All in all, a wonderful dining experience and I look forward to the next visit. -
Review from Todd P.
10/19/2009
My friend was visiting from Seattle and I wanted to take him somewhere upscale but with a Southern influence. Dogwood...bingo!
We split an order from their Grits bar to start -- pimento cheese with bacon grits. Amazing! In addition, we wanted to try their seared pork belly appetizer with pickled collards and hot mustard sauce. The chunks of pork belly were skewered and dressed with the pickles and a dollop of mustard on the side of the plate. I always feel guilty eating pork belly because it's basically pure fat. But damn, that fat is like buttah! Yum.
My friend ordered the arugula salad which comes with Marcona almonds. He has a nut allergy, so he asked the server to leave them out if possible. I told her that this was a very sad affair because I love those little buggers. Low and behold, when she brought out the apps and salad, she handed me a small plate with a half dozen or so almonds on it, saying "I figured you'd enjoy your friend's almonds." Cha-ching! Ring one up for fantastic service.
For my entree, buttermilk fried Springer Mountain chicken breast with mac & cheese and braised collards. Can't get more Southern than that. The chicken breast was thinly sliced, nicely breaded and fried up crisp. I wasn't crazy about the collards (I'm from Idaho, what can I say?) -- they were of course on the bitter side and tasted quite smoky from the bacon. The mac & cheese was tasty as well, more of a dry preparation rather than a gooey, dripping-with-cheese style.
Dogwood was a hit with me (my first time) and with my out-of-town guest. Thanks for showing us good food and Southern hospitality!Listed in: Wallet Busters
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Review from Addy C.
6/28/2009
Sometimes I wonder if Anthony Bordain was right when he said Tuesdays are the best night to eat out b/c the chef is well-rested after a Monday off, and the food is fresh. We came on a Thursday.
We loved the ambience but the food turned out to be rather disappointing. I was in the same party of 6 as Soomy S, and while I'd say my food overall was "just ok" (loved the soup though) - her food was not even that.
As for me, I got one of the last two "$25 Bloom Plate Specials" which includes any choice of soup or salad, the daily special entree, & any dessert. I started with the "Sweet Corn Bisque" which I enjoyed - it was creamy, sweet, smooth, and liked how the smoked bacon bits made for a perfect sweet/salty taste. A friend who got the "Soup Flight" tried all three soups and thought the Sweet Corn Bisque was the best, too. I also sampled a couple salads: "Heirloom Tomato Slices" (just ok) and "Pickled Watermelon w/ Arugula & Fresh Mozzarella" (pretty good).
My entree was the "Kobe Beef Meatloaf w/ buttermilk bacon smashed potatoes & squash casserole" which was pretty heavy & dense - and not exciting either. Honestly I would've liked to pick something lighter but couldn't do any substitutions, and the $25 pre-fixe dinner was the best value. I sampled a few other entrees, too - scallops (salty), the buttermilk fried chicken (just ok), and unfortunately Soomy's grouper (way overdone) & halibut (way undercooked - like frozen). I felt really bad for her and was glad to see the manager try to address it by offering her to order something else (which she declined), and take care of the bill. It didn't erase the problem but at least it was addressed.
For dessert, I got the Blackberry Shortcake w/ Sour Cream Ice Cream which was just ok. Also sampled a friend's Peanut Butter Ice Cream & another friend's Watermelon Sorbet - those were much better.
As for service, props to the Valet guys - they were great & brought our cars to the street so that we didn't have to walk back to the garage. Host was very welcoming, too.
I don't think I'll be returning to Dogwood anytime soon - too many other good restaurants in Atlanta to try! But if I do, maybe I'll try Tuesday next time :) -
Review from Scott M.
Chicago, IL
2/26/2010
Service was fantastic, courteous, and knowledgeable. Food was pretty damn incredible, but not extremely huge portions.
We wanted to take our intern out to dinner somewhere nice with great food. We hadn't been to Dogwood, so we decided to give it a shot.
They do have a pretty trendy/cool "low key" bar area if you want to get your drink on.
I tried out the "lobster chowder/bisque" or something like that. It was the featured soup and it was very, very good. I scraped the damn bowl.
Additionally, I tried out their famous fried chicken. Magnificent, tender and juicy. I think It was accompanied by some type of collard green, they were equally as tasty.
Decor is fantastic here, looks like a very "sheek" spot. For a Monday night, it had a relatively good crowd, but definitely wasnt at capacity.
While the chicken was great, this isnt one of those places that I was head over heels in love with, cant say that I'll be going back anytime soon, but that's not abnormal for me. -
Review from Douglas O.
Atlanta, GA
10/17/2008
What a great experience!
I echo what so many others have noted about this restaurant in the recent posts.
I am not a huge fan of fried chicken, but I could not turn down boneless fried chicken. Saying no to the prix fixe as just not an option, the boneless chicken as the first option or the boneless pork.
We began with Grits, with 3 different toppings, the bacon topped grips was great. The sample size of each was perfect to share among a few people.
The waitress was friendly, offered a great wine selection, and was returning often to ensure we had wine flowing and water in our glasses. Going there Mon-Wed, 50% off wine by the bottle, which made the experience all the better!
The prix fixe menu was great, opted for the Tomato Bisque with a ball of fried goat cheese in the middle. The soup was flavorful and the goat cheese complimented the acidic tomato flavor to perfection. The chicken, served over the Mac and Cheese, and with greens hit the spot. I ended up eating more of the Mac and Cheese over the chicken. Other posts have pics of what they offered, and you can see it was plated well, and presented ready to devour. Next time, I would probably get the sauce on the side instead of on the chicken.
Dessert, Katie W noted it enough, it was great. I enjoyed the cranberry as it reminds me of the fall season. Lucky ATL is a bit warmer then Chicago right now, which made the season bearable down there.
- Good Service
- $30 Prix fixe (cannot go wrong)
- Good ambiance with relaxed atmosphere
- Nice selection of wine
Will be back!Listed in: Atlanta Yelp Places
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Review from Carrie Neal W.
Atlanta, GA
8/16/2009 2 photos
The only thing stopping me from giving a full-stop five stars is that I was too full to order an entree, so I have yet to experience the sum-total of the deliciousness that I am certain to be a full Dogwood meal! Everything I did have- everything Emily R. and I both had, at our semi-dinner after last weekend's UYE in the bar area - was soo good, I can't wait to return for the whole shebang.
First of all, I simply love the place itself. So pretty, well-adorned in a modernist yet soothing, upscale Southern style (think of pretty, pretty Dogwood prints of different kinds on the walls- just enough to get the message across yet never verging on overkill), beautiful muted tones to the walls and chairs, a lovely view of the main dining room when you go upstairs to the rest rooms . . . just totally well-done, all over.
Second, excellent service. From the attention we received from the bartenders during our UYE time - drinks brought quickly, all tabs tracked separately, plates of yummy sliders brought out to keep us happy - to our super waiter, Ron, the service was terrific.
Third, the food! And, really, what makes a foodie happier than too many good things to pick from - so many, in fact, that you end up not being able to eat everything you're dying to try?? Yes, that's what it was like. Simple things like the bread they serve - hot and delicious with (a personal peeve of mine when not done right) perfect-temp butter. Ideally spreadable - does it really get better than that?? Well, yes, it does, since you asked . . . I finally got to try the "grits bar"! Oh my, so good they'll make you slap your mama. Seriously.
Emily and I had two grits picks: the fried green tomato (a perfect, thin slice of fried tomato yumminess) with blood orange "hollandaise," and the pimento cheese and bacon. Totally divine. Not huge portions, but perfectly cooked and seasoned Anson grits - the best kind, of course! - and, unfortunately . . . enough to make us realize we couldn't do justice to the entrees we wanted (we were lusting over the fried chicken with mac-n-cheese and greens, and the night's panko-crusted grouper special with a parmesan risotto).
What did we do? Ordered dessert of course - and decided to come back for those entrees!! The night's dessert special was a homemade blueberry and peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. I don't even like desserts that much, but Em made me try it . . . and it was so good I was glad she did!!
My http://Restaurant.com coupon will be used verrrrry soon for my next visit. I am confident I won't be disappointed, and I can't wait to report back to you all!!!Listed in: Around The World
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Review from Tulie L.
5/9/2009
Heading towards the door, I saw a gold sign, that had something like this " Please Dress Accordingly" . Upon entering the establishment we were warmly greeted. Upon being sat down, I had a few minutes to glance at the restaurant. It's very cleanly decorated. Beige Chairs, white table cloths, warm lighting, makes a very warm and romantic setting for any special occasion.
What was ordered:
Appetizers:
Fois gras, toast, maple syrup sauce
Duck w/ Parmesan risotto
Entree:
NY Sirloin Steak w/ whipped w/ Parmesan cheese potatoes, asparagus
Grilled Lamb, w/ berry sauce, light whipped potatoes, onion relish
Side of Mac n' Cheese.. (Nothing special w/ the cheese just a simple smooth mac n' cheese, I think they used a medium sharp Cheddar from the taste)
All the appetizers and entrees were presented very pretty, on nice white plates. Again with the clean lines, and simplicity that makes this restaurant very attractive to me.
Entrees were no more then 32 bucks
The most pricey appetizer was the fois gras which was 16.00 (and it was tiny, with a tiny fried quail egg, but very good, I would however forgo the maple syrup sauce, I didn't think it added a component of the dish that I really thought was necessary)
The NY steak was cooked to order, nice and juicy for a NY strip.
The lamb to me was a little bit more then medium rare, it seemed pretty rare, but it was nicely marbled and soft to the bite. As a friend Kit and Adam would say "Mary had a little lamb- but now it's on my plate..mmmm"
Dessert was strawberry shortcake filled with Creme Brulee Ice Cream. The biscuit that constructed the dessert was light and moist, with a touch of powdered sugar. The ice cream at the first couple of bites, tasted like vanilla ice cream, but then I realized it tasted ab it more eggy, making if more creme brulee.
Meal was wonderful, Jim our waiter good on recommending the Duck Appetizer. His take is, it's a special you can't get again- so give it a try! Glad we did, it was delicious! -
Review from Matt Y.
Portland, OR
9/9/2009
My first dinner experience in Atlanta, and it set the bar pretty high for the remainder of my visit! The service was top notch and the food was perfect. Very friendly staff made it all the more enjoyable.
My starter was a salmon chowder, which as a larger portion could have easily been a fantastic entree. I'd go back just for that! For my main entree I had a pan-seared trout with some type of almond/butter sauce. The flavors there were fantastic although halfway through, the sauce seemed to become a bit too sweet for my taste but that's just my personal preference. The combination of flavors was well balanced and flavorful otherwise. Finally for dessert I had a chocolate souffle with peanut butter ice cream which was likewise fantastic.
I'd highly recommend eating at Dogwood and would happily go back anytime! -
Review from Diana S.
Chicago, IL
2/20/2009
What a nice way to wrap up a short business trip! I had a very pleasant lunch before heading to the airport. I ordered a glass of wine, which was a generous pour. I started with a fresh salad and ordered the fried chicken breast as an entree. The chicken breast was moist and flavorful. The collard greens were awesome. I would go a tad less on the salt, probably because there is already bacon, but otherwise, I love them. The mac and cheese had a great flavor but could have been creamier.
The service was very attentive and welcoming. I'm glad I stopped in. -
Review from Thom P.
Atlanta, GA
12/23/2009
This was my favorite dining experience of all of 2009. From the moment we hit the door, I cannot recall one less-than-perfect aspect of our dinner at Dogwood.
Most of all the food was so, so so AMAZING.
Why? because it was unique as well as delicious. Huh? "Grits Bar?" Yeah. Buttermilk fried chicken? Yep. Baked mac-n-cheese. Oh yes. Horseradish whipped potatoes? Um yes please. Oh yeah I love scallops. They've got good ones.
If you're not into "fancy restaurants" -- this IS the fancy restaurant for you. The food is fancy/folksy. The service is upscale, but not snobbish. The decor is classy modern w/o being fru-fru or cliche.
Dogwood is right down the street from The Fox, so they let you leave your car in their indoor parking garage for an extra fee... if you happen to have tix to an 8 p.m. show.
Do yourself a favor and bring a date as quickly as possible to this cool new spot. I'm sure someone will ruin it soon. -
Review from Foodie Buddha F.
Atlanta, GA
9/17/2008
I went tonight for dinner along with two friends. The food was mediocre and left a lot to be desired, especially given the price point. The tab ran $45/head as a result of a half price bottle of wine & a 25% off coupon. [the wine special runs monday-wednesday]. For the price you pay here there are a number of alternatives that are much much better. For example, if you are looking for restaurants in the same vein - visit JCT. The food is vastly superior and less expensive.
The decor was muddled and misguided. The music WAS HORRIBLE!!!! It was like elevator music at a senior citizens building. After looking at the menu for both dinner and lunch, I suspect they do a better job executing the lunch menu. It's much simpler and the reviews here seem to agree.
The service was mediocre. Our waitress was very nervous and apprehensive. I'm not sure why; although, she was nice enough to come back after we had ordered the wine to tell us of their special. Her approach to the topic was a bit rough - but she was very nice.
We ordered our appetizers before placing our order for the main course. We had the Vidalia Onion Soup, the Grits with Low Country Shrimp, and the Fois Gras, which was a special. The maître d' informed us that the Fois Gras would replace the fried green tomatos as a fixture on the menu.
I did not taste the soup but was told it was very good. The Shrimp and grits was solid. It was flavorful and cooked just right. The fois gras was another story. I have eaten fois gras at a number of the finest french restaurants in the country and i was very disappointed in the delivery here. The quality was so-so, the portion was minuscule based on the price, and the sauce was overpowering and had a very unusual taste (it was a sweet sauce). It was served on top of a raisin bread, and that was unusual enough. I was especially disappointed in that the liver had a tendon in it - ughghg.
For the main courses, we had the pork chop, the tenderloin, and the crawfish stuffed chicken. I had a bite of the tenderloin and it seemed tasty. Not wonderful, but not bad at all. The tenderloin was cooked properly, but the red wine reduction was poorly executed. I prefer my steaks without a sauce, but even so - I did not find this one appealing. The Potato-leek cake was creamy and well done. Given the price tag of this - I was pretty disappointed.
I ordered the chicken that was stuffed with crawfish. The chicken was dry and the stuffing was relatively bland. Not worth the price tag.
Even more frustrating, we must have waited 25 minutes for our main courses - not good especially since there was only one other table there.
Had we not had the coupon and the wine special - the meal would have run us closer to $80/head...which would have made me really upset.
All in all - 2 1/2 stars.Listed in: Places I don't get
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Review from Jason R.
11/22/2009
Good scallops are a quick way to my heart, and Dogwood's are delicious. Fresh, seared on the outside, and just cooked. Their bar-menu burgers are good, reasonably priced, and come with great fries. And the desserts are *rich* and almost a little too much for a gentle ending. But then I'm the one choosing the rich desserts, so...
Dogwood's atmosphere teeters right on the edge of stuffy to me. A few smiles and some chatting warms everything up. If you need a formal setting, the staff is on top of it. They were great when we brought a departmental visitor here.Listed in: Midtown-ish...
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Review from Jennifer C.
Dallas, TX
1/7/2010
I really wanted to like Dogwood, but the main course didn't live up to my expectations, but the service exceeded them - hence the 3 stars instead of 2.
I was in town for business and dining alone so I sat at the bar. I was warmly greeted by the bartender (who ended up providing me with excellent service throughout my meal) and started with a delicious glass of Riesling and a bowl amazing corn soup (best part of the meal I promise you). This soup was great - velvety, smooth, rich. I was looking forward to the ribeye I ordered for my main course and was then sorely disappointed. There was enough crushed peppercorns on my plate for about 26 people. I'm not kidding you. It ruined the steak and it even ruined the starch that was under the steak because the entire plate tasted like peppercorns. Blech.
I did try an amazing cocktail after dinner that was made from an orange infused vodka and a few other delicious sounded items (vanilla something?). I would go here again for soup and cocktails. -
Review from Sabrina M.
Atlanta, GA
5/19/2010
I work in the area so me and a co-worker decided to stop in for lunch to try something different. The decor was nice and the service was very friendly.
The food was umm umm good! I ordered the fried chicken and mac n cheese and it was as tasty as my Big Ma used to make...but a lot prettier on the plate.
The price was reasonable for the size of the portions and the overall experience was very nice. I ended up going back for a private party a few months later and everything was just as lovely as it was during lunch. -
Review from M H.
Hoschton, GA
5/28/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Ate here recently. Parking for Fox was good, but make sure you get car keys before performance. Service good but curt. Food was good. The grits flight is a must get. I had the fried chicken breast and it too was very good. I would dine here again.
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Review from Kim W.
Los Altos Hills, CA
9/14/2009
I took a large crown (10 People) there, several of them customers, for dinner when we were in town for a large convention. I was a little concerned that we were able to get in so quickly, but that was really just the start of Dogwood being so accommodating. From the moment we arrived, the service was impeccable. We asked them to bring some interesting starters, and left it up to them. The trio of grits was to die for, the short ribs were fabulous, the pickled watermelon crisp and refreshing.
For such a large, and boisterous crowd, everyone was given their entree at the same time, no glass was ever allowed to get empty. And they were pleasant and friendly the whole time.
I enjoyed Dogwood so much, I send anther group there the following night and they had a phenominal experience as well. -
Review from Lauren E.
Atlanta, GA
8/1/2009
I went to Dogwood because I came across a coupon I purchased for $15 that would allow me to get $35 worth of food at Dogwood (so save $20).
I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It's got the feeling of a classy Southern restaurant, complete with magnolia paintings/portraits and I have to say that the service was excellent. I had heard only good things about the place beforehand, and everything about the experience was great.
The food was excellent - try the grits with fried green tomatoes if you go. I got the flat iron steak and it came with lobster on top. It was very salty, but otherwise excellent. My boyfriend got the chicken with macaroni & cheese and collard greens. Everything on his plate was very tasty!
I will definitely be coming here again. It's pricey, but very worth it. The ambiance is a plus. -
Review from Alyssa L.
Smyrna, GA
Updated - 7/14/2010
Get the foie gras appetizer. WOW!
You won't regret it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/14/2010
I've been to Dogwood around 5 times in the last 9 months. With all the restaurants we have to… Read more »
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Review from brad k.
Atlanta, GA
2/27/2009
Had a nice dinner at Dogwood tonight. Lovely space, modern yet comfortable, slightly more "elegant" than I expected. The $35 three course special they're running is a very nice deal - especially if you order the foie gras appetizer!
Appetizers were seriously excellent - a foie gras over french toast with quail egg and some truffle maple syrup walked the fine line between blasphemy and brilliance and pulled it off, tremendous dish; the fried quail biscuit with pepper white gravy was southern decadence at its best.
Entrees were a bit of a letdown compared to that amazing start, though not bad - scallops with pork belly and cabbage were delicious though some at the table thought too salty (I was fine with it), a trout dish was a bit too charred on the skin and dry in the fish - overcooked and flat, and the strip steak was nice if nothing special.
Desserts were uniformly excellent - we tried all four on offer, and all four featured a different delicious ice cream (they partner with Jakes apparently). One featured chocolate covered bacon - YES! T
he wine list offers some really nice value wines - we had a bottle of D'arenberg Hermit Crab (Viognier/Marsanne blend) that is excellent stuff for just $35 (retails for around $15), and a kickass bottle of Dead Letter Office Syrah for $45. Great, friendly, knowledgable service. Great place to dine.
