Spice Brick Oven Kitchen

Sooooo.. we just left. We came because we love the atmosphere and the tapas are pretty good. Tonight, it was NOT busy, only a few people outside and at the bar. The hostess didn't ask if we wanted to sit at the bar or booth and after 15 mins of waiting for a server... we walked out.

No one noticed because there was no one at the at the front to care when we walked out. No server to notice we waited at are table forever... shame..

The corner of Haynes Bridge and North Point is seriously some prime property. Enough traffic goes through that any place that sits on that corner will get business- it's just one of those things. So when Eastside Mario's (RIP) opened here- it was one of my favorite Italian spots of all time- and then management choked. IT was then replaced by Joe's Crab Shack- which was awesome too- but it succumbed to a leasing crisis. Joe's got replaced by Spice, but I was furious that Joe's was gone- as who knows where the closest location was.

As I am finally catching up on my reviews and trying to cross places off my list, I finally forgave Spice, and decided to give it a shot on Sunday. I would also like to thank Annie L for the suggestion as well- I wish I would have came here sooner!

When walking into the place, I was shocked to see the interior- the transformation from a wacky seafood shack, to an intimate brick oven eatery with plenty of seats. You would be impressed if not amazed too!

Since it was Sunday, apparently all wine bottles and pizzas/flatbreads were 1/2 off! What a pleasant surprise! But we stuck to beer and mixed cocktails (oops). The menu was vast, but stuck to an order of saganaki, a pizza order, and a flatbread order (should have pics).

The saganaki came out- and for a non-Greek restaurant- it was pretty tasty! The lemon was dusted with parsley on one side, so when you squeezed it, the parsley would dust the cheese. Yum!

The flatbread came out, which I ended up eating- I think it was the BBQ pork. It was yum, and hearty! My friend got the rustica pizza, she enjoyed it- but it was so much! Mind you she might be literally 1/3 my size. The crust on both seemed to be cooked just right, but if it sits, the crunch is slightly compromised.

Now, at this point, we were slowly getting full- but the server, she convinced us to get dessert. I got the Key Lime, she got the Chocolate Molten Lava. I couldn't believe it, but that was some of the BEST KLP I have had. That choco cake was wonderful too! Let's put it this way- I cannot believe I have eaten here at an earlier time! The service was on point, and is a great spot for a date- or just a drink- but if you are a fan of flatbreads, I would tell you that this is worth the trip- especially on a Sunday!

This place wasn't that large (to my surprise), but it did have outdoor seating. There are varieties of food to choose from.

I had the fried goat cheese (pretty delicious--didn't like the honey that was spread on the plate though). The goat and beef gyro flat bread was pretty okay. My friend had a pizza. It wasn't the best in the world, but was pretty tasty.

There seems to be a weekly drink special going on so it's a nice place to chill. The drink wasn't superb, but I'd give them a second try. The atmosphere was dim and cozy. The scene had couples and large groups enjoying the evening. There wasn't many folks out and about when I was there around 9 PM ish on a Friday night.

Service was attentive. I would recommend this place.

Came here the other day to have lunch. The space is huge and very well laid out.

The staff was friendly and since it was lunch time there was no wait to grab a table.

I went for lamb sliders and shrimp ajilo. The description of the lamb sliders mentioned that it comes with pesto sauce. The pesto sauce which came with sliders wasn't very good and lamb sliders were just ok.

The shrimp ajilo was nice but I think that it was too sour. It comes with 2 small pieces of bread. If the sauce had not been that sour then the shrimps might have tasted better.

The overall food was just ok hence the three stars!

Spice was a nice place to have lunch. It's not terribly busy at 2PM, and the atmosphere is dark and really chill. It seems like a great place to go to at night.

Their food lacks the spice you would expect it to have though. Everything was a little bland. The smoked salmon spread was alright...lacked the smoked flavor I expected but it was creamy. Blackened tilapias were definitely not spicy, but I was warned before I got them (Yes, I asked...my fault). I also ended up getting the Shrimp Flatbread to-go. It wasn't bad. The shrimp on it was pretty good; great size. The flatbread itself reminded me of the pizzas I used to get at school lunch though. You know the ones you put ranch dressing on. On a positive note though, I went on a Tuesday. They were doing half off the flatbreads, so it was a relatively cheap choice. Honestly wish I would've ate one there instead of the tacos because some of these pics on Yelp look AWESOME.

The place isn't bad though. The service was fine. The drink tasted great and was stronger than I had planned for, hence ordering a flatbread to-go.

I am really glad that my friends and I gave Spice anther try. My first visit wasn't that hot and my second was actually *bad,* but after the owner reached out to me with a very classy message and offered to treat my friends and I to a meal on the house, I was more than happy to give them another shot. This time they didn't disappoint, and hopefully what I experienced on my previous visit was merely a fluke.

Spice is located just around the corner from North Point Mall and specializes in brick oven pizzas as well as tapas and small plates.

I would definitely say at this point, having tried about a dozen dishes, that the pizza, flatbread, and pastas are what you need to order. The braised short rib flatbread, barbecue chicken pizza, and Mediterranean pizza are all seriously on point - perfect for sharing, full of toppings, and the perfect amount of brick oven smokey taste. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these dishes, and given my group's fondness for family-style dining, it was super easy to share.

I also enjoyed the beer-battered tilapia tacos, though more jicama slaw would have been nice. Creamy and crispy at the same time, the tacos were terrific, and the only thing I would change is the flour tortillas themselves. They're fine. But they're definitely the exact same La Banderita tortillas I can buy at Kroger. Nothing *wrong* here but I would like something house-made or stand out.

The bratwurst slider isn't anything special. It honestly sounded terrific - bratwurst, mustard, caramelized onions. What's not to love? Except the meat wasn't seasoned and the onions were grilled but definitely not caramelized. It seemed like the dish, as served, bore little resemblance to the way it was described.

I was crazy about my friend's scallops over risotto. Somehow I always overdo my scallops at home, but these were plump and seared perfectly. The risotto was creamy and delicious, the kind of thing you could seriously eat all day but reallllllly shouldn't.

We topped this visit off with a peanut butter trifle, and it was seriously delicious. I also recommend to ordering from the bar - our cocktails were just strong enough. And this time, finally, the service was very much on point as well. Prices are fair for what you're getting and the location!

I absolutely love Spice!! So when I read the review about the health inspections I panicked!! My girlfriends and I were getting ready to head to Spice and had already made a reservation. Thank God for the Internet. I immediately went online to Fulton County Public health inspection page and was relieved to find out that they have only received one negative health inspection which was back in February on the 3, 2014! As a matter of fact the lowest grade on the page was a 98 except for that one instance. My friends and I have been going to Spice for years and I've never seen anyone get sick unless they had too much to drink. :) I know sometimes restaurants have friends or family members go online and write reviews. So I'm going to provide the link for you to check it out for yourself!
Ga.healthinspections.us

Atmosphere is pleasant, service is fine, but nothing on the menu really stands out.

The chicken lettuce wraps were VERY salty, and the cheese plate had more grapes (a little past their prime) and jam and other sides than actual cheese. Boyfriend's paella was good, but nothing to write home about.

Maybe we should have tried the pizza? Probably will not return to find out, I'm afraid.

The first time I went was in February. My best friend was in town and I'd always passed by, so this time we decided to stop in. There was no wait, as it was about 2:30 on a Tuesday afternoon. The place was dead with the exception of maybe 4 people.

VISIT 1

The Good:
*Quick seating due to there being no crowd
*1/2 off flatbreads
*The wings were great
*TV is convenient to view no matter where you're sitting
*The atmosphere and interior decor is great

The Bad:
*The server kept forgetting everything. Left the o.j., left the hot water, forgot the silverware.
*We kept having to flag him down because he wasn't paying attention
*He asked us how we wanted the check split, repeated it back exactly how we said it, and STILL got it wrong.

VISIT 2
I went with my mom, we started this new "Happy Hour" thing (working out pretty well so far)

The Good:
*OMG THAT DAMN CHOCOLATE MARTINI!!! I will go back for that alone. It was heaven in a glass.
*The pomegranate martini was also great
*The wings were good
*We went a little later on a Thursday and there was definitely a crowd, but still no wait so that's good.
*The bathroom was very clean.

The Bad:
*The rest of the food was very lukewarm.

Well, I have to say that the ambiance is quite agréable with a saxo player and the waiters, warm and nice.
Why only 3 stars?
Ok, the food is not as great.
Chips are greasy, pizza not worth $15, far from it.
But me and my wife come back anyway
Just for the ambience
So, great for a bar style party