Sweet Auburn Bistro
171 Auburn Avenue
Atlanta, GA
440.525.5810
www.sweetauburnbistroatlanta.com
Price: $$
When you visit the Sweet Auburn District today, one can see that both hope and life’s struggles are residents in an area once known for its prominent African-American businesses, congregations, social organizations and the birth home of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. Designated a historic landmark in 1976, Sweet Auburn fell victim to lack of investment and construction. But change has started to come.
For Chef Glen Law, that change was an opportunity to open one of the first new restaurants along Auburn Avenue as the city focuses on bringing it back to its prominent status. The Sweet Auburn Bistro is located conveniently off of I-75 and has quickly become one of Atlanta’s cool spots for foodies and socialites alike. With its doors open for only four and a half months, Chef Law and his restaurant have already attracted the attention of celebrities such as the Reverend Al Sharpton and can be seen in an episode of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
Prior to arriving at the Sweet Auburn Bistro, I had already received rave reviews from my sister who was just there less than two weeks ago. Although our taste in food is almost the same, I decided to form my own opinion to give an honest review. We arrived a little later than expected at night but that was not a problem as the restaurant is conveniently open until 12 am Sunday – Thursday and until 1 am on Fridays. If you are familiar with Atlanta, then you’ll know about those laid back spots where the people, food and music create the perfect atmosphere. The Sweet Auburn Bistro is no different.
Upon our arrival, we were seated in the main dining room and introduced to our server by the name of Terry. Having served my sister’s party previously, he was already a favorite. The food at Sweet Auburn Bistro is referred to as “New South” cuisine that is infused with Southern and Caribbean flair. The menu selections included Cabbage Town Fried Green Tomatoes, Auburn Avenue Chicken Egg Rolls, Auburn Bistro Scallop Risotto and Roasted Chicken. The Vine City Fried Chicken was an eye catcher as well as the Salmon Florentine Fettuccine Alfredo.
For starters, we had the Pina Colada Wings which were sweet and deliciously tangy. The portion size worked well split between three people. For my main entrée, I went for the Bistro Meatloaf with black pepper gravy served with white cheddar mash potatoes. Pleasantly surprised, the meatloaf just fell apart when my fork touched it and the gravy had just the right balance of pepper and other seasonings. The smells steaming from the table made it hard to resist the grilled pork chops, collard greens, macaroni and cheese and a sampling of the Georgia Shrimp and Cheese grits. Fabulous.
We ended the night with the double crusted peach cobbler that was perfectly baked, spiced and served with some good old vanilla ice cream. The evening was southern comfort for foodies at its best.
I left excited about the potential of Auburn Avenue and how wonderful it will be once again as businesses and especially additional restaurants continue to return to the area. Chef Law and his team know they have a gem to make the Sweet Auburn District just as sweet as it used to be back in the day.
Price Scale: $ = under $25 $$ = $25 - $50 $$$ - $50 - $75 $$$$ - $75 and up
Scale is based on a 3-course meal per person.