I watched Unique Eats last week, and they reviewed Atlanta restaurants. Although I pass Abbatoir when I go to Yeah! Burger, I never thought of eating there, until I saw this program. So, when our webmaster’s 50th Birthday came up, I decided to make reservations for his birthday dinner.

Abbatoir Delivers Local, Seasonal
Food and Huge Flavors

Chefs/Owners Anna Quatrano and Clifford Harrison of Bacchanalia fame opened this chop house in 2009 and were named Restaurant of the Year by Atlanta magazine. Abbatoir focuses on its offering of high-quality, locally raised proteins, prepared with huge flavors. They also own Summerland Farms, so the vegetables are organic, clean, and well-seasoned. Abbatoir delivers a spectacular feast for the senses!!!

Review of our Abbatoir Experience

Our birthday boy started with the Gulf Crab Fritter. The crab flavor was in the front of this dish, with the fritter being very light. The accompanying mango/hot pepper relish was refreshing. I started with the chicken liver toast. The chicken liver was so smooth, the toasted bread so flavorful. This was a very earthy and satisfying appetizer.

For our second course, we shared the lettuce and shaved seasonal vegetable salad with buttermilk dressing. The salad came out in two bowls, which makes sharing easier and highlights the spectacular service we had, and we had a gracious plenty of food. We both really loved the shaved vegetables. We could taste each veggie, without each overpowering the other. I also liked that the red onions were pickled. This mellowed their taste. Both of us adored the buttermilk dressing which was herbacious and highlighted the flavor of the vegetables.

Our webmaster had the Chicken Schnitzel for his main course. The chicken was juicy but not greasy. The tomatoes and cucumbers lightened the dish. He had the grits as a side dish. Of all the things he tasted, this was his least favorite. He’s a true Southerner, so he wants his grits a bit on the savory side. He said the grits were a bit too sweet.

I had the rib chop, cooked medium rare. The chef removes the eye of a rib eye steak and then folds the rest of the meat to the bone to form a chop. This steak was perfect in every way – juicy and umami. I chose macaroni and cheese with fried egg and bacon jam as my side dish, since macaroni and cheese are a favorite of mine. I would order the mac and cheese again, probably without the fried egg and bacon jam, since I like savory flavors best.

We shared the chocolate chess pie for dessert with coffee. The filling was wonderful — chocolate without too much sweetness. Then, when the waiter found out we had a birthday boy, he brought a lovely cupcake on a plate decorated with good wishes in chocolate handwriting and a lit candle. This was a beautiful touch.

I love the decor at Abbatoir. The shades of gray  and the industrial look highlight what’s important in this restaurant – the food! I like the art installation made from old wooden spoons and the understated art – a case of quality instead of quantity.

The service was impeccable. The hostess guided us to our table and brought us sparkling water. She made sure that the meal went smoothly. The waiter answered all our questions and described the food preparation. He was attentive without being obtrusive.

If you love protein and organic vegetables and appreciate strong flavors, Abbatoir is an excellent choice for a celebration or night out!