We had an enjoyable Sunday brunch at Ration & Dram. I like this place.This is a contemporary New American/Southern restaurant and bar that opened in March 2014 in a freestanding building on the eastern side of Edgewood. It replaced the Arizona Pub (https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-arizona-pub-atlanta). It's located across from the Arizona Lofts and the Arizona Ave Soccer Fields. Free parking is available in a small lot behind the restaurant (about 15 spaces) and on the street. You shouldn't have a problem finding a spot.The restaurant is inside a cool-looking, modern industrial building. There are at least two floors. For Sunday brunch service, only the first floor was open. The first floor isn't very big. I guesstimate they can seat about 12 people at the bar and another 20 or so at tables (including a few high-tops). The storefront has garage-style doors that retract up when the weather is nice. There are more tables out on the patio. The patio and part of the building are enclosed by bushes and trees.We showed up just before 11am and slid into some of the last remaining parking spots in the back lot. We joined a small crowd that had built up outside the door just before the restaurant opened at 11. Apparently, brunch here is popular. We were lucky to show up when we did and were seated immediately at the bar. The place was at or near capacity in a matter of minutes. The atmosphere was laid back and casual. The space looks nice and it was clean during our visit. There's a TV mounted on the wall at one end of the bar. It was playing sports.Ration & Dram serves dinner six nights a week, Wednesday through Monday, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The business is closed on Tuesday. Both the dinner and brunch menus are streamlined with less than 20 dishes on each menu. When we visited, prices at brunch ranged from $4 for a bowl of grits to $13 for the "Gringa" (more on that below). At dinner, small plates ranged in price from $4-12 each, entrees $9-20, and desserts $6-7. The kitchen uses high-quality, locally/regionally-sourced ingredients. The bar has an extensive cocktail, beer, and wine menu.Here's what we ordered:Food:-- "Smalls"* Beignets ($1.50 each, minimum of three must be ordered) - fluffy beignets with powdered sugar* McDowell ($5) - English muffin sandwich with breakfast sausage, egg, and cheddar* Hick Fil-A ($5) - buttermilk biscuit, fried chicken breast, pimento cheese, bread and butter pickles-- "Biggies"* Tofu Scramble ($10) - mushroom, tomato, bell pepper, onion, turmeric, and potato hash (grits also an option)* Gringa ($13) - crispy maitake mushroom, two poached eggs, creamy grits, and GruyereDrinks:* Nitro coffee (small size, $3)* Orange juice ($3)In general, the food and drink were great. We enjoyed everything and I can't say there was a single bad thing. Dish presentation was beautiful. Portion sizes were reasonable.The beignets were delectable. They were fresh and served hot out the fryer. I loved the sweet powdered sugar and how warm, soft, and melt-in-your-mouth good the pastries were. These were some of the best beignets I've had in the city to date.The McDowell and the Hick Fil-A sandwiches are obvious plays on McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with Egg and Chick-fil-A's Chicken Biscuit, respectively. The McDowell even comes wrapped like a McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with a golden-arched "M" stuck on the outside. Funny. The McDowell was quite good with the savory sausage patty being the highlight along with the melty cheddar cheese. I didn't try the Hick Fil-A, but my friend who ate it liked it. It looked yummy.The tofu scramble was delicious. The food was bright and colorful and tasted as appetizing as it looked. Everything tasted fresh with the eggs and tofu being nicely seasoned and particularly flavorful. This was a satisfying dish.The Gringa was unique and excellent. The maitake mushroom, also known as hen-of-the-woods, was served as one whole piece. It had to be eaten with a fork and knife. I've never seen it served like that before and I liked it. The grits were warm and had a wonderful, almost silky smooth, consistency. They were mild in flavor. The mushroom, however, made up for it as it was salty. The eggs may have been the best part. They were terrific quality and perfectly poached. The soft yolks were ideal for mixing in with the grits and mushroom.The Nitro cold brew coffee and the OJ were tasty with simple, neat, and clean presentation.Service was great. The staff was polite and efficient. During a busy brunch rush, they appeared to be on top of things.
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"Two things that always cheer me up are tacos and nice people. I was in a bit of a funk and stumbled upon this place while I was out running errands. I've been to the butcher shop located in the same plaza before, but never noticed Taqueria El Vecino. They have a small patio and dining area, but I opted to sit at the bar. Luckily I came on a Tuesday when all tacos are $3.50. I ordered a Texas margarita that was good. I also got an assortment of tacos including carne asada, al pastor and Baja fish. All of the tacos were delicious. I also got a side of rice and it was light and fluffy. They have salsa bar that includes a variety of sauces and condiments.The staff was so amazing and checked on me frequently. I enjoyed my meal and look forward to returning."
"I had nevet heard of this place but my colleagues were having a happy hour here. I had no expectations but upon entering, I was truly impressed. The decor is beautiful and the staff is really attentive. We had a private room with a private bartender/waiter. I wish I had gotten his name. He was amazing. He remembered all of our drinks and kept them coming. We had apps laid out buffet style but he also made sure to walk around with trays.I loved the food. I tried the chicken skewer, babaganoush, cheese rolls and a few other items. Everything was uniquely made and had good flavors. I look forward to coming back with friends."
