Old Vinings Inn

Can't believe it's taken me almost 25 years to visit the Old Vinings Inn. I attended a large group (18-person) dinner here and enjoyed it. The food, drink, and service were good to great. This is a classic Southern restaurant that's been around since 1990. In metro Atlanta, where restaurants constantly come and go, Old Vinings Inn has been a fixture. I'd always known this to be that old white house with live music and from this visit, I learned that the food, drink, and service here are solid too.There's live music (and sometimes, comedy) every Thursday-Saturday night in the attic bar. Tickets are $5 per person. I'd call them at 770-438-2282 for bar reservations and more info. You can view which artists they have booked on the calendar here: https://oldviningsinn.net/atlanta-vinings-old-vinings-inn-live-musicTo book reservations for the dining room or patio, use OpenTable. When you reserve using OpenTable, you earn dining points which can be used to redeem restaurant discounts, Amazon gift cards, hotel stays, and magazine subscriptions.The restaurant has a free dedicated parking lot, but space is limited to about 20 spaces or so. The setback (clearance) between the building/entrance and Paces Mill Road is tight.The building has been around since the 1880s. It's been an apartment house, gas station, general store, and post office. Many parts of the structure, inside and out, still look old, but it's got a rustic charm to it. The dining rooms are understated and refined. There are nice traditional elements like the fireplace in the lobby. The low-ceiling attic bar has a more casual atmosphere. In general, I thought this was a great spot for our group and it looked like it would work equally as well for a romantic date night (intimate, artificially-candlelit, white tablecloth).When I entered the restaurant, none other than owner Lee Schulman opened the door and welcomed me in. What better way to enter the Old Vinings Inn than that? I recognized Lee from his 2017 appearance on the local TV show Atlanta Eats as well as from the restaurant's website where I browsed the menu beforehand. Lee told me he bought this place about 10 years ago. I asked him if it had actually ever been an inn and he said no. I guess it's just in the name.One of my buddies had been here before Lee took over and he told me that he thought the place was outdated. I believe several renovations have been made since Lee became the owner. I know the private room we dined in had been renovated at some point relatively recently. Also, I've known two couples who dined on the patio here during and since the pandemic. Both couples told me they enjoyed everything, from the food to the atmosphere.One of my coworkers organized this dinner. It was done family style, which I liked. The ambiance was cozy and homey. The menu was mostly preset. The only decisions we had to make were individual drink and entree orders. The entire drink menu, with cocktails and wines by the glass and bottle, was available to us. The food menu was custom-made and had a special message at the top congratulating our other coworker on his retirement (this was his retirement dinner). I thought that was a nice touch by the restaurant.Here's what we had:Appetizers (served family style)* Dip Duo - pimento cheese and spinach-artichoke-sun dried tomato dips, sea salt-herbed olive oil flatbreads* Southern Fry Baskets - calamari, shrimp, hush puppies, pickled veggies, remoulade, jezebel sauceSalad* Artisan Greens - seasonal vegetables, champagne vinaigrette, crispy chickpeasEntrees (we each got to pick one)* Seared Atlantic Salmon - lemon-basil compound butter* Coleman All-Natural Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast - thyme gravy* Grilled Bistro Steak - rosemary-black garlic demi glace* Vegetable Pasta - herbed fresh local spaghetti, seasonal vegetables, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, ParmesanAccoutrements (sides, served family style)* Whipped Potatoes* Crispy Brussels Sprouts* Mac & Cheese* Pot Likker Collards with Smoky BaconDesserts (served family style)* Warm Fruit Cobbler - crunchy granola topping, vanilla ice cream* Flourless Chocolate Torte - blood orange coulis, hazelnuts, candied gingerOverall, I've got to say I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Everything was delicious. For all these years, I had no idea this quality of Southern food was right here in Vinings. Admittedly, places like the now-shuttered Paces & Vine in nearby Vinings Jubilee overshadowed Old Vinings Inn for me. Thinking more widely around Atlanta, South City Kitchen comes to mind. However, where I think Old Vinings Inn shines is in the type of Southern food they serve. It's simple and traditional. They stick to tried-and-true classics and I thought they executed every one of our dishes well. My drink, a Jamaican Old Fashioned, made with Jamaican rum, pineapple amaro, demerara, allspice bitters, and Luxardo cherry, was quite tasty. I recommend it.Service was terrific.

Probably one of the more memorable New Year's Eve celebrations in the recent history. When you walk into old Vinings inn you feel like you're stepping into a historical landmark. The restaurant is home to a 150-year-old cottage style, southern house. It boasts a few large dining rooms, sunrooms, and an upstairs attic fit for live music and comedy night. For a small price you can attend Thursday-Saturday for live performances beginning at 8pm. Reservations preferred.There are heated fireplaces throughout along with heaters for the sunroom. The halls were decked for the holidays and we probably saw around three or four Christmas trees throughout the property. It was festive to say the least. The service is worth writing home about. We were treated with such warmth and generosity from Oscar and the management team and would definitely come back sooner rather than later, budget permitting. The food is simply splendid. You really can't go wrong with anything you order here and I guarantee you that they have the best underground shrimp and grits in the city. You won't want to miss the fried chicken either. And these are found year round on the menu. We had the chance to sample the prefix dinner for the New Year's Eve celebration, and everything was exceptional from the homemade sea salt butter rolls with sweet cream to the lobster bisque to the homemade cherry cobbler. For $75 a person, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal in Vinings and the surrounding area for less or better. We actually had reservations for the Chastain but were informed that they were doing a prefixe for $150 a person and opted out. I'm glad that we did because this was the perfect place to celebrate the upcoming new year.Please make sure to visit old Vinings inn for brunch or dinner sometime when you're in the area. There is self parking at the restaurant. It used to be valet, but then Covid hit and that changed and it hasn't changed back. I'm not complaining though. Also there are a few more EV chargers but they haven't been tried or tested so I'm not sure if they're functioning or not. happy new year wishing everybody the best in 2024 !

I have been staying in Vinnings for work and stumbled across this local favorite. It advertised a good southern brunch with an upscale flair so I wanted to give it a try. Let me start by saying the restaurant was beautiful.... It looked like it belonged in Nantucket by the coastline. The service was incredible. The wait staff was courteous and kind. I brought a book to read and a server asked if I would like to be moved to a quieter table so I could read peacefully. ( very impressed) The food was good....almost great. I ordered the fried chicken with the grits and collard greens. The grits and collards were incredible and the chicken was good but could have been juicier. ( but this could of been because I ordered it gluten free)I would absolutely come back for dinner sometime.

My gals and I first time at the Old Vinings Inn for Sunday brunch and it was fantastic. The restaurant is so cute and quant - something out of a Netflix love story. Our service was exceptional - Silas took care of us and he was just a sweet peach. You MUST get the bread basket as a starter. I had the crab cake benedict and it was amazing. My only wish was the the egg was runnier. The shrimp and grits is also a must. I will be coming back to try dinner and enjoy live music upstairs!

Came here for drinks after dinner, great night cap spot! Very cute, quant attic bar with a friendly bartender!

This review is for drinks at the bar on a Friday. OVI is not on my usual rotation, but when I hang out with my cooler friends (ITP!) we go to various places in the Vinings area. I had such a great time Friday - we had some drinks before heading out to another friend's house for dinner. This place is always fun and Ricky the bartender is hysterical. I have been here at random times over the years, but my experiences have always been positive. Nice people work here and there is usually a singer or comedy show on a weekend night. If I lived closer this would be a regular spot for me. PS they have a Sinatra singer that is really good! Not my thing, but the guy doing it is very entertaining and really into it!

I visited Old Vinings Inn for the first time since the pandemic hit. I had a night out planned with a bestie, who drove to my hood for a change. We were not disappointed!We were greeted immediately upon arriving. Rick was our server, entertainer and restaurant concierge. Two challenges he was presented with upon our arrival. One, is that I am not drinking alcohol currently and second is that I am gluten-free. Voila! Rick confirmed that the gluten-free fried chicken dinner was delicious. So, I ordered it. I can still taste it! Anyone that knows how hard it is to find gluten-free fried chicken that tastes good, gets how excited I was over my meal. The sides included white cheddar grits, pot likker collards and thyme gravy. Rick even made me a special mocktail that was fabulous!Rick mentioned he will be hosting a comedy night in August in the bar. My friend and I have already scheduled it. He is so funny!Happy, happy night and I will be going back soon! Hope you enjoy the pics I shot. They don't do that chicken justice however. OMG. It was so good!

My mother and I went for Thanksgiving. The service and food were excellent. The three-course menu was a nice way to enjoy food without all of the cooking and cleanup!! The turkey was tender, the cornbread stuffing and mashed potatoes were well made! We will be back.

Absolutely divine! My husband and I just dined here for date night and was pleasantly surprised with my #1 priority for all restaurants and quality customer service. The ambiance in the early to late evening is the perfect atmosphere for the beginning of a relaxed and romantic evening. Not only do EVERYONE treat you like a celebrity or royalty, but the food is to die for. I have nothing but the BEST to say about this hidden jewel. I can't wait to dine here again. Oh, and don't forget to try the chipotle bacon brownie. It's worth every penny and bite. Enjoy!

Awesome food and friendly service. Ask for Silas for a friendly smile and impeccable attention to detail. He made our dinner so memorable. The atmosphere is top notch! And don't forget to go upstairs to the bar. Rick is quick with a joke and makes a mean cocktail.