Poor Calvin's

Great spot for dining and drinks. Never had an entree I didn't love or a cocktail that didn't knock my socks off. If you are looking for something different, tasty and great presentation. This is your place!The place is small and intimate, make sure you make reservations. The place is always packed. I can always find street parking but they do offer valet too.Try the lobster mac and cheese or the fried chicken.

I've always wanted to go here and finally made it for my sister's birthday dinner. We were there a little early for our reservation do we had to wait for our table. It was a rainy night so we did not want to wait in the outside area and there's not much stand inside without being in the way. The inside is beautiful but it is cramped with little space between tables. The servers were great and explained the menu well when we had questions. Everyone enjoyed their food. I liked their take on pad Thai, it was a little sweeter. I liked the pad see ewe. And my brother liked his seafood fish. The portions are great for the price and my food reheated well the next day. We also got bok choy and broccolini sides. Based on the description I thought they'd be more flavorful but they weren't snd I probably wouldn't get them again. Note that the chef owner doesn't like to do a lot of substitutions and wants the food to shine as he intended. For example, my sister wanted the pad see ewe but they wouldn't substitute the beef for chicken or shrimp, only tofu I believe, or vegetables. Overall, great place and I'll be back.

This was a spot recommended to me by others in Atlanta, and I finally got the chance to try it this time around. We made a reservation ahead of time, which you should definitely do. The inside is quite small and loud, but the lighting is dim and ambiance is quite nice. We got the deviled eggs appetizer, and the lobster fried rice and chilean sea bass for entrees. The deviled eggs were so unique, as the yolk wasn't taken out but there was just a ton of stuff on top. Definitely a unique bite. The lobster fried rice was so unique and flavorful, and the sea bass was so so tender. I liked the sauce it came with too, as it was a twist I wasn't expecting. Portions here are gigantic so be prepared for leftovers! We also got the toasted pound cake for dessert based on the good reviews, and honestly thought it was a little too much. It was ginormous and soaked in a really heavy sauce that was super sweet, so we couldnt really eat more than a few bites. I'd say there are definitely some unique items here worth trying, and it's a nice spot for a fancy dinner!

I've been here before, and it seemed better. Everything was very salty. I don't know why I don't think it was me even the person I was with said.Salty, salty, salty

Everybody I know from Atlanta was telling me that Poor Calvin's was THEE place to make reservations for dinner, and when it came to planning for my best friend's bachelorette weekend, she was only getting the best so I made sure to have the reservation ready. FYI, you're going to need one. This place is smaller and very popular, especially on the weekends. Our server was very nice and informative throughout our meal. After eyeing everything over, my friends and I decided on getting a lobster mac and cheese skillet and the lobster fried rice. The macaroni & cheese was absolutely delicious. Good and goey with lots of lobster in each bite. The fried rice was honestly just good (not great), so I'd suggest you skip it, especially with a $46 price point compared to only $16 for the mac & cheese.But y'all! We need to talk about the chef's special for that night because I've been thinking about it every day for almost a year now. It was a succulent, braised pork shank that was falling off the bone on top of a bed of fluffly mashed potatoes with broccoli and fried lobster tail. Oh my lord! It was so flavorful; kudos to the chef for coming up with that amazing special. All in all, I say run, don't walk to Poor Calvin's if you're in the ATL.

I had high expectations for this restaurant based off of the reviews and I must say they did not disappoint. The restaurant is small and quite cozy. Our server Lena was awesome! For a starter, we chose the crab deviled eggs. The egg was lightly battered and fried topped with crab and caviar. Deviled eggs aren't my favorite but I really liked these. We had drinks prior to dinner so I opted for a house made lavender lemonade. This lemonade was unexpectedly good! That hint of lavender added such a unique and refreshing flavor. For my entree, I went with the Seafood Curry. It had mussels, scallops, tiger shrimp, and a 1/2 lobster tail. All of the seafood was so fresh and cooked perfectly. The curry was just how I like it sweet and spicy. It had the perfect balance of sweet followed by a nice spicy kick. My husband had the Pad Thai. It had 2 split lobster tails and tiger shrimp. It didn't taste like traditional pad thai and the noodles were thicker. My husband rated it a 4/5. For dessert, we had pistachio ice cream at the restaurant and took the suspension cake to go. The pistachio ice cream was sweet and savory with bits of pistachios in it. I enjoyed the ice cream. The suspension cake was so good! When I saw it I was expecting it to be just ok but it was delicious. The green icing is what really takes it over the top. I enjoyed my visit to Poor Calvin's and would definitely return.

Great food, great service, great ambience. First time here and had an amazing experience. Visited with my friend visiting from NYC. I ordered the rum punch, what a kicker, refreshing, delicious and tasty. I had the ribs with lobster Mac and cheese, lobster mashed potatoes.. one word...Divine. The owner himself Calvin, served us. Very humble and kind man. Definitely worth trying again.

I'm mad I haven't been here sooner. I had the Lobster Fried Rice and the Lobster mac and cheese and both were so delicious and full of flavor. I'm addicted, the service was TOP NOTCH I couldn't have asked for better service I truly felt like everyone cared about us having a wonderful experience which is sadly rare to find in the city these days. They have a customer for life.

Love! Love! Love! What an explosion of flavors! The fusion between Asian and Southern flavors is very creative! Kudos to Chef Calvin Pham for his unique tastes. I simply enjoyed the twists on classics in the same way that I enjoy thriller-style movies with unpredictable twists in the plot.The server explained kindly, after asking about food allergies, that this really isn't the place to ask for all types of deletions, edits, and substitutions on the dishes. I could appreciate that. Personally, I'm not that type of customer, but he explained that he shares that with all customers because the dishes are the creative visions of the chef. I get it.Everything was prepared to perfection. The hubs, a true southerner, especially enjoyed his Country Fried Chicken Entree - Free range airline chicken breast, mashed potato, broccolini, & chicken andouille peppercorn cream sauce. I ordered a delicious special of the evening.Guests are asked to be respectable in their attire. Check the website for the dress-code before you go.Our experience was unforgettable! Customer service was extraordinary! The server paid attention to detail and was very knowledgeable about the menu. Food and specialty mocktails were fantastic. Portion sizes are spot on. The place was quite busy as it is a very popular spot. I'd like to visit again when I'm in town. Reservations are definitely recommended.The restaurant is cozy/intimate and some consider it very pricy. And it's true, there's a lack of parking.

The headquarters for my job are located in Atlanta, and one of my best friends from college lives in the metro area. So, we link up whenever I'm in town. On this particular trip, I joined him and his wife for a hike in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, followed by dinner at Poor Calvin's. This was my second time visiting the restaurant, and it has quickly become a favorite of mine.The owner and chef of Poor Calvin's is originally from Vietnam but raised and classically trained in Germany, and the restaurant concept is a fusion of Eastern flavors and Western techniques and presentations. On this particular visit, I ordered the lobster fried rice, mango spice cocktail, and we all shared two desserts family style: toasted pound cake & peach cobbler empanadas. The food was absolutely phenomenal, but the service on this particular visit was overly rigid and a bit inhospitable to the point of feeling like a microaggression. The server made little effort to accommodate dietary restrictions and his overall demeanor was stern, slightly combative, and presumptuous when asked about menu modifications: "I do not recommend doing that! You will still pay the full price of $$ if you order the dish without lobster. The best option is to order menu item X." That style of communication was quite off putting and turned the entire ordering process into a negotiation when the exact same message could have been communicated in a more positive and less defensive manner. As such, I am adjusting my final rating to reflect my disappointment with the service on this particular visit. Final Rating: 3.8Food - 5 starsService - 2 stars Ambience - 4.5 stars