Our good friend Aaron and others mentioned Mary Mac’s Tea Room as a good place to experience Atlanta’s southern hospitality. Mary Mac’s Tea Room was declared by the State of Georgia to be authentic Southern fare, always served with a side of Southern graciousness. I call it a whole lot of comfort food with a side of peach cobbler. This was a great end to my dining adventure in Atlanta.
Mary Mac’s was located downtown and my parking Karma was not working today. I went at noon on a Sunday which was not the greatest time slot. The just out of church crowd was there and in full costume. I did find a parking spot several long hot blocks away and in hindsight the hike was totally worth it.
I had a 25 minute wait in a crowded waiting room for lunch. A few people came in to pick up orders to go. This crowd was a diverse mix of tourists, locals and a whole lot of Sunday dressed church people. I was finally led to my table and handed a menu. This was my first time here and I did not know the procedure for placing an order. The waitress came and there was a brief moment of silence. I told her my order and she said I needed to write this down on a provided order form on the table. My waitress laughed and said I can see it is your first time here……..let me take care of it. She wrote down my order on the provided form. All was good.
A basket of the softest warm and comforting rolls arrived at my table. This basket was just for me as a solo diner. They were so good and I had to use restraint to not polish them all off. A very tasty and piquant vinegar house made sauce was on my table. I like this place all ready.
My order of shrimp & cheesy grits arrived. An entre also comes with two side dishes. I had cornbread stuffing with gravy and mac & cheese. My meal was a starch overload. I mean this in the best way. It seems that cheese in a huge theme here. I forgot to mention the salad I ordered. I am thinking out loud to myself that it would be healthy to order a salad. The menu did not mention there would be a half-pound of cheese included in said salad.
The cheesy grits were so filling and delicious. The cornbread stuffing and gravy was devoured and plate licked. This was a taste of Thanksgiving home. The mac & cheese reinforced the notion that there is no such thing as too much cheese. I did my best to eat as much as humanely possible. I did need to save some room for dessert.
You guessed it; peach cobbler. I am so happy to have experienced Mary Mac’s Tea Room The sheer quantity of cheese, comfort, and hospitality makes this a must visit if you are in Atlanta. I will mention the price briefly. I have paid more for parking in San Francisco then my complete meal here. It was a bargain and a pleasure. Good bye Atlanta.
