The Optimist

Review summary

1. B

   Brandon

   Atlanta Metro

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   I have dined at The Optimist many times and have always appreciated the great food and good service. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was profoundly disappointing and left me appalled. Midway through our dining experience, the manager, Mark, approached our table and asked us to leave. He explained that the host had reported feeling "inappropriately touched" by my friend when we were being seated. As a direct witness to the interaction, I can confidently say that this accusation was entirely unfounded. My friend had briefly touched the host's shoulder while politely asking for the location of the restroom before taking his seat—a gesture that was nothing more than a standard, respectful interaction. I attempted to explain the situation to Mark and defend my friend, but he was unwilling to listen or consider any perspective beyond that of the host. While I fully support a workplace where staff feel safe and respected, this situation was handled in a way that was not only reactive but also deeply humiliating. Mark's approach—escalating the issue without fully understanding the context—was unprofessional and unnecessarily confrontational. The public embarrassment caused by this ordeal was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It felt as though the host and Mark had decided to target us without justification, leaving us shocked and deeply offended. Given how this situation was handled, I will not be returning to The Optimist. I strongly urge upper management to thoroughly investigate this incident. A manager in Mark's position should be capable of addressing concerns thoughtfully and with a level of professionalism that ensures all parties feel heard and respected.
   

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2. A

   Andrew

   VIP

   Atlanta Metro

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food. Service is exceptional. The Christmas ambiance is everywhere.
   

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3. L

   Luna

   New Jersey

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Excellent experience. Food was delightful. Beautiful decor for a date night. Great quality. One complaint was that the seats were a little too close together. Conversations couldn’t be private for real. There was enough noise however to keep us focused on each other.
   

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4. S

   Shamika

   New York City

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Incredible service and food! I highly recommend this restaurant.
   

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5. K

   Kristie

   VIP

   Atlanta Metro

   4 reviews

   3.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 2

   Hi we enjoyed our time amThe Optimist. Quality of ingredients was exceptional. However, every dish but the raw seafood was so rich it was hard to enjoy beyond the first bite. Every dish from the entrees to the bread was coated or infused with so much butter it was hard to enjoy beyond the noise level in the main room is also too much to enjoy such a nice meal.
   

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6. b

   bahnson

   VIP

   Atlanta Metro

   76 reviews

   5.0

   76 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Dependably good food and service. Great variety of oysters, shellfish, and fish. The service was excellent. The wine list could be stronger.
   

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7. h

   holly

   Atlanta Metro

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Great food, exceptional service. However, the floors in there are extremely slick, and I stepped and fell. Definitely put a damper on the dining experience! Be careful as you walk through here.
   

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8. J

   Jordan

   VIP

   Atlanta Metro

   15 reviews

   3.0

   15 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Dining at the optimist has been one of our favorite restaurants for years. It’s always been our date night spot. Service was good. Appetizers were nice and the wine selection of course is always lovely, they have a great bar with an extensive liquor selection. We both ordered flounder, It was quite dark where we were sat and I questioned if my flounder was uncooked but trusted that the cooks knew what they were doing. My wife used her phone light on her flounder and it was raw in the middle. It happens, no big deal. They followed typical protocol and the manager dropped the re-cook and asked if we’d like more wine so we said yes. The bill came and everything was on it, big mistake here. You make a mistake as a restaurant? Own it. Take care of something, take accountability and make the experience better. Disappointing attempt at a recovery, probably won’t be back.
   

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9. R

   Rachel

   Portland

   8 reviews

   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent service! We had appetizers rock shrimp and halibut cheeks, both were excellent. They make a good old fashioned. Definitely recommend this place.
   

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10. J

    Jason

    VIP

    Atlanta Metro

    21 reviews

    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    Overall a great experience. The server was amazing. The bread is to die for. The oysters were delicious. The peel /eat shrimp appetizer was great. The octopus appetizer was great. We also had the she crab soup, the mushroom side, the hushpuppy side. The entrees were the scallops dish and the flounder dish. Overall great. The wait time between dishes seemed very long. Not a place to go if you are on a tight schedule for event after dinner. Suggestion may be to order everything early on and let them glow it. Definitely will be back for oysters and appetizers.
    

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