The Optimist

The Optimist has been a favorite place for us because of its overall qualities -- food and service. We celebrated our 46th anniversary there and had excellent service, food (fresh oysters and lobster very well seasoned and cooked) and wine choices. COVID safety precautions still being taken make us feel good. Will return soon!

Wonderful delicious, awesome service and great atmosphere 💪

I had reservations, and came into the restaurant and ordered a drink while waiting for a friend. The lady at the bar took my order and was very kind and polite. However, while waiting on my drink, a short hair bar tender who was not serving me, looked at me and said, " could you move away from where the servers are picking up drinks and squeeze in between people that were jam packed at the bar. Mind you the lady that took my order did not say anything and was kind, the short haired lady who was not serving me wanted me to move, and I informed her and later the manager that I could not go anywhere and order my drink due to the bar being overcrowded. The manager claimed he would talk to her and advise her not to take her frustrations out on me and he agreed that I could not go anywhere else to order. This encounter really spoiled my whole mood.

One of the best restaurants in Atlanta. If you’re big into seas food I promise this place will not disappoint.

The food and drinks were delicious! It was a little loud, which made it hard to hear our server. I ordered the lobster, which was very good and felt reasonably priced. We loved everything we ordered.

Graduation

Great experience. Food was very good and service by Jean was impeccable.

Food is amazing. Good cocktails. Fun place, would definitely go back

Phenomenal!!!

Fantastic food & service.

If you hear howling tonight in Atlanta, its me! The “Howl at the Moon” cocktail is by far the best drink in the city. I had two! The oysters were scrumptious and the whole roasted lobster, perfecto! We had reservations but choose to dine at the bar which added to a fun evening!

Alissa was wonderful and great food! Wonderful date night experience

Great food. raphael was a fabulous waiter. Atmosphere very charming with excellent seafood

Food and service impeccable. Had one of us order vegan and they didn’t flinch and took care of it very well. Pickled squash was outstanding.

Price? Wow. I get the whole covid thing but prices were really jacked up. $67 strip with zero accompaniments. Least expensive wine bottle was $67. Was encouraged to purchase $200 bottle without even first being asked what price point interested in.

Anyway. Memorable food and perfect service but tainted by cost of everything. Just saying

My server, Alexis T, was so welcoming and helpful and went above and beyond to make sure my first experience there was perfect. She had other staff help me with questions I had about Atlanta and introduced me to a fellow Michigander on staff. She even helped charge my phone. Food was out of this world and I can’t wait to go back. 10/10

I love the atmosphere of this place! The wait staff was great all of them not just mine! If we needed something and one walked by they didn’t hesitate to help which was great. The food was amazing I will definitely be returning.

Food was really good and our waitress Jean was really good.

Had some really good dishes - we shared many small plates - a few were outstanding and some were just okay. The large shrimp dish, basmati fried rice and Bronzino we’re really good. The hamachi crudo and broccolini were just okay. Had a few others that were good. Fun place overall.

Awesome experience. Staff made an extra effort to acknowledge our birthday celebration. Can’t wait to go back.

We had a great night. The octopus dish was the star of the night. The burger was great and should be on a best if ATL list of it isn’t already. And the buns were great. The wait staff was very helpful.

This is my 3rd time eating here. Creative menu that is well executed. Menu hasn’t changed significantly in 2 years, but I guess the owners figure if it works, why change it. Some changes would be refreshing. Service as always is attentive and seamless. Two complaints: Get rid of the uncomfortable seats. They become unbearable after an hour. Two, turn the music down a bit. The high volume punk rock was a little much on top of the already loud crowd.

Best oyster selection in Atlanta. Fish chowder mouth watering. Lauren an excellent server. Ford Fry Group always does a fantastic job. Great comfortable table. A 9-10.

Spectacular. Our waitress was amazing. Paced out our meal perfectly! Really guided me in selecting our wine. Very knowledgeable of the menu. Lobster, s’messy’ shrimp appetizer, beet salad...amazing. Wonderful flavor profiles!
Thank you and The Optimist is an ATL must!

My first time to dine at The Optimist but will not be my last. Overall excellence!

Really enjoyed our dinner at The Optimist. One of my wife’s favorite restaurant, and we were not disappointed after not being able to dine here because of the pandemic. Food was great, and the service was just as good.

Looking forward to our next visit!

Can’t wait to go back. Service was great and the food was excellent!

This was our first time at The Optimist and it was such an incredible experience. Our server, G, was amazing. Gave great recommendations and was attentive without hovering. The food was excellent. A great date night spot.

As an oyster virgin, The Optimist was a great place to cut my shells so to speak and there was enough variety to enjoy. Loved the She Crab soup, cocktails, Group and Main Lobster entrees coupled with broccolini, crispy potatoes and hush puppies (corn bread balls with powered sugar - Yum!!) Bryce was an excellent server and host as we navigated the menu! Be prepared for a $200+ bill but enjoyable.

Amazing. I had a really great time and highly recommend. Try a little bit of everything your first time 😉

After reading rave reviews for this restaurant I had high expectations. My issues are only with most of the food and not with the service which was very good. We ordered the whole shrimp a la plancha and the fried oysters. The shrimp was good but I dont think that it was good enough to compensate for the mess you create in peeling and eating whole shrimp covered in sauce. The oysters were, however one of the evenings culinary highlights. I wish we had gotten 2 orders of the oysters and moved on to dessert. My wife ordered the swordfish and I ordered the grouper. The swordfish was overcooked and dry. My grouper was cooked properly but the dish was very bland with none of the accompaniments on the plate adding anything to the fish. We sent back the swordfish and ordered the whole branzino. It was listed as being served in a coconut sauce with thai flavorings, mushrooms, cilantro. All we tasted was salt. If the entrees were 18 to 20 and from a restaurant of less repute I could understand the misses. But for almost 40 per plate the overcooked, bland and over salted dishes are inexcusable. The second star of the evening is awarded to the chocolate tarte with homemade chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce. If anyone asked me whether or not I would recommend the Optimist I would say only if you dont order the entrees. My daughter and her husband love the raw oysters there. I worked in the restaurant business for over 20 years at high end clubs and at Bones restaurant in Atlanta so my expectations at similarly priced locations are higher. I hope and think the Optimist is capable of much better than what we experienced last night.

Never fails to make me have an enjoyable dining experience

This was date night for us. We traveled to the area for other purposes, and decided to hangout for the evening. The staff was pleasant and welcoming. Brett, our waiter was the BEST! He explained the menu thoroughly, provided background information on certain menu items, and offered great suggestions on beverages and chef selections. This was quality time much needed! Well done Optimist!

We love this place

The Optimist is a favorite! Great food and spacious dining. The food is very pricey! Very! Love the bread rolls. I do wonder why it’s always a struggle to get more bread rolls! They have to know people love them so keep them coming, especially because of the price of the food.

The made our 25th wedding anniversary special! The oyster were amazing as usual, the lobster roll outstanding. The smoked fish dip was delicious.

One of our favorite restaurants. The food and service never disappoints. Can't wait to go back.

Ambience was lovely (we sat outside) and service was good, but the food was a very solid OK — especially for the prices. Portions are small, and I suspect our food had been sitting under a heat lamp for a while before it was served.

I’d go back for drinks and apps — would not bother staying for a full dinner at $100/head.

The Optimist is always a great choice. The ambiance is great, the service is top notch and the food is amazing. The buttered rolls set the top for the whole meal: rich, delicious, and delightful. This place is a must try!

Amazing dinner-perfect service! Amber was excellent!!

Amazing seafood! Great service. Didn’t feel rushed which is exceedingly rare. Will def be back!