It was Wednesday night and I was on my way home to Marietta, Ga. I was starving after a long day. As I was going towards the intersection of Shallowford and Sandy Plains, I saw O’Charley’s restaurant and decided it was worth a shot. I admit that although the well-groomed exterior with a few trimmed and neat juniper bushes with the nice blend of brick and wood paneling on the building was inviting, I had my concerns about another corporate-based quasi-fast-food nightmare. What the hell, I thought, a beer and some deep fried appetizer might hit the spot.
The cheery pop-music piped into the lobby and the warm smile of a very friendly hostess greeted me. I skipped the wait, which looked like maybe ten minutes anyways, and went straight to the bar. Being on a wait seemed like a good sign at 8:30pm on a weekday, most places tend to slow down around that time.
The bartender greeted me with a smile and very quickly made sure I had a menu and a beer in hand. Their draft beer selection could use a little work; the basic domestics and maybe one pseudo-micro-brew made by Bud is a little limiting. They did have some nice varieties of bottled beers including Guinness-in-a-can which scored a few points, but it was Miller time. The bartender was very patient and answered all my questions with a sharp honesty you only get from someone who isn’t out to sell you a used car. I started off ordering the Caribbean Coconut Shrimp appetizer and with some not so subtle coaxing turned it into a full dinner. I ordered it with the chicken enchilada soup and a side of fries.
The soup and some warm rolls with a mildly sweet whipped butter showed up within a few minutes of ordering, another server brought the food which scored a few more points for service. The soup was tasty and bared some distant resemblance to something similar I had at Chili’s years ago. Dinner arrived within a minute of the soup. (bad bad bad naughty kitchen and servers… no cookie for you) Switching from my half-eaten soup to the shrimp and fries I took my first bite and the soup incident was quickly forgiven. The shrimp were good sized and fresh; the coconut breading was crisp and was complimented well with the spicy-sweet mango “Caribbean dip.” After two more beers, some lightly salted fries and good conversation . . . it was time for dessert.
I ordered the Cinnamon Sugar Donuts at the suggestion of the bartender and the hostess nearby. They came out hot, tasty and with a delicious cream cheese dip. Overall, not a bad dinner if you forgive the “soup-us interruptus.”
Food: American Service: Good
Price Range:$6-18 Carryout:Yes C.Cards:Amex,MC,Visa
Wheelchair Access:Yes Kids:Definitely
Location:3550 Sandy Plains Road Marietta, GA 30066 Phone:(770) 579-2690
Open for: Lunch and Dinner Parking: Good
Vegetarian Selection: Not very good.
Website: http://www.ocharleys.com/
Best Dishes: Caribbean Coconut Shrimp and Kickin O’Tenders
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