Mary Mac's Tea Room Awards

Mary Mac's Tea Room Restaurant Review:

The last survivor of 16 "tea rooms" in downtown Atlanta, Mary Mac's was founded by Mary McKenzie and its name still references her ownership despite numerous changes over the years. Now a rabbit's warren of six dining rooms, expanded from the original one, it remains bright and lively, with good lighting and vivid colors. Walls are lined with the signed photographs of its many notable guests, including politicians, film stars and sports figures. Fried green tomatoes with ranch dressing and fried crawfish tails ("mudbugs") are great starters, and the vegetable soup is light and filling. The house specialty is fried chicken, but other homey offerings include country-fried steak, meatloaf, and chicken and dumplings, the latter simply the benchmark version of the dish. Rainbow trout and fried shrimp or catfish are draws with seafood lovers, and roast chicken, pork or turkey with cornbread dressing are guaranteed chill-chasers. Among vegetables, you'll find all the classics, but don’t bypass the unusual tomato pie. Breads made on-site include addictive cinnamon rolls, cornbread and yeast rolls. For dessert, choose the peanut butter pie without fail. There is a basic wine list, but sweet tea is the standard with this fare. We advise early arrival as you may encounter lengthy waits at peak times.