Georgia

Tuesday’s Treats #36

/ The WheatandTares / 3 Comments

Tacos & Tequilas

location: Cumming, Ga
Tacos & Tequilas is a great place to get some good Mexican food. They have an extensive menu, and the service is always great. The food is yummy, and the chips and salsa are served up in plenty! šŸ˜‰ They sometimes have live music, and with or without the live band, the atmosphere is great. It can get a little loud on a busy night, but it seems to be no different than any other busy restaurant.

They have a good lunch menu with moderate prices. The dinner menu is a little on the higher end for Mexican food, but it’s not too bad. For our family of four, ordering cheese dip, 5 steak tacos, a burrito Mexicana, individual plate of rice and beans, and sweet teas/cokes, it usually comes to about $40 without the tax and tip.img_7699

I noticed a week or so ago that they’ve also opened another one near the Mall of Georgia. OH, and I do realize by the name of this place, it sounds like it might be a pretty crazy drinking atmosphere. I know from the menu lists, you can order drinks, and I’ve seen plenty who do; however, being a family who doesn’t, this place is still comfortable for us to have a nice dinner together. šŸ˜‰

It looks like they don’t have an actual website, but you can check out the Trip Advisor listing for locations and reviews.

One more thing, from the looks of it, I think they might have several other locations, too! Enjoy!

Tuesday’s Treats #34

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

Cocina Fuentes (Mexican)

Location: Monroe, Ga

Ā This place is probably the absoluteĀ BEST Mexican restaurant we have been to! It’s in the cute little town of Monroe, Georgia, and after you enjoy your meal, you can head downtown and the surrounding areas to find some great antique shops. The atmosphereĀ here is great, and the service is always spot on.

The food is always made perfect to order, and everything tastes fresh and prepared with care. The steak seems to be of higher quality than most Mexican restaurants, and everything else is just perfect. They haveĀ quite an extensive menu from which to choose, and I do wish I had more pics to share with you.

My husband usually gets the Taco Quaintes (spelling?), and it is always delicious. I apologize that I don’t have the name of the meal above, but I can say it was also delicious! I have looked online for their website; however, there doesn’t seem to be one listed. However, they do have a facebook page, and here is a copy of their lunch menu.

Oh, and I do hope you don’t think me rude for posting a pic of the bathroom, but I wanted to be able to share the attention they give to details. Most places just stick a sink in there to get the job done, but this is actually stylish and beautiful. Their attention to details shows in everything they do. Drop by, and check them out!

Tuesday’s Treats #32

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Rumor HazIt

Location: Clayton, GaĀ 

This has been a local favorite of ours for several years now, and I’ll be honest, you can actually catch them on a day when they’re not A+ quality. However, I’ll have to say the majority of the time, you’ll get really good food and pretty good service.

You wouldn’t think you’d find a decent seafood restaurant in the hills of North Georgia, and if I hadn’t eaten here myself, I’d definitely be a doubter. We actually ate here yesterday, and the food was pretty good, about a B grade. We ordered the fried pickles, and they were amazing! We, also, ordered a small tossed salad and the shrimp bisque, both were yummy.

For entrees, we ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, chicken fingers, cheeseburger and the blackened mahi-mahi sandwich, all with fries. Everything tasted great; however, the chicken and mahi sandwiches were just a tad over cooked, leaving them both a little dry, but we’ve had these plenty of times before, and they were delicious. The fries were awesome; they’re like little potato logs. The ranch dressing, tartar sauce and the chipotle ranch sauces all taste homemade.

We’ve had the burgers before (pictured first above), and they’ve always been great. If you like beer battered onion rings, they’ve got some of the best. The fried cod sandwich has always been tasty as well. Oh, if you like dessert, you’ll really like their key lime pie, and there’s another dessert we’ve had there; however, I can’t remember what it was. šŸ˜œ

The atmosphere is really done right with all nautical themes and a beautiful fish tank in the center of the room. The seating is very comfortable with both inside tables and half booths and outside patio areas.

So, try them out, and remember, if you happen to get bad (slow!) service that day, please, just give them one more try. You’ll enjoy the meals, and you’ll probably catch them on a better day the next time around. šŸ˜‰

You can check out their website here.

Tuesday’s Treats #31

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Pueblo’s Cantina & Grill

Location: Jasper, Ga. (25 Luke Carver Dr…Listing address, because apparently there are a couple of Pueblo’s in Jasper! šŸ˜‰)

I don’t know about you, but if I’m out of town, it’s so hard to know which Mexican restaurant to choose. Everyone’s opinion on this cuisine is so diverse, even in tripadvisor.com, you can end up at a great place or an awful one, all depending upon who gave the review. That’s why I decided to post about this restaurant, because we were recently in the little town of Jasper, and we were craving some steak tacos, rice and beans. I looked up on Trip Advisor, and this restaurant’s name was listed three times at three different locations, all with conflicting reviews! Talk about decision dilemmas. Ugh!

 

googlemaps.com

After finding the one with the best ratings and driving to the address, we realized that we had actually been to this one before. The location of this place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but they have great Mexican food. The inside has a nice atmosphere as well. The sweet tea is what good Southern sweet tea should be. The chips and salsa are a great combo, and the steak is great. We ordered steak tacos, a fajita steak burrito and rice and beans. Everything tastes great, and the service is good as well.

 

steak fajita buritto

If you’re in Jasper, Georgia, and you want a good Mexican meal, find Pueblo’s on Luke Carver Dr. You won’t be disappointed. šŸ˜‰

Evidently, they don’t have an actual website; however, I did find them on Facebook. Look here to find their location and see the menu.

Tuesday’s Treats #30

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Marlow’s Tavern

Location: several in the Atlanta area


Marlow’s is the BEST! This is one of my favorite restaurants. The ingredients are picked up fresh daily, and the choices are unique and diverse. They have some of the best shrimp and grits I’ve put in my mouth. Now, I switch up mine from their menu description. I order mine with the jalapeƱo corn grits rather than the grit cakes, but that’s just according to your particular taste. I like them both.

The Tavern burgers, chicken panini and chicken stack are all delicious, and the salads are different than any you’ll get at another restaurant. Beware, the salads are of large proportion, too! You’ll definitely want to start out with the kettle chips or the firecracker shrimp, and the warm chocolate cake is a delicious finish.

If your appetite isn’t all that today, you can even order a few small plates to custom make your meal. There’s jalapeƱo corn grits, fried okra, fresh fruit and white cheddar grit cakes, just to name a few. If you enjoy a little spirits with your meal, I suppose they have plenty of that, too, because it is called a tavern. That’s just not my game; so, I apologize I won’t be too helpful in that area. šŸ˜‰
The atmosphere is great, and the seating is very comfortable with booths, regular tables, high tops and even a great patio area. We had a group of 35 meet here recently, and the patio area was so comfortable and accommodating. The fans oscillate and rotate, and the tables are a cool wood/metal decor, and they even have a couch a table area for the more relaxed conversations.

I believe you’ll enjoy your visit; so, I hope you’ll check them out soon. Oh, I hear they just opened a location in Florida as well! šŸ˜Š Here’s their website for all your information needs.

Tuesday’s Treats #29

/ The WheatandTares

Provino’s Italian Restaurant

Location: several in surrounding Atlanta area

We love, love, love Provino’s! It is one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to! If you don’t want to overload on carbs, well, you might as well forget it. It could be done, but it would be pretty much torture.

The atmospher here is so romantic, yet, just as enjoyable for family and friends. They have several different sections to choose from, and each area is comfortable and enjoyable. After you order your drinks, they bring you a bowl full of yummy, buttery, garlic rolls. If you’re on a first date, you better beware. These things are loaded with the garlic, but oh, it’s SOOO good.

Along with this, they will bring you a beautifully arranged Italian salad, complete with lettuce, chickpeas, beats, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers, all drenched in their delicious house dressing (an italian oil vinegar)

This is a half order of the Cody Special. The whole order is HUGE, but you do get (planned) leftovers! šŸ˜‰ This dish is NOT on the menu, and depending on the location, you may have to update them on the ingredients. We were first told about it at the Snellville location. It is a generously portioned dish made with angel hair pasta, rosetella sauce (red and white mixed), chicken and/or shrimp, sautĆ©ed mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, all baked to deliciousness. My husband always orders it with chicken only and gets it baked to a nice golden brown. This last time, he had them add a meatball to the dish. Oh. My. Word! This is incredible!! Ā 

This second photo is of their famous lasagna. It is a perfect layering of pasta, meat, ricotta cheese, sauce and cheese, all baked right in the dish to a beautiful golden brown. It is SOOO yummy.

The menu has a great variety, and everything we have had or tasted is wonderful. They plenty to choose from: chicken, veal, seafood and simple pastas. They have several side dishes and delicious desserts. One dessert I have to mention is the one that’s my favorite: the Cafe Provino. This is a delicious, chocolate drenched italian coffee with whip cream and tiny chocolate morsels on top. My husband calls it coffee flavored chocolate milk (warmed). I just call it “heaven in a cup!” šŸ˜‚ It is so good!!

Oh, go by on your birthday, show your ID, and you get your meal for FREE, too! šŸ˜‰ You can’t beat that!!

Here is theirĀ website; so, you can find the right location for you. Ā We’ve been to almost every location, and even though, we do have our favorites, we’ve never been disappointed.

Tuesday’s Treats #28

/ The WheatandTares

Bare Bones Steakhouse

Location: Buford, Ga. Ā 

For one of the best steaks you’ll put in your mouth, drive on past The Mall of Georgia and head toward the historic town of Buford, Georgia. In the old Bona Allen Tannery Building, the owner of Bare Bones Restaurant is grilling them up right! He has direct connections with a meat company out of Norcross; so, the steaks are cut and delivered fresh everyday.

My husband and I went here for the first time the other night, and we were highly impressed! From what I’ve been told, they have redone the building perfectly. You feel like you’ve walked into an upscale steakhouse yet not so upscale that you can’t show up in jeans and a cute top. The hostess is dressed in jeans and a plaid button up, and I saw the owner bustling around in his suit and tie. They asked if we had reservations, but seated us quickly even though we did not. They have booths and tables and a grand room in the back for really large groups.


We split the 22 oz Chateau Briand Filet with a side of Logan Turnpike Grits with cheese and a salad. Can I just say, “Oh. My. Word. That’s a lot of meat, but, oh, what a good steak!!” The grits were phenomenal and the wedge salad was incredible with the bacon, tomatoes and pecans (We got it with Ranch dressing instead of blue cheese). We were told by the hostess that everything here, except the bread and the cheesecake, is made in house, and you can tell! The grits were creamy and delicious…”Southern style” made just right.

Even though, we were almost full, and we had already had a portion of our steak boxed to go, we ordered the blackberry cobbler with homemade ice cream for dessert. Oh. My. Goodness!! That’s heaven in a bowl! It was served in this cute little white “crock,” and I’m so sorry, I don’t have a pic of this. We dove into it way too quickly, and it disappeared before I thought to take a photo. Just trust me when I say, you’ve got to get you some!!

These guys opened up back in the fall/winter of 2015, and they seem to be going great. I hope they do well. They are a great addition to the cool upgrade of downtown Buford. Here is theirĀ website;Ā so, you can find their location and see the menu.

Tuesday’s Treats #27

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

Austin’s Cattle Co.

Location: Valdosta, Ga.

This place is a hidden gem in Valdosta. You wouldn’t quite expect the quality, as its location is unassuming and connected to a motel, and usually motel restaurants are, at best, hit and miss. Well, this is a “bullseye hit!”

It seems to be locally owned and cared for by people who care about quality as well as service. It’s hard to tell from appearances, if the owners own the motel, or they may not be affiliated at all with the motel; however, it is evident the restaurant is of top priority. From the front door to the tables to the food, everything is extremely clean and treated with “A+ quality.”

The steaks were cooked to perfection and seemed to melt in your mouth, and the veggies were cooked exactly as they should be, not squishy and soggy, and the taste was scrumptious! The menu is quite extensive with choices not only of steak but chicken, salads, burgers, etc. Our waiter was delightful and helpful with the menu, and she was quick to keep our drinks refilled and assist in any way she could.

If you’re in the Valdosta area, and you want an incredible steak, this is the place to eat! Check out their website here.

Tuesday’s Treats #25Ā 

/ The WheatandTares

Amicalola Lodge Restaurant

Location: Amicalola Falls State Park, Ga.

This was a pleasant surprise. We ate here several time YEARS ago and got burned BAD each time; so, we have just refused to try it again, until an evening in May, when we were at the Falls, and our boys were about to starve. We contemplated driving back into a town (30 minutes or more) to get them something, but with the recent renovations of the lodge, we decided to give the restaurant another try. We were glad we did.

It was a Friday night, and the restaurant was having a “Surf and Turf” seafood buffet. Everything was really tasty. The salad bar was great. They had fried shrimp, clams and mussels, baked fish, steak and crab cakes as the main entrees. The sides were green beans, roasted new potatoes and grilled veggies (squash and zucchini), and maybe another I didn’t try (?). These all were delicious!

They also had a gourmet chef who would cook your shrimp and pasta dish to order. The fried shrimp and steak weren’t too good, but the crab cakes and baked fish were delightful. The chef took a little too long to cook my shrimp scampi, and the shrimp was, actually, a little overcooked, but the taste was yummy!

They had a pretty good spread of desserts: pecan pie, banana pudding, chocolate cake and an assortment of cookies. The pecan pie was Amazing, and being from the South, I can be pretty picky about pecan pies! It was so chock full of pecans, and it tasted like homemade.

 

sorry for the reflection, but I wanted you to see our view from the table. šŸ˜‰

The lodge is always beautiful with the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountains, and that view is continued throughout the restaurant. So, you get a delicious meal with an incredible view. We will definitely come here again when we’re visiting the falls.

If you’d like to check out this, or other state parks in ga, you can find them here.

Tuesday’s Treats #24

/ The WheatandTares / 3 Comments

The Rookery

Location: Macon, Ga.


This place has a great atmosphere, and good food. It’s noted as #1 on tripadvisor.com; however, I think I might not rate it that high. Don’t get me wrong, please. We did enjoy it; it just wasn’t a “hit it out of the park” kind of meal. We ordered the spicy pimento cheese appetizer, the bacon cheeseburger and the a chicken sandwich with goat cheese, bacon and a fried green tomato (I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten the name!). The appetizer was amazing. The burger was good, and the chicken sandwich was pretty good, but very messy. My husband didn’t really care for the goat cheese taste on the sandwich. I’ve been told they are known for their milkshakes, and we should’ve gotten one. However, the waiter seemed to be a little slow, or distracted, and the wait time went over the time we had; so, we opted out. I guess, we’ll have to go back and try that and maybe try a different sandwich to see if maybe it was just an off day. The crowd was full during lunch time on a Monday, and the ratings on TA were pretty high; so, yeah, maybe we just didn’t get a good first impression…?

They have several specials each day, as well as, two or three daily soups. The shakes are supposed to be awesome, and the desserts did sound yummy from the descriptions. If you’re in Macon, stop by and give it a try.

Here’s their menu to check it out. By the way, the whole menu doesn’t seem to be listed on line. It’s pretty extensive. šŸ˜‰