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The Optimist, Atlanta, GA

The Optimist

4.8
4.8
9056 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood
A photo of The Optimist restaurant

The Optimist

4.8
$31 to $50
Seafood
West Midtown

Make a booking

2 people
21:00
Booked 92 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
  • Good for groups
The Optimist brings a seaside fish camp experience to landlocked Atlantans. The ever-changing menu features high-quality, sustainable seafood masterfully paired with fresh, local ingredients. From sophisticated, daily-catch dishes to crudos and beachside classics, chef-owner Ford Fry’s the Optimist transports guests to their favorite coastal haunts.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (404) 477-6260
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Eddie Barrett
  • Private party facilities
    The Optimist has a variety of event spaces that include bar events, restaurant buy outs, private dining up to 20 guests, semi-private dining for up to 50 guests.
  • Area
    West Midtown
  • Cross Street
    8th Street
  • Parking details
    $5 Valet service is offered through the Brady parking garage, located on property. Additional surface street parking is available throughout the neighborhood, as well as additional lots in the area.
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Experiences

  • Ring in the New Year with The Optimist!

    US$125.00 per person

    31 Dec 2024 only
    Spend this New Year’s Eve “coast-side” with a four-course, prix-fixe meal from executive chef Eddie Barrett! $125 per person with wine pairings available for an additional $45 per person. Premium wine pairing option available for $85 per person. Menu choices include tuna crudo, lobster & potato bisque, duck fat poached swordfish, special desserts and more!

What 9,056 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Atlanta Metro

    Seafood

  • Atlanta

    Seafood

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Optimist is a seafood lover's paradise, celebrated for its "amazing food" and "exceptional service." Diners rave about the "freshest oysters" and "outstanding hospitality," making it an ideal spot for special occasions. While some find prices high, the "vibrant atmosphere" and consistent quality make it a must-visit.

9,056 Reviews
  1. Yelena

    Orlando

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great time here! Food was fantastic & service as well

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  2. sam

    Caribbean

    39 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    39 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Oysters were great. Redfish was good - just a tiny bit salty. We enjoyed the whole experience.

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  3. Arnold

    Atlanta Metro

    50 reviews

    5.0

    50 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Quality operation from top to bottom. Honored our seating request (we wanted a quieter area) so we were seated in their "porch" area which was just right. Tables are spaced well. Our waiter was very professional, had a sense of humor, gave us good advice on food & wine, and offered to take the lobster meat out of the shell (saving my wife a lot of messy work!) Food was top notch - excellent roasted oysters, tuna crudo, arctic char, and roasted lobster. This was a birthday celebration for me & we got two complimentary glasses of port with our dessert.

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  4. Kristin

    Denver

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We love the restaurant but last night a lady filled our water and knocked over the candle which then flew off the table and broke spraying wax all over my brother’s skin & clothes. No one even acknowledged the accident or the wax all over his clothes. Our sides were also not delivered. Our server comped those which was nice. But not our typical wonderful experience we are accustomed to at the Optimist.

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  5. izzy

    Atlanta Metro

    16 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    We came here on a Thursday night and really enjoyed every dish. Everything we ordered was tasty! We have been here before but it was years ago. I will say we were not impressed with our server. It didn’t help that we had a family member in town with us and had to experience that with them. The first incident that happened was that we had ordered three appetizers and only 1 came out and was finished before the other 2 came out . Our server did say that the ticket must’ve gotten lost in the kitchen. But we were thinking how did we get 1 out of the 3? Second of all two of 3 guests waited very long to get a second drink. If he was on top of it we would have kept ordering drinks but the fact that it took him so long with a second one we held off on that. The third thing that happened is that we had ordered some more bread for the table once our meal came and we never got it. He forgot. Our sever was just not attentive at all which was unfortunate. We will be back and hopefully we get a different more attentive server. Overall I recommend this place just hope you get a good server.
    The OptimistResponded 1 day ago
    Hi Izzy, thank you so much for your review. I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed everything that you ordered on your visit. I'm so sorry that our service did not impress, however. The mix up with your appetizers and inattentiveness overall are not up to our standard and certainly not the type of experience we want to provide our guests. I do appreciate the feedback on these issues and am glad that you will be back to visit us in the future. Please let me know the next time that you'd like to come in and I will make sure that you receive an excellent experience. Best, Mark Cioccia AGM

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  6. Shanay

    Detroit

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 4 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing! The rolls were buttery with a hint of finishing salt, chargrilled oysters gave an amazing aroma in the air (and were delicious) and my redfish was perfect. Would go back today if my flight didn’t leave

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  7. Kurt

    Atlanta Metro

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 4 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything from walking through the door to wait staff to the service and the food was perfectly done. I will be back.

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  8. Jamie

    New York City

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 3 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the moment you walk in the door you know you are in for a treat. The smell of fresh wood burning and the cozy, warm lighting make it feel inviting from the beginning. The food was OUTSTANDING. Starting with the warm dinner rolls with the perfect amount of flaky salt through to the oysters, tuna curd, beet salad and on and on through the blueberry pudding cake. Amanda was our server and not only was she friendly, she was also very knowledgeable about the food, the ingredients, where they came from, when they arrived and how things were prepared. She was a total delight. I would come back to Atlanta just to eat there again

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  9. Jazar

    Atlanta Metro

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 3 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food is good, the service is great. The valet parking is outrageous. I didn't see any parking other than valet parking. When you valet park, they send you a text message to pay and have your car retrieved. The payment is with a credit card. On top of the $6.00 I was charged, they tacked on a $1.78 "convenience fee", and then offered a tipping option in the app that starts at $5, $10, and $15. It suggested a $10 tip. Seriously! a $10.00 tip on top of a $6.00 parking charge, on top of a "convenience fee". By the way, they only moved my car about 20 feet from where I dropped it off. This restaurant is pricey, so the valet parking should be complementary... The parking may be why I don't return to this restaurant.
    The OptimistResponded 6 days ago
    Thanks for visiting us, Jazar. I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food and service and I understand your concerns about the parking situation and the valet fee. We partner with The Brady apartment complex to provide both valet and self - parking and I have followed up with our valet team to make sure that both options are presented to our guests. We aim to provide a smooth and enjoyable experience and I'm sorry that we fell short this time. I hope we have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better experience.

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  10. Vivian

    Charlotte

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Restaurant ambiance, really nice! Food was delicious but the service is why I truly would go back ... our server was very attentive and so nice!! Thank you for such a nice experience!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Optimist offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (404) 477-6260.

The Optimist is rated 4.8 stars by 9056 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

A photo of The Optimist restaurant

The Optimist

4.8
$31 to $50
Seafood
West Midtown

Make a booking

2 people
21:00
Booked 92 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Optimist

914 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, GA 30318

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    8th Street
  • Area
    West Midtown
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    $5 Valet service is offered through the Brady parking garage, located on property. Additional surface street parking is available throughout the neighborhood, as well as additional lots in the area.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Eddie Barrett
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Phone number
    (404) 477-6260
  • Private party facilities
    The Optimist has a variety of event spaces that include bar events, restaurant buy outs, private dining up to 20 guests, semi-private dining for up to 50 guests.
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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