Revival - Decatur

Our son recommended the Revival Restaurant, having known the owner during their many years in Charleston where the original restaurant is located. When we planned a weekend in Hotlanta, we made reservations for a celebratory birthday meal. Our table was ready upon our arrival, and service began shortly after ordering, and receiving, drinks. We decided on two appetizers: deviled eggs and fried green tomatoes (although the plural is implied, a single green tomato appears in four slices at a high price [are green tomatoes that difficult to find? . The four (two whole eggs) deviled eggs were tasty, and the bacon shards enhanced their flavor. The remoulade for the green tomatoes added the flavor needed to make this dish. One of our family members found the fried chicken to be excellently prepared, whereas another of our family members found the catfish filet to be soft and mushy, as if the filet had been frozen and thawed. It certainly wasn't fresh. As other guests have remarked, the collards were a one-note side dish of vinegar, missing any fatback or pork belly normally associated with them. It is unsure whether the absence of pork in their preparation is intended to make the side dish more attractive to vegetarians. In contrast, the side of mushrooms was tasty, and at least two different varieties of fungi were presented. All in all, though, we found our evening to offer us an average meal, vowing not to return because there are other restaurants where southern food is better.

Gosh. I don't know about these other reviews. Eating at Revival was like being at a salt lick. There was too much salt in everything. It was overwhelming. Also, none of the food was a standout. It was slightly above home cooking and boring. The Mac and cheese wasn't salty thank god, but bland as can be. I've never had a blander Mac and cheese. The fried chicken was ho-hum. I've had way better at other places. The atmosphere wasn't that great either. Yes, it was in a home, but the table layout, one bright lighting lacked intimacy and kind of cheapens the place. Not a place to take a date.

Ryan at Revival helped me plan my son’s rehearsal dinner and it was wonderful. We picked the family style menu and there was more than enough food. There were gluten free and vegetarian options available in addition to the three meat/fish options. Everyone said the food was amazing. Brandy was our main server/hostess and she and her team did a great job explaining how things were going to work and keeping everything flowing. I was very pleased as were the bride and groom.

Went to celebrate our anniversary with a couple of friends and had an amazing time. The portion sizes were perfect and both the server and the bar tender were so nice. Everything tasted amazing maybe one of the best fried catfish I've ever had. Parking: There is free on-site parking.

Revival is such a cute restaurant, located in what looks like an old house in downtown Decatur. My group sampled several dishes, most of which were delicious! The cat fish and seafood pie were standouts, along with the collard greens and mushrooms. The fried green tomatoes were quite bland and the bread pudding was runny. Service was a bit slow but all in all a nice dinner experience.