4. Restaurants

Better Half

349 14th St,Bldg C, Atlanta, GA, 30318
  • (404) 695-4547
  • Store is closed

Better Half Menu

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  • Sophie H.

    Went back and sat at the bar' it was fabulous! Added the handkerchief pasta to our tasting menu and it was amazing! The food is so fresh and delicious - delish! We do the pairings and bring a bottle - but we Uber so we so don't have to worry about driving! Highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Liz M.

    Simply put, this is the best meal experience you could have in Atlanta. Wait staff is knowledgeable and attentive. Ambience is intimate and artistic. Food.... oh the food. If you like your food to be so beautiful and flavorful that is it actually art, go here. If you want to impress a date, go here. If you have out of town guests, bring them here. If you just want to treat yourself, go here. If like quantity of food over quality, skip it. That isnt the kind of dining you come here for. You come here for an experience. Every bite is meant to be savored and explored. Ask for a wine pairing. Bring a group and try one of everything. Enjoy.

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    One of our favorite restaurants! Opt to always sit at the bar and get to know the amazing chefs. They'll take very good care of you and trust their selections

    (5)

  • Erika C.

    We got to check out this place for the first time on Valentine's Day and we were so impressed. Just as with Pushstart Kitchen, the cozy restaurant has a wonderfully personal touch. The food, as always, was well-planned and delicious and was delivered in great time. We brought our own wine (only applicable until they get their license to serve) and the waitstaff were accommodating and friendly. So glad we can visit Zach and Christina whenever we like now.

    (5)

  • Collin P.

    Zach Meloy is the BEST! Partnered with his wife Christina, they are the new restaurant power couple.

    (5)

  • Cindy S.

    My husband and I dined at Better Half on Friday night and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. I think the best description of this charming restaurant was penned by an earlier reviewer who described it as a place for foodies but with a casual vibe. In that sense it reminds me of European bistros who serve amazingly creative food. For appetizers, I had a charred scallion panisse with a chick pea base, and fresh cucumber, green apple, grapefruit and yogurt. All of the favors worked beautifully together. My husband had the smoked potato ravioli with pancetta and cippollini and hot pepper jelly. Fantastic! For our mains we both had the Speckled Trout, which was incredible. Most restaurants serve farm raised trout, which is so different from sea trout. The fish was served with crispy skin and accompanied by garlic confit and a red curry cauliflower. Again, all the flavors were carefully selected to harmonize. It is clear that chef Zach approaches his menu with great thought, precision, and love! We topped off the meal with some delicious pressed coffee and a yummy cheese plate of two generous slices of local Asher Blue. I also want to commend all the staff for their exceptional service. We dine out so much and sadly, find that poor service is more often the norm than the exception. At Better Half, from the time we were greeted at the door until when we left, we were welcomed warmly by hosts, wait staff, and the chef himself. Dining there was more like being invited guests at someone's home than being at a restaurant. We can't wait to return for the 5 course tasting menu or, for a real treat, the 9-course tasting menu at the bar, where you can watch all the delicate labors of the kitchen staff. Thank you, Better Half, for making this date night with my husband so memorable.

    (5)

  • Raghav V.

    good food and friendly staff. unique vegetarian options.

    (5)

  • Howard L.

    What a restaurant!!!! The best meal we have had in a long time. I would give it 6 stars ala Spinal Tap. The ricotta dumplings were delicious, the chorizo added an appropriate amount of smoke and spice. I had the pasta and my wife had the tuna. The pasta was tasty and inventive. The tuna was seared to perfection. The carrot puree was a perfect accompaniment. We all shared deserts. We had the pretzel cremeux, cocoa sponge and the mexican chocolate tres leches. They were all delicious. There were interesting tastes with each desert. The pretzel cremeux had mustard and the chocolate tres leches had pepper that accented the desert perfectly. All in all a wonderful meal.

    (5)

  • Tori L.

    My husband and I had been to Zach and Cristina's supper club, PushStart Kitchen, and few times before opening their restaurant, Better Half. We fell in love with the artistry and creativity (not to mention the TASTE) of Zach's dishes and were elated to hear they were taking the next step with Better Half. We literally counted down the days until they opened, even contributing to their Kickstarter campaign to help fund the endeavor. We finally had the chance to dine at the restaurant and were blown away by the entire meal. I always said that the three meals I ate at PushStart were honestly the three best meals I had ever eaten. Well, the dining experience at Better Half is now one of the four best meals ever. Zach's plates are stunningly beautiful and everything always comes together so harmoniously, no matter how skeptical you might be at first. The silk handkerchief pasta is definitely not something to miss--the tomato marmalade is amazing. We can't wait to experience Better Half again soon!

    (5)

  • Sean F.

    Just come eat here. Looks like the menu changes fairly often and they may not always serve what you want. So what? Just eat here. Order off your beaten path. This is a place of flavor adventure! I had the "albondigas" small plate which roughly translates to a meatball. Really clever dish A squared off seasoned beef meatball (block?) With two sauces 1) cherry/chipotle, sweet and smokey while almost having zero spice 2) a refined salsa roja. It was good, but could have been great. After a bit of thought the beef was a bit over seasoned with salt in my opinion. It was hard to pick out any beef flavor while it also forced me to use every ounce of the nice sauces to cut the salt. Dessert was a gem. Some darn fancy carrot cake with carrot sorbet. I'm a sucker for carrot cake and this take on it was fun. The carrot sorbet had a nice, fine texture while not being too sweet. You still had a very refreshing carrot taste. You can tell the staff here is very close and works their tails off. I can see that it's possible that there may be good and bad nights but I am absolutely sure they'd take care of you if something was off the mark. Not life changing, but a place that I wish was across the street from my house for sure. I'd be a regular.

    (4)

  • Rachel K.

    Beware: be careful where you park. I almost got a ticket. But thank God I ran fast enough to get to my car before the guy could write a ticket. Whew. Park on the streets AFTER 7!!!!! Got the 5 course tasting meal. Some of the dishes are smaller, but as you go through the course - you'll get full. It was about 50 bucks. I have a small stomach, so I was happy by the end of the course, but if you have a huge appetite, I don't think this will satisfy you. Service was AMAZING. The place was pretty packed. The environment here is awesome too. :) Some foods I liked, some I didn't; I am fairly certain every course given at any restaurant has a dish or 2 that's not super popular. But I did expect to have more Yes dishes than No dishes. 1. Flan - So, I don't like flan in general; therefore, I only had a few bites before I let someone else have the rest. But the bites I had were good/ok; tasted too buttery. I just can't eat too much of it b/c I have a sensitive stomach. The mushrooms on top of the flan were pretty tasty. Ok dish - only b/c of the mushrooms. 2. Flounder - So...... not really a fan. Missed the mark on this one unfortunately. Just didn't mix well with me. I ate it regardless, but I don't think I'd order this individually. Too much walnuts :( 3. Steak - I actually think the steak was the reason why I bumped up my 2 to a 3. Great taste & done correctly. I also liked the huge onion that was included hah. The steak for sure trumps the flounder. I wish they added more portions! :( 4. Cheese - Hmm.... kind of basic. I liked the mini bread that was included. Cheese wise, it was ok. Oh - but the Strawberry (?) & Raspberry (?) Jam were delicious.... so 1/2 yes and no for me. 5. I love dessert so this was my #2 favorite. Coco with the Orange piece with ice cream. Nomnommm. The orange was a great add. Nicely complimented the dish.

    (3)

  • Rich V.

    Ugh, a frustrating evening. The menu is always changing, and today the menu was better than most days, although the execution was soft. I'll give more on that in a second, but my biggest frustration is service and ambiance. I'll take the last one first. They put us back by the bathrooms. Despite my prior review, we still get to see and hear every person in the restaurant as they go into the bathroom to do their business. There's even a doorway there, so they could at the very least put some kind of eye barrier if not a sound barrier. The menu tonight was better than it usually is. The watermelon was great! They also did a kind of deconstructed lamb tamale that was solid. I only tried the corn soup with a fried jalapeno, but trying it was all I wanted. I didn't think much of the dish. The second courses were a bit wanting however. I did the beef short rib, and it seemed to have been pressure cooked today with little development or sauce or anything else that added much depth of flavor. The cut had obviously been rushed through it's tenderizing process. Quite disappointing. My bigger issue came later in the evening. Better Half was only about half full tonight...despite it being a Friday. They only did one table turn for each table and only about 3/4 of tables were ever taken. Somehow as my table was laughing at a funny story one of my friends was recounting, the person running the floor came over and told us we needed to be quiet? I think this comes down a little bit to one of my frustrations with the front of the house -- truly the back of the house is one of the best in Atlanta -- but I don't think Better Half hospitality staff know their customers. Usually when I go into places, the management and staff have some inkling of how often I dine at their restaurant. I don't think Better Half has ever recognized me. Most restaurants at this price point do this through some sort of CRM system. If I go to Tomo, they know I want to be a the sushi bar. If I go to Aria or Restaurant Eugene, they know I want to be in one of the "u" tables. The one thing I've ever asked Better Half is not to put me back by the bathrooms, and yet most every time that's one of the first places they seem to seek to fill. I have had mixed service at Better Half. Three weeks ago or so, I had excellent service. Last time I did not. I think service depends somewhat on luck of the draw with the waitstaff but also depends upon when you sit down. Their wine list needs some work. Also, they use stemless glasses like you use next to the pool for wine. For a restaurant like this, I think they need to offer espresso drinks. This Foodie in particular wants an espresso after my meal not a pot of coffee. So all that said, I had really been in love with the quaintness of Better Half, but my most recent experiences show that the rubber is coming off the tire. Sadly, while the chef is really ingenious, the restaurant is very poorly managed. Service is subpar for the price point.

    (3)

  • Jang C.

    Oh man, what a disappointment. I was so hyped about this place, but things fell short. First of all, I have no idea where to park. It isn't clear. You can park at the gas station next door. But they have like 8 spaces total. There has to be some other places to park. I guess you can park in the streets of home park. Their decor is trendy and quaint. It's also kinda hipster-ish too. Maybe a rich, hipster type vibe. That's cool. First, let me mention that their presentations are beautiful. On the menu, all of their dishes sound mundane. But they really make the dishes look amazing and delicious. For example, their tortilla soup is the most amazing looking tortilla soup I've seen. To start, I tried their duck flatbread with machengo and wild mushroom coca. I liked this dish. The flatbread was baked well and tasted great. The duck was good too. The fennel jam was all bunched in the corner of the bread. So it was hard to spread it everywhere. It was still a good dish though. For my entree, I got their Crispy Flounder. This didn't taste good. When they say, "Crispy" they meant make it look like filet o fish. Like their other dishes, they made the dish look amazing, but when you really look at it, it's just 2 filet o fishes from McDonald's with the blood orange aioli drizzled around it artistically. Speaking of the blood orange aioli, that did not match with the flavors of the fish. It was too sour. Maybe if we had fresh blood oranges? I dunno. I didn't like the dish at all. The flavors were too contrasty and didn't work well for me. Oh yeah, the roasted fennel it came with was too tough. I couldn't cut it with my dull butter knife they gave me. So I had to shove that whole thing into my mouth. Argh. The Filet o Flounder was probably the most expensive entree on the menu. My friend and I found this place overpriced. After spending about $100 for the both of us (without drinks or dessert), we just went home hungry and disappointed. Don't get me wrong, this place doesn't suck. I liked the presentation, the creativity of the menu, and the duck flatbread. The flounder just killed it for me. Oh well.

    (3)

  • Zack H.

    I came here hoping to love this restaurant. The experience fell flat on all levels. The service was poor as i do not think we had an assigned waiter/waitress. The food most importantly was not good. Th flavors did not meld. Also it was way to expensive for the portions and quality of food. Needless to say I will not be returning.

    (1)

  • Cindy C.

    We had 6:15 reservations. We got in at about 6:10. We were promptly seated and the waiter took our drink order. All good. Then we put in our dinner order. There were 4 of us, 2 ordered "firsts", 2 didn't. The firsts came quickly...that was all that came! We left the restaurant at 7:30 never having received our main course. Wish I could have told you what the food was like....it just never happened! Very disappointed!!

    (1)

  • L H.

    Exceptional experience! Table ordered 5 course tasting menu, everyone was blown away- 1st course Potato Soup with dollop of bacon marmalade was crazy good, 2nd course was a well prepared trout, 3rd course was 2 medallions of pork that absolutely melted in your mouth, 4th course was a homemade Brie and biscuit with fruit marmalades, finishing with a dollop of cheesecake, toasted marshmallows and ginger ice cream. The owners visited our table multiple time during meal. It is a great story and fab place to dine with friends. Will be back very soon.

    (5)

  • Claudia A.

    I wanted to come here and try it due to all the great reviews. I might come back just to try their menu changes. I think perhaps what was in season and on the menu this night just wasn't my cup of tea. My friend didn't like it either, she won't be coming back. I got the chef tasting menu with 5 items for $50. Think tapas. They ended up being very pretty yet overpriced items that looked better than they tasted. I don't mind paying more for less food but it has to taste amazing (quality over quantity). It didn't. I tried the pecan crusted white fish with bacon- it was very bland except for the spoonful of bacon garnishing it. Then the garlic flan- it was tasted like eating butter which isn't my favorite thing to spoon into my mouth. Then came the steak- this was great. But as I told my friend-you can't mess up steak, you put a piece of it on the grill and leave it medium. The cheese wasn't bad (i mean it's cheese) but the cornbread cracker served with it wasn't very good (very dry) although it did have a watermelon jam on it that was great (again yummy garnish). Dessert was coco and chocolate ice cream with a chocolate cookie. This wasn't bad but the cookie was tough to chew. The wait staff was friendly but didn't come by as often as I expected. They came with a dish but never came to see if we needed anything in between. Only came back to clear up our dish and bring back another.

    (2)

  • Kristin P.

    I really really hate to give two stars to this restaurant because they source from several local farms and the chefs are really talented. Unfortunately, nothing my husband and I had was that memorable. Each dish was perfectly executed, but none of the flavor combinations worked for us. We won a 5 course tasting dinner for here from a silent auction at the Southeastern Sustainable Livestock Conference and I was SO excited to come. The waitstaff was so friendly but we just didn't truly enjoy any of the courses :(

    (2)

  • Jana H.

    What a great experience at the chef's counter (this was definitely a 4.5 star meal)! I was surprised with dinner at Better Half, and when we were seated at the chef's counter, I knew something good was going to happen. We opted to do the 9-course tasting menu ($65 per person), since it is only available if you sit at the counter. I also added on the beverage pairing, which was 5 tasting pours of wine to pair with the different courses ($30 per person). I was blown away by the first 2 courses. The onion and apple soup and the pickled shrimp appetizers were outstanding! Both would have been menu items I easily passed by and wouldn't have typically ordered, and that is why these were my favorites! The chef's tasting was a win from the start. Other notable dishes from the night were the pork dish and the banana flan. There were only 2 courses that disappointed me. The scallop was perfectly cooked, but the accompaniments on the plate were not my favorite flavor combinations. The felafel was my least favorite dish of the night, but it's wasn't terrible by any means. If I do the chef's tasting again, I would skip the wine pairings and choose a couple glasses I love. For $30, I received 5 tastings pours of a variety of wines (2 whites, 1 red, 1 Madeira, and 1 champagne). The Madeira was served with the cheese course and I had to ask what it was before drinking. While the pairing was interesting, it is not a wine I would ever order again as it was much too sweet for my taste. I really wanted another red in the mix. The service was fantastic, and I loved sitting at the counter. This was the first time I've ever sat that close to a kitchen to see all the action, and for any foodie (or wannabe foodie), it was a great experience. Overall, I would definitely recommend Better Half, and I hope to come back again to enjoy more of the beautifully crafted and delectable dishes .

    (4)

  • Thu M.

    Came here with my sister. She's raved about this place, from some friends that raved about it. Had a couple of dishes to share, really appreciated the thoughtfulness they put into splitting the entrees (after seeing her cough up a chainsaw, probably) so we could both enjoy our foods. Interesting combination of ingredients. Was not crowded that night we came in, so we got a nice seat at the bar to witness the action. My favorite part of the night was watching one of the chefs struggle with the hardened goat cheese whip thing-- he couldn't expel it out the applicator tip and you could see how determined he was to complete the dish. I can't say I'll be back; there are just too many other cool restaurants to try in ATL, nonetheless, the perseverance of these guys bumped my rating to a solid 3. Thanks Tim, and team for the experience!

    (3)

  • Ravi B.

    Summary: Pork Belly & Chocolatex6 with your favorite dinner meat at the chef's counter makes an awesome dinner experience. I can't tell if the first courses or the second courses (or the dessert third courses) are the better half/halves of the meal here! Justin White, a friend named Hallie, and I came here on a Saturday night. It was surprising that they weren't 100% packed on a Mother's Day weekend, but that was nice for us. We sat at the chef's counter which was one of the best parts of the experience! We started off with cocktails and wine. I tried the basil margarita and Hallie got the vodka with limo. Both were awesome, but I liked my margarita more. We also got some white wine which was a great compliment to our meal. For 1st courses (appetizers) we shared a couple of different items: the pickled shrimp, pork belly (on the house), polenta (on the house), and green tomatoes every which way. Some of the items we got were free and I don't know if its because we sat at the chef's counter or because we showed our social media check-in highlighted on the menu. However, one those items were a pork belly that was cooked for 3 days. It was amazing! It had a spicy sauce on it which was even more awesome. There were a bunch of sauces all throughout the meal that were awesome. The pickled shrimp was ceviche style, so it was interesting, but it wasn't my favorite item. It had cucumbers, carrots, and other pickled vegetables along with it. The polenta cake was pretty good too. It was almost like salty cornbread (in a good way). The green tomatoes every which way was really awesome too. It was crispy, sweet, and tomato-y in so many ways :D. For 2nd courses, I liked everything that we had. However, I felt that the items sounded different than they actually were. We split the crispy flounder, chicken, and silk handkerchief pasta that had mushrooms. All were really flavorful and unique. They all had great parts of them that I liked, but it seemed like none of the dishes really bedazzled me as one item. The chicken had a lot of flavor, but it came with oatmeal, which I didn't like. Also the chicken said it came with crispy skin, but it didn't have very much of the skin on top. The flounder was really awesome and crispy. The pasta felt like it needed some meat for me, but Justin and Hallie really loved it by itself. I did see one of the chefs making the pasta by hand which was really cool and it had a really good amount of creamy-ness. Dessert was one of my favorite parts! We got the "chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate" which was decadent in the best way! It had 6 different types of chocolate in many sorts of different ways. The pastry chef challenged us to think of any other ways we could add chocolate. She also let us sample the strawberry panna cotta which had a strawberry sweet kick on top. Awesome desserts here and awesome experience! The chefs all looked like they were having so much fun while we watched them prepare everything. They were like bartenders serving food. Service was above and beyond also. I would highly recommend Better Half to friends.

    (5)

  • Thi T.

    3.5 stars. This has been on my Bucket List for a while after hearing trusted Yelpers rave about it with their 5 star reviews. I was quick to emphasize on my reservations that I would like to sit at the bar with a view of the open kitchen. I came on a Friday night with reservations at 6 pm and we were the first ones at the bar. I don't think there was anyone at the restaurant at the time. During our dinner, there was just one other person seated at the bar. Nevertheless, we had a good time watching the chefs. Both were very gracious and friendly, thus, bumping this rating half a star. I'm very thankful for the thoughtful little toasted marshmallow/candied crushed pecan treat at the end of our meal. That was one of my favorite food items of the night. ==silk handkerchief pasta, wild mushrooms, tomato marmalade, porcini cream: my favorite! Per the chef, this is the only item that never rotates off the menu. I love the thin pasta, the light cream, and the succulent mushrooms! ==smoked pork risotto, wilted spinach, manchego, ham hock marmalade: rich and comforting. I love the sweet marmalade and the other jelly type topping. Gave the dish different and contrasting flavors. ==swordfish, brown butter, celery root, etc: enjoyed the lemon that was used to cut potential fishiness. The pepper also provided a different flavor. Nice addition of little celery to add a different consistency. ==causa "potato skins", guajillo chile, saffron potato, pickled shallot: I would have preferred my potato to more thinly sliced. Service was spectacular... from our friendly and helpful waiter to the quick, efficient, creative chefs. Overall, I was not "WOW"-ed by the food as my fellow yelpers. The quality was great. The presentation was superb. However, I may be biased by my other favorite restaurants that create unique dishes that stun my palate and render me speechless for a few moments!

    (4)

  • Ana M.

    Over the years, I've been super jealous of Padma Lakshmi, who by getting to be hostess of top chef, can sit pretty in her chair, being all hot, while the chef explains every item of his/her tasting menu, of his/her artistic vision, to her. She then gets to taste said artform and share her opinion about it. How I've longed to be her! And every so often I would I splurge on a tasting menu, in the hopes of playing my Padma life dream. Many times the tasting menu has been delicious, but never has the experience been as top-chef like as I had last night. For a reasonable $50, one can have the 5 course tasting menu at Better Half and, especially if you sit by the open kitchen, you get to witness the creative process in all its glory. The chefs favor creativity and dabble in molecular gastronomy, making it a a real pleasure and privilege to see each step in the plating of a delicious meal. The greatest treat, however, was having the chefs and staff come over to explain each dish, ingredient by ingredient, to my friend and I. My inner food nerd jumped of joy. Of course, the food was as delicious as it was beautiful, and I truly enjoyed every course. My favorite was the dessert, which had the perfect blend of warm toasted cake with a generous layer of burnt marshmallow. The mocha ice cream atop chocolate soil was a great counter point, and the whole thing tasted rich and cozy without being heavy. Of course other courses were also enjoyable, with special note to the sous-vide chicken dish, which was succulent, earthy, and a perfect salute to fall. I will gladly return. I plan on ordering another tasting menu, or their highly celebrated ribbon pasta. I was also curious of their scotch egg, which looked awesome when I saw it ordered at other tables.

    (5)

  • Danny L.

    Sadly in my opinion, the food was a let down, dish after dish. Everything sounds much more appetizing on menu than it actually tastes. You know when a restaurant gets so much hype for being labeled a trending hipster, farm-to-table place; and to a lot of people, when they see words like saffron, fennel, quail, creme fraiche, liver mouse, tapenade, etc., they might automatically think "This place must know what they're doing, because I don't know what half this stuff is or what it tastes like, but I'll trust the chef. Oh, this tastes...different, MUST be genius so I guess i'll follow the crowd, because I don't want to sound like a fool. I'll give it 5 stars"? This is that place. I just don't get it. I felt so misled by the other ratings and popularity. Sorry for the huge run-on sentence. I don't mean to sound like a hater without a cause. I'm all up for trying different combinations of flavors, but nothing was working for me here. Nothing was coming together. This was like a bad ex-relationship. I approached her because she looked pretty, she took my money and left me with nothing but a lighter wallet and a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't understand the black bean butter and stale shortbread. I also got a chicken sausage tartine with rabbit liver mousse, cucumber, heirloom carrots, and basil as an appetizer. I didn't like how it was served cold to room temperature. The liver mousse also overpowered anything else on that plate. I also got the little neck clam with cornbread puree, Spanish chorizo, fennel broth, and saffron. This is actually the one dish that I really enjoyed. The cornbread puree had a great creamy grits texture which was slightly sweet to offset the saltiness of the chorizo. For entrees, I got the grilled flat iron with charred spring onion, leek marmalade, onion fondue and bone marrow. The flat iron was a too salty for my taste and wasn't exactly the medium rare that I had asked for. My girlfriend got the seared octopus with sweet pea puree, crispy saffron grits, bitter orange, and basil. The crispy saffron grits tasted like mediocre cornbread. There wasn't enough flavor in the different purees to supplement the bland octopus. For dessert, we got the basil white chocolate cremeux, with vanilla milk, strawberry ice, and dry strawberry. This one tasted good; but then again, it's hard to screw up sugar and chocolate. At least, I think so. Now, I do have some positives. The plating of each dish was awesome. Everything looked like a fine work of art that could have a place in an exhibit. The atmosphere is small, very intimate, but everything comes together nicely. Also, the service was outstanding. They do have a free, private lot behind their building, but it can only fit like 15ish cars. They go have street parking, but make sure to read the signs to verify when it is free to the public. At the end of the day, I tried to get on the same page as Better Half. It just didn't click for me. Perhaps, it was just the menu rotation for that week. Maybe I'll come again to give it another try later, but I honestly do not see that in the near future.

    (2)

  • Elanor S.

    I can't really add much to what has already been said about Better Half. The food was great, the atmosphere pleasant, and the service on point. I think my only complaint was the deconstructed nature of some of the food--some days you just want a bite of cake without having to chase the pieces around the plate. Otherwise, spot on.

    (5)

  • Jose O.

    This is a bit of a hard review for me to write. On one hand, I thought Better Half was a very good restaurant with great service, but on the other, they completely missed the mark on a dish and didn't do so well on another. I visited Better Half for a UYE that Troy S. hosted. There were 8 yelps there including me. This was a pretty decent sized group for the place, but wait staff did a great job. The staff really impressed me by making sure we had clean silverware for each course, boxing up unfinished food promptly, and just being attentive to the table's needs. The service at better half is the best I've experienced in Atlanta! Now for the bad. The table decided to go with the 5 course tasting.The tasting started off with a garlic flan and mushroom appetizer which was great. The flan was light and had the right level of garlic in it. I'd like to say that this is one of the most interesting dishes I've ever had and would get it again if I went back. Sadly it was followed by a dish I did not like at all, the walnut crusted flounder. I absolutely did not like the walnut crust! The walnuts were raw and the whole piece of fish was covered with walnuts! The taste of the raw walnuts was way too strong for fish. After the first bite all I could think of was "wow that's a lot of walnut". I ended up scraping of some of the crusting. This dish is the reason I've gone with a 3 start review. One could say the flounder floundered (ha-ha...yeah bad joke). The next dish up was the flat iron steak. There were two things that bothered me about this dish but they are very minor to me. The first was the temperature of the steak was wildly different across the table. It ranged from medium well to near blue. The second was the steak had a bit too much salt on it for my taste. Both ssues are minor in my book, and I'm sure it would have been different had I just ordered the steak by itself. The last two dishes were the cheese plate and the desert. Both were good. The cheese did not stick out much in my mind, but I did like the deconstructed orange chocolate tart. The little piece of orange glass was great! I would have given the place a 5 start review if the flounder was better. I should have asked the waiter if the dish was done right. Would I go back? Maybe. Better Half is not a cheap restaurant Overall 3 stars for great service serving up mostly good dishes and one that I really did not like.

    (3)

  • Karly G.

    I have a restless palate so I'm always searching for tasty concoctions and I think I've found it here tonight. In fact, I'm so overwhelmed by the perfect dining experience that I don't know where to begin... Perhaps the only con about this place is the parking. It's confusing and crossing the street is pretty intense because of the on coming traffic from both direction... I was actually nervous but once I crossed, it was all good from there. My only wish is for them to have valet. :) On to the wonderful things about this place and why I would come back again and again. It's an open kitchen, literally. The bar on your left consist of two good looking chefs going at it with their culinary madness rather than the usual bartenders concocting their cocktails. It's a casual atmosphere so there's no need for swankiness. I like that kind of ambiance about this place, it's so cool that anything goes, whether you're under dressed or overly, you're not out of place. For the first course, we ordered the crispy squid and sweet potato risotto with pork belly. It's one of the best fried squid I've ever had and I'm glad that they didn't call it calamari. I like the idea of crispy squid, but that's exactly what it is. The portion was perfect for one person and possibly some room for a shared taste. I honestly didn't like having to share mine. Second course, we ordered the silk handkerchief pasta and red snapper. The pasta was absolutely amazing in so many ways. It's some kind of wonderful that only one can experience for themselves, not by hearing from someone else. I highly recommend it, $19 is not a splurge for something that can possibly change your life. :) The rest snapper was cooked medium rare, which is how I'd like to eat it since fish can be easily overcooked. The pasta knocked the fish out of the water though. Third course was dessert and I contemplated on ordering the frangipane, pear confit, oat biscuit, smoked caramel, caramel corn ice cream but I'm so glad that I did . I believe our waitress was also pleased. I also ordered the black cocoa sponge cake with passion fruit sorbet and honeycomb candy. The passion fruit sorbet was a little too tart for me but it was an OK dessert. It didn't wow me like the pear did. The caramel corn ice cream was just out of this world creamy and delicious. The burnt caramel was dropped onto the plate like little teardrops, it was just an amazing presentation with so many different elements. Let's just say the plate was sparkly cleaned and it all went down in like 5 min. Our waitress was wonderful and very in tune with our first experience. Our water was always filled without asking. You don't know how much of a difference that makes. This adorable place can only seat about 40 people so I like the intimacy of it. It's great for dates, small intimate gatherings or just a casual din din. I'm looking forward to coming back next week :) I also recommend the organic vodka, soursop and lime soda. Soursop is an exotic Asian fruit that is sweet with a sour hint.

    (5)

  • Pam C.

    This review is past due. So my memory, might be a little questionable. I clearly remember every dish being beautiful. Our service was spotty. Everyone loved their appetizers. The onion cream was a favorite of our friends. I loved my potato pierogi, it was delicious. My entrée was the duck with fennel and oats, very good. Hubby had the beef flat iron with black bean puree. Would love to go back.

    (4)

  • Diana N.

    I'm sorry this place simply didn't wow me despite all the reviews. It's a very cute small little restaurant. The staff was attentive but not at the level I would expect. Our waiter didn't offer really offer any advice or suggestions and forgot several times about our gluten allergy but it was nice that they were able to accommodate some of the dishes to be gluten free. I ordered the boudin with celery root as an appetizer. Their take on boudin was clearly a miss... Its nothing like the boudin I think of from New Orleans. The "sausage" was very dense and it's accompaniment of two slices of celery root really lacked any flavor or depth. It tasted just ok. Nothing I would ever order again. My main dish was rabbit loin with leg and liver pate with candied carrots and a deconstructed carrot cake. Again, really lacked any wow factor. Flavors were just so similar with no interesting contrast. On top of that the portion sizes are extremely small. We both left unsatisfied and hungry. We opted to skip dessert after looking at the menu. Nothing jumped out as a must try. With the prices, level of quality and taste, and portion sizes, I'm not sure I will give this place a second try.

    (2)

  • Stefanie M.

    WOW, I expected Better Half to be good based on the yelp reviews, but it still exceeded expectations! I mean WOW. Our dinner was spectacular! I was nervous because we got a reservation on a Saturday night so easily, thinking this isn't a good sign. I was SO WRONG. My husband and I started with the cowpea and bacon stew, it was lovely and I was so thrilled I got it, till I tried my friend's sausage w/ pepperjelly and a puree I can't remember, OMG. That sausage was amazing! For entree I got the risotto with crawfish, and it was lovely and wonderful. My husband got the rabbit. Both were good, although nothing were as amazing as that sausage appetizer. For dessert we did the brown buttercake, it was not what we were expecting, a very different version of a brown buttercake, but it was good. Coffee was excellent. They let us bring our own wine in w/ a corkage fee. They waive the corkage fee on one bottle if you buy another, something to keep in mind for the future. Parking is in the back down a little dark alley, so just FYI you don't have to park on the street. Service was spectacular, food was wonderful. I would return to Better Half in a NY minute!

    (5)

  • Askin G.

    We loved 9 tasting course and enjoyed sitting on chef's counter. I highly recommend it, if you want to taste amazing food and to get full.

    (5)

  • Teri B.

    I tend to be an adventurous and open-minded eater. I also appreciate fine dining. I had high expectations of Better-Half and was very let down. We decided to do the tasting menu which was 5 courses. Of the five, I enjoyed one, I tolerated two, and I hated two. Not great results at $50 per person. Each dish was like an over-accessorized woman. They should have just removed one element. The soup, for example, was very nice, but it had about four different types of "accouterments" with it, none of which were very good. Another example, the steak was nice and cooked well, but I didn't enjoy the shrimp jus underneath it, nor did I think it was complimented very well by the other two shrimp items on the plate. We had the frog legs which were drowning in buttery rice (they called it something else, but it was definitely just rice). My poor husband grinned and beared it, and I have lost restaurant choosing privileged for at least a month. The ambiance is nice, very intimate but casual. The service was great. It was just the food that was awful.

    (2)

  • Carolina M.

    I took my "better half" to Better Half for his birthday since I had heard and read so many great things. Maybe my expectations were high so I was disappointed. I made reservations weeks in advance which is a good move especially if you're going on a Friday/Saturday night. I thought service was a little sub-par. Even though we were seated right away because of reservations, we didn't actually get our menus until 20 minutes after sitting down. After about 15 minutes, I was about to walk out. They didn't seem too short staffed but maybe our waiter was too new or needed help. Here's what we ate: Cheese plate: There's only one cheese plate with only one cheese on it. Based on the description, I thought there would be a small selection. I don't remember the name, but it was a grass-fed cow cheese from Thomasville, GA. It reminded me of a Brie because it was creamy inside but with a harder rind. Served with a plum jam and a small biscuit, it also went well with a grainy mustard. Rabbit Rilletes: This wasn't what I expected. Rilletes are usually pate, but in front of me were two cubes of vegetable puree (one carrot, and I can't remember the other) and a crispy croquette. The waiter proceeded to pour a gravy-like substance which had a gamey taste, so I suppose that was the rabbit. This was obviously more like a soup, but great tastes. Cauliflower Flan: This looked like tofu to me. Taste-wise, it was a bit refreshing and smooth like a panna cotta, but it was weird to me to have a texture like this as an appetizer. Silk Handkerchief Pasta: This was the only entree that appealed to me and it was delicious. I can't say not to full sheets of pasta. I think the only reason it tasted silky as it did was the rich cream sauce with porcini mushrooms. Sauteed Flounder: The portion seemed small to me, but my boyfriend seemed to like it. I had a bite. The chickpea puree was smooth and was a good contrast to the fish which was cooked tenderly, not too overcooked. Sweet Potato Cake: We ended up sharing this and it was a decent dessert with great presentation. I usually don't care for presentation, but it was almost like two desserts in one: there's the sweet potato cake topped with a burnt marshmallow top and a cheesecake cream puddles on the side topped with cocoa. Eat them together or eat them separately, it was delicious. We noticed a slightly more mature crowd at this restaurant. The decor is cool, the silverware is interesting as it's all different, but I'm just not sure about the food and service. Service was kind of off and on. Our waiter was a little slow with providing menus, taking orders and even getting our check, and yet we consistently had our water glasses filled by the other waiter. The food was just ok. I wish I had taken my boyfriend somewhere else that seemed more special. The 5-course dinner for $50 is definitely a good deal, but I wasn't entirely impressed with course pickings from the menu.

    (3)

  • Sophie H.

    Went back and sat at the bar' it was fabulous! Added the handkerchief pasta to our tasting menu and it was amazing! The food is so fresh and delicious - delish! We do the pairings and bring a bottle - but we Uber so we so don't have to worry about driving! Highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Abhi K.

    We did the 5-course tasting menu seated at a regular table. The courses are small, but I was definitely full halfway through the meal. They pack a lot into these small plates. First up was the soup. It comes out as an empty bowl with what looks like the tiniest sandwich you've ever seen in the middle. Cheese and some fruit compote between two thick crackers. Then the server brings his trendy little measuring cup and pours the soup all around the tiny sandwich. I think it was an onion soup, but it also had hints of apple puree in it. The flavors were all very interesting and by themselves were not special and maybe even a little offensive. But mix it with the tiny sandwich and bam! It's like you're having a sweet yet savory apple pie with every bite. You can tell that this dish has undergone a lot of experimentation, because someone does not just come up with this by accident. Next was the seared scallop with chorizo. The scallop was cooked to perfection. Steaming inside, flaky, not at all dry. The chorizo was very tough and rather salty. It might've actually been a miss for me. Scallops made up for it, but there isn't really much more for me to say about it. Third was the leg of lamb served over some sort of root puree and a quince compote. All three components of this dish were fantastic. The puree was like mashed potatoes but had a much more intricate flavor. You can tell I'm not in the business because I have no idea how to describe what's going on in my mouth. I just know it was a good thing. Fourth was the cheese course. This was my friend's favorite dish. Objective, the cheese and the chipotle jam it came with were amazing. But I wouldn't say it was my favorite dish, just because the chef didn't create this one. That's not to say it wasn't delicious anyway, though! I would serve it with thinner crackers next time, though. Lastly, we had dessert. I had the chocolate cake with cookie crumbles which was good, but could probably be had anywhere. There wasn't much innovation that went into this other than "Chocolate is delicious. Use as much as possible." I'm not complaining, just assessing! The server was nice enough to let my friend deviate from the chocolate cake and get the strawberry shortcake for his dessert. Again, you could probably get this at a number of places. I'm not a strawberry shortcake kind of person, so this didn't tickle my taste buds. The best part about Better Half is that the menu changes so frequently that you can go back a month later, get the tasting menu again, and experience five new dishes. Which is exactly what I plan to do, hopefully sitting at the bar by the open kitchen.

    (5)

  • Samantha H.

    I came here on a Saturday night for date night with the boyfriend. I made reservations but didn't realize I had to specify that I wanted to sit at the "bar", which has a view of the open kitchen. Because of the overwhelming popularity of the semi-new 9 course chef tasting (offered only at the bar) they were unable to seat is there. Definitely understandable! I would definitely recommend making reservations to sit in front of the open kitchen. Although, their regular table seating is still great for a more intimate atmosphere. I ordered one of their featured cocktails -- blood orange with vodka and lime. Not only was it aesthetically pretty, it was also a very light, citrusy beverage. We opted to not go with the 5 plate chef tasting and instead ordered two appetizers, 2 entrees and a dessert to share. Honestly, for fine dining, the portions are pretty generous. I left feeling satisfied but not satiated. Even the boyfriend said he was feeling good about his full-ness level. For appetizers we went with the sopa negra and warm pumpkin salad. All of the plating is incredibly creative and I loved the mini introduction that the waiter gives before each meal. It was also interesting that they poured the soup in front of you. For the entree course, I ordered the swordfish and the boyfriend got the shrimp. He liked the shrimp and I'll have to take his word on it since I don't eat shrimp. As for the swordfish... Wow. That was probably the juiciest filet I've ever had, and it packed great flavor. Usually you think, just a plain white fish but honestly, the fish was meaty and all in all a treat. We were hesitant on dessert but ended up going with the citrus shortbread with tamarind ice cream. The short bread was split open and stuffed with a vanilla cream. This was probably the only part of the dessert I didn't like. The cream did not taste like vanilla to me and I really can't tell you what it tasted like. They present the check in a tin can with two additional chocolates dusted in coconut. If I liked coconut, I probably would have liked this more. Better Half is a great place to step outside your palette comfort zone and a good date night place. I wouldn't come here if not for a special occasion though.

    (5)

  • Jin K.

    Lately it seems like supper clubs are all the rage. I'm so glad this particular supper club got their own restaurant. Although the menu is small, our party of 4 was very impressed by the quality of all the ingredients, the thoughtful presentation, and the very unique flavors brought out by the out-of-the-box combinations. Their menu changes often, but here are a list of our favorites from the night we dined: Starters: -alligator sausage, risotto, and frog leg confit, with baby turnips -shrimp ceviche, grapefruit, cilantro, habanero, and watermelon sorbet Entrees: -snapper, cucumber broth, spicy squash, and baby fennel -handkerchief pasta, wild mushrooms, and tomato marmalade As for dessert, I suggest going elsewhere. The one that was good wasn't memorable (since I can't remember what it was) but I do remember the deconstructed cheesecake, which sounded interesting, but was rather disappointing. The space itself is small but not claustrophobic. I loved the Costa Rican bird whistles (see my picture) on the tables. One thing that I didn't love were the chairs. They were not very comfortable and I was constantly fidgeting and wondering if I would have grid marks on the back of my legs from the chair pattern. I also found it funny that their plates and bowls were from Ikea. Nothing wrong with Ikea but it seemed a bit random considering the price of our meal.

    (5)

  • Janet L.

    I've been to Better Half a handful of times and have never been disappointed. It's a restaurant where they truly focus. Focus on what? Taste, quality, creativity and presentation. I believe that the small physical space of the restaurant is to focus on the diner, presenting dishes that encompass all four. It's always a bit too much food, but I always get the 9 course meal that you can only order if you're sitting at the bar. A few of the "courses" are bites, but sometimes they are my favorite parts of the meal. My favorite dishes from my last 9-course meal were the: -Grilled beef ribeye - the steak was tender and juicy and the red eye jus was to die for -Chilled tomato seed soup - I'm usually not a fan of tomato soup but this unique soup had ingredients that worked well together -Watermelon/mayo bite - Off the menu and only a part of the 9 course meal, the watermelon was compressed and flavored with course salt and pepper. I've never tried something like this and was disappointed it was just a bite! Sitting at the bar is an experience in itself. You watch the chefs cook and prepare your food. The chefs themselves serve and describe the dishes to you. You can get to know them by the end of the dinner. It's a foodie dream come true! NOTE: Parking is a bit difficult but I have never struggled too long to find a spot.

    (5)

  • Heather H.

    Had high hopes after so many happy friends raved about it yet sadly fell flat of expectations. Service was very good and paced well with each course. I wish she hadn't mentioned they had all come back from vacation, wondering if that was the reason for the less than stellar food. Still a little confused with the cucumber and watermelon garnish on my tres leches cake. Well....every course was like that.

    (2)

  • Addy C.

    One of my best dining experiences in recent times. I worried my expectations might be too high b/c all the Yelp reviews were 5-stars -- but I loved it, my friends loved it, and I can't stop thinking about my duck entree. And the unique ingredients in all the dishes. And how well all the ingredients complemented each other. And how the servers were genuinely friendly and came across as really loving what they do. This is the type of place you enjoy with your foodie friends -- I came w/ Tulie L and Soomy S, and we ordered 3 apps, 4 entrees (yes 4) and 3 desserts ... our tummies were more than satisfied by the end of our evening. We got an early 5:30pm reservation but spent more than three hours there :) I loved that we never felt rushed either, and we never felt like we ever had to wait for our food. By the way it's BYOB now however by the 18th or so, they may start serving wine and beer - you may want to find out when you make your reservation. What we ordered: FIRST Roasted garlic panisse, jalapeno mayonnaise, candied fennel, pickled shallot - $9 - Server recommended this dish and I'm so glad I listened to him. What a great first impression. The garlic parnisse looked like fried tofu but it's fried garlic chickpeas. Also loved the fennel & shallot. Everything tasted so good together. My favorite among the apps. Roasted beef tart, horseradish cream, crispy pig ear, onion pudding - $10 - My favorite part was the crispy pig ear ... loved the flavor. Great snack food idea, haha. I think I love crispy pig ears as much as I love bacon. Sopa negra, soft egg, crispy masa, charred onion relish, cotija - $9 - Just had a sample and tasted like good Latin comfort food esp. w/ the black bean soup. SECOND Seared duck breast, duck skin croquant, butternut squash, lemon honey - $25 - This was a new dish so I guess I took a risk. I almost always order duck ever since i learned duck was good for you. Plus seeing "duck skin" on the menu sealed the deal. Best decision ever. OMG the flavor of the duck breast w/ the flavor and texture of the duck skin crumbles on top - it's become my new "last meal on earth" for my Yelp profile :) Silk handkerchief pasta, wild mushrooms, tomato marmalade, porcini cream - $19 - Love the name "silk handkerchief pasta" and b/c it was a close 2nd choice on whether to order or not, we decided why not, let's order it too :) Also they serve it ever day so it must be good, right? Later I learned from Creative Loafing that the owner made this dish for his wife on their first date :) The pasta and the tomato marmalade were my favorite parts of this dish. Fried rabbit, parsnip mustard, roasted turnip, pickled apple - $26 - My first time eating rabbit and the meat was so tender. Flounder, crispy potato, hominy, avocado, ancho broth - $27 - Perfectly cooked fish. Beautiful presentation. THIRD Goat cheese chiboust, honey ice cream, blood orange syrup, pecan praline - $8 - My favorite among the desserts just b/c it was the most different. I love goat cheese and also loved that the praline was made from Hawaiian volcano sea salt. Where else can you get THAT in Atlanta? :) Cocoa sponge, smoked cajeta, buttermilk ice cream, pomegranate - $8 - Our server raved about this dessert and my favorite part was the caramel smoked in cherrywood and the mini dehydrated pepper meringues that was this explosion of peppercorn and sweetness in my mouth. What creativity! Roasted pear crepe, honey milk, pickled pear, thyme - $8 - Also great combination of ingredients. Final nice touch (and surprise) was getting the Costa Rican milk truffles w/ our bill - they were like coconut fudge pralines covered in honey powder, and the texture of mochi balls. YUM! I'd definitely come again esp. knowing their menu changes daily. Next time I'd like to sit at the bar to get a closer look at the two cooks doing their thing. Thanks guys and to the whole team for an awesome evening. FYI - parking is available in the back of the restaurant. Otherwise you can do street parking along Atlantic Dr next to the Citgo gas station.

    (5)

  • Daniel B.

    Better Half opened December 2013 in a tiny retail development between Atlantic Station and Georgia Tech, not far from Westside. The restaurant is the product of a husband and wife duo who, for 2-3 years, ran a supper club out of their home at the Goat Farm. Naturally, the next step after the supper club was for the couple to open an actual restaurant. The restaurant opening was funded in part by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Better Half is a chef-driven restaurant. It reminds me of nearby Midtown/Westside modern American restaurants like Empire State South and Abattoir. It most reminds me of Miller Union because of its homey atmosphere and simple dishes. The biggest difference between Better Half and those other restaurants is its size. The restaurant is small, so prepare yourself for an intimate dining experience. The restaurant seats roughly 40 customers total. There are only two chefs and they work in a 100% open kitchen on one side of the dining room. For a really fun and entertaining dining experience, sit at the bar. You can watch the two talented cooks prepare everyone's dishes, including your own. The quality of the food and ingredients is superb, yet unlike some of the aforementioned restaurants, the atmosphere at Better Half is relaxed and laid back. In the evenings (the only time the restaurant is open), there's a candle-lit ambiance. The interior has a clean and rustic design. Currently, the restaurant is BYOB, but I was told the business plans to have its liquor license in place by February 16, 2014. By the time you read this review, they will probably be approved to serve alcohol. Food will remain the focus, not drinks. There are no non-alcoholic beverages on the menu other than sparking water. The expected alcoholic beverage menu will include a handful of red and white wines, one champagne, and one cocktail. The food menu is simple. It consists of three courses with 4-5 selections in each category. You don't have to order all three courses of course. Everything is ordered a la carte. Expect to spend up to $10 per appetizer/dessert and between $20-30 per main. The menu is constantly changing and seasonal. Everything I've tried here has been amazing. The quality of ingredients, presentation, and execution and attention to detail is top notch. Here's a rundown of what I've had: Apps: Celery root risotto, Brussels sprouts, burned orange vinaigrette, celery root chips Sopa negra, soft egg, crispy masa, charred onion, cotija Roasted beet tart, horseradish cream, crispy pig ear Mains: Pork shoulder, spaghetti squash cake, Brussels sprouts, chipotle apple butter Chicken fried rabbit, parsnip mustard, roasted turnip, pickled apple Desserts: Goat cheese chiboust, honey ice cream, blood orange syrup, pecan praline Cocoa sponge, smoke cajeta, buttermilk ice cream, pomegranate Cajetas de coco The presentation of every dish is outstanding. Each plate is like a work of art. Of the appetizers, my favorite is the roasted beet tart. The pig ear comes in long strands and it is indeed crispy. It kind of has similar qualities in taste and texture to pork rinds and bacon. I like how they treat the horseradish and add greens to the dish for extra color and different flavors. The sopa negra (black soup) is very tasty. The ingredients are neatly and nicely presented "naked" in a bowl at your table. After the server is done explaining the ingredients, the actual piping hot broth is poured on top. The sopa negra is a hearty, somewhat thick, soup. The celery root risotto is light and comforting. Our server recommended the pork shoulder. The meat is cooked in a pork confit (it's own fat). The exterior of the shoulder is crispy and while the inside is dense, the meat shreds easily with a fork and knife. The chipotle apple butter is spread underneath the shoulder and roasted Brussels sprouts, and the creative spaghetti squash cake sits off on one side. In the chicken fried rabbit entree, the rabbit leg is deboned and cooked like a chicken fried steak. I love the roasted turnips and pickled apples in this dish, which bring a nice acidity. Also, neat symmetrical plating. You should have just enough room for dessert, which are equally as impressive as the preceding dishes. Funny enough, my favorite of the sweets are the complimentary cajetas, which are sweet Costa Rican confections rolled in honey powder. The soft, chewy consistency is similar to mochi (Japanese rice cake). Service is great. The staff at this humble operation are like a family. Since there are only two cooks, orders can take a while to arrive during peak times. Shout-out to friendly server Nicole, who moonlights as a server at Better Half, and works at JCT. Kitchen as the pastry chef during the day. Parking is rather limited in the development's back parking lot. If no spaces are available, park along State Street. No Home Park parking permit required after 7pm.

    (5)

  • Stefan B.

    :( Sorry. The sentence meh I've experienced better totally explains this place even though I wanted to like it. We got the 5 course tasting menu~ our waitress was super super nice. I loved her! The first course was honestly kind of just gross and not my thing, it was the bacon with cactus underneath. The next course was the speckled trout which was probably one of my more favorite dishes we had that night. The fish was perfectly cooked and the citrus puree was delicious. We then had the lamb dish! I was super excited for this. I love love love lamb so much. I liked the quince with it but somehow the lamb just had something missing with it. The lamb was a little rare for my taste. I usually love the lamb dish but I was pretty underwhelmed :( The cheese course was delicious, probably my favorite course. That tells you something is up because the cheese cake shouldn't be your favorite course of a tasting menu. The cornbread was great, the fresh herby cheese was yummy and the hot pepper jelly and pear miso was a good match with the creamy cheese. Delicious! The cheesecake dessert was okay but nothing to write home about. It was pretty damn good but at these kinds of restaurants I expect amazing, you know? I know these guys can do way better. I have faith in them~ Even my boyfriend said he was underwhelmed. I'm not super into this kind of foodie food so you can say that I'm a little harsh on it. But he said he would do three stars, for so our dinner it's like a 2 and a half average. Definitely get the cheese course~ PRO cheese course nice nice waitresses decent area i guess CON food underwhelming in general

    (2)

  • Yisi L.

    I heard about the chef and their PushStart dinner club before the restaurant opened. Love their story and I wanna say Bravo after my visit to Better Half. It's a very small restaurant, one page menu, no liquor licence yet so BYOB. Menu is seasonal. Got fingerling potato for appetizer, silk handkerchief pasta and rabbit loin+confit as entree, and ginger cremeux for dessert. The fingerling potato app was just okay- I mean, I can cook something similar at home. Both entree dishes blew me away- the dynamics and balance between ingredients, one thing complementing anoher. The dessert was very good too, a interesting mix of tangy, savory and sweet. Everything has a very delicate flavor; the portion is on the small side. Service is friendly and prompt. I'd love to see more interesting seasonal items on the menu and will be back.

    (5)

  • Ryan W.

    Seriously gorgeous plating. Sit at the bar / chef's table to see the team in action and go with a tasting menu.

    (5)

  • Marta P.

    Damn good dinner. That's just it. DAMN GOOD DINNER. Zach and Cristina excelled, as expected, and every single person in that restaurant was happy. As a party of 5, we ordered pretty much the whole menu. All the appetizers, most of the entrees, and most of the desserts. I couldn't even choose between 2 desserts so I ordered them both! Below was what we ate: First *baby artichokes, poached fingerling, ham hock, brown butter vinaigrette *crispy pork belly, black bean puree, cucumber pico de gallo, young kale *cauliflower velouté, curried apple, cauliflower pickled + dried, duck skin *fried green tomato, preserved lemon mayo, green tomato marmalade, fennel Second *crisped mahi, chipotle panisse, vanilla cucumber, coconut broth *swordfish, potato cream, glazed fennel, fried fingerlings, guajillo oil *wagyu sirloin cap, soft egg, cornbread puree, onion jam* *poulet rouge, celery root hash brown, brussel sprouts, black garlic vinaigrette Third *bruleed pineapple, cajeta, smoked chocolate ice cream, whipped coconut *arroz con leche, honey milk, orange blossom jam, hibiscus syrup *apple cake, cactus pear sorbet, toasted milk, pumpkin seed praline My absolute favorites were the cauliflower velouté app, fried green tomato app, the onion jam in the sirloin main, and the arroz con leche dessert. Everything was outstanding though. Zach does a fantastic job blending flavors, and posts everything he makes on Facebook just to get your taste buds going even more. Cristina was very accommodating when trying to book a reservation since it was a party of 5 and informed us for a cancellation so that we could have an earlier time. I will be back again...and again...and again

    (5)

  • Jeremy H.

    We really enjoyed our dinner at Better Half. The menu is seasonal and changes regularly, although apparently the silk handkerchief pasta is always on the menu. I didn't try that, but would like to go back and get next time. This is definitely a foodie place - expect to get smaller than average portions and pay above average prices. But luckily the food is a step above as well. And the portions were a good and filling size if you order several courses. I'd like to go back to try the pasta and also to sit at the counter and watch them prepare all of the delicious food!

    (5)

  • Katie C.

    I'm so happy to be the first to review Better Half. Many will know Zach and Cristina from PushStart Kitchen, one of the most popular supper clubs in Atlanta. They've finally opened a brick and mortar restaurant and I'm sure it will quickly become one of the go-to places in Atlanta. This restaurant is unique because the kitchen is actually in the dining room. The "bar" is actually ten highly-coveted seats surrounding the chef and sous chef. You can watch as they work their magic on your dishes, which are heavenly. I sat at the bar one weekday soon after they opened. I started with the soft egg with crispy masa, romesco, leek jam, and sweet garlic. The leeks under the egg quickly soaked up the bright, rich yellow yolk and the crispy masa balls gave the whole dish the perfect counter-texture. I could have eaten the sweet garlic all day long. For a main I ordered the silk handkerchief pasta with wild mushroom confit, tomato marmalade, and porcini cream. Unlike most dishes Zach creates, this will stay on the menu (Ask for the back story on this one). The pasta was perfectly al dente which holds up well against the soft and rich mushrooms and cream sauce. The parmesan cheese adds just the right amount of salt and, seriously, the tomato jam on top is out-of-this-world. It brings the dish to a whole other level. The whole meal was just what I've come to expect from eating at PushStart- comforting and innovative food, personal service and a homey, relaxing atmosphere. I can't wait for everyone else to experience Better Half (even if it will make getting a seat at the bar harder...)

    (5)

  • Tony G.

    Don't trip when you walk in & notice that 2 of the 3 chefs are tatted up. Despite the fact that one of them resembles Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy - these guys can COOK. My wife & I had the 5 course tasting menu. How can I describe it??? In a word - PERFECT!! Starting with the Spicy Carrot Soup (which was amazing) - the meal got better with each course! The Swordfish was art - as well as the third course of Duck Breast & Confit. The cheese plate included an apple marmalade & pear butter that all worked wonders together! Our final course was the Cookies + Cream which featured a smoky flavored cremé and sweet/salty crumbles with condensed milk ice cream and a portion of chocolate soufflé with chocolate syrup. #Heavenly!! Easily 5 stars. The better half lives up to its name with no problem!!

    (5)

  • Bryan R.

    Super awesome place. If you like like intimate and interactive dining experiences, this is a must-do. We sat at the "bar" which actually houses the owner and sous chef hard at work. While you enjoy whatever beverage you've brought with you, you can watch your meal and everyone else's unfold right in front of you. The twosome on the ranges were friendly and talkative and engaging. Everyone working there was friendly, for that matter. The hostess welcomed us warmly and stopped by several times to chat. If you're in Atlanta and you enjoy good food, set aside the time to come to Better Half. I had several great dining experiences in the city but nothing came close to this place for high end, high quality food in a casual, personal environment.

    (5)

  • Kim N.

    So happy with my dinner at Better Half! Honestly, I was a little skeptical seeing all the 5-star reviews but the wonderful plating, service, and food quality all succeeded my expectations. Reasonable prices. Better Half is a pretty small restaurant so reservation is recommended; they are not on OpenTable so resevations can be made via their website. Open kitchen w/ several seats at the bar where you can watch the chefs cook. There is a small selection of cocktails, beer, & wine. We parked on the street but I believe they have a small private lot behind the restaurant. Watch your step going to the rest room! My clumsy self of course tripped on the way there lol The menu changes frequently but here are the items we tried: ~pork belly - generous appetizer portion, the pork belly slices were perfectly cooked ~cured flounder - great appetizer! the avocado mousse's amazing w/ the cured flounder ~pork loin w/ compressed watermelon, fried okra, pickled okra - not a huge fan of the pickled okra but everything else tasted great together ~swordfish w/ cous cous, & grapefruit - delicious! good size of swordfish steak seasoned & cooked perfectly ~silk handkerchief pasta w/ wild mushroom, tomato marmalade, porcini cream- absolutely my favorite!! everything goes so well together ~cocoa sponge w/ thai tea, macaroon, coconut, lychee - so much going on but they all go so well together ~tres leches w/ toasted milk, basil, rose ice cream, & blueberry - light, refreshing, & delicious; LOVE the rose ice cream ~complimentary Costa Rican coconut fudge balls - had me at coconut! these were not too sweet & so yummy... they need to sell these in boxes ****Tasting Menu**** AMAZING!! Sit at the chef counter & do the tasting menu (5-course or 9-course). We went with 9 courses :)

    (4)

  • Brian S.

    We went there for our anniversary a couple of days ago and we were very impressed! The food was excellent, decor was fun and welcoming, and the service was superlative. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no issue with finding some on-street parking, too. As mentioned by some other reviews, the restaurant does not have its liquor license yet, so BYOB is still in effect. I actually really enjoyed taken advantage of this, as we had a special bottle of wine to bring. The server was very gracious and opened our bottle & brought over some appropriate glasses. The only thing that was not 100% perfect was the crust for the blood orange tart; it was a bit tough. (I hate being too picky, but thought it was worth mentioning) Otherwise we truly enjoyed all of the first, 2nd's and 3rd's we ordered.

    (5)

  • Angel L.

    Came here on one of my date nights and hardly talked to my date. Not because we were not enjoying each other's company but because the food was amazing. I had the chicken which really doesn't help to anyone who is trying to find the right dish to order because they change the menu every day. The highlight of the evening was the lemon tart with black tea ice cream. I cant get enough of the place. I will definitely return. Tip: do not blow into the bird whistle on the table... you will die because everyone and their mother's lips has been on it...gross. don't even touch it.

    (5)

  • Jessica B.

    Un-f*****ing-believable. This meal was outstanding from start to finish. Pumpkin kale salad, skirt steak, rabbit, butter toffee popcorn dessert. We did the 3 course option with a bottle of Malbec. The service was outstanding. I just can't say enough good things about this place. So unique. So fresh. A must try for foodies.

    (5)

  • Sara L.

    I came to Better Half with my family for my birthday dinner. I'm giving it 4 stars...but with some very serious caveats...namely the slow service and kitchen. There were many open tables on a Wednesday night, yet our waitress seemed overextended. My parents (cranky by nature) thought she was socializing too much with the folks at the bar. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. While our waitress was nice, service was sporadic and we had to exert ourselves to get her attention, which was really annoying. As for the slow kitchen, I don't know what to say. Food was slooowwww. The tiny kitchen is on full display so I know there were only 2 chefs...but there was just way too much time between the courses. I think the restaurant/servers need to work out proper timing between the meals. Or you know, offer free bread or something. We can only stare at our phones for so long... Alright I'm done being negative Nancy. Let's move on and talk about the star of the show - the FOOD! Here's what we ordered from the menu (seasonal): FIRST 1. MISO GLAZED SWEETBREADS: OMG YASSSS DELICIOUS. The sweetbreads were fried perfectly with the right amount of glaze. I really like the sambal mayonnaise too. This is probably my sister's fav. We cleared this plate in like 5 seconds. SO GOOD. 2. ROASTED APPLE + ONION SOUP: Interesting combination...but not to my taste. The roasted apple was very strong. I think I'd preferred a roasted onion only soup. SECOND 1. CRISPY OCTOPUS: The octopus was too chewy. I like the alligator sausage though. And the couscous it came with was sooo good! And I hate couscous! It tasted so creamy, almost like polenta. 2. LAMB LOIN AND LEG: I like the lamb...but I have no idea what anything else is on the plate. Everything else tasted fine except for this weird huge chunk of lard-like item in the middle of the plate. 3. SILK HANDKERCHIEF PASTA w/ mushrooms, tomato remoulade, porcini cream: This was a home run for the table. I love love love the mushrooms. The remoulade works surprisingly well too. Although, my sister did liken the latter to the lingonberry jam from chez IKEA...but in a good way lol. Lastly, our cheque came in a silver tin along with these COSTA RICAN TRUFFLES, They were holy balls of coconut/caramel deliciousness. And for that, I had to give Better Half 4 stars. P.S. The knives are so dull and terrible. What is up with that!? We couldn't cut anything!!!

    (4)

  • Lilly S.

    I love the casual atmosphere here and the mural on the wall. How the chefs turn out that many thoughtful dishes from that TINY kitchen is beyond me. Definitely try to sit at the bar where you can see the magic happen. Other Yelpers have mentioned the mushroom pasta, and it was quite good, but I would suggest trying their small plates which really stood out. Its loud though, so if you are looking for something intimate, this isn't it.

    (4)

  • Donald L.

    What a great place! The atmosphere is cozy and the bar is open to the kitchen so every seat is a front row seat to the cooking action. A great date night location. Get a glass of wine and try the pickled watermelon if it is on the menu.

    (4)

  • Virginia V.

    Left my better half at home and came with the girls. Do not be put off by parking. Plenty of side street parking (free) on either side street off 10th. We all did the 5 course tasting. All of us in agreement that the entire meal was worth the calories. The first course, roasted brussel sprouts was the weakest of the five offerings. Still somewhat raw and needed more flavor (a pinch of salt maybe). We did not do the wine pairings, but did get a bottle of nice burgundy that was recommended to us by the knowledgeable, attentive waiter. The wine was excellent, but I forgot to note the name. Prices were reasonable for the high quality food we were served. We will go back and probably even take our better halves when we do.

    (4)

  • Catherine T.

    I was so excited to finally see where Push Start landed. Such a great experience! From feeling like you were part of the family to being served thoughtful and creatively plated dishes to pure deliciousness down to the last bite. Congrats! A true gem.

    (5)

  • Cousin D.

    This place is a gem! Food is unique and well prepared. Had the duck and beet salad. The flavored are amazing! Service was a little strange....but will definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Henrik C.

    Been to PushStart Kitchen a number of times and loved it. This is the continuation of the journey for Zach and Cristina. PushStart was a fantastic supper club in Atlanta. The Better Half on 14th Street in their real restaurant. it is situated in a neighborhood area just next to Home Park. The dining room has room for 32 people and an additional 8-10 seats at the bar. The kitchen is embedded in the dining room and very it is a very social experience to dine here. We went a few weeks after they opened. Huge fans of Push Start Kitchen so expectations were high. The prices a very modest ~$40/person for a 3-course dinner. We had salads (broccoli and beet) as starters. Very tasty and just the right portion size. For the entree we had pork loin and beef petit tender. Both of the dishes were very tasty and just the right size. For dessert we had white chocolate bread pudding and mexican hot chocolate tres leeches. Again very tasty. They do not yet have a liqueur license but you can bring you own wine. We had a great selection :-) Overall a real great meal in a great ambience. Very much looking forward to going back.

    (5)

  • Michael H.

    The apps knocked our collective dicks in the dirt but then the cheering crowd turned into an unruly mob once our mains came out. Just a hint, but a thick layer of unrendered fat on the non crispy duck is not that appetizing. Uninspiring scallops and over the top toooooo sweet silk handkerchief pasta isn't going to get it done, son. Speaking of cheering crowds, you'd think there was one in the room as it's impossible to hear one's self think much less carry on a converastion with your tablemates. Wish I could join in with all of the five star reviews but ain't gonna happen cap'n!

    (3)

  • Dawn W.

    This place has potential but is not there yet. Upon making reservations they stated they could only accommodate us at 5:30pm****. When we called on our way there stating we were stuck in traffic and would be 15 minutes late, they hesitated and stated we should get there as soon as we could but would hold our table. When we parked and entered the place was full of empty tables (only one seated at the time) and the staff still took what seemed over a minute to push buttons on the computer to see which of the empty tables to send us to. Once seated our server was pleasant and uncorked the wine we brought. It was odd how he poured a tasting to see if we approved. Maybe it is just me but if my husband did not like the wine we brought then we certainly were not going to send it back. Odd but courtious. The menu is limited but that implies fresh and it looked creative/innovative. We asked the server what the chef choice $50 prixfixe was last evening but the server stated he did not know since it was a surprise each night. We thought it sounded fun so we ordered the $100 meal (both parties must participate). The beet salad came out immediately and was quite nice. Not the best beet salad I have had, but it did have a nice balance of the sweet beets and hot pepper relish-type accent. The next dish, panisee, was a deep fried chickpea creamy inside appetizer. My husband said it was the best thing he has eaten in the past couple months. The flavor was amazing and I suggest ordering one plate per person. The menu changes daily but this app needs to be a staple on the menu. The entree last night was the pork. I am going to be honest, I normally do not care for pork loin or pork chops because they can be poorly overcooked or have odd flavors. This pork had good balance of flavors with the pepper seasoning and the sweet grilled apples....BUT the pork was severly dry, over cooked, and difficult to cut with the knife. My husband ate his all but struggled chewing it. I ate the apple topping but gave up with the pork after fighting to cut it up so I left half of it on my plate. What a dissapointment. We informed the waiter when he returned at the end of our entree (he never checked on our entree before) and we nicely stated it was overcooked and difficult to eat. The response was that he would tell the chef. Neither the chef or manager came to our table and the item was not discounted. We did not need a discount but some follow up would have been professional. I wonder how many other guests paid for the prixfixe and were dissatisfied. The chef's choice should be the best of the night, not here. The desert was a dry chocolate cake with a smear of peanutbutter and a dollop of chocolate ice cream. It was very basic and dry. My husband was very hungry so he ate mine and his, but the small portion consumed does not mean an empty plate is a happy plate. Overall I would go here for the app and salad again. The atmosphere looks quite nice with metal and reclaimed wood (but you are drinking out of Ikea glasses and the bathroom floor is a triping hazard). The entree and desert selections are not 5 star. The service is not 5 star. It surprises me that this place is so highly rated. But over time there might be more balanced reviews. I love Yelp because everyone gets their opinion. ***by the way, we were there from 5:30pm until almost 7:30pm and the tables never filled up. I cant imagine why they did not want to accommodate guest reservations at other times than 5:30pm on a Friday night. They must hold most of the small space for walk ins.

    (3)

  • Kevin R.

    My wife and I thought we would try this place out as out friends said it was great. First of all, they just recently got their liquor license it seems, so the beer/wine/cocktail selection is very minimal. If you opt for water, it's tap water with no ice. The menu changes every week or two - which is cool. Ingredients are sourced locally if you're into that kind of thing. Appetizers were very good and unique. We had a crispy pork belly with compressed melon, onion jam, and melon sorbet. The entrees felt like appetizers as far as portions go. We would have stayed for dessert, but it was a little too hot and stuffy. When you're sharing a 2,000SF square with the kitchen (yes, you can see the entire line, ingredients and all, from every seat in the house), it's bound to get a little toasty once the place fills up. Overall - good, creative food with a cool vibe.

    (4)

  • Kris B.

    Inspired cooking. Feels like a Michelin star meal a your best friends house. They are doing it right. Be advised Atlanta this is the next level. Excellent.

    (5)

  • Janie H.

    I'm giving this restaurant a 5 star because I feel the food deserves it. BUT...as with all restaurants, there is usually some good AND bad news. The good news...the food is perfectly prepared with excellent mingling of flavors. I had the duck breast which was complimented with sweet tastes and creative presentation. The use of puree is extensive and noticeable all over the plate. The marshmallow puff really made me smile and was simply delicious! On the bad news side...parking is a problem. We ultimately had to move our car. The food is expensive with almost all entrees over $25 which pushes your bottom line well over $50/couple before you even begin to order drinks or a first course. The wine "glasses" are small and I felt skimpy for the $12 pour. We had 2 entrees, shared one first course and one dessert, one glass of wine and one mixed drink for over $100. When the bill normally commands three figures, then everything needs to be near perfect and the location, parking and ambiance need a little more attention to detail and dynamics. I'm not sure high end foodies will be comfortable with this section of town after dark.

    (5)

  • Brandon B.

    I had heard nothing but positive reviews and boy did Better Half live up to them! I went in a group of five. We ordered one of each appetizer, all but one entree, and all but one dessert. It was phenomenal. Truly a great all around meal. The only weak bite was the artichoke on one of they appetizers, but the rest of that plate was great. The artichoke was just tough. Great experience that I would return for another visit.

    (5)

  • Kristy B.

    This is our absolute favorite restaurant in Atlanta for date nights. The menu is always changing, delicious and unique. Sit at the bar and talk to the chefs!

    (5)

  • Adam B.

    Better half is my favorite restaurant in Atlanta by a mile. The menu is always interesting, the ingredients fresh, and the staff is friendly. I recommend sitting at the bar so you can watch the chefs do their work. They are open to conversation and questions, friendly, and genuinely interesting people. The portions are just right so that you can enjoy a starter, a main dish, and a shared dessert with your companion. This spot is definitely worth a trip into town. Note that they now have a liquor license. While BYOB is still welcome, there is a $15 corkage fee - fine for wine, but a little steep for the 750 of beer that I brought along and opened before I knew about the corkage fee! No worries though.

    (5)

  • Megan K.

    Well, another 5 star review. I don't know what I can add..maybe a quote from my husband - "PORK WIN". Basically if you have a chance to get the pork shoulder, get it immediately. Don't even read the rest of the menu. Unless you love seafood - I had the yellowfin w shrimp stew and it was incredible so I would imagine anything seafood they do would be spot on. We sat at the bar so that we could watch all of the food being cooked which was so cool and fun. We got a chance to chat w the chef and sous chef before it got busy. Really cool guys. I don't think you'll get a bad (or mediocre or even just "good") meal here based on the appetizers, mains, and desserts we had.

    (5)

  • Pierre W.

    This is currently my favorite restaurant. Everything about it is extremely innovative and wowing. My favorite part was the dessert. We ordered some sort of fig cake that was too complex to put into words. When the server came back to clear our plates, we told him how we LOVED the fresh figs and he told us that they grew them themselves in the back. Later when he brought our check, we brought us a little box of fresh figs he picked just for us. That's great customer service. Definitely recommend Better Half!

    (5)

  • Jennifer P.

    They have different menu daily so you have to go try it out yourself. I went on a Tuesday night, and food was ok. Not up to 5 star rating though.

    (3)

  • Liza S.

    Fantastic!! One of our favorite dinners in Atlanta! Make sure to try the Chef's table. You don't want to miss it!

    (5)

  • Jeremy R.

    Amazing! Not cheap but worth every penny. Extremely casual ambiance. Good date spot. Awesome service usually. Can't get here enough!

    (5)

  • Katie D.

    I picked this restaurant when we went out with another couple for dinner. We showed up for our reservations at 8 and they said our table wasn't ready. But there was an empty table for four towards the back... okay... so we went to the bar for a drink. They were out of the drink my husband wanted. So we waited some more. At about the 30 minute mark- and the empty table for four still empty towards the back of the restaurant- we decided to leave. I still have no idea why they couldn't put us at the empty table for 4. Between the location, limited menu, limited wine menu, and poor customer service, I won't be giving it another chance.

    (1)

  • Felicia L.

    Yum, Yum! Some dear friends invited us to join them for dinner at this spot...Thanks Janice! The décor is under stated, but oh my, the food is wonderful. We had the $50 price fix which came with 4 courses. A charred Romaine Lettuce salad - YUM; Halibut with a delish polenta cake thing - YUM; followed by a grilled chicken dish (the chicken was dry, but the mustard sauce was fab); then came a pineapple dessert with lavender sauce, and silky vanilla bean ice cream - YUM. The sous chef served several of our courses, and she provided detailed info of the preparations and ingredients within each dish. This made a good meal, great! Parking is very limited. The place is quaint, and very casual; but you will need a reservation most nights. NOTE: they now have a liquor license, so if you BYOB it will be a $15 cork fee.

    (4)

  • John H.

    My wife and I had a great experience! We sat at the bar and enjoyed a nice bottle of Malbec along with the 5 course tasting. Each dish/course was delicious and just enough in quantity. We left the restaurant feeling very satisfied but also not so full we couldn't move (which is a plus!). The serving staff was incredibly polite, attentive and helpful. It made for a great date night to close out the holiday season! My personal favorite was the smoked sausage...truly incredible.

    (5)

  • Marissa C.

    Better Half is my absolute favorite restaurant in Atlanta, bar none. Chef Zach's inventive creativity mashing up Costa Rican and Southern flavors consistently impresses and I leave perfectly satiated. The menu is constantly changing, daily sometimes hourly, so there isn't too much value in extolling the virtues of this or that dish. Only one dish, the silk handkerchief pasta, is a constant and a revelation. It's so good, it's hard to order anything else. Also phenomenal are desserts which are so frequently an afterthought at other establishments but at BH they are smart, complex, and of course delectable--so don't skip it! To follow menu updates and see pictures of these creations checkout BH's facebook page and when you go try to grab a seat at bar overlooking the open kitchen to admire the artistry.

    (5)

  • Gracy L.

    It's now my new favorite restaurant in town. Since the menu changes daily, I don't think there's a need to talk about the food which are too delicious to describe and I'm speechless. But I will definitely go again and I planned on taking my family there and let everybody know about them.

    (5)

  • Abraham K.

    I was slightly let down only because I was expecting something revolutionary. The entire experience was good, not unbelievable. There were some home runs but a few too many errors to be considered one of the best restaurants in Atlanta. (I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could) Pros 1. the grilled romaine was amazing. it's everything and then some. 2. their signature pasta was different. the marmalade was a little too sweet but all in all a very memorable dish. 3. the service was very prompt and attentive. 4. interior. unique and cozy. Cons 1. the server said they change the menu daily. the menu was exactly the same as the week before. maybe a few changes here and there but the majority of the menu was the same. don't claim something that isn't true. 2. the shrimp appetizer. it lacked flavor. 3. halibut was cooked nicely but the puree was bland. best part of that dish was the mushroom 4. warm beer glasses made my beer lukewarm. nothing i hate more than warm beer. the most memorable part of better half were the grilled mushrooms with the halibut and the mushroom inside the pasta. all in all a satisfactory dinner but it isn't on my list of "MUST GO BACK TOMORROW"

    (4)

  • Cailyn C.

    Don't get the fish, brought out stinky, had to send it back and didn't order anything else because there were only 5 things on the menu, and 2 were fish. I can't believe as fresh as this place advertises, The whole mahi mahi was rotten. Be aware. I expected at least average food. Very dispointed.

    (1)

  • Stephen C.

    As good as I hoped. I had been to maybe five of the PushStart Kitchen dinner parties, so I was quite familiar with Zach and Cristina's cooking and hospitality. I fretted that maybe that welcoming vibe wouldn't translate to a "real" restaurant. I'm delighted to say I was wrong. Zach's talent and his cooking are a given. The good news is that the space, and the open counter seating around Zach and his sous chef makes it every bit as comfortable and casual as a PushStart dinner. I thought parking would be a pain and it turned out that wasn't a problem either. I dined there last night and the soft egg, perlas, lardon, chicken confit, fennel jam, fried chicken vinaigrette was off-the-chain good. Like a little plate of magical southern couscous. Also outstanding was the pork loin, sweet potato butter, turnip, chipotle molasses, candied pineapple. I thought the Mexican hot chocolate tres leches cake was good, but I've had better desserts from Zach and look forward to exploring elsewhere on the dessert menu next time. I'm actually rather enjoying it being BYOB, though I know they're working on getting their license. I shared my bottle with fellow diners at the counter last night and it just added to the convivial atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Maud F.

    Better Half is my new favorite restaurant in Atlanta. I had heard about it and had been told how wonderful the food was. My expectations were high and I wasn't disappointed. Dish after dish flavors were deliciously exploding in my mouth. I look forward to going back there. (Please keep the roasted beets-shaved fennel-orange puree-pineapple-walnut praline on the menu, it was out of this world!)

    (5)

  • David S.

    The food was quite good. But it took 3.5 hours to get through a meal of just three courses. HIGHLIGHTS: Three courses with multiple choices makes for an outstanding meal. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful with a flourish of spice that is often missing from Atlanta fare. The food is also presented in beautiful fashion worthy of any great restaurant. Many other people have covered this territory so I will spend more time on other details. But rest assured, the food does not disappoint. LOW-LIGHTS: Noise. It was loud, and we struggled to hear our friends across the table. Also, we made a reservation for four but were placed at a communal table. We should have been warned of that possibility when making the reservation so we could have elected a time in which we would have been assured of our own table. Not that we are not friendly. I just prefer to make the choice myself. Slow kitchen. Honestly, this was not the slow food movement but the food certainly moved slowly. Thank goodness we brought multiple bottles of wine (courtesy of the fee-free BYOB policy currently in place). Without it, we would have spent the majority of our time at the restaurant with nothing to contemplate but water. SUGGESTIONS: If service does not get faster, then please throw in some amuse bouche treats or palate cleansers between the courses, Better Half. I don't think this is unreasonable given the prices and it would certainly fill the time gulf between the main attractions. All in all, it was a great meal. But I think there is still room for improvement before Better Half gets the five stars it is capable of.

    (4)

  • AV G.

    BFD--this is the food that they make on Top Chef. This is the food that you eat on trendy restos in ATL, CHI,DFW,TEL,Barca,SFO--blah blah blah. The food is good--so what. You can get this high priced meal (in much fancier settings) in any major city on earth. My Boss did bring some excellent wines from the 90's that made for a nice meal--BUT--i would much prefer an excellent meat and 3 that really told me that I was down South.

    (4)

  • Renewmylife11 ..

    Wonderful dining experience like none I've experienced. My friend and I truly enjoyed it. Relaxed lighting and atmosphere. Unique culinary creations inspired by southern cuisine. My tastbuds had the privilege of experiencing the pork loin with pork belly and potato soup with the potato wafer. We also enjoy the French-press coffee. Service was decent, but it took just a little while to receive our orders. They have a very small staff and so I believe that was the reason, but the time in between courses left my friend and I to connect.

    (5)

  • Lee C.

    Ehhh. I won't go back..but it wasn't bad. Nothing was amazing but it wasn't bad. Price wasn't supported by the taste and price wasn't supported by small portion sizes

    (3)

  • David C.

    Went for the first time last night and could not have enjoyed it more. We did the chef's special, which was priced very well considering the quality of the food. All four dishes were exceptional, starting with the beet salad and wrapping up with the toffee cake and incredible curry ice cream. The sommelier could not have been better prepared or more engaging. Add to it the cool setting and great vibe, and we will definitely be returning.

    (5)

  • Lee F.

    Absolutely awesome. Small place with great food. For first courses we had the brussels sprouts with chanterelle mushrooms, citrus yogurt, hazelnut praline and manchego along with the roasted beets, curry flan, parsnip, frisee, golden raisin leather and brown butter. Both were fantastic. Next up our main courses were grilled pork belly with crispy ramen cake, broccoli textures and toasted nori purée along with swordfish, farro perlato, pickled apple, african squash and parsley jam. Insane. Finally for dessert we had pumpkin cake with sour cream ice cream, pumpkin confit and pumpkin seed praline along with horchata cremeux with toasted milk, saffron pears and huckleberry sorbet. Really outstanding from start to finish.

    (5)

  • Wolfgirl E.

    I'm in love with this restaurant. I'm in the business, and have been for 7 years now... and I'm just in love with this place. The decor, the sense of home and welcoming, the beautiful and uncomplicated food, the recognition of employees and their value... I just. What a delight. I had fabulous wine to start; a Spanish white whose name I can't quite remember. I split the watermelon gazpacho with my friend, as well as the pasta and crispy duck. Everything was fantastic. The only issue I could possibly have was that I prefer my duck breast a touch more rendered... but the meat was so flavorful, and cooked so well, it balanced itself out. The dessert was a brown butter cake with caramel, caramel corn, and custard... and it too was great. I cannot wait to come back here. I wish them nothing but the best- we need more places like this in the city!

    (5)

  • Richard N.

    Spectacular. Just about the most compelling meal we have had since moving to Atlanta. What Gunshow does to concept (not to discount their food, very very good), Better Half does to food. We opted for the tasting menu, standouts were the baked potato soup and the sous-vide pork loin, both extraordinary. Wine list was short but smart and modestly priced, on top of that almost all the wines were available by the glass. Service was professional, attentive but not overly so, friendly. Vibe was hip unpretentious fun, noisy but not overwhelmingly so. Some quibbles, but still 5 stars because to be able to have the kind of meal we had for under $200 (two people, drinks and wine, 5 courses) absolutely deserves five stars. As to the quibbles / wish list: had the bowl been warmer to start the soup would have stayed warmer for longer (granted, lingered over the soup, didn't want it to end.) Thomasville Tomme on Focaccia was just too rich, lacking in subtlety. would be nice if they could course the wines, pairing with each course. Should be easy to do given the number of wines they sell by the glass. And each is good enough to warrant being smartly paired. Small quibbles, and two days later I still feel that it is one of Atlanta's very best.

    (5)

  • Albert C.

    Truly one of the best dinning experiences I've had. The food is simply delicious. The atmosphere is awesome. Bring your own wine and you'll have a fantastic night. The staff is great. The food is delicious. If you live in the Atlanta area, you owe it to yourself to make yourself a regular. This place is awesome. Live well. Eat well. Live life.

    (5)

  • Stephen L.

    Every dish was unique. We were three people - 2 Smalls, 2 Mains and 2 Deserts and a small cheese course. Loved every one. Squash soup with little fried egglants, an heirloom tomato tart with roasted garlic ice cream, friend catfish with shishito pepper and a shrimp sauce, handkercief homemade pasts with wild mushrooms, fried ricotta pie and peach sorbet, cocoa sponge with mango puree. The chef/owner came out to say hello. He is a prodigal son of Atlanta who spent time on the West Coast and brings back that sensibility but with an appreciation and use of the local foods of the South. Small place; quiet enough to have a conversation; amazing food. If you are in Atlanta go there. The only minor disappointment was the cocktail one of us ordered - but we had a bottle of fabulous Belgian beer.

    (5)

  • Todd R.

    Wow...went here for the first time for Valentine Day. The place is incredible...can't give it enough stars!

    (5)

  • Preethi J.

    Really loved this place. we shared the ricotta dumpling appetizer- they were light and fluffy and the citrus and chorizo complimented the dumplings perfectly. For entrees we got the Pasta and the beef - both excellent with several flavors to compliment. What i liked most about this place was the excellent and laid back friendly service. Not pretentious at all. No liquor license yet and they gladly served us the wine we brought with us. I will be back love everything about this place!

    (5)

  • Leanne E.

    I was very pleased with my meal! We were celebrating my sweetie's birthday. We both started with the ceviche appetizer. This was wonderful, the grapefruit paired with shrimp with a lovely sauce was devoured. It's small, so order one per person. I chose the mushroom pasta and all I could think was shut the front door. The pasta was plentiful and the mushrooms cooked in a porcini. The treat was the tomato marmalade, which tasted more like strawberry jelly. Don't get me wrong, I love strawberry jelly and it complimented this dish so well! My sweetie wanted one of the nightly specials but it was out. The substitution was a herb rubbed hanger steak that was so tender and delicious, he forgot about what he had originally ordered. For dessert, I ordered the Pot du Crème, which was delicious and my sweetie ordered the fried blueberry pie. This was a delicious and satisfying meal. You need to visit now!

    (5)

  • Nestlee M.

    Two of us went for dinner. Both of us got a starter and an entrée which were good, but small. They don't offer sides and they don't serve bread. We try not to eat rich desserts so when we passed on those, we realized we were leaving the restaurant hungry. Not a place we will go back to.

    (3)

  • Gloria P.

    I organized a table for six at Better Half to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday two weeks ago on a Friday. We struggled to meet a very early reservation, but we did it. The food was pleasant (although meager), and the service was perfect. We shared three desserts and ordered a fourth bottle of wine. As soon as our server opened the wine, the manager came by to inform us that people at the front door were waiting for our table. He was polite in his request for us to leave. Nonetheless, he asked us to leave. As we were waiting on the sidewalk for Uber, we agreed that we should have spent $550 somewhere else. And, next time we will.

    (1)

  • Meg R.

    You GUYS. This is one of those meals after which you don't want to brush your teeth so you can keep savoring all of the flavors. I brought my husband here for his birthday, just as the new Spring menu was introduced. We sat up at the counter and watched Chef Zach and Jonathan work their magic preparing everything: for me, beet salad with savory granola, collard green powder and fresh soft cheese, then strawberry gazpacho with jicama slaw and dots of spicy cilantro pudding, then carrot cake with honey roasted carrots, sweet cream cheese and molasses ice cream. The birthday boy loved his farro starter with sausage and a soft egg, then a perfectly cooked pork loin with mustard greens and pickled mustard seed, finished with Better Half's clever take on bananas foster. The whole meal was at once sophisticated and low key. Sit at the counter if you can; Chef Zach and Jonathan are incredibly fun.

    (5)

  • Peter S.

    Their motto should be "Better than Bouchon". Outstanding cuisine with great attention to detail and presentation. Wonderful flavors. 5 star cooking in a chic urban environment. Zach and Kristina obviously love what they do

    (5)

  • Jennifer K.

    This is my third time eating at Better Half and each time it has been amazing. I think it is hard to rate a restaurant who changes it's menu nightly, so be weary of poor reviews based on certain dishes, everything I have had has been wonderful. The only faults I have found have been in the desserts, which may be a little too out there for my taste. I would say skip the dessert course and order extra of those delightful truffle bites of heaven they give you with your check.

    (5)

  • Connie H.

    Probably one of the better meals I've had in Atlanta in a long time! The service was excellent and the chefs were so nice. The halibut was exceptional and the lemon tart was amazing! Nice work guys!

    (5)

  • Chris S.

    Great dinner and atmosphere. Seating at the bar allows for dinner and a show. Great three course dinner with each dish tasting even better than it looked. Great addition to the neighborhood. Nice to see someone successfully chasing their dream. Friendly, attentive waitstaff - refreshing to dine in such a welcoming atmosphere. Look forward to many happy returns to sample something new. Make sure you try a dessert (white chocolate bread pudding) before you call it a night.

    (5)

  • Christopher S.

    Go. Really. This is our new favorite restaurant. Little pricey but the value is there. I hope they keep the BYO policy after their liquor license is approved. They are already crowded on the weekends, but the beginning of the week is not. I think they are closed on Monday though.

    (5)

  • John S.

    Wanted to impress my "better half"....Failed. A fluke? Maybe. Time will tell. Waiter was nice but I had to clean up a bit after he dumped wine all down the outside of my glass and onto the table. It was a sign of things to come unfortunately...Maybe he just didnt see it? Beet salad was decent fresh and a little creative but something was definitely missing. Pig ears were chewy and an interesting twist. Panisee was phenomenal and blew me out of my chair. Whoever designed that recipe needs to be kissed. My underdeveloped American palate has rarely enjoyed such a fantastic variety of simple and wonderful textures and flavors in a single bite. It was so good I almost cried so I'm adding an extra star. That dish was worthy of poetry. Next came the pork shoulder which was decently seasoned but rather overcooked and the pureed squash in which those sad little hunks were swimming didnt offer much visual or flavorful assistance. Pork can be tricky. But I wont hold that or the crappy service against them or the fact that they didnt care when I told them the pork was bad. I think this place is going to do very well. The waiter does need to check with the table after the main course is served. Pretty basic stuff since we're in ATL not Paris folks. I would have sent mine back and probably have had a better story to tell. The panisee alone really was worth going for and I would not hesitate to try everything else on the menu.

    (4)

  • Chris K.

    Excellent food, excellent service. The farm egg appetizer was fantastic. They are still working on their liquor license, so bring a bottle of wine from home. We will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Amy M.

    Better Half is beyond amazing. The food divine and service exemplary. Our party of four enjoyed the roasted apple and onion soup and the chickpea stuffed piquillo appetizers, the roasted mahi, swordfish and lamb loin entrees, sweet potato tart and black cocoa sponge desserts. Everything was perfection. Our waiter did a fabulous job of explaining it all to us and the entire waitstaff was attentive without being obsequious. Cannot wait to return!

    (5)

  • V V.

    I was on a one day trip to Atlanta from San Francisco. And this was my only shot at trying southern cuisine. What can I say, I was positively impressed. This is a small restaurant with open kitchen. The food is amazing, the chef is very friendly and staff is generally very nice. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Tatiana H.

    A long-time friend and I decided to check out Better Half in the Westside/Home Park neighborhood. If I had known it was adjacent to Wagaya, I most definitely would have visited earlier! The interior appears casual with an artsy edge, but the plating is modern and chic. Parking can be a bit of a hassle, since it shares a baby lot behind the restaurant with other businesses. However, despite coming by on a weekend evening, we managed to snag the last spot. So you may as well check it out just in case you get lucky. If not, I am sorry in advance for the awkward struggle when exiting. Their menu changes pretty frequently, if not daily. And while the flavors may change, the "mains" stay the same for some time (i.e. fish, gnocchi, pasta, meat, etc.) I would go with the Gnocchi, since they give you a decent portion. My friend opted for the Rabbit Entrée which was just too pretty to eat! When the proteins came out as cut up sausage-like shapes, we were initially confused. I think we were expecting an actual leg and breast that the menu had described. Still, everything was beautifully plated and delicious! The only frown I experienced during my meal was the free mini appetizer we received. I believe it was a black bean paste served with a crunchy flatbread of some sort. The dish tasted fine, but it did not look appetizing: pretty much a smudge of poop dusted in sea salt with 2 sad sticks. Thank goodness the rest of the meal was not only refined looking, but appetizing. In fact, the following dishes blotted out the memory of what could have been an unforgettable bad taste in my mouth. And it was free, so I will overlook the sad sticks in my review. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, but because I couldn't try everything this time around, I do expect to come back again!

    (4)

  • Zack H.

    I came here hoping to love this restaurant. The experience fell flat on all levels. The service was poor as i do not think we had an assigned waiter/waitress. The food most importantly was not good. Th flavors did not meld. Also it was way to expensive for the portions and quality of food. Needless to say I will not be returning.

    (1)

  • John H.

    My wife and I had a great experience! We sat at the bar and enjoyed a nice bottle of Malbec along with the 5 course tasting. Each dish/course was delicious and just enough in quantity. We left the restaurant feeling very satisfied but also not so full we couldn't move (which is a plus!). The serving staff was incredibly polite, attentive and helpful. It made for a great date night to close out the holiday season! My personal favorite was the smoked sausage...truly incredible.

    (5)

  • Kristin P.

    I really really hate to give two stars to this restaurant because they source from several local farms and the chefs are really talented. Unfortunately, nothing my husband and I had was that memorable. Each dish was perfectly executed, but none of the flavor combinations worked for us. We won a 5 course tasting dinner for here from a silent auction at the Southeastern Sustainable Livestock Conference and I was SO excited to come. The waitstaff was so friendly but we just didn't truly enjoy any of the courses :(

    (2)

  • V V.

    I was on a one day trip to Atlanta from San Francisco. And this was my only shot at trying southern cuisine. What can I say, I was positively impressed. This is a small restaurant with open kitchen. The food is amazing, the chef is very friendly and staff is generally very nice. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Tatiana H.

    A long-time friend and I decided to check out Better Half in the Westside/Home Park neighborhood. If I had known it was adjacent to Wagaya, I most definitely would have visited earlier! The interior appears casual with an artsy edge, but the plating is modern and chic. Parking can be a bit of a hassle, since it shares a baby lot behind the restaurant with other businesses. However, despite coming by on a weekend evening, we managed to snag the last spot. So you may as well check it out just in case you get lucky. If not, I am sorry in advance for the awkward struggle when exiting. Their menu changes pretty frequently, if not daily. And while the flavors may change, the "mains" stay the same for some time (i.e. fish, gnocchi, pasta, meat, etc.) I would go with the Gnocchi, since they give you a decent portion. My friend opted for the Rabbit Entrée which was just too pretty to eat! When the proteins came out as cut up sausage-like shapes, we were initially confused. I think we were expecting an actual leg and breast that the menu had described. Still, everything was beautifully plated and delicious! The only frown I experienced during my meal was the free mini appetizer we received. I believe it was a black bean paste served with a crunchy flatbread of some sort. The dish tasted fine, but it did not look appetizing: pretty much a smudge of poop dusted in sea salt with 2 sad sticks. Thank goodness the rest of the meal was not only refined looking, but appetizing. In fact, the following dishes blotted out the memory of what could have been an unforgettable bad taste in my mouth. And it was free, so I will overlook the sad sticks in my review. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, but because I couldn't try everything this time around, I do expect to come back again!

    (4)

  • Sean F.

    Just come eat here. Looks like the menu changes fairly often and they may not always serve what you want. So what? Just eat here. Order off your beaten path. This is a place of flavor adventure! I had the "albondigas" small plate which roughly translates to a meatball. Really clever dish A squared off seasoned beef meatball (block?) With two sauces 1) cherry/chipotle, sweet and smokey while almost having zero spice 2) a refined salsa roja. It was good, but could have been great. After a bit of thought the beef was a bit over seasoned with salt in my opinion. It was hard to pick out any beef flavor while it also forced me to use every ounce of the nice sauces to cut the salt. Dessert was a gem. Some darn fancy carrot cake with carrot sorbet. I'm a sucker for carrot cake and this take on it was fun. The carrot sorbet had a nice, fine texture while not being too sweet. You still had a very refreshing carrot taste. You can tell the staff here is very close and works their tails off. I can see that it's possible that there may be good and bad nights but I am absolutely sure they'd take care of you if something was off the mark. Not life changing, but a place that I wish was across the street from my house for sure. I'd be a regular.

    (4)

  • Rich V.

    Ugh, a frustrating evening. The menu is always changing, and today the menu was better than most days, although the execution was soft. I'll give more on that in a second, but my biggest frustration is service and ambiance. I'll take the last one first. They put us back by the bathrooms. Despite my prior review, we still get to see and hear every person in the restaurant as they go into the bathroom to do their business. There's even a doorway there, so they could at the very least put some kind of eye barrier if not a sound barrier. The menu tonight was better than it usually is. The watermelon was great! They also did a kind of deconstructed lamb tamale that was solid. I only tried the corn soup with a fried jalapeno, but trying it was all I wanted. I didn't think much of the dish. The second courses were a bit wanting however. I did the beef short rib, and it seemed to have been pressure cooked today with little development or sauce or anything else that added much depth of flavor. The cut had obviously been rushed through it's tenderizing process. Quite disappointing. My bigger issue came later in the evening. Better Half was only about half full tonight...despite it being a Friday. They only did one table turn for each table and only about 3/4 of tables were ever taken. Somehow as my table was laughing at a funny story one of my friends was recounting, the person running the floor came over and told us we needed to be quiet? I think this comes down a little bit to one of my frustrations with the front of the house -- truly the back of the house is one of the best in Atlanta -- but I don't think Better Half hospitality staff know their customers. Usually when I go into places, the management and staff have some inkling of how often I dine at their restaurant. I don't think Better Half has ever recognized me. Most restaurants at this price point do this through some sort of CRM system. If I go to Tomo, they know I want to be a the sushi bar. If I go to Aria or Restaurant Eugene, they know I want to be in one of the "u" tables. The one thing I've ever asked Better Half is not to put me back by the bathrooms, and yet most every time that's one of the first places they seem to seek to fill. I have had mixed service at Better Half. Three weeks ago or so, I had excellent service. Last time I did not. I think service depends somewhat on luck of the draw with the waitstaff but also depends upon when you sit down. Their wine list needs some work. Also, they use stemless glasses like you use next to the pool for wine. For a restaurant like this, I think they need to offer espresso drinks. This Foodie in particular wants an espresso after my meal not a pot of coffee. So all that said, I had really been in love with the quaintness of Better Half, but my most recent experiences show that the rubber is coming off the tire. Sadly, while the chef is really ingenious, the restaurant is very poorly managed. Service is subpar for the price point.

    (3)

  • L H.

    Exceptional experience! Table ordered 5 course tasting menu, everyone was blown away- 1st course Potato Soup with dollop of bacon marmalade was crazy good, 2nd course was a well prepared trout, 3rd course was 2 medallions of pork that absolutely melted in your mouth, 4th course was a homemade Brie and biscuit with fruit marmalades, finishing with a dollop of cheesecake, toasted marshmallows and ginger ice cream. The owners visited our table multiple time during meal. It is a great story and fab place to dine with friends. Will be back very soon.

    (5)

  • Jang C.

    Oh man, what a disappointment. I was so hyped about this place, but things fell short. First of all, I have no idea where to park. It isn't clear. You can park at the gas station next door. But they have like 8 spaces total. There has to be some other places to park. I guess you can park in the streets of home park. Their decor is trendy and quaint. It's also kinda hipster-ish too. Maybe a rich, hipster type vibe. That's cool. First, let me mention that their presentations are beautiful. On the menu, all of their dishes sound mundane. But they really make the dishes look amazing and delicious. For example, their tortilla soup is the most amazing looking tortilla soup I've seen. To start, I tried their duck flatbread with machengo and wild mushroom coca. I liked this dish. The flatbread was baked well and tasted great. The duck was good too. The fennel jam was all bunched in the corner of the bread. So it was hard to spread it everywhere. It was still a good dish though. For my entree, I got their Crispy Flounder. This didn't taste good. When they say, "Crispy" they meant make it look like filet o fish. Like their other dishes, they made the dish look amazing, but when you really look at it, it's just 2 filet o fishes from McDonald's with the blood orange aioli drizzled around it artistically. Speaking of the blood orange aioli, that did not match with the flavors of the fish. It was too sour. Maybe if we had fresh blood oranges? I dunno. I didn't like the dish at all. The flavors were too contrasty and didn't work well for me. Oh yeah, the roasted fennel it came with was too tough. I couldn't cut it with my dull butter knife they gave me. So I had to shove that whole thing into my mouth. Argh. The Filet o Flounder was probably the most expensive entree on the menu. My friend and I found this place overpriced. After spending about $100 for the both of us (without drinks or dessert), we just went home hungry and disappointed. Don't get me wrong, this place doesn't suck. I liked the presentation, the creativity of the menu, and the duck flatbread. The flounder just killed it for me. Oh well.

    (3)

  • Rachel K.

    Beware: be careful where you park. I almost got a ticket. But thank God I ran fast enough to get to my car before the guy could write a ticket. Whew. Park on the streets AFTER 7!!!!! Got the 5 course tasting meal. Some of the dishes are smaller, but as you go through the course - you'll get full. It was about 50 bucks. I have a small stomach, so I was happy by the end of the course, but if you have a huge appetite, I don't think this will satisfy you. Service was AMAZING. The place was pretty packed. The environment here is awesome too. :) Some foods I liked, some I didn't; I am fairly certain every course given at any restaurant has a dish or 2 that's not super popular. But I did expect to have more Yes dishes than No dishes. 1. Flan - So, I don't like flan in general; therefore, I only had a few bites before I let someone else have the rest. But the bites I had were good/ok; tasted too buttery. I just can't eat too much of it b/c I have a sensitive stomach. The mushrooms on top of the flan were pretty tasty. Ok dish - only b/c of the mushrooms. 2. Flounder - So...... not really a fan. Missed the mark on this one unfortunately. Just didn't mix well with me. I ate it regardless, but I don't think I'd order this individually. Too much walnuts :( 3. Steak - I actually think the steak was the reason why I bumped up my 2 to a 3. Great taste & done correctly. I also liked the huge onion that was included hah. The steak for sure trumps the flounder. I wish they added more portions! :( 4. Cheese - Hmm.... kind of basic. I liked the mini bread that was included. Cheese wise, it was ok. Oh - but the Strawberry (?) & Raspberry (?) Jam were delicious.... so 1/2 yes and no for me. 5. I love dessert so this was my #2 favorite. Coco with the Orange piece with ice cream. Nomnommm. The orange was a great add. Nicely complimented the dish.

    (3)

  • Claudia A.

    I wanted to come here and try it due to all the great reviews. I might come back just to try their menu changes. I think perhaps what was in season and on the menu this night just wasn't my cup of tea. My friend didn't like it either, she won't be coming back. I got the chef tasting menu with 5 items for $50. Think tapas. They ended up being very pretty yet overpriced items that looked better than they tasted. I don't mind paying more for less food but it has to taste amazing (quality over quantity). It didn't. I tried the pecan crusted white fish with bacon- it was very bland except for the spoonful of bacon garnishing it. Then the garlic flan- it was tasted like eating butter which isn't my favorite thing to spoon into my mouth. Then came the steak- this was great. But as I told my friend-you can't mess up steak, you put a piece of it on the grill and leave it medium. The cheese wasn't bad (i mean it's cheese) but the cornbread cracker served with it wasn't very good (very dry) although it did have a watermelon jam on it that was great (again yummy garnish). Dessert was coco and chocolate ice cream with a chocolate cookie. This wasn't bad but the cookie was tough to chew. The wait staff was friendly but didn't come by as often as I expected. They came with a dish but never came to see if we needed anything in between. Only came back to clear up our dish and bring back another.

    (2)

  • Jana H.

    What a great experience at the chef's counter (this was definitely a 4.5 star meal)! I was surprised with dinner at Better Half, and when we were seated at the chef's counter, I knew something good was going to happen. We opted to do the 9-course tasting menu ($65 per person), since it is only available if you sit at the counter. I also added on the beverage pairing, which was 5 tasting pours of wine to pair with the different courses ($30 per person). I was blown away by the first 2 courses. The onion and apple soup and the pickled shrimp appetizers were outstanding! Both would have been menu items I easily passed by and wouldn't have typically ordered, and that is why these were my favorites! The chef's tasting was a win from the start. Other notable dishes from the night were the pork dish and the banana flan. There were only 2 courses that disappointed me. The scallop was perfectly cooked, but the accompaniments on the plate were not my favorite flavor combinations. The felafel was my least favorite dish of the night, but it's wasn't terrible by any means. If I do the chef's tasting again, I would skip the wine pairings and choose a couple glasses I love. For $30, I received 5 tastings pours of a variety of wines (2 whites, 1 red, 1 Madeira, and 1 champagne). The Madeira was served with the cheese course and I had to ask what it was before drinking. While the pairing was interesting, it is not a wine I would ever order again as it was much too sweet for my taste. I really wanted another red in the mix. The service was fantastic, and I loved sitting at the counter. This was the first time I've ever sat that close to a kitchen to see all the action, and for any foodie (or wannabe foodie), it was a great experience. Overall, I would definitely recommend Better Half, and I hope to come back again to enjoy more of the beautifully crafted and delectable dishes .

    (4)

  • Thu M.

    Came here with my sister. She's raved about this place, from some friends that raved about it. Had a couple of dishes to share, really appreciated the thoughtfulness they put into splitting the entrees (after seeing her cough up a chainsaw, probably) so we could both enjoy our foods. Interesting combination of ingredients. Was not crowded that night we came in, so we got a nice seat at the bar to witness the action. My favorite part of the night was watching one of the chefs struggle with the hardened goat cheese whip thing-- he couldn't expel it out the applicator tip and you could see how determined he was to complete the dish. I can't say I'll be back; there are just too many other cool restaurants to try in ATL, nonetheless, the perseverance of these guys bumped my rating to a solid 3. Thanks Tim, and team for the experience!

    (3)

  • Ravi B.

    Summary: Pork Belly & Chocolatex6 with your favorite dinner meat at the chef's counter makes an awesome dinner experience. I can't tell if the first courses or the second courses (or the dessert third courses) are the better half/halves of the meal here! Justin White, a friend named Hallie, and I came here on a Saturday night. It was surprising that they weren't 100% packed on a Mother's Day weekend, but that was nice for us. We sat at the chef's counter which was one of the best parts of the experience! We started off with cocktails and wine. I tried the basil margarita and Hallie got the vodka with limo. Both were awesome, but I liked my margarita more. We also got some white wine which was a great compliment to our meal. For 1st courses (appetizers) we shared a couple of different items: the pickled shrimp, pork belly (on the house), polenta (on the house), and green tomatoes every which way. Some of the items we got were free and I don't know if its because we sat at the chef's counter or because we showed our social media check-in highlighted on the menu. However, one those items were a pork belly that was cooked for 3 days. It was amazing! It had a spicy sauce on it which was even more awesome. There were a bunch of sauces all throughout the meal that were awesome. The pickled shrimp was ceviche style, so it was interesting, but it wasn't my favorite item. It had cucumbers, carrots, and other pickled vegetables along with it. The polenta cake was pretty good too. It was almost like salty cornbread (in a good way). The green tomatoes every which way was really awesome too. It was crispy, sweet, and tomato-y in so many ways :D. For 2nd courses, I liked everything that we had. However, I felt that the items sounded different than they actually were. We split the crispy flounder, chicken, and silk handkerchief pasta that had mushrooms. All were really flavorful and unique. They all had great parts of them that I liked, but it seemed like none of the dishes really bedazzled me as one item. The chicken had a lot of flavor, but it came with oatmeal, which I didn't like. Also the chicken said it came with crispy skin, but it didn't have very much of the skin on top. The flounder was really awesome and crispy. The pasta felt like it needed some meat for me, but Justin and Hallie really loved it by itself. I did see one of the chefs making the pasta by hand which was really cool and it had a really good amount of creamy-ness. Dessert was one of my favorite parts! We got the "chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate" which was decadent in the best way! It had 6 different types of chocolate in many sorts of different ways. The pastry chef challenged us to think of any other ways we could add chocolate. She also let us sample the strawberry panna cotta which had a strawberry sweet kick on top. Awesome desserts here and awesome experience! The chefs all looked like they were having so much fun while we watched them prepare everything. They were like bartenders serving food. Service was above and beyond also. I would highly recommend Better Half to friends.

    (5)

  • Thi T.

    3.5 stars. This has been on my Bucket List for a while after hearing trusted Yelpers rave about it with their 5 star reviews. I was quick to emphasize on my reservations that I would like to sit at the bar with a view of the open kitchen. I came on a Friday night with reservations at 6 pm and we were the first ones at the bar. I don't think there was anyone at the restaurant at the time. During our dinner, there was just one other person seated at the bar. Nevertheless, we had a good time watching the chefs. Both were very gracious and friendly, thus, bumping this rating half a star. I'm very thankful for the thoughtful little toasted marshmallow/candied crushed pecan treat at the end of our meal. That was one of my favorite food items of the night. ==silk handkerchief pasta, wild mushrooms, tomato marmalade, porcini cream: my favorite! Per the chef, this is the only item that never rotates off the menu. I love the thin pasta, the light cream, and the succulent mushrooms! ==smoked pork risotto, wilted spinach, manchego, ham hock marmalade: rich and comforting. I love the sweet marmalade and the other jelly type topping. Gave the dish different and contrasting flavors. ==swordfish, brown butter, celery root, etc: enjoyed the lemon that was used to cut potential fishiness. The pepper also provided a different flavor. Nice addition of little celery to add a different consistency. ==causa "potato skins", guajillo chile, saffron potato, pickled shallot: I would have preferred my potato to more thinly sliced. Service was spectacular... from our friendly and helpful waiter to the quick, efficient, creative chefs. Overall, I was not "WOW"-ed by the food as my fellow yelpers. The quality was great. The presentation was superb. However, I may be biased by my other favorite restaurants that create unique dishes that stun my palate and render me speechless for a few moments!

    (4)

  • Ana M.

    Over the years, I've been super jealous of Padma Lakshmi, who by getting to be hostess of top chef, can sit pretty in her chair, being all hot, while the chef explains every item of his/her tasting menu, of his/her artistic vision, to her. She then gets to taste said artform and share her opinion about it. How I've longed to be her! And every so often I would I splurge on a tasting menu, in the hopes of playing my Padma life dream. Many times the tasting menu has been delicious, but never has the experience been as top-chef like as I had last night. For a reasonable $50, one can have the 5 course tasting menu at Better Half and, especially if you sit by the open kitchen, you get to witness the creative process in all its glory. The chefs favor creativity and dabble in molecular gastronomy, making it a a real pleasure and privilege to see each step in the plating of a delicious meal. The greatest treat, however, was having the chefs and staff come over to explain each dish, ingredient by ingredient, to my friend and I. My inner food nerd jumped of joy. Of course, the food was as delicious as it was beautiful, and I truly enjoyed every course. My favorite was the dessert, which had the perfect blend of warm toasted cake with a generous layer of burnt marshmallow. The mocha ice cream atop chocolate soil was a great counter point, and the whole thing tasted rich and cozy without being heavy. Of course other courses were also enjoyable, with special note to the sous-vide chicken dish, which was succulent, earthy, and a perfect salute to fall. I will gladly return. I plan on ordering another tasting menu, or their highly celebrated ribbon pasta. I was also curious of their scotch egg, which looked awesome when I saw it ordered at other tables.

    (5)

  • Danny L.

    Sadly in my opinion, the food was a let down, dish after dish. Everything sounds much more appetizing on menu than it actually tastes. You know when a restaurant gets so much hype for being labeled a trending hipster, farm-to-table place; and to a lot of people, when they see words like saffron, fennel, quail, creme fraiche, liver mouse, tapenade, etc., they might automatically think "This place must know what they're doing, because I don't know what half this stuff is or what it tastes like, but I'll trust the chef. Oh, this tastes...different, MUST be genius so I guess i'll follow the crowd, because I don't want to sound like a fool. I'll give it 5 stars"? This is that place. I just don't get it. I felt so misled by the other ratings and popularity. Sorry for the huge run-on sentence. I don't mean to sound like a hater without a cause. I'm all up for trying different combinations of flavors, but nothing was working for me here. Nothing was coming together. This was like a bad ex-relationship. I approached her because she looked pretty, she took my money and left me with nothing but a lighter wallet and a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't understand the black bean butter and stale shortbread. I also got a chicken sausage tartine with rabbit liver mousse, cucumber, heirloom carrots, and basil as an appetizer. I didn't like how it was served cold to room temperature. The liver mousse also overpowered anything else on that plate. I also got the little neck clam with cornbread puree, Spanish chorizo, fennel broth, and saffron. This is actually the one dish that I really enjoyed. The cornbread puree had a great creamy grits texture which was slightly sweet to offset the saltiness of the chorizo. For entrees, I got the grilled flat iron with charred spring onion, leek marmalade, onion fondue and bone marrow. The flat iron was a too salty for my taste and wasn't exactly the medium rare that I had asked for. My girlfriend got the seared octopus with sweet pea puree, crispy saffron grits, bitter orange, and basil. The crispy saffron grits tasted like mediocre cornbread. There wasn't enough flavor in the different purees to supplement the bland octopus. For dessert, we got the basil white chocolate cremeux, with vanilla milk, strawberry ice, and dry strawberry. This one tasted good; but then again, it's hard to screw up sugar and chocolate. At least, I think so. Now, I do have some positives. The plating of each dish was awesome. Everything looked like a fine work of art that could have a place in an exhibit. The atmosphere is small, very intimate, but everything comes together nicely. Also, the service was outstanding. They do have a free, private lot behind their building, but it can only fit like 15ish cars. They go have street parking, but make sure to read the signs to verify when it is free to the public. At the end of the day, I tried to get on the same page as Better Half. It just didn't click for me. Perhaps, it was just the menu rotation for that week. Maybe I'll come again to give it another try later, but I honestly do not see that in the near future.

    (2)

  • Jose O.

    This is a bit of a hard review for me to write. On one hand, I thought Better Half was a very good restaurant with great service, but on the other, they completely missed the mark on a dish and didn't do so well on another. I visited Better Half for a UYE that Troy S. hosted. There were 8 yelps there including me. This was a pretty decent sized group for the place, but wait staff did a great job. The staff really impressed me by making sure we had clean silverware for each course, boxing up unfinished food promptly, and just being attentive to the table's needs. The service at better half is the best I've experienced in Atlanta! Now for the bad. The table decided to go with the 5 course tasting.The tasting started off with a garlic flan and mushroom appetizer which was great. The flan was light and had the right level of garlic in it. I'd like to say that this is one of the most interesting dishes I've ever had and would get it again if I went back. Sadly it was followed by a dish I did not like at all, the walnut crusted flounder. I absolutely did not like the walnut crust! The walnuts were raw and the whole piece of fish was covered with walnuts! The taste of the raw walnuts was way too strong for fish. After the first bite all I could think of was "wow that's a lot of walnut". I ended up scraping of some of the crusting. This dish is the reason I've gone with a 3 start review. One could say the flounder floundered (ha-ha...yeah bad joke). The next dish up was the flat iron steak. There were two things that bothered me about this dish but they are very minor to me. The first was the temperature of the steak was wildly different across the table. It ranged from medium well to near blue. The second was the steak had a bit too much salt on it for my taste. Both ssues are minor in my book, and I'm sure it would have been different had I just ordered the steak by itself. The last two dishes were the cheese plate and the desert. Both were good. The cheese did not stick out much in my mind, but I did like the deconstructed orange chocolate tart. The little piece of orange glass was great! I would have given the place a 5 start review if the flounder was better. I should have asked the waiter if the dish was done right. Would I go back? Maybe. Better Half is not a cheap restaurant Overall 3 stars for great service serving up mostly good dishes and one that I really did not like.

    (3)

  • Catherine T.

    I was so excited to finally see where Push Start landed. Such a great experience! From feeling like you were part of the family to being served thoughtful and creatively plated dishes to pure deliciousness down to the last bite. Congrats! A true gem.

    (5)

  • Cousin D.

    This place is a gem! Food is unique and well prepared. Had the duck and beet salad. The flavored are amazing! Service was a little strange....but will definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Jennifer P.

    They have different menu daily so you have to go try it out yourself. I went on a Tuesday night, and food was ok. Not up to 5 star rating though.

    (3)

  • Liza S.

    Fantastic!! One of our favorite dinners in Atlanta! Make sure to try the Chef's table. You don't want to miss it!

    (5)

  • Jeremy R.

    Amazing! Not cheap but worth every penny. Extremely casual ambiance. Good date spot. Awesome service usually. Can't get here enough!

    (5)

  • Karly G.

    I have a restless palate so I'm always searching for tasty concoctions and I think I've found it here tonight. In fact, I'm so overwhelmed by the perfect dining experience that I don't know where to begin... Perhaps the only con about this place is the parking. It's confusing and crossing the street is pretty intense because of the on coming traffic from both direction... I was actually nervous but once I crossed, it was all good from there. My only wish is for them to have valet. :) On to the wonderful things about this place and why I would come back again and again. It's an open kitchen, literally. The bar on your left consist of two good looking chefs going at it with their culinary madness rather than the usual bartenders concocting their cocktails. It's a casual atmosphere so there's no need for swankiness. I like that kind of ambiance about this place, it's so cool that anything goes, whether you're under dressed or overly, you're not out of place. For the first course, we ordered the crispy squid and sweet potato risotto with pork belly. It's one of the best fried squid I've ever had and I'm glad that they didn't call it calamari. I like the idea of crispy squid, but that's exactly what it is. The portion was perfect for one person and possibly some room for a shared taste. I honestly didn't like having to share mine. Second course, we ordered the silk handkerchief pasta and red snapper. The pasta was absolutely amazing in so many ways. It's some kind of wonderful that only one can experience for themselves, not by hearing from someone else. I highly recommend it, $19 is not a splurge for something that can possibly change your life. :) The rest snapper was cooked medium rare, which is how I'd like to eat it since fish can be easily overcooked. The pasta knocked the fish out of the water though. Third course was dessert and I contemplated on ordering the frangipane, pear confit, oat biscuit, smoked caramel, caramel corn ice cream but I'm so glad that I did . I believe our waitress was also pleased. I also ordered the black cocoa sponge cake with passion fruit sorbet and honeycomb candy. The passion fruit sorbet was a little too tart for me but it was an OK dessert. It didn't wow me like the pear did. The caramel corn ice cream was just out of this world creamy and delicious. The burnt caramel was dropped onto the plate like little teardrops, it was just an amazing presentation with so many different elements. Let's just say the plate was sparkly cleaned and it all went down in like 5 min. Our waitress was wonderful and very in tune with our first experience. Our water was always filled without asking. You don't know how much of a difference that makes. This adorable place can only seat about 40 people so I like the intimacy of it. It's great for dates, small intimate gatherings or just a casual din din. I'm looking forward to coming back next week :) I also recommend the organic vodka, soursop and lime soda. Soursop is an exotic Asian fruit that is sweet with a sour hint.

    (5)

  • Pam C.

    This review is past due. So my memory, might be a little questionable. I clearly remember every dish being beautiful. Our service was spotty. Everyone loved their appetizers. The onion cream was a favorite of our friends. I loved my potato pierogi, it was delicious. My entrée was the duck with fennel and oats, very good. Hubby had the beef flat iron with black bean puree. Would love to go back.

    (4)

  • Diana N.

    I'm sorry this place simply didn't wow me despite all the reviews. It's a very cute small little restaurant. The staff was attentive but not at the level I would expect. Our waiter didn't offer really offer any advice or suggestions and forgot several times about our gluten allergy but it was nice that they were able to accommodate some of the dishes to be gluten free. I ordered the boudin with celery root as an appetizer. Their take on boudin was clearly a miss... Its nothing like the boudin I think of from New Orleans. The "sausage" was very dense and it's accompaniment of two slices of celery root really lacked any flavor or depth. It tasted just ok. Nothing I would ever order again. My main dish was rabbit loin with leg and liver pate with candied carrots and a deconstructed carrot cake. Again, really lacked any wow factor. Flavors were just so similar with no interesting contrast. On top of that the portion sizes are extremely small. We both left unsatisfied and hungry. We opted to skip dessert after looking at the menu. Nothing jumped out as a must try. With the prices, level of quality and taste, and portion sizes, I'm not sure I will give this place a second try.

    (2)

  • Stefanie M.

    WOW, I expected Better Half to be good based on the yelp reviews, but it still exceeded expectations! I mean WOW. Our dinner was spectacular! I was nervous because we got a reservation on a Saturday night so easily, thinking this isn't a good sign. I was SO WRONG. My husband and I started with the cowpea and bacon stew, it was lovely and I was so thrilled I got it, till I tried my friend's sausage w/ pepperjelly and a puree I can't remember, OMG. That sausage was amazing! For entree I got the risotto with crawfish, and it was lovely and wonderful. My husband got the rabbit. Both were good, although nothing were as amazing as that sausage appetizer. For dessert we did the brown buttercake, it was not what we were expecting, a very different version of a brown buttercake, but it was good. Coffee was excellent. They let us bring our own wine in w/ a corkage fee. They waive the corkage fee on one bottle if you buy another, something to keep in mind for the future. Parking is in the back down a little dark alley, so just FYI you don't have to park on the street. Service was spectacular, food was wonderful. I would return to Better Half in a NY minute!

    (5)

  • Askin G.

    We loved 9 tasting course and enjoyed sitting on chef's counter. I highly recommend it, if you want to taste amazing food and to get full.

    (5)

  • Teri B.

    I tend to be an adventurous and open-minded eater. I also appreciate fine dining. I had high expectations of Better-Half and was very let down. We decided to do the tasting menu which was 5 courses. Of the five, I enjoyed one, I tolerated two, and I hated two. Not great results at $50 per person. Each dish was like an over-accessorized woman. They should have just removed one element. The soup, for example, was very nice, but it had about four different types of "accouterments" with it, none of which were very good. Another example, the steak was nice and cooked well, but I didn't enjoy the shrimp jus underneath it, nor did I think it was complimented very well by the other two shrimp items on the plate. We had the frog legs which were drowning in buttery rice (they called it something else, but it was definitely just rice). My poor husband grinned and beared it, and I have lost restaurant choosing privileged for at least a month. The ambiance is nice, very intimate but casual. The service was great. It was just the food that was awful.

    (2)

  • Katie D.

    I picked this restaurant when we went out with another couple for dinner. We showed up for our reservations at 8 and they said our table wasn't ready. But there was an empty table for four towards the back... okay... so we went to the bar for a drink. They were out of the drink my husband wanted. So we waited some more. At about the 30 minute mark- and the empty table for four still empty towards the back of the restaurant- we decided to leave. I still have no idea why they couldn't put us at the empty table for 4. Between the location, limited menu, limited wine menu, and poor customer service, I won't be giving it another chance.

    (1)

  • Carolina M.

    I took my "better half" to Better Half for his birthday since I had heard and read so many great things. Maybe my expectations were high so I was disappointed. I made reservations weeks in advance which is a good move especially if you're going on a Friday/Saturday night. I thought service was a little sub-par. Even though we were seated right away because of reservations, we didn't actually get our menus until 20 minutes after sitting down. After about 15 minutes, I was about to walk out. They didn't seem too short staffed but maybe our waiter was too new or needed help. Here's what we ate: Cheese plate: There's only one cheese plate with only one cheese on it. Based on the description, I thought there would be a small selection. I don't remember the name, but it was a grass-fed cow cheese from Thomasville, GA. It reminded me of a Brie because it was creamy inside but with a harder rind. Served with a plum jam and a small biscuit, it also went well with a grainy mustard. Rabbit Rilletes: This wasn't what I expected. Rilletes are usually pate, but in front of me were two cubes of vegetable puree (one carrot, and I can't remember the other) and a crispy croquette. The waiter proceeded to pour a gravy-like substance which had a gamey taste, so I suppose that was the rabbit. This was obviously more like a soup, but great tastes. Cauliflower Flan: This looked like tofu to me. Taste-wise, it was a bit refreshing and smooth like a panna cotta, but it was weird to me to have a texture like this as an appetizer. Silk Handkerchief Pasta: This was the only entree that appealed to me and it was delicious. I can't say not to full sheets of pasta. I think the only reason it tasted silky as it did was the rich cream sauce with porcini mushrooms. Sauteed Flounder: The portion seemed small to me, but my boyfriend seemed to like it. I had a bite. The chickpea puree was smooth and was a good contrast to the fish which was cooked tenderly, not too overcooked. Sweet Potato Cake: We ended up sharing this and it was a decent dessert with great presentation. I usually don't care for presentation, but it was almost like two desserts in one: there's the sweet potato cake topped with a burnt marshmallow top and a cheesecake cream puddles on the side topped with cocoa. Eat them together or eat them separately, it was delicious. We noticed a slightly more mature crowd at this restaurant. The decor is cool, the silverware is interesting as it's all different, but I'm just not sure about the food and service. Service was kind of off and on. Our waiter was a little slow with providing menus, taking orders and even getting our check, and yet we consistently had our water glasses filled by the other waiter. The food was just ok. I wish I had taken my boyfriend somewhere else that seemed more special. The 5-course dinner for $50 is definitely a good deal, but I wasn't entirely impressed with course pickings from the menu.

    (3)

  • Abhi K.

    We did the 5-course tasting menu seated at a regular table. The courses are small, but I was definitely full halfway through the meal. They pack a lot into these small plates. First up was the soup. It comes out as an empty bowl with what looks like the tiniest sandwich you've ever seen in the middle. Cheese and some fruit compote between two thick crackers. Then the server brings his trendy little measuring cup and pours the soup all around the tiny sandwich. I think it was an onion soup, but it also had hints of apple puree in it. The flavors were all very interesting and by themselves were not special and maybe even a little offensive. But mix it with the tiny sandwich and bam! It's like you're having a sweet yet savory apple pie with every bite. You can tell that this dish has undergone a lot of experimentation, because someone does not just come up with this by accident. Next was the seared scallop with chorizo. The scallop was cooked to perfection. Steaming inside, flaky, not at all dry. The chorizo was very tough and rather salty. It might've actually been a miss for me. Scallops made up for it, but there isn't really much more for me to say about it. Third was the leg of lamb served over some sort of root puree and a quince compote. All three components of this dish were fantastic. The puree was like mashed potatoes but had a much more intricate flavor. You can tell I'm not in the business because I have no idea how to describe what's going on in my mouth. I just know it was a good thing. Fourth was the cheese course. This was my friend's favorite dish. Objective, the cheese and the chipotle jam it came with were amazing. But I wouldn't say it was my favorite dish, just because the chef didn't create this one. That's not to say it wasn't delicious anyway, though! I would serve it with thinner crackers next time, though. Lastly, we had dessert. I had the chocolate cake with cookie crumbles which was good, but could probably be had anywhere. There wasn't much innovation that went into this other than "Chocolate is delicious. Use as much as possible." I'm not complaining, just assessing! The server was nice enough to let my friend deviate from the chocolate cake and get the strawberry shortcake for his dessert. Again, you could probably get this at a number of places. I'm not a strawberry shortcake kind of person, so this didn't tickle my taste buds. The best part about Better Half is that the menu changes so frequently that you can go back a month later, get the tasting menu again, and experience five new dishes. Which is exactly what I plan to do, hopefully sitting at the bar by the open kitchen.

    (5)

  • Liz M.

    Simply put, this is the best meal experience you could have in Atlanta. Wait staff is knowledgeable and attentive. Ambience is intimate and artistic. Food.... oh the food. If you like your food to be so beautiful and flavorful that is it actually art, go here. If you want to impress a date, go here. If you have out of town guests, bring them here. If you just want to treat yourself, go here. If like quantity of food over quality, skip it. That isnt the kind of dining you come here for. You come here for an experience. Every bite is meant to be savored and explored. Ask for a wine pairing. Bring a group and try one of everything. Enjoy.

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    One of our favorite restaurants! Opt to always sit at the bar and get to know the amazing chefs. They'll take very good care of you and trust their selections

    (5)

  • Samantha H.

    I came here on a Saturday night for date night with the boyfriend. I made reservations but didn't realize I had to specify that I wanted to sit at the "bar", which has a view of the open kitchen. Because of the overwhelming popularity of the semi-new 9 course chef tasting (offered only at the bar) they were unable to seat is there. Definitely understandable! I would definitely recommend making reservations to sit in front of the open kitchen. Although, their regular table seating is still great for a more intimate atmosphere. I ordered one of their featured cocktails -- blood orange with vodka and lime. Not only was it aesthetically pretty, it was also a very light, citrusy beverage. We opted to not go with the 5 plate chef tasting and instead ordered two appetizers, 2 entrees and a dessert to share. Honestly, for fine dining, the portions are pretty generous. I left feeling satisfied but not satiated. Even the boyfriend said he was feeling good about his full-ness level. For appetizers we went with the sopa negra and warm pumpkin salad. All of the plating is incredibly creative and I loved the mini introduction that the waiter gives before each meal. It was also interesting that they poured the soup in front of you. For the entree course, I ordered the swordfish and the boyfriend got the shrimp. He liked the shrimp and I'll have to take his word on it since I don't eat shrimp. As for the swordfish... Wow. That was probably the juiciest filet I've ever had, and it packed great flavor. Usually you think, just a plain white fish but honestly, the fish was meaty and all in all a treat. We were hesitant on dessert but ended up going with the citrus shortbread with tamarind ice cream. The short bread was split open and stuffed with a vanilla cream. This was probably the only part of the dessert I didn't like. The cream did not taste like vanilla to me and I really can't tell you what it tasted like. They present the check in a tin can with two additional chocolates dusted in coconut. If I liked coconut, I probably would have liked this more. Better Half is a great place to step outside your palette comfort zone and a good date night place. I wouldn't come here if not for a special occasion though.

    (5)

  • Jin K.

    Lately it seems like supper clubs are all the rage. I'm so glad this particular supper club got their own restaurant. Although the menu is small, our party of 4 was very impressed by the quality of all the ingredients, the thoughtful presentation, and the very unique flavors brought out by the out-of-the-box combinations. Their menu changes often, but here are a list of our favorites from the night we dined: Starters: -alligator sausage, risotto, and frog leg confit, with baby turnips -shrimp ceviche, grapefruit, cilantro, habanero, and watermelon sorbet Entrees: -snapper, cucumber broth, spicy squash, and baby fennel -handkerchief pasta, wild mushrooms, and tomato marmalade As for dessert, I suggest going elsewhere. The one that was good wasn't memorable (since I can't remember what it was) but I do remember the deconstructed cheesecake, which sounded interesting, but was rather disappointing. The space itself is small but not claustrophobic. I loved the Costa Rican bird whistles (see my picture) on the tables. One thing that I didn't love were the chairs. They were not very comfortable and I was constantly fidgeting and wondering if I would have grid marks on the back of my legs from the chair pattern. I also found it funny that their plates and bowls were from Ikea. Nothing wrong with Ikea but it seemed a bit random considering the price of our meal.

    (5)

  • Janet L.

    I've been to Better Half a handful of times and have never been disappointed. It's a restaurant where they truly focus. Focus on what? Taste, quality, creativity and presentation. I believe that the small physical space of the restaurant is to focus on the diner, presenting dishes that encompass all four. It's always a bit too much food, but I always get the 9 course meal that you can only order if you're sitting at the bar. A few of the "courses" are bites, but sometimes they are my favorite parts of the meal. My favorite dishes from my last 9-course meal were the: -Grilled beef ribeye - the steak was tender and juicy and the red eye jus was to die for -Chilled tomato seed soup - I'm usually not a fan of tomato soup but this unique soup had ingredients that worked well together -Watermelon/mayo bite - Off the menu and only a part of the 9 course meal, the watermelon was compressed and flavored with course salt and pepper. I've never tried something like this and was disappointed it was just a bite! Sitting at the bar is an experience in itself. You watch the chefs cook and prepare your food. The chefs themselves serve and describe the dishes to you. You can get to know them by the end of the dinner. It's a foodie dream come true! NOTE: Parking is a bit difficult but I have never struggled too long to find a spot.

    (5)

  • Addy C.

    One of my best dining experiences in recent times. I worried my expectations might be too high b/c all the Yelp reviews were 5-stars -- but I loved it, my friends loved it, and I can't stop thinking about my duck entree. And the unique ingredients in all the dishes. And how well all the ingredients complemented each other. And how the servers were genuinely friendly and came across as really loving what they do. This is the type of place you enjoy with your foodie friends -- I came w/ Tulie L and Soomy S, and we ordered 3 apps, 4 entrees (yes 4) and 3 desserts ... our tummies were more than satisfied by the end of our evening. We got an early 5:30pm reservation but spent more than three hours there :) I loved that we never felt rushed either, and we never felt like we ever had to wait for our food. By the way it's BYOB now however by the 18th or so, they may start serving wine and beer - you may want to find out when you make your reservation. What we ordered: FIRST Roasted garlic panisse, jalapeno mayonnaise, candied fennel, pickled shallot - $9 - Server recommended this dish and I'm so glad I listened to him. What a great first impression. The garlic parnisse looked like fried tofu but it's fried garlic chickpeas. Also loved the fennel & shallot. Everything tasted so good together. My favorite among the apps. Roasted beef tart, horseradish cream, crispy pig ear, onion pudding - $10 - My favorite part was the crispy pig ear ... loved the flavor. Great snack food idea, haha. I think I love crispy pig ears as much as I love bacon. Sopa negra, soft egg, crispy masa, charred onion relish, cotija - $9 - Just had a sample and tasted like good Latin comfort food esp. w/ the black bean soup. SECOND Seared duck breast, duck skin croquant, butternut squash, lemon honey - $25 - This was a new dish so I guess I took a risk. I almost always order duck ever since i learned duck was good for you. Plus seeing "duck skin" on the menu sealed the deal. Best decision ever. OMG the flavor of the duck breast w/ the flavor and texture of the duck skin crumbles on top - it's become my new "last meal on earth" for my Yelp profile :) Silk handkerchief pasta, wild mushrooms, tomato marmalade, porcini cream - $19 - Love the name "silk handkerchief pasta" and b/c it was a close 2nd choice on whether to order or not, we decided why not, let's order it too :) Also they serve it ever day so it must be good, right? Later I learned from Creative Loafing that the owner made this dish for his wife on their first date :) The pasta and the tomato marmalade were my favorite parts of this dish. Fried rabbit, parsnip mustard, roasted turnip, pickled apple - $26 - My first time eating rabbit and the meat was so tender. Flounder, crispy potato, hominy, avocado, ancho broth - $27 - Perfectly cooked fish. Beautiful presentation. THIRD Goat cheese chiboust, honey ice cream, blood orange syrup, pecan praline - $8 - My favorite among the desserts just b/c it was the most different. I love goat cheese and also loved that the praline was made from Hawaiian volcano sea salt. Where else can you get THAT in Atlanta? :) Cocoa sponge, smoked cajeta, buttermilk ice cream, pomegranate - $8 - Our server raved about this dessert and my favorite part was the caramel smoked in cherrywood and the mini dehydrated pepper meringues that was this explosion of peppercorn and sweetness in my mouth. What creativity! Roasted pear crepe, honey milk, pickled pear, thyme - $8 - Also great combination of ingredients. Final nice touch (and surprise) was getting the Costa Rican milk truffles w/ our bill - they were like coconut fudge pralines covered in honey powder, and the texture of mochi balls. YUM! I'd definitely come again esp. knowing their menu changes daily. Next time I'd like to sit at the bar to get a closer look at the two cooks doing their thing. Thanks guys and to the whole team for an awesome evening. FYI - parking is available in the back of the restaurant. Otherwise you can do street parking along Atlantic Dr next to the Citgo gas station.

    (5)

  • Daniel B.

    Better Half opened December 2013 in a tiny retail development between Atlantic Station and Georgia Tech, not far from Westside. The restaurant is the product of a husband and wife duo who, for 2-3 years, ran a supper club out of their home at the Goat Farm. Naturally, the next step after the supper club was for the couple to open an actual restaurant. The restaurant opening was funded in part by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Better Half is a chef-driven restaurant. It reminds me of nearby Midtown/Westside modern American restaurants like Empire State South and Abattoir. It most reminds me of Miller Union because of its homey atmosphere and simple dishes. The biggest difference between Better Half and those other restaurants is its size. The restaurant is small, so prepare yourself for an intimate dining experience. The restaurant seats roughly 40 customers total. There are only two chefs and they work in a 100% open kitchen on one side of the dining room. For a really fun and entertaining dining experience, sit at the bar. You can watch the two talented cooks prepare everyone's dishes, including your own. The quality of the food and ingredients is superb, yet unlike some of the aforementioned restaurants, the atmosphere at Better Half is relaxed and laid back. In the evenings (the only time the restaurant is open), there's a candle-lit ambiance. The interior has a clean and rustic design. Currently, the restaurant is BYOB, but I was told the business plans to have its liquor license in place by February 16, 2014. By the time you read this review, they will probably be approved to serve alcohol. Food will remain the focus, not drinks. There are no non-alcoholic beverages on the menu other than sparking water. The expected alcoholic beverage menu will include a handful of red and white wines, one champagne, and one cocktail. The food menu is simple. It consists of three courses with 4-5 selections in each category. You don't have to order all three courses of course. Everything is ordered a la carte. Expect to spend up to $10 per appetizer/dessert and between $20-30 per main. The menu is constantly changing and seasonal. Everything I've tried here has been amazing. The quality of ingredients, presentation, and execution and attention to detail is top notch. Here's a rundown of what I've had: Apps: Celery root risotto, Brussels sprouts, burned orange vinaigrette, celery root chips Sopa negra, soft egg, crispy masa, charred onion, cotija Roasted beet tart, horseradish cream, crispy pig ear Mains: Pork shoulder, spaghetti squash cake, Brussels sprouts, chipotle apple butter Chicken fried rabbit, parsnip mustard, roasted turnip, pickled apple Desserts: Goat cheese chiboust, honey ice cream, blood orange syrup, pecan praline Cocoa sponge, smoke cajeta, buttermilk ice cream, pomegranate Cajetas de coco The presentation of every dish is outstanding. Each plate is like a work of art. Of the appetizers, my favorite is the roasted beet tart. The pig ear comes in long strands and it is indeed crispy. It kind of has similar qualities in taste and texture to pork rinds and bacon. I like how they treat the horseradish and add greens to the dish for extra color and different flavors. The sopa negra (black soup) is very tasty. The ingredients are neatly and nicely presented "naked" in a bowl at your table. After the server is done explaining the ingredients, the actual piping hot broth is poured on top. The sopa negra is a hearty, somewhat thick, soup. The celery root risotto is light and comforting. Our server recommended the pork shoulder. The meat is cooked in a pork confit (it's own fat). The exterior of the shoulder is crispy and while the inside is dense, the meat shreds easily with a fork and knife. The chipotle apple butter is spread underneath the shoulder and roasted Brussels sprouts, and the creative spaghetti squash cake sits off on one side. In the chicken fried rabbit entree, the rabbit leg is deboned and cooked like a chicken fried steak. I love the roasted turnips and pickled apples in this dish, which bring a nice acidity. Also, neat symmetrical plating. You should have just enough room for dessert, which are equally as impressive as the preceding dishes. Funny enough, my favorite of the sweets are the complimentary cajetas, which are sweet Costa Rican confections rolled in honey powder. The soft, chewy consistency is similar to mochi (Japanese rice cake). Service is great. The staff at this humble operation are like a family. Since there are only two cooks, orders can take a while to arrive during peak times. Shout-out to friendly server Nicole, who moonlights as a server at Better Half, and works at JCT. Kitchen as the pastry chef during the day. Parking is rather limited in the development's back parking lot. If no spaces are available, park along State Street. No Home Park parking permit required after 7pm.

    (5)

  • Stefan B.

    :( Sorry. The sentence meh I've experienced better totally explains this place even though I wanted to like it. We got the 5 course tasting menu~ our waitress was super super nice. I loved her! The first course was honestly kind of just gross and not my thing, it was the bacon with cactus underneath. The next course was the speckled trout which was probably one of my more favorite dishes we had that night. The fish was perfectly cooked and the citrus puree was delicious. We then had the lamb dish! I was super excited for this. I love love love lamb so much. I liked the quince with it but somehow the lamb just had something missing with it. The lamb was a little rare for my taste. I usually love the lamb dish but I was pretty underwhelmed :( The cheese course was delicious, probably my favorite course. That tells you something is up because the cheese cake shouldn't be your favorite course of a tasting menu. The cornbread was great, the fresh herby cheese was yummy and the hot pepper jelly and pear miso was a good match with the creamy cheese. Delicious! The cheesecake dessert was okay but nothing to write home about. It was pretty damn good but at these kinds of restaurants I expect amazing, you know? I know these guys can do way better. I have faith in them~ Even my boyfriend said he was underwhelmed. I'm not super into this kind of foodie food so you can say that I'm a little harsh on it. But he said he would do three stars, for so our dinner it's like a 2 and a half average. Definitely get the cheese course~ PRO cheese course nice nice waitresses decent area i guess CON food underwhelming in general

    (2)

  • Heather H.

    Had high hopes after so many happy friends raved about it yet sadly fell flat of expectations. Service was very good and paced well with each course. I wish she hadn't mentioned they had all come back from vacation, wondering if that was the reason for the less than stellar food. Still a little confused with the cucumber and watermelon garnish on my tres leches cake. Well....every course was like that.

    (2)

  • Yisi L.

    I heard about the chef and their PushStart dinner club before the restaurant opened. Love their story and I wanna say Bravo after my visit to Better Half. It's a very small restaurant, one page menu, no liquor licence yet so BYOB. Menu is seasonal. Got fingerling potato for appetizer, silk handkerchief pasta and rabbit loin+confit as entree, and ginger cremeux for dessert. The fingerling potato app was just okay- I mean, I can cook something similar at home. Both entree dishes blew me away- the dynamics and balance between ingredients, one thing complementing anoher. The dessert was very good too, a interesting mix of tangy, savory and sweet. Everything has a very delicate flavor; the portion is on the small side. Service is friendly and prompt. I'd love to see more interesting seasonal items on the menu and will be back.

    (5)

  • Ryan W.

    Seriously gorgeous plating. Sit at the bar / chef's table to see the team in action and go with a tasting menu.

    (5)

  • Jeremy H.

    We really enjoyed our dinner at Better Half. The menu is seasonal and changes regularly, although apparently the silk handkerchief pasta is always on the menu. I didn't try that, but would like to go back and get next time. This is definitely a foodie place - expect to get smaller than average portions and pay above average prices. But luckily the food is a step above as well. And the portions were a good and filling size if you order several courses. I'd like to go back to try the pasta and also to sit at the counter and watch them prepare all of the delicious food!

    (5)

  • Marta P.

    Damn good dinner. That's just it. DAMN GOOD DINNER. Zach and Cristina excelled, as expected, and every single person in that restaurant was happy. As a party of 5, we ordered pretty much the whole menu. All the appetizers, most of the entrees, and most of the desserts. I couldn't even choose between 2 desserts so I ordered them both! Below was what we ate: First *baby artichokes, poached fingerling, ham hock, brown butter vinaigrette *crispy pork belly, black bean puree, cucumber pico de gallo, young kale *cauliflower velouté, curried apple, cauliflower pickled + dried, duck skin *fried green tomato, preserved lemon mayo, green tomato marmalade, fennel Second *crisped mahi, chipotle panisse, vanilla cucumber, coconut broth *swordfish, potato cream, glazed fennel, fried fingerlings, guajillo oil *wagyu sirloin cap, soft egg, cornbread puree, onion jam* *poulet rouge, celery root hash brown, brussel sprouts, black garlic vinaigrette Third *bruleed pineapple, cajeta, smoked chocolate ice cream, whipped coconut *arroz con leche, honey milk, orange blossom jam, hibiscus syrup *apple cake, cactus pear sorbet, toasted milk, pumpkin seed praline My absolute favorites were the cauliflower velouté app, fried green tomato app, the onion jam in the sirloin main, and the arroz con leche dessert. Everything was outstanding though. Zach does a fantastic job blending flavors, and posts everything he makes on Facebook just to get your taste buds going even more. Cristina was very accommodating when trying to book a reservation since it was a party of 5 and informed us for a cancellation so that we could have an earlier time. I will be back again...and again...and again

    (5)

  • Katie C.

    I'm so happy to be the first to review Better Half. Many will know Zach and Cristina from PushStart Kitchen, one of the most popular supper clubs in Atlanta. They've finally opened a brick and mortar restaurant and I'm sure it will quickly become one of the go-to places in Atlanta. This restaurant is unique because the kitchen is actually in the dining room. The "bar" is actually ten highly-coveted seats surrounding the chef and sous chef. You can watch as they work their magic on your dishes, which are heavenly. I sat at the bar one weekday soon after they opened. I started with the soft egg with crispy masa, romesco, leek jam, and sweet garlic. The leeks under the egg quickly soaked up the bright, rich yellow yolk and the crispy masa balls gave the whole dish the perfect counter-texture. I could have eaten the sweet garlic all day long. For a main I ordered the silk handkerchief pasta with wild mushroom confit, tomato marmalade, and porcini cream. Unlike most dishes Zach creates, this will stay on the menu (Ask for the back story on this one). The pasta was perfectly al dente which holds up well against the soft and rich mushrooms and cream sauce. The parmesan cheese adds just the right amount of salt and, seriously, the tomato jam on top is out-of-this-world. It brings the dish to a whole other level. The whole meal was just what I've come to expect from eating at PushStart- comforting and innovative food, personal service and a homey, relaxing atmosphere. I can't wait for everyone else to experience Better Half (even if it will make getting a seat at the bar harder...)

    (5)

  • Tony G.

    Don't trip when you walk in & notice that 2 of the 3 chefs are tatted up. Despite the fact that one of them resembles Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy - these guys can COOK. My wife & I had the 5 course tasting menu. How can I describe it??? In a word - PERFECT!! Starting with the Spicy Carrot Soup (which was amazing) - the meal got better with each course! The Swordfish was art - as well as the third course of Duck Breast & Confit. The cheese plate included an apple marmalade & pear butter that all worked wonders together! Our final course was the Cookies + Cream which featured a smoky flavored cremé and sweet/salty crumbles with condensed milk ice cream and a portion of chocolate soufflé with chocolate syrup. #Heavenly!! Easily 5 stars. The better half lives up to its name with no problem!!

    (5)

  • Bryan R.

    Super awesome place. If you like like intimate and interactive dining experiences, this is a must-do. We sat at the "bar" which actually houses the owner and sous chef hard at work. While you enjoy whatever beverage you've brought with you, you can watch your meal and everyone else's unfold right in front of you. The twosome on the ranges were friendly and talkative and engaging. Everyone working there was friendly, for that matter. The hostess welcomed us warmly and stopped by several times to chat. If you're in Atlanta and you enjoy good food, set aside the time to come to Better Half. I had several great dining experiences in the city but nothing came close to this place for high end, high quality food in a casual, personal environment.

    (5)

  • Kim N.

    So happy with my dinner at Better Half! Honestly, I was a little skeptical seeing all the 5-star reviews but the wonderful plating, service, and food quality all succeeded my expectations. Reasonable prices. Better Half is a pretty small restaurant so reservation is recommended; they are not on OpenTable so resevations can be made via their website. Open kitchen w/ several seats at the bar where you can watch the chefs cook. There is a small selection of cocktails, beer, & wine. We parked on the street but I believe they have a small private lot behind the restaurant. Watch your step going to the rest room! My clumsy self of course tripped on the way there lol The menu changes frequently but here are the items we tried: ~pork belly - generous appetizer portion, the pork belly slices were perfectly cooked ~cured flounder - great appetizer! the avocado mousse's amazing w/ the cured flounder ~pork loin w/ compressed watermelon, fried okra, pickled okra - not a huge fan of the pickled okra but everything else tasted great together ~swordfish w/ cous cous, & grapefruit - delicious! good size of swordfish steak seasoned & cooked perfectly ~silk handkerchief pasta w/ wild mushroom, tomato marmalade, porcini cream- absolutely my favorite!! everything goes so well together ~cocoa sponge w/ thai tea, macaroon, coconut, lychee - so much going on but they all go so well together ~tres leches w/ toasted milk, basil, rose ice cream, & blueberry - light, refreshing, & delicious; LOVE the rose ice cream ~complimentary Costa Rican coconut fudge balls - had me at coconut! these were not too sweet & so yummy... they need to sell these in boxes ****Tasting Menu**** AMAZING!! Sit at the chef counter & do the tasting menu (5-course or 9-course). We went with 9 courses :)

    (4)

  • Brian S.

    We went there for our anniversary a couple of days ago and we were very impressed! The food was excellent, decor was fun and welcoming, and the service was superlative. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no issue with finding some on-street parking, too. As mentioned by some other reviews, the restaurant does not have its liquor license yet, so BYOB is still in effect. I actually really enjoyed taken advantage of this, as we had a special bottle of wine to bring. The server was very gracious and opened our bottle & brought over some appropriate glasses. The only thing that was not 100% perfect was the crust for the blood orange tart; it was a bit tough. (I hate being too picky, but thought it was worth mentioning) Otherwise we truly enjoyed all of the first, 2nd's and 3rd's we ordered.

    (5)

  • Angel L.

    Came here on one of my date nights and hardly talked to my date. Not because we were not enjoying each other's company but because the food was amazing. I had the chicken which really doesn't help to anyone who is trying to find the right dish to order because they change the menu every day. The highlight of the evening was the lemon tart with black tea ice cream. I cant get enough of the place. I will definitely return. Tip: do not blow into the bird whistle on the table... you will die because everyone and their mother's lips has been on it...gross. don't even touch it.

    (5)

  • Jessica B.

    Un-f*****ing-believable. This meal was outstanding from start to finish. Pumpkin kale salad, skirt steak, rabbit, butter toffee popcorn dessert. We did the 3 course option with a bottle of Malbec. The service was outstanding. I just can't say enough good things about this place. So unique. So fresh. A must try for foodies.

    (5)

  • Sara L.

    I came to Better Half with my family for my birthday dinner. I'm giving it 4 stars...but with some very serious caveats...namely the slow service and kitchen. There were many open tables on a Wednesday night, yet our waitress seemed overextended. My parents (cranky by nature) thought she was socializing too much with the folks at the bar. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. While our waitress was nice, service was sporadic and we had to exert ourselves to get her attention, which was really annoying. As for the slow kitchen, I don't know what to say. Food was slooowwww. The tiny kitchen is on full display so I know there were only 2 chefs...but there was just way too much time between the courses. I think the restaurant/servers need to work out proper timing between the meals. Or you know, offer free bread or something. We can only stare at our phones for so long... Alright I'm done being negative Nancy. Let's move on and talk about the star of the show - the FOOD! Here's what we ordered from the menu (seasonal): FIRST 1. MISO GLAZED SWEETBREADS: OMG YASSSS DELICIOUS. The sweetbreads were fried perfectly with the right amount of glaze. I really like the sambal mayonnaise too. This is probably my sister's fav. We cleared this plate in like 5 seconds. SO GOOD. 2. ROASTED APPLE + ONION SOUP: Interesting combination...but not to my taste. The roasted apple was very strong. I think I'd preferred a roasted onion only soup. SECOND 1. CRISPY OCTOPUS: The octopus was too chewy. I like the alligator sausage though. And the couscous it came with was sooo good! And I hate couscous! It tasted so creamy, almost like polenta. 2. LAMB LOIN AND LEG: I like the lamb...but I have no idea what anything else is on the plate. Everything else tasted fine except for this weird huge chunk of lard-like item in the middle of the plate. 3. SILK HANDKERCHIEF PASTA w/ mushrooms, tomato remoulade, porcini cream: This was a home run for the table. I love love love the mushrooms. The remoulade works surprisingly well too. Although, my sister did liken the latter to the lingonberry jam from chez IKEA...but in a good way lol. Lastly, our cheque came in a silver tin along with these COSTA RICAN TRUFFLES, They were holy balls of coconut/caramel deliciousness. And for that, I had to give Better Half 4 stars. P.S. The knives are so dull and terrible. What is up with that!? We couldn't cut anything!!!

    (4)

  • Lilly S.

    I love the casual atmosphere here and the mural on the wall. How the chefs turn out that many thoughtful dishes from that TINY kitchen is beyond me. Definitely try to sit at the bar where you can see the magic happen. Other Yelpers have mentioned the mushroom pasta, and it was quite good, but I would suggest trying their small plates which really stood out. Its loud though, so if you are looking for something intimate, this isn't it.

    (4)

  • Donald L.

    What a great place! The atmosphere is cozy and the bar is open to the kitchen so every seat is a front row seat to the cooking action. A great date night location. Get a glass of wine and try the pickled watermelon if it is on the menu.

    (4)

  • Virginia V.

    Left my better half at home and came with the girls. Do not be put off by parking. Plenty of side street parking (free) on either side street off 10th. We all did the 5 course tasting. All of us in agreement that the entire meal was worth the calories. The first course, roasted brussel sprouts was the weakest of the five offerings. Still somewhat raw and needed more flavor (a pinch of salt maybe). We did not do the wine pairings, but did get a bottle of nice burgundy that was recommended to us by the knowledgeable, attentive waiter. The wine was excellent, but I forgot to note the name. Prices were reasonable for the high quality food we were served. We will go back and probably even take our better halves when we do.

    (4)

  • Dawn W.

    This place has potential but is not there yet. Upon making reservations they stated they could only accommodate us at 5:30pm****. When we called on our way there stating we were stuck in traffic and would be 15 minutes late, they hesitated and stated we should get there as soon as we could but would hold our table. When we parked and entered the place was full of empty tables (only one seated at the time) and the staff still took what seemed over a minute to push buttons on the computer to see which of the empty tables to send us to. Once seated our server was pleasant and uncorked the wine we brought. It was odd how he poured a tasting to see if we approved. Maybe it is just me but if my husband did not like the wine we brought then we certainly were not going to send it back. Odd but courtious. The menu is limited but that implies fresh and it looked creative/innovative. We asked the server what the chef choice $50 prixfixe was last evening but the server stated he did not know since it was a surprise each night. We thought it sounded fun so we ordered the $100 meal (both parties must participate). The beet salad came out immediately and was quite nice. Not the best beet salad I have had, but it did have a nice balance of the sweet beets and hot pepper relish-type accent. The next dish, panisee, was a deep fried chickpea creamy inside appetizer. My husband said it was the best thing he has eaten in the past couple months. The flavor was amazing and I suggest ordering one plate per person. The menu changes daily but this app needs to be a staple on the menu. The entree last night was the pork. I am going to be honest, I normally do not care for pork loin or pork chops because they can be poorly overcooked or have odd flavors. This pork had good balance of flavors with the pepper seasoning and the sweet grilled apples....BUT the pork was severly dry, over cooked, and difficult to cut with the knife. My husband ate his all but struggled chewing it. I ate the apple topping but gave up with the pork after fighting to cut it up so I left half of it on my plate. What a dissapointment. We informed the waiter when he returned at the end of our entree (he never checked on our entree before) and we nicely stated it was overcooked and difficult to eat. The response was that he would tell the chef. Neither the chef or manager came to our table and the item was not discounted. We did not need a discount but some follow up would have been professional. I wonder how many other guests paid for the prixfixe and were dissatisfied. The chef's choice should be the best of the night, not here. The desert was a dry chocolate cake with a smear of peanutbutter and a dollop of chocolate ice cream. It was very basic and dry. My husband was very hungry so he ate mine and his, but the small portion consumed does not mean an empty plate is a happy plate. Overall I would go here for the app and salad again. The atmosphere looks quite nice with metal and reclaimed wood (but you are drinking out of Ikea glasses and the bathroom floor is a triping hazard). The entree and desert selections are not 5 star. The service is not 5 star. It surprises me that this place is so highly rated. But over time there might be more balanced reviews. I love Yelp because everyone gets their opinion. ***by the way, we were there from 5:30pm until almost 7:30pm and the tables never filled up. I cant imagine why they did not want to accommodate guest reservations at other times than 5:30pm on a Friday night. They must hold most of the small space for walk ins.

    (3)

  • Henrik C.

    Been to PushStart Kitchen a number of times and loved it. This is the continuation of the journey for Zach and Cristina. PushStart was a fantastic supper club in Atlanta. The Better Half on 14th Street in their real restaurant. it is situated in a neighborhood area just next to Home Park. The dining room has room for 32 people and an additional 8-10 seats at the bar. The kitchen is embedded in the dining room and very it is a very social experience to dine here. We went a few weeks after they opened. Huge fans of Push Start Kitchen so expectations were high. The prices a very modest ~$40/person for a 3-course dinner. We had salads (broccoli and beet) as starters. Very tasty and just the right portion size. For the entree we had pork loin and beef petit tender. Both of the dishes were very tasty and just the right size. For dessert we had white chocolate bread pudding and mexican hot chocolate tres leeches. Again very tasty. They do not yet have a liqueur license but you can bring you own wine. We had a great selection :-) Overall a real great meal in a great ambience. Very much looking forward to going back.

    (5)

  • Michael H.

    The apps knocked our collective dicks in the dirt but then the cheering crowd turned into an unruly mob once our mains came out. Just a hint, but a thick layer of unrendered fat on the non crispy duck is not that appetizing. Uninspiring scallops and over the top toooooo sweet silk handkerchief pasta isn't going to get it done, son. Speaking of cheering crowds, you'd think there was one in the room as it's impossible to hear one's self think much less carry on a converastion with your tablemates. Wish I could join in with all of the five star reviews but ain't gonna happen cap'n!

    (3)

  • Kevin R.

    My wife and I thought we would try this place out as out friends said it was great. First of all, they just recently got their liquor license it seems, so the beer/wine/cocktail selection is very minimal. If you opt for water, it's tap water with no ice. The menu changes every week or two - which is cool. Ingredients are sourced locally if you're into that kind of thing. Appetizers were very good and unique. We had a crispy pork belly with compressed melon, onion jam, and melon sorbet. The entrees felt like appetizers as far as portions go. We would have stayed for dessert, but it was a little too hot and stuffy. When you're sharing a 2,000SF square with the kitchen (yes, you can see the entire line, ingredients and all, from every seat in the house), it's bound to get a little toasty once the place fills up. Overall - good, creative food with a cool vibe.

    (4)

  • Kris B.

    Inspired cooking. Feels like a Michelin star meal a your best friends house. They are doing it right. Be advised Atlanta this is the next level. Excellent.

    (5)

  • Pierre W.

    This is currently my favorite restaurant. Everything about it is extremely innovative and wowing. My favorite part was the dessert. We ordered some sort of fig cake that was too complex to put into words. When the server came back to clear our plates, we told him how we LOVED the fresh figs and he told us that they grew them themselves in the back. Later when he brought our check, we brought us a little box of fresh figs he picked just for us. That's great customer service. Definitely recommend Better Half!

    (5)

  • Janie H.

    I'm giving this restaurant a 5 star because I feel the food deserves it. BUT...as with all restaurants, there is usually some good AND bad news. The good news...the food is perfectly prepared with excellent mingling of flavors. I had the duck breast which was complimented with sweet tastes and creative presentation. The use of puree is extensive and noticeable all over the plate. The marshmallow puff really made me smile and was simply delicious! On the bad news side...parking is a problem. We ultimately had to move our car. The food is expensive with almost all entrees over $25 which pushes your bottom line well over $50/couple before you even begin to order drinks or a first course. The wine "glasses" are small and I felt skimpy for the $12 pour. We had 2 entrees, shared one first course and one dessert, one glass of wine and one mixed drink for over $100. When the bill normally commands three figures, then everything needs to be near perfect and the location, parking and ambiance need a little more attention to detail and dynamics. I'm not sure high end foodies will be comfortable with this section of town after dark.

    (5)

  • Brandon B.

    I had heard nothing but positive reviews and boy did Better Half live up to them! I went in a group of five. We ordered one of each appetizer, all but one entree, and all but one dessert. It was phenomenal. Truly a great all around meal. The only weak bite was the artichoke on one of they appetizers, but the rest of that plate was great. The artichoke was just tough. Great experience that I would return for another visit.

    (5)

  • Kristy B.

    This is our absolute favorite restaurant in Atlanta for date nights. The menu is always changing, delicious and unique. Sit at the bar and talk to the chefs!

    (5)

  • Adam B.

    Better half is my favorite restaurant in Atlanta by a mile. The menu is always interesting, the ingredients fresh, and the staff is friendly. I recommend sitting at the bar so you can watch the chefs do their work. They are open to conversation and questions, friendly, and genuinely interesting people. The portions are just right so that you can enjoy a starter, a main dish, and a shared dessert with your companion. This spot is definitely worth a trip into town. Note that they now have a liquor license. While BYOB is still welcome, there is a $15 corkage fee - fine for wine, but a little steep for the 750 of beer that I brought along and opened before I knew about the corkage fee! No worries though.

    (5)

  • Megan K.

    Well, another 5 star review. I don't know what I can add..maybe a quote from my husband - "PORK WIN". Basically if you have a chance to get the pork shoulder, get it immediately. Don't even read the rest of the menu. Unless you love seafood - I had the yellowfin w shrimp stew and it was incredible so I would imagine anything seafood they do would be spot on. We sat at the bar so that we could watch all of the food being cooked which was so cool and fun. We got a chance to chat w the chef and sous chef before it got busy. Really cool guys. I don't think you'll get a bad (or mediocre or even just "good") meal here based on the appetizers, mains, and desserts we had.

    (5)

  • Felicia L.

    Yum, Yum! Some dear friends invited us to join them for dinner at this spot...Thanks Janice! The décor is under stated, but oh my, the food is wonderful. We had the $50 price fix which came with 4 courses. A charred Romaine Lettuce salad - YUM; Halibut with a delish polenta cake thing - YUM; followed by a grilled chicken dish (the chicken was dry, but the mustard sauce was fab); then came a pineapple dessert with lavender sauce, and silky vanilla bean ice cream - YUM. The sous chef served several of our courses, and she provided detailed info of the preparations and ingredients within each dish. This made a good meal, great! Parking is very limited. The place is quaint, and very casual; but you will need a reservation most nights. NOTE: they now have a liquor license, so if you BYOB it will be a $15 cork fee.

    (4)

  • Cindy C.

    We had 6:15 reservations. We got in at about 6:10. We were promptly seated and the waiter took our drink order. All good. Then we put in our dinner order. There were 4 of us, 2 ordered "firsts", 2 didn't. The firsts came quickly...that was all that came! We left the restaurant at 7:30 never having received our main course. Wish I could have told you what the food was like....it just never happened! Very disappointed!!

    (1)

  • Marissa C.

    Better Half is my absolute favorite restaurant in Atlanta, bar none. Chef Zach's inventive creativity mashing up Costa Rican and Southern flavors consistently impresses and I leave perfectly satiated. The menu is constantly changing, daily sometimes hourly, so there isn't too much value in extolling the virtues of this or that dish. Only one dish, the silk handkerchief pasta, is a constant and a revelation. It's so good, it's hard to order anything else. Also phenomenal are desserts which are so frequently an afterthought at other establishments but at BH they are smart, complex, and of course delectable--so don't skip it! To follow menu updates and see pictures of these creations checkout BH's facebook page and when you go try to grab a seat at bar overlooking the open kitchen to admire the artistry.

    (5)

  • Gracy L.

    It's now my new favorite restaurant in town. Since the menu changes daily, I don't think there's a need to talk about the food which are too delicious to describe and I'm speechless. But I will definitely go again and I planned on taking my family there and let everybody know about them.

    (5)

  • Elanor S.

    I can't really add much to what has already been said about Better Half. The food was great, the atmosphere pleasant, and the service on point. I think my only complaint was the deconstructed nature of some of the food--some days you just want a bite of cake without having to chase the pieces around the plate. Otherwise, spot on.

    (5)

  • Abraham K.

    I was slightly let down only because I was expecting something revolutionary. The entire experience was good, not unbelievable. There were some home runs but a few too many errors to be considered one of the best restaurants in Atlanta. (I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could) Pros 1. the grilled romaine was amazing. it's everything and then some. 2. their signature pasta was different. the marmalade was a little too sweet but all in all a very memorable dish. 3. the service was very prompt and attentive. 4. interior. unique and cozy. Cons 1. the server said they change the menu daily. the menu was exactly the same as the week before. maybe a few changes here and there but the majority of the menu was the same. don't claim something that isn't true. 2. the shrimp appetizer. it lacked flavor. 3. halibut was cooked nicely but the puree was bland. best part of that dish was the mushroom 4. warm beer glasses made my beer lukewarm. nothing i hate more than warm beer. the most memorable part of better half were the grilled mushrooms with the halibut and the mushroom inside the pasta. all in all a satisfactory dinner but it isn't on my list of "MUST GO BACK TOMORROW"

    (4)

  • Cailyn C.

    Don't get the fish, brought out stinky, had to send it back and didn't order anything else because there were only 5 things on the menu, and 2 were fish. I can't believe as fresh as this place advertises, The whole mahi mahi was rotten. Be aware. I expected at least average food. Very dispointed.

    (1)

  • Stephen C.

    As good as I hoped. I had been to maybe five of the PushStart Kitchen dinner parties, so I was quite familiar with Zach and Cristina's cooking and hospitality. I fretted that maybe that welcoming vibe wouldn't translate to a "real" restaurant. I'm delighted to say I was wrong. Zach's talent and his cooking are a given. The good news is that the space, and the open counter seating around Zach and his sous chef makes it every bit as comfortable and casual as a PushStart dinner. I thought parking would be a pain and it turned out that wasn't a problem either. I dined there last night and the soft egg, perlas, lardon, chicken confit, fennel jam, fried chicken vinaigrette was off-the-chain good. Like a little plate of magical southern couscous. Also outstanding was the pork loin, sweet potato butter, turnip, chipotle molasses, candied pineapple. I thought the Mexican hot chocolate tres leches cake was good, but I've had better desserts from Zach and look forward to exploring elsewhere on the dessert menu next time. I'm actually rather enjoying it being BYOB, though I know they're working on getting their license. I shared my bottle with fellow diners at the counter last night and it just added to the convivial atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Maud F.

    Better Half is my new favorite restaurant in Atlanta. I had heard about it and had been told how wonderful the food was. My expectations were high and I wasn't disappointed. Dish after dish flavors were deliciously exploding in my mouth. I look forward to going back there. (Please keep the roasted beets-shaved fennel-orange puree-pineapple-walnut praline on the menu, it was out of this world!)

    (5)

  • David S.

    The food was quite good. But it took 3.5 hours to get through a meal of just three courses. HIGHLIGHTS: Three courses with multiple choices makes for an outstanding meal. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful with a flourish of spice that is often missing from Atlanta fare. The food is also presented in beautiful fashion worthy of any great restaurant. Many other people have covered this territory so I will spend more time on other details. But rest assured, the food does not disappoint. LOW-LIGHTS: Noise. It was loud, and we struggled to hear our friends across the table. Also, we made a reservation for four but were placed at a communal table. We should have been warned of that possibility when making the reservation so we could have elected a time in which we would have been assured of our own table. Not that we are not friendly. I just prefer to make the choice myself. Slow kitchen. Honestly, this was not the slow food movement but the food certainly moved slowly. Thank goodness we brought multiple bottles of wine (courtesy of the fee-free BYOB policy currently in place). Without it, we would have spent the majority of our time at the restaurant with nothing to contemplate but water. SUGGESTIONS: If service does not get faster, then please throw in some amuse bouche treats or palate cleansers between the courses, Better Half. I don't think this is unreasonable given the prices and it would certainly fill the time gulf between the main attractions. All in all, it was a great meal. But I think there is still room for improvement before Better Half gets the five stars it is capable of.

    (4)

  • AV G.

    BFD--this is the food that they make on Top Chef. This is the food that you eat on trendy restos in ATL, CHI,DFW,TEL,Barca,SFO--blah blah blah. The food is good--so what. You can get this high priced meal (in much fancier settings) in any major city on earth. My Boss did bring some excellent wines from the 90's that made for a nice meal--BUT--i would much prefer an excellent meat and 3 that really told me that I was down South.

    (4)

  • Renewmylife11 ..

    Wonderful dining experience like none I've experienced. My friend and I truly enjoyed it. Relaxed lighting and atmosphere. Unique culinary creations inspired by southern cuisine. My tastbuds had the privilege of experiencing the pork loin with pork belly and potato soup with the potato wafer. We also enjoy the French-press coffee. Service was decent, but it took just a little while to receive our orders. They have a very small staff and so I believe that was the reason, but the time in between courses left my friend and I to connect.

    (5)

  • Lee C.

    Ehhh. I won't go back..but it wasn't bad. Nothing was amazing but it wasn't bad. Price wasn't supported by the taste and price wasn't supported by small portion sizes

    (3)

  • David C.

    Went for the first time last night and could not have enjoyed it more. We did the chef's special, which was priced very well considering the quality of the food. All four dishes were exceptional, starting with the beet salad and wrapping up with the toffee cake and incredible curry ice cream. The sommelier could not have been better prepared or more engaging. Add to it the cool setting and great vibe, and we will definitely be returning.

    (5)

  • Lee F.

    Absolutely awesome. Small place with great food. For first courses we had the brussels sprouts with chanterelle mushrooms, citrus yogurt, hazelnut praline and manchego along with the roasted beets, curry flan, parsnip, frisee, golden raisin leather and brown butter. Both were fantastic. Next up our main courses were grilled pork belly with crispy ramen cake, broccoli textures and toasted nori purée along with swordfish, farro perlato, pickled apple, african squash and parsley jam. Insane. Finally for dessert we had pumpkin cake with sour cream ice cream, pumpkin confit and pumpkin seed praline along with horchata cremeux with toasted milk, saffron pears and huckleberry sorbet. Really outstanding from start to finish.

    (5)

  • Wolfgirl E.

    I'm in love with this restaurant. I'm in the business, and have been for 7 years now... and I'm just in love with this place. The decor, the sense of home and welcoming, the beautiful and uncomplicated food, the recognition of employees and their value... I just. What a delight. I had fabulous wine to start; a Spanish white whose name I can't quite remember. I split the watermelon gazpacho with my friend, as well as the pasta and crispy duck. Everything was fantastic. The only issue I could possibly have was that I prefer my duck breast a touch more rendered... but the meat was so flavorful, and cooked so well, it balanced itself out. The dessert was a brown butter cake with caramel, caramel corn, and custard... and it too was great. I cannot wait to come back here. I wish them nothing but the best- we need more places like this in the city!

    (5)

  • Richard N.

    Spectacular. Just about the most compelling meal we have had since moving to Atlanta. What Gunshow does to concept (not to discount their food, very very good), Better Half does to food. We opted for the tasting menu, standouts were the baked potato soup and the sous-vide pork loin, both extraordinary. Wine list was short but smart and modestly priced, on top of that almost all the wines were available by the glass. Service was professional, attentive but not overly so, friendly. Vibe was hip unpretentious fun, noisy but not overwhelmingly so. Some quibbles, but still 5 stars because to be able to have the kind of meal we had for under $200 (two people, drinks and wine, 5 courses) absolutely deserves five stars. As to the quibbles / wish list: had the bowl been warmer to start the soup would have stayed warmer for longer (granted, lingered over the soup, didn't want it to end.) Thomasville Tomme on Focaccia was just too rich, lacking in subtlety. would be nice if they could course the wines, pairing with each course. Should be easy to do given the number of wines they sell by the glass. And each is good enough to warrant being smartly paired. Small quibbles, and two days later I still feel that it is one of Atlanta's very best.

    (5)

  • Albert C.

    Truly one of the best dinning experiences I've had. The food is simply delicious. The atmosphere is awesome. Bring your own wine and you'll have a fantastic night. The staff is great. The food is delicious. If you live in the Atlanta area, you owe it to yourself to make yourself a regular. This place is awesome. Live well. Eat well. Live life.

    (5)

  • Stephen L.

    Every dish was unique. We were three people - 2 Smalls, 2 Mains and 2 Deserts and a small cheese course. Loved every one. Squash soup with little fried egglants, an heirloom tomato tart with roasted garlic ice cream, friend catfish with shishito pepper and a shrimp sauce, handkercief homemade pasts with wild mushrooms, fried ricotta pie and peach sorbet, cocoa sponge with mango puree. The chef/owner came out to say hello. He is a prodigal son of Atlanta who spent time on the West Coast and brings back that sensibility but with an appreciation and use of the local foods of the South. Small place; quiet enough to have a conversation; amazing food. If you are in Atlanta go there. The only minor disappointment was the cocktail one of us ordered - but we had a bottle of fabulous Belgian beer.

    (5)

  • Todd R.

    Wow...went here for the first time for Valentine Day. The place is incredible...can't give it enough stars!

    (5)

  • Preethi J.

    Really loved this place. we shared the ricotta dumpling appetizer- they were light and fluffy and the citrus and chorizo complimented the dumplings perfectly. For entrees we got the Pasta and the beef - both excellent with several flavors to compliment. What i liked most about this place was the excellent and laid back friendly service. Not pretentious at all. No liquor license yet and they gladly served us the wine we brought with us. I will be back love everything about this place!

    (5)

  • Leanne E.

    I was very pleased with my meal! We were celebrating my sweetie's birthday. We both started with the ceviche appetizer. This was wonderful, the grapefruit paired with shrimp with a lovely sauce was devoured. It's small, so order one per person. I chose the mushroom pasta and all I could think was shut the front door. The pasta was plentiful and the mushrooms cooked in a porcini. The treat was the tomato marmalade, which tasted more like strawberry jelly. Don't get me wrong, I love strawberry jelly and it complimented this dish so well! My sweetie wanted one of the nightly specials but it was out. The substitution was a herb rubbed hanger steak that was so tender and delicious, he forgot about what he had originally ordered. For dessert, I ordered the Pot du Crème, which was delicious and my sweetie ordered the fried blueberry pie. This was a delicious and satisfying meal. You need to visit now!

    (5)

  • Nestlee M.

    Two of us went for dinner. Both of us got a starter and an entrée which were good, but small. They don't offer sides and they don't serve bread. We try not to eat rich desserts so when we passed on those, we realized we were leaving the restaurant hungry. Not a place we will go back to.

    (3)

  • Gloria P.

    I organized a table for six at Better Half to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday two weeks ago on a Friday. We struggled to meet a very early reservation, but we did it. The food was pleasant (although meager), and the service was perfect. We shared three desserts and ordered a fourth bottle of wine. As soon as our server opened the wine, the manager came by to inform us that people at the front door were waiting for our table. He was polite in his request for us to leave. Nonetheless, he asked us to leave. As we were waiting on the sidewalk for Uber, we agreed that we should have spent $550 somewhere else. And, next time we will.

    (1)

  • Meg R.

    You GUYS. This is one of those meals after which you don't want to brush your teeth so you can keep savoring all of the flavors. I brought my husband here for his birthday, just as the new Spring menu was introduced. We sat up at the counter and watched Chef Zach and Jonathan work their magic preparing everything: for me, beet salad with savory granola, collard green powder and fresh soft cheese, then strawberry gazpacho with jicama slaw and dots of spicy cilantro pudding, then carrot cake with honey roasted carrots, sweet cream cheese and molasses ice cream. The birthday boy loved his farro starter with sausage and a soft egg, then a perfectly cooked pork loin with mustard greens and pickled mustard seed, finished with Better Half's clever take on bananas foster. The whole meal was at once sophisticated and low key. Sit at the counter if you can; Chef Zach and Jonathan are incredibly fun.

    (5)

  • Peter S.

    Their motto should be "Better than Bouchon". Outstanding cuisine with great attention to detail and presentation. Wonderful flavors. 5 star cooking in a chic urban environment. Zach and Kristina obviously love what they do

    (5)

  • Jennifer K.

    This is my third time eating at Better Half and each time it has been amazing. I think it is hard to rate a restaurant who changes it's menu nightly, so be weary of poor reviews based on certain dishes, everything I have had has been wonderful. The only faults I have found have been in the desserts, which may be a little too out there for my taste. I would say skip the dessert course and order extra of those delightful truffle bites of heaven they give you with your check.

    (5)

  • Connie H.

    Probably one of the better meals I've had in Atlanta in a long time! The service was excellent and the chefs were so nice. The halibut was exceptional and the lemon tart was amazing! Nice work guys!

    (5)

  • Chris S.

    Great dinner and atmosphere. Seating at the bar allows for dinner and a show. Great three course dinner with each dish tasting even better than it looked. Great addition to the neighborhood. Nice to see someone successfully chasing their dream. Friendly, attentive waitstaff - refreshing to dine in such a welcoming atmosphere. Look forward to many happy returns to sample something new. Make sure you try a dessert (white chocolate bread pudding) before you call it a night.

    (5)

  • Christopher S.

    Go. Really. This is our new favorite restaurant. Little pricey but the value is there. I hope they keep the BYO policy after their liquor license is approved. They are already crowded on the weekends, but the beginning of the week is not. I think they are closed on Monday though.

    (5)

  • John S.

    Wanted to impress my "better half"....Failed. A fluke? Maybe. Time will tell. Waiter was nice but I had to clean up a bit after he dumped wine all down the outside of my glass and onto the table. It was a sign of things to come unfortunately...Maybe he just didnt see it? Beet salad was decent fresh and a little creative but something was definitely missing. Pig ears were chewy and an interesting twist. Panisee was phenomenal and blew me out of my chair. Whoever designed that recipe needs to be kissed. My underdeveloped American palate has rarely enjoyed such a fantastic variety of simple and wonderful textures and flavors in a single bite. It was so good I almost cried so I'm adding an extra star. That dish was worthy of poetry. Next came the pork shoulder which was decently seasoned but rather overcooked and the pureed squash in which those sad little hunks were swimming didnt offer much visual or flavorful assistance. Pork can be tricky. But I wont hold that or the crappy service against them or the fact that they didnt care when I told them the pork was bad. I think this place is going to do very well. The waiter does need to check with the table after the main course is served. Pretty basic stuff since we're in ATL not Paris folks. I would have sent mine back and probably have had a better story to tell. The panisee alone really was worth going for and I would not hesitate to try everything else on the menu.

    (4)

  • Chris K.

    Excellent food, excellent service. The farm egg appetizer was fantastic. They are still working on their liquor license, so bring a bottle of wine from home. We will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Amy M.

    Better Half is beyond amazing. The food divine and service exemplary. Our party of four enjoyed the roasted apple and onion soup and the chickpea stuffed piquillo appetizers, the roasted mahi, swordfish and lamb loin entrees, sweet potato tart and black cocoa sponge desserts. Everything was perfection. Our waiter did a fabulous job of explaining it all to us and the entire waitstaff was attentive without being obsequious. Cannot wait to return!

    (5)

  • Erika C.

    We got to check out this place for the first time on Valentine's Day and we were so impressed. Just as with Pushstart Kitchen, the cozy restaurant has a wonderfully personal touch. The food, as always, was well-planned and delicious and was delivered in great time. We brought our own wine (only applicable until they get their license to serve) and the waitstaff were accommodating and friendly. So glad we can visit Zach and Christina whenever we like now.

    (5)

  • Collin P.

    Zach Meloy is the BEST! Partnered with his wife Christina, they are the new restaurant power couple.

    (5)

  • Cindy S.

    My husband and I dined at Better Half on Friday night and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. I think the best description of this charming restaurant was penned by an earlier reviewer who described it as a place for foodies but with a casual vibe. In that sense it reminds me of European bistros who serve amazingly creative food. For appetizers, I had a charred scallion panisse with a chick pea base, and fresh cucumber, green apple, grapefruit and yogurt. All of the favors worked beautifully together. My husband had the smoked potato ravioli with pancetta and cippollini and hot pepper jelly. Fantastic! For our mains we both had the Speckled Trout, which was incredible. Most restaurants serve farm raised trout, which is so different from sea trout. The fish was served with crispy skin and accompanied by garlic confit and a red curry cauliflower. Again, all the flavors were carefully selected to harmonize. It is clear that chef Zach approaches his menu with great thought, precision, and love! We topped off the meal with some delicious pressed coffee and a yummy cheese plate of two generous slices of local Asher Blue. I also want to commend all the staff for their exceptional service. We dine out so much and sadly, find that poor service is more often the norm than the exception. At Better Half, from the time we were greeted at the door until when we left, we were welcomed warmly by hosts, wait staff, and the chef himself. Dining there was more like being invited guests at someone's home than being at a restaurant. We can't wait to return for the 5 course tasting menu or, for a real treat, the 9-course tasting menu at the bar, where you can watch all the delicate labors of the kitchen staff. Thank you, Better Half, for making this date night with my husband so memorable.

    (5)

  • Raghav V.

    good food and friendly staff. unique vegetarian options.

    (5)

  • Howard L.

    What a restaurant!!!! The best meal we have had in a long time. I would give it 6 stars ala Spinal Tap. The ricotta dumplings were delicious, the chorizo added an appropriate amount of smoke and spice. I had the pasta and my wife had the tuna. The pasta was tasty and inventive. The tuna was seared to perfection. The carrot puree was a perfect accompaniment. We all shared deserts. We had the pretzel cremeux, cocoa sponge and the mexican chocolate tres leches. They were all delicious. There were interesting tastes with each desert. The pretzel cremeux had mustard and the chocolate tres leches had pepper that accented the desert perfectly. All in all a wonderful meal.

    (5)

  • Tori L.

    My husband and I had been to Zach and Cristina's supper club, PushStart Kitchen, and few times before opening their restaurant, Better Half. We fell in love with the artistry and creativity (not to mention the TASTE) of Zach's dishes and were elated to hear they were taking the next step with Better Half. We literally counted down the days until they opened, even contributing to their Kickstarter campaign to help fund the endeavor. We finally had the chance to dine at the restaurant and were blown away by the entire meal. I always said that the three meals I ate at PushStart were honestly the three best meals I had ever eaten. Well, the dining experience at Better Half is now one of the four best meals ever. Zach's plates are stunningly beautiful and everything always comes together so harmoniously, no matter how skeptical you might be at first. The silk handkerchief pasta is definitely not something to miss--the tomato marmalade is amazing. We can't wait to experience Better Half again soon!

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : No
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : No
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Trendy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Better Half

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