The Farmhouse
10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd, Palmetto, GA, 30268
The Farmhouse Menu
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Starters
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Entrees
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Dessert
Healthy Meal suggestions for The Farmhouse
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Starters
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Entrees
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Dessert
Visit below restaurant in Palmetto for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Palmetto for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd
Palmetto, GA, 30268 - Phone (770) 463-2622
- Website https://serenbefarmhouse.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
- Mon :Closed
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Intimate
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Courteney H.
I've only ever been here on the weekends, but that's because I CRAVE the Fried Chicken. I rarely eat chicken, but I long for their friend chicken. It is so crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. It is perfect. I may have even accidentally moaned at the table once or twice while eating it. The sides are always good, but nothing to write home about. The biscuits that come with the meal are also divine. Go on the weekend, order the Fried Chicken, and you won't be disappointed. Serenbe is a beautiful community, and I highly recommend you take some time to enjoy it after you've finished your meal.
(5)Joli M.
I wanted to do something special for my husband to celebrate our 26th anniversary. I booked tickets to see Streetcar Named Desire at the Serenbe Playhouse - GREAT performance! We had dinner at The Farmhouse before seeing the play. Food and atmosphere totally exceeded our expectations. We had the 3 course menu: starter, main and dessert. Pork chop and Trout for main, pork cheek and spring roll starter, pecan chocolate pie and panna cotta for dessert. Everything was amazing. I like that the portions were not huge and you did not leave feeling stuffed - but we were satisfied. The restaurant is so beautiful. I love the rustic country setting - very romantic and classy. Lastly - our server Ben was great. We told him that we had tickets to see the play and he made sure we were served in a timely fashion - without seeming to be rushed. He also made great suggestions on our food pairing. I can't wait to go back to see the next play and dine at The Farmhouse. I just wish it were closer!!
(4)Beachale E.
We decided to visit for a Sunday lunch and were sorely disappointed. Our reservation was at 2 and we expected to the place to be busy, but it wasn't even half full. The bartender was reading a book when we came in, so I guess that is why our two glasses of wine didn't make it to the table until we were halfway finished. Now on to the food. The three sides came out lukewarm and were cold before we finished. The roasted broccoli was so overly seasoned/salty that I could not even finish and the baked beans were crunchy since they were not thoroughly cooked. Overpriced for food we can get at similar restaurants in Atlanta and even mom's house when she feels like making fried chicken.
(2)Sunita H.
Amazingly fresh farm to table food! From the moment you pull up to Serenbe you feel at peace, hours away from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta even though it's only about 45 minutes outside the perimeter and ready to unwind. Parking is tricky and you might have to walk a little ways from the restaurant if you park in the field across the street. The restaurant is never super busy and they greet you immediately and quickly seat you. We always make reservations ahead of time however. The Saturday afternoon lunch menu is fried chicken and your choice of seasonal veggies that change. We could choose 2 from: black eyed peas, coleslaw and grits. The grits and peas were delicious and they have an extensive wine menu with great pairings for any palette. For starters they have fresh made biscuits and warm pepper jelly which is available for purchase in the yellow daisy store. By the end of lunch we are always full, happy and a little tipsy. Make sure to schedule enough time in your day to walk around the property and look at the cute stores and houses. Highly recommend for a relaxing day with the girls or daytime date.
(5)Jim W.
We drove down from Peachtree Corners to eat here and it was well worth the trip. The food was excellent. We had the Poulet Rouge, Short Rib Osso Bucco, the Pork Chop and the Jambalaya the chef knocked them all out of the park. You need to try the Farmhouse Yeast Rolls OMG awesome. The venue was beautiful and the chef made us feel right at home. Great food great people. We really love that everything was farm to table.
(5)Kerry W.
My wife and I visited The Farmhouse at Serenbe for the first time on 2/15/14. We live in Gainesville, so we were close to 2 hours traveling to Serenbe. We had reservations for lunch at 2 PM, and we arrived with five minutes to spare. We were quickly seated, and our waitress, Kris, promptly came over with menus and suggestions. Both of us had read about the famous fried chicken and I had seen the piece on "Georgia Traveler" about Serenbe. We both ordered the fried chicken. In the meantime, hot biscuits were brought out that were simply melt-in-your mouth delicious. We also ordered the fried green tomatoes as a starter, and they came out very quickly, as well, and were delicious. The fried chicken arrived after a brief wait. Kris also brought a replenishment of biscuits without our even asking her. I don't consider myself a fried chicken kind of guy, but this chicken was most likely the best fried chicken I've ever eaten (no insult to my mother). It was tender, moist, and packed with flavor. The rice and onion bake was also delicious, as was the creamed corn and green beans. We were both extremely pleased with the food and the service and will definitely be making another special trip here. Oh, the apple crisp we shared for dessert was also fantastic.
(5)Lesa T.
Charming and a quick escape to the country from the hustle & bustle of Atlanta. Took my Mom for Saturday lunch. We started off with a cocktail (nice pour) and the fried green tomatoes. She had the fried chicken and I had the cheese soufflé. Both were served with Cabbage, Rice Pilaf, Dill Carrot salad. Everything was seasoned to perfection. Had no room for dessert. Nice relaxed atmosphere and a widely diverse crowd. Looks like everyone of all ages are enjoying Serenbe!! I will be back with more friends and family.
(5)Alexis S.
Really neat farmhouse with a restaurant inside. We only tried the short rib, but it was great. The potatoes and Brussels sprouts were delicious, too. Nice intimate setting as well. Would love to go back when I have more time to sit and enjoy and try other things.
(4)Laura F.
Lovely, cozy romantic place :) The best blueberry pie I have ever had. I was in heaven with every bite. The fried chicken was delicious without dripping oil. Kudos for that. Sounds cheesy but was that good. This was a wonderful addition to my visit to ATL. Love that southern hospitality ya'll
(4)Larissa B.
This was our worst meal at The Farmhouse. The Fathers Day special was a choice between Fried Chicken and Fried Catfish. The father we were honoring doesn't eat "fried" food. He had the chicken as did we all. It was tender and tasty but the outside was soggy and not crispy. The mash potatoes were brown and cold. The zucchini casserole tasted like the redolent wasn't complete. The best thing on our plate was the cooked kale. It tasted like collards without the texture of kale but the menu stated kale. To add to the less than mediocre meal, we were seated on the enclosed patio. It was so hot and everyone was sweating. My son soaked through his shirt and we were all miserable. I overheard other tables complaining. The server said he would check the a/c but the temperature never changed. With the tip and only one drink ordered, the bill was over $100 dollars. I struggle to give this meal one star.
(1)Erin B.
Recently dined here, and I was unfortunately disappointed in our meal. I started with the cauliflower soup, and that was fantastic. It was the best part of my meal! It was followed by the tri-tip for my main entree. This was probably one of my least favorite beef entrees I've ever had. It tasted like country ham, and I'm not a country ham fan. The extremely small portion of potatoes that was accompanying the meat was pretty good. For dessert, I had the chocolate pecan pie. Once again, I wasn't impressed. I guess this could just be perception/tastes, but I was hoping for more of a chocolate pie, and it was more pecan pie. On the upside, the farmhouse atmosphere was very nice and our server was attentive.
(3)Valerie N.
With yet another Scoutmob for the fried chicken lunch, we decided to make a day trip to Serenbe to enjoy unseasonably warm December weather and have yummy fried chicken. I easily made a res via Opentable and requested a table on the awesome patio, which they honored. It wasn't as crowded as last time, but we also rolled in after 1:00pm on a Sunday and it seemed like other people were on their way out. We had a different waiter this time and he was absolutely terrific: fun to chat to, with loads of tips about the place. He also made redeeming our Scoutmob soooo easy, which is always a plus since some places make you feel like a jerk when you announce your coupon. He also brought our bottomless wine refills without any prodding. Super terrific, friendly, thoughtful service worthy of this 5 star rating. I forgot about those biscuits and omg, they were such warm, soft, flavorful bites of heaven. I asked for another batch after we devoured the first - and joked about getting the recipe too - and to my surprise the waiter led me straight to the recipe (easily found on google and Pinterest). I can't wait to make them at home! Our fried chicken was even better this time, which is saying a lot since it was sooooo good last time. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Mac & cheese - it was fine, but not very flavorful (but nothing some pepper couldn't fix). The carrots were pretty okay, and as someone who doesn't like carrots, that's a compliment. The surprise to me was how much I loved the cabbage and bacon - yum!!! I had Pinot Gris and hubby had a really good Washingtonian red with lunch. Yay bottomless wine! We definitely got our money's worth and had a lovely brunch, all while listening to amazing jazz and watching donkeys graze outside our patio window. After lunch, we grabbed some feed and fed the animals, which was very nice in the warm winter weather. We also visited the shops in town and really enjoyed visiting Greg at the Newington Gallery. We also stopped in the general store for a beer tasting. Super fun relaxing day out of the hustle and bustle of the ATL!
(5)Danielle H.
The food and drink are fine, but it's the ambiance that makes everything amazing here. I just happened to be in the area and someone referred me to the Inn. I went over and for $5 at guest services got a bag of feed and was on my way to see all of the baby animals. I fed and pet pigs, goats, llamas, lambs, and donkeys. If you have kids (or a crazy animal lover like me!) I bet this would be a fantastic experience. It was 5pm on Saturday when we wrapped up with the animals and guest services told us that it was happy hour at the Farmhouse Restaurant. We headed over and got two fantastic cucumber vodka drinks for $11--not bad at all. We enjoyed them in a lounge chair next to one of Serenbe's lovely pools. Everything is just beautiful there. I couldn't believe that we weren't guest of the Inn, but still got to enjoy such a beautiful day for $16 total. Loved it!
(4)Stefanie M.
I had a scoutmob coupon that was good for 90 days, and was for a fried chicken dinner/lunch for two w/ three sides and bottomless wine. I had forgotten about it until I realized we only had a few more weeks left on it, so I made reservations for Sunday afternoon around 1pm, and we made the 45 minute trek down to Serenbe for Sunday bottomless wine brunch! We were immediately seated out on the patio and it was so adorable! Our waitress, gosh I wish I could remember her name, but she was so awesome! She kept our bottomless wine glasses full (and the wine was GOOD), and made some great recommendations! We added on the fried green tomatoes app and the brownie desserts to our scoutmob deal! What a fabulous little place this is! Our fried chicken was WONDERFUL, the cabbage and roasted baby carrots were delicious! Surprisingly, my least favorite item was the mac and cheese, it needed a little salt IMO, but that's fine. Seriously though, I loved this place. Our waitress also made the recommendation that she would fill our wine glasses up and we should enjoy ourselves on the rocking porch since it was such a beautiful day, and we did! Loved it! We then took a tour through town and found such a cute community! I'd love to come back here and go horseback riding and feed the animals! I think I may purchase another one of these scoutmobs, as the Farmhouse at Serenbe is an adorable down home escape form Atlanta!
(5)Chamberlaine B.
With the picnic ban at Serenbe (a big turnoff to those hoping to visit for the day), you don't have much choice but to partake of one of the restaurants on property (along with The Farmhouse is The Hil and Blue Eyed Daisy Bakery). Unfortunately, these are neither affordable nor, in my single experience, terribly impressive options. I was treated to dinner at The Farmhouse by somebody who doesn't have all that much to his name, but he insisted despite there being no inclination of prices on the menu (We simply assumed entrees to be about $15-$20 each... our mistake!) He ordered the STRIPLOIN, served with potatoes and mushrooms. The strip was not very big, and there was only a small helping of potatoes on top. The sauce was flavorful and the meat was cooked well... which is lucky since they didn't even bother to ask how he wanted it cooked. I ordered the JAMBALAYA RISOTTO, which was topped with sausage and a few pieces of shrimp. The barbeque-esque shrimp on top were absolutely delicious, but what was under it was just "ok"- not memorable or worth mentioning. And those herb biscuits/cornbread that everybody raves about in reviews- nonexistent. BIGGEST LET-DOWN EVER! We turned down appetizers, drinks, and dessert, yet when the bill came, it was over $70 and I was mortified at being such an expensive date with such mediocre food. That being said, I fully admit to adoring the classic country atmosphere of the old farmhouse. No modern furniture or flashy fixtures- not trying to be what it is not. They even had a large, thoughtfully decorated Christmas tree in their waiting area (aka: living room). However, in the restaurant business, atmosphere isn't everything. I might give this place another chance, but only because I love Serenbe, and there isn't much other option... and only with a coupon... and only after calling ahead to ensure they will have these infamous biscuits/cornbread that I have yet to encounter.
(2)Hieu H.
Serenbe is a great day trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is located about 45 minutes from Atlanta, but feels like a different world entirely. I always get a little nervous traveling outside of the city and into the country (cue: guitar song from deliverance). Sure, you'll pass by houses that could use a little work, but once you reach Serenbe, all of the front lawns are mysteriously manicured. Serenbe is considered a sustainable community with an emphasis on clean and farm-to-table living. You definitely get the country vibe at the Farmhouse at the Serenbe Inn. Parking can be a little tight and you might make one or two wrong turns, but getting there is half the fun right? Stepping into the Farmhouse, is like stepping inside your Grandmother's house for a Sunday visit. The walls are lined with the owner's family photos and you can smell the sweet scent of fried chicken cooking in the open kitchen. We were seated in the patio area which had great natural lighting. The lunch menu is rather sparse since everyone comes here for the fried chicken. There was also a second option of BBQ ribs, but I would skip those. The first thing that arrives at our table are the most buttery biscuits I've ever had, served with red pepper jelly. The biscuits still feel hot and warm from the oven with a nice crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. That's a real biscuit, y'all! The fried chicken lived up to the hype. It's juicy and the skin has a nice crunch and is seasoned well and the fresh veggies on the side are a nice compliment. The only letdown was the apple cobbler which arrived pretty sad like a scoop you'd get at the school cafeteria. It was dry and just bad - even a dollop of ice cream could not save its depressing state. After we were finished with lunch, we went exploring around the grounds. Walking the gravel trail to the petting area with all of the farm animals - bunnies, goats, sheep and small horses. It was nice to get in touch with nature. Highly recommend nice little Weekend day trip.
(3)Bonnie B.
Beautiful restaurant! I loved the farmhouse, rustic feeling. The menu was very limited especially for a vegetarian. I had 4 choices: panzanella salad/ catfish/pork tenderloin/meatballs. I had to go with the bread salad & it didn't satisfy me. My starter was tomato basil soup & it was perfect. We ordered dessert because I was still hungry... Very good but very, very sweet. I'd like to go back but I'll call 1st to check the menu!
(3)Bill W.
Hate to be Debbie Downer, but the best part of our Sunday brunch was the biscuits. They only offer 2 entrees, which would be fine, but both were not up to our expectations. My fried chicken was average, I've definitely had much better. It reminded of the fried chicken you get in a cafeteria that's been sitting out for a while. Then for the ribs, one word, awful. The waitress said they were "dense" when we asked if they were "fall off the bone tender" and we should have taken that as a hint. They were worse than dense, they were virtually inedible. Anyway, we enjoy going to Serenbe and plan to go back, but hope something is done at this restaurant to improve things before we return.......
(2)Mary L.
I really, really thought this was going to be a beautiful love story. The setting is perfect, the menu looked great, and the house was beautiful. It was truly terrible, at every opportunity. We made a reservation for dinner. Seeing that they had a happy hour until 6pm, we rushed to get there, couldn't find it at first, but made it in the door at 5:50pm. The "bar", an open area in a lounge, was unmanned. We stood there and waited. We asked the hostess, who confirmed that it was a bar. 10 minutes into our wait, a perturbed server arrived, waited 30 seconds, then bellowed "DRINK ORDER!" in front of guests, and a bartender appeared. We ordered drinks right after him, and at no time was happy hour mentioned. We walked around the property. Some of the seating could use a cleaning. There were empty glasses and plates on the porch tables, which no one had cleaned up, and they were still there when we left, 2.5 hours later. When we were seated, we were told that out of the two menu choices, they had run out of food and just one was available. Fried chicken... or fried chicken. The server was very kind and apologetic, and I asked her to get my dessert order in right away, so we would be sure to get peach cobbler. At the end of our meal, they had run out of cobbler, and she didn't know what had happened to the dessert we pre-ordered. The food was rushed, and the chicken looked like a dwindling amount of breading was hastily clumped onto it. The collards were gritty. The meal was not good. What would have been great is a phone call to let us know they were running out of food, with the offer to reschedule our reservation. You go there for the whole experience, not the convenience. And you make a reservation so that the restaurant knows that you're coming, and can get in touch with you if needed. But no. I gave them a call this Friday afternoon, as I really wanted to love the Farmhouse, explained on voicemail that we had a very disappointing experience, but that my parents were in town, and I'd love to bring them by if this experience was a fluke. No one ever called me back. Guessing it wasn't a fluke. So what was a 2 star review is a 1 star, because honestly, while almost all the checkmarks are there for an amazing dining experience, there's just no management holding the overview together. Who doesn't return a customer's phone call? Because the Farmhouse is so far out, the hit-or-miss risk is just too high to drive out there and not have a good experience. Won't been back. Seeing some other sad reviews on their Facebook page as well, which aren't addressed either. Honestly, it's a real shame. Try The Hil, it's a different owner - not Marie Nygren, the co-founder of Serenbe, and who's obviously not on top of her game here at Farmhouse.
(1)Alison E.
Loved the setting, service was great, food was delicious we just left hungry. The portion sizes are very small for the price and sadly we went back to the hotel and ordered a sandwich because we were still hungry.
(2)Sophie H.
Fresh farm to table ingredients make this a terrific experience. We tried the crab fritters, flatbread with chow chow, and red snapper appetizer - all were delicious, and so fresh! Then we had the lamb loin and multi-grain risotto with braised lamb mixed in...also had the pork and scallops with roasted turnips - yep pork and scallops - absolutely phenomenal! Dessert was the gluten free flourless chocolate cake and the waffle with butter pecan ice cream and bourbon caramel sauce - everything was over the top delish. A keeper!
(5)Annie C.
Thank goodness for The Farmhouse at Serenbe, if it weren't for the restaurant I would've never taken the initiative to visit Serenbe Farms - a beautiful retreat town that I've completely fallen in love with (more on the property in a future review). Back to The Farmhouse! It's located right next to the Inn at Serenbe, so it's very convenient if you're a Palmetto visitor. It's quite reminiscent of a Southern cottage - complete with a veranda (!) populated with chairs - both wicker and rocking - for enjoying cocktails noon and evening (as encouraged by the staff). In addition to outdoor and indoor seating, there's also a patio seating alternative - which is where we were seated, and in my opinion it's the best of both worlds. Our waitress was absolutely wonderful: friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and helpful without being patronizing - she even offered some great suggestions with what to do for the rest of our day in Serenbe/Palmetto. Our food came out fairly quickly - we did a full three course brunch (appetizers, entrees, and desserts), and the dishes were staggered perfectly. For our apps, our waitress suggested we split the 'Fried Green Tomato Plate' and the Garden Green Salad (Lettuce, Pecans, Feta, Mustard vinaigrette) - which we most definitely did; The fried green tomatoes were delicious, if you haven't tried them before - you must try them here - there's a slight tartness to the tomatoes, that works deliciously with the fried skin; it's also served with a roasted red pepper sauce, which I was initially hesitant about, but again, a wonderful compliment. The salad was good as well, nothing too out of the box - it's your standard side salad, but one of the best ones I've had in recent memory. I was also fairly impressed by how thoroughly saturated the vinaigrette was with the greens - it's a rarity I've found. We both had the fried chicken for our entree - as it's "what [they're] known for" (the chicken was served with a side of roasted carrots, creamed corn, and cole slaw). The chicken was - no surprise here - quite tasty; I will say it's not you're average southern fried chicken, by which I mean, very heavily breaded with that beige-ish crisp we've all become accustomed to (which isn't a bad thing). It's a much lighter fry, a seemingly gourmet version of fried chicken, the chicken was well-cooked: tender, moist, nicely seasoned, and full of flavor. The sides with the exception of the creamed corn, were decent, but forgettable. For dessert, we had the apple crisp, which was good, but after reading about some of formerly presented desserts I was a bit disappointed. The apple crisp was also a lot more apple than crisp - and I would've preferred more crisp to balance such sweetness from the apples. All in all, I had a good experience, we were both pleased by our meal, though I do think it is a bit overpriced for what's served. Still though, I'd love to try their dinner on my next return trip to Serenbe!
(4)Rachel B.
The good: The farmhouse was beautiful. Great atmosphere. The food was fresh, flavorful, and very well prepared. The view on the porch was lovely. The not so good: Service was a little slow. Although our starters came out fairly quick, we waited about about 45 mins for the main course. Our soup was served without a spoon and we were sucking ice from empty water glasses (I would recommend the restaurant buy taller glasses or leave a water carafe at the table). Overall: Serenbe is beautiful and dinner at the farmhouse was an overall lovely experience.
(4)Natalie B.
We read the reviews and decided to try this place for dinner, not to be disappointed with limited lunch menu. We were glad we did. First, bar happy hour starts at 4pm. We didn't know that and came late. Still got the time to browse wine and cocktail menu. The wine selection is not extensive but the wines are chosen with great care. Whoever selected wines for this place, deserves high points. The wines well priced and portions are generous. French rosé on the menu is remarkable and worthy of a second glass (or maybe even third). Reds are great as well. We had 3 course menu.. the way to go! You can select 5 or 7 course, but for each of us appetizer, main and dessert were plenty. Of course, you can select à la carte, but value is in the multiple course meal. Both appetizers were outstanding (peaches and cream and spring rolls), our fish was cooked perfectly and panna cotta desserts were wonderfully presented. It was not the best panna cotta we've had but close to the best one in Atlanta. What can I say? Yes, scenery is memorable, especially at dusk. Its an idyllic place, with many things to do. We will be back when the weather gets cooler. Then you can sit outside and enjoy wines, food and weather at the same time. Its best to do it during weekdays when its quiet and serene!
(4)Kristin P.
I had never heard of this place until I was invited to a birthday dinner this past Saturday. I am still talking about the red fish over hominy. Drink wise the Serenbe Shine with Butterscotch shine, Kahlua, and a few other happy ingredients made the drink. Overall, excellent chef, great atmosphere, and sever was very friendly and attentive. The only complaints I have were that it took awhile to get our food and the portions were small for the price. I will be back anyway. If the theater is doing a play, make sure you check that out as well. We saw Sleepy Hollow. Lots of fun and well done. Great way to support our local artists.
(4)Theresa S.
The food couldn't be any fresher and more delicious! They change their menu regularly to accommodate what they are growing or the livestock they have. It's very picturesque as you can walk the grounds after eating and see the animals. It feels like someone's grandmother opened her kitchen to you. Rustic and beautiful. Love it.
(5)Kenneth P.
This meal was not good. We had a group of 10 and while the atmosphere is wonderful the food was not. My Porkchop was dry and chewy, my wife's fish was over cooked as well. Appetizers were forgettable. They are living off the Serenbe name. I would suggest The Hill if you want to travel down and experience good food and a good atmosphere.
(2)Gabriela C.
The food and service was great- everything tasted farm grown and fresh. The friend chicken is only served on the weekends, I was not aware of that so we stopped in on a Friday. We had the pork loin entree and the meatball entree. The one egg tomato appetizer. For dessert we had the bourbon mousse tart and the peaches and cream- both were delicious. Our waitress was friendly and very attentive the bus boy not so much. He never came by to refresh out water and was very hesitant to come and clear out plates. Overall I would return because of the food.
(4)Doug L.
Went for lunch. What a beautiful setting. Relaxing and a staff to match. I got the salad to start which was outstanding.... But my wife got the green fried tomatoes. Even more outstanding. They are fried but aren't too mushy and not greasy at all. I could make a meal of two of those! The fried chicken was simple. Lightly seasoned and nice. Got the peach cobbler for desert. Enjoyed that. Not too sweet. Very nice. While it's a drive from the city I would recommend
(4)Kelley M.
Would not go back. The place was pretty, but not well attended. I waited 15 minutes for my drink at the bar. And the bartender made me wait another 10 minutes to pay while he made drink orders for 2 waitresses instead of waiting on me quickly. We had reservations for 7:00, and the hostess knew we were all there but she forgot us and I had to remind her we needed to be seated at 7:20. The charred endive salad was very hard to eat, was overly salted, and didn't seem to have any dressing, I would have sent it back if our waitress had made an appearance. When she finally came to clear the plates, I told her it was over salted, she said"thanks for your input", no apology. The strip loin steak I had was very good, but the side of potatoes and mushrooms was way too small. The bourbon chocolate pecan pie had one chocolate chip and no bourbon flavor. For the high prices and limited choices, I felt the food should have been a great deal better and the server, bartender, and hostess should have been more attentive.
(1)Msa A.
Whoa... I've been twice and have been disappointed twice. Let's start with the positive. The restaurant, its concept and the grounds are very pretty and charming. The cornbread is pretty good. Well, that's about it. The standards aren't there at The Farmhouse. The bathroom needed attention. The server walked us past at least 4 tables that hadn't been cleaned off. Sat us next to a dirty table which remained dirty for over 45 minutes. The menu, though purposefully small is really embarrassingly small. 6 items total and none of them done well. The food isn't warm let alone hot. When you have such a restrictive menu then everything should be done to perfection. The staff is mostly just fine but there's one male waiter who is loud, intrusive and opinionated. Overall, a MAJOR disappointment. I plan to try the other restaurant next time I visit Serenbe. Or maybe we'll just grab sandwiches at the cafe.
(2)David D.
Christmas day 2013, we drove down to Serenbe and The Farmhouse for dinner. It turned out to be the worst food for the money I can ever remember having. Although the price was high ($100/2 without drinks), the food on the plate was all close to grey (not nice to look at) and not very tasty. The dinning room was full of staff scurrying about, but what was going on in the kitchen?
(1)Alexis S.
I love Serenbe. I went for the first time two years ago and had been daydreaming about it ever since. I went back with a girlfriend and we decided to have leisurlely Sunday lunch at the Farmhouse. I just knew the experience was going to be as awesome as Serenbe. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I had a very mediocre experience. Good stuff first: You really can't beat the setting. Our server was very sweet. The cornbread with pepper jelly was EVERYTHING! The fried chicken is really good. Less than awesome stuff: First, front of house was not on the level. Examples: the hostess seemed at best perplexed, at worst resentful in response to be being told the bathroom needed attention. Tables were left uncleared for long periods of time; the table next to us went uncleared our whole meal (by uncleared, I mean the plates were removed but everything else, glasses, dirty napkins, stained table coverings, was left). I had to brush off the banquet where we were seated before I could sit down - full of crumbs. Another waitperson, not our server, decided to chastise us for our cell phone use while he re-filled our water. Note: We weren't talking on our phones. I was checking in for my flight. My friend was checking in with her daughter. Nevertheless, he told us we were the representative of the "zombiefication" of America. Boy BYE! He also was just very loud in general. We heard every single word every time he was in the dining room, despite his distance from our table. My food was barely warm. Also, the menu seemed unreasonably limited. I get the whole locally sourced, farm-to-table thing - but 2 entree options? That struck me as weird. All in all, it wasn't horrible, but if this place wasn't in Serenbe, I absolutely would not return.
(2)Wayne R.
Overpriced and pretentious. Tomato salad, for $6, consisted of not quite a whole tomato sliced up. Four slices. The lodging is overpriced and pretentiious as well, so give them an A for consistency.
(1)Nathan F.
The fried chicken lunch delighted, and our server was both cordial and attentive. Go an hour early to explore the community on foot
(4)George S.
Yes, the setting is very pretty. Which makes it all the harder to take when the rest of the experience is so sub-par. I appreciate farm to table cuisine when the natural flavors are accentuated with creative seasonings. This was not the case. Yes, the kale tasted like kale and the shrimp like shrimp, but just that. Nothing more. The seven entrees came out two at a time, 15 minutes apart each. Our server had bungled the orders. It's a bad sign when your server says, "Sorry" more than five or six times in a meal, whether in reference to the 25 minute delayed drinks or the wrong entree brought out. Overall, a very disappointing experience with bad service and bland food. If you want to eat in Serenbe, try The Hil where we had a very good experience.
(2)David W.
Having never heard of Serenbe, my girlfriend informed me she bought a Scoutmob for a fried chicken dinner for two. My first reaction was, "You know it's 45-minutes away, right?" I could not have been more short-sighted. I had made reservations on opentable beforehand and were seated immediately upon arrival. Our server greeted us and brought out these delicious mini herbed biscuits to whet our appetites. We informed her we had the scoutmob deal, and her reaction could not have been more welcoming. I was expecting the "oh, you have a coupon? greaaat." reaction I sometimes get when using these internet-purchased deals. But none of that here. The offer included a glass of either beer or wine off their decently stocked list. The girlfriend ordered a glass of malbec, while I ordered a diet coke as I have recently quit drinking since apparently I have a tendency to overindulge. But that's neither here nor there. The girlfriend noted that her wine was served a bit warm. The menu is limited. But as a small farm-to-table establishment, they kind of have to limit their selections in order to provide the freshest possible. We both ordered what they're known for: the fried chicken, even though the country fried steak also offered was tempting. Be sure to read the back of the menu on the history of Serenbe. Our dinners were served shortly after ordering. A little too quick, if I have to be picky. The complaint in my head didn't last as it was soon replaced by the ensuing southern culinary delight. I immediately cut into the lightly-breaded breast of chicken and took a bite. Heaven. Juiciest fried chicken breast I've ever tasted. You can tell they really took their time brining the chicken. Perfectly seasoned, as no flavor overpowered another. The three sides complimented the chicken well. Tonight's pre-selected offerings were black eyed peas, roasted okra, and potato salad. All were very well-done, especially the okra. Now, back to the chicken. Easily tops the "fancy" fried chicken served at a certain Midtown establishment. All table manners were put aside as I finished off the bone-in wing with my hands. Would definitely return to indulge in their fried chicken again. Together with The Hil, these two Serenbe restaurants are well worth the drive as getaways from the city. 4.5 stars
(5)Sean Y.
Great place. I love the feeling. Everything we ate there was very tasty. Servers were very helpful and friendly. My only complain would be extremely limited menu. I understand the small menu is the way to have great food however it doesn't have to be this small. Also why not Sunday brunch. W
(4)Sol L.
I found this little gem through a scout mob deal which included 2 entrees, 3 sides, and bottomless wine. For the appetizer, we ordered fried green tomatoes which came out really quickly which made me think that it was pre-made. It was flavorful, but was a little too salty. My boyfriend had the fried chicken and I had the country fried steak. The fried is probably the best I have ever had. It was moist, flavorful, and fried perfectly. The country fried steak with brown gravy was also good, but it was a little salty and a portion was a bit chewy. For the sides, we had smashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and brown sugar, sautéed cabbage, and pinto beans, which were all extremely flavorful and balanced well with the entrees. Overall, the food was excellent and is a great place for a date.
(4)Sally M.
Today we had lunch at the Farmhouse in Palmetto GA. It was about an 80 minute drive south for us, in a downpour and with highways under construction, but I have to say, with all the trauma in the travel, the experience was well worth it. We met lovely and loved John and Cheryl and traipsed thru the puddles to the porch and once inside were welcomed as if we were family. This is a lovely dining room, rustic yet elegant and everyone is SO friendly but not overbearingly so. On Sundays they offer 3 courses and the only entree is fried chicken. It comes with collard greens, butter beans, and creamed corn. The table bread basket offers delightfully fluffy and tasty chive biscuits. We had the starter of fried green tomatoes, which would have been better in spring but were still very good and a spicy remoulade " warning! you get 5 slices of tomato with each order ". John and Cheryl had the arugula salad which looked very fresh and nice. The chicken had been soaked in buttermilk (all this is speculation and I am an amateur) and it had a nice tang to it, the crust was very tasty and not too thick. It was served airline style which means the ribs are removed but the drumstick part of the wing remains. The creamed corn was sweet and creamy, the collards were perfect!!! Not at all bitter,very tender and tasty. The butter beans were soft and well, buttery. A great combination. There was a nice selection of wines by the glass and also some cocktails and beers available. The dessert offerings today were a buttermilk cake with chocolate fudge frosting ( it was a bit dry) and a peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream which was very nice. The Farmhouse is a part of the Serenbe community, an interesting and unique gathering of shops, an Inn and 2 restaurants as well as residential housing. All are committed to farm-to-table dining in a really beautiful setting. The atmosphere at the Farmhouse is as if you are dining in a friend's home, it was just lovely. There are not many places I would expend this much effort to get to, but the Farmhouse iss definitely one of them.
(4)Donald F.
had dinner there few days ago because just cannot get over how much i've heard about this place. got there like an hour be4 closing but still there's few tables and a big group just started sitting down. lesson one, do NOT drive ur rear drive manual 2seater convertible to that area. i missed the entrance so i kept driving into that little town. whole time i am thinking " man i hope i don't get a flat tire" the town is pretty cute though. ok finally back to the farmhouse. me and my gf sat down ordered one of each entree plus a soup. soup was suppose to be garlic or something but not much taste to it beside salt. don't get me wrong it was great for dipping the bread but by itself it stink. she ordered the chicken (not the fried one) on some sauce. sauce was ok chicken barely have any chicken taste in it. to me it taste like frozen chicken cooked in chicken broth . i had pork tenderloin which was average. we were kinda disappoint so we didn't stay for dessert. o we got a lemonade which was good. i MAY come back if i ever see the fried chicken on the menu since that was my goal. like the concept, like the area (kinda but i'll drive the big car next time lol), but still lots of room for improvment. well i'll still consider it's the best fine dining restaurant in a 15/20+ miles radius lol
(3)Lynne S.
We dined at the Farmhouse Restaurant yesterday on Mother's Day. I LOVED the atmosphere and we had a good male waiter but the food left a lot to be desired. Online the Farmhouse advertised a special~ fried chicken or salmon and when we arrived, we were told there was no salmon. The waiter said they might have some kind of fish and three of us out of five selected the fish entree. It was served very plain~ no sauce~ but had a nice taste. The squash casserole and beans that accompanied the fish were such a small portion it was no more than a large tablespoon! The salad was lousy and we noticed that it was sitting out 'en masse' on a large table and ours was lukewarm. The salad had no taste whatsoever and was only greens with I think quinoa. I couldn't even taste the salad dressing! Dessert was a strawberry shortcake (fresh poundcake and whipped cream) which was excellent. The Farmhouse serves biscuits and they are always fresh and very tasty but why can't they get the entree/salad and veg right? This is the third time we've eaten at the Farmhouse and it's always the same. Biscuits are good along with dessert but everything else is a bit of a disappointment.
(2)George P B.
Great experience. Classic Southern cuisine using high quality farm to table ingredients. Walking in the door it smells like Grandma's kitchen at Sunday dinner. Decor is upscale rustic and pleasant. Service was good and everyone was genuinely gracious. Fried green tomatoes were good - not too greasy and well seasoned. The accompanying red pepper sauce was to much like 1,000 island dressing for my taste. The fried chicken was quite good and the sautéed kale was fantastic. The fresh black eyes peas were good but they are al dente, which could throw off traditionalists. The chive biscuits were excellent and they gave us some to take home. The location is off the beaten path but Serenbe is a destination worth the drive. Kind of hard to do a farm in Buckhead. So if you're looking for great Southern food and an idyllic setting Farmhouse is a good choice.
(4)Alma A.
So lovely! Very intimate and comfortable setting. Our server was so lovely, and the peach sangria was delicious! Can't say enough about how great our dinner and overall experience at Serenbe has been. Make sure you save room for desert. The fig cobbler was great!
(5)JOHN R.
Refreshing, home style, and very lovely. Exceptional service, an element of great quality.
(5)Jennifer K.
Great place for a quick day getaway & date! Went with the scoutmob deal and everything was delicious! The scoutmob deal included bottomless wine, so they even let us take our last glass in a plastic cup so we could enjoy it while we walked around and explored the farm!
(5)Tara H.
One of the BEST meals I have ever had. Visited on Sunday, March 2nd. Had the chicken with sweet potatoes, butter beans and okra. Everything was to die for (I highly recommend the ScoutMob deal for $29). The unlimited wine was good, and Chelsea, our server, was FANTASTIC. The biscuits, fried green tomatoes, and apple cobler were ALL out of this world. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Leslie B.
I made a reservation for 6- because it was a LONG drive from North Georgia, and the place was empty except for another couple. GPS got me to the address with no problem. Parking directions were clear and it was very pretty. People were dressed pretty casually overall. Most competent and friendly staff I have ever encountered at a restaurant or business. I had recently purchased a $25 gift card off of restaurant.com for much less than $25. It was maybe even only $2. I was a little nervous- not confident that it was legit- but it had been highly recommended. So, our waiter immediately noticed the gift card and thanked us for putting it on the table at the beginning of the meal. He told us that he hoped we had gotten that for only a couple of dollars as they run specials on that website in September. And, he told us that he had used one recently too at another restaurant. It's much appreciated when someone doesn't treat you poorly because you are using a gift card. He made a couple of drink recommendations from their extensive menu and we were very pleased with what we ordered. With only two options for entrees my husband and I each ordered one. He had the chicken with kale and grits, and I had the apple pork with greens and a praline sweet potato. I didn't like my pork. My rating is not reflective of the pork- I ordered the wrong thing. My greens were the best greens I have ever had. My husband also thought his kale was delicious, and was impressed that his chicken was so moist. Seriously, best greens ever! Like- if you have a child that hates greens take them there and change their life. No idea that you could make vegetables that taste that delicious- and I like vegetables. Amazing. The bread they brought out before the entree also had something green- an herb, scallions...? I don't know. So, good. Serenbe rocks at using vegetables. Maybe I should have ordered a salad. Our waiter left mid-meal and introduced us to our new waitress. She was equally friendly. We couldn't decide if we wanted to order dessert there, or if we should go to the blue-eyed daisy bakery. She told us that we could go and if we didn't find anything we could come back and get dessert to go if we wanted. I thought that was really helpful. I love that they change their menu every week. I get emails about all of the events they have each weekend. I'll try to make a day of it next time. I definitely recommend.
(5)Jackson R.
Really good service and the food wasn't bad, mostly had breakfast here during my stay at Serenbe. Really enjoyed the whole atmosphere of the whole place, yeah its a little pricey, but most of us have paid more for less at some resort somewhere, and you save the price of the added travel.
(4)Jennie T.
An organic favorite. They change their menu every week, depending on what's fresh and in season. Their simple menu also has two choices for each course, which made it easier to choose. My company and I came here on the 7th of August for dinner. I chose the chilled farmhouse garden cucumber soup. I've never had cold soup before, and this was very a refreshing choice during the hot summer day. I loved the crunchiness of the bell pepper cubes. The soup had a little bit of spice to it, but it wasn't overpowering. I've been trying to find a recipe to match since I came back to Chicago. For my entree, I ordered the Georgia shrimp with garlic, Jenny Jack grits and sauteed kale. This was delicious, but I think I should have ordered the farmhouse country steak with buttermilk mashed potatoes and roasted Serenbe farm carrots instead. Maybe it's because I prefer prawns over shrimp; they seem to have more body and meat. The kale was my favorite part of the dish as the grits tasted a bit too mushy to me (is it supposed to taste like that? I'm not sure). I didn't order any dessert, but I had a glass of their Southern breeze cocktail and it tasted like juice. What kind of juice, I cannot tell you, but the ice cubes looked like they may have been orange juice ice cubes. It was delicious. I would definitely come back. But if I were to come back, I'd want to go through the side door on the concrete side. I have a phobia of insects and spiders, and the two bushes on the sides of the pathway up to the restaurant were so overgrown that they overlapped and covered part of the walkway, and the two bushes were covered with butterflies. I'm hoping they'll trim these two bushes because I ended up in tears by the time my boss took my hand and walked me across.
(5)Anthony P.
The menu is a limited menu. There were only two appetizers and two entrees as well as two desserts offered this evening. They do an excellent job preparing a tasty meal of gourmet comfort food. I had the pork stew which was on a bed of grits with some greens thrown in with spice! Prefacing this I had the beet salad with goat cheese. Very tasty. The setting in what appears to be an old farmhouse is very unique. This is a farm to table type restaurant. Great service as well with a real personal touch. Somewhat out of the way and difficult to find even with GPS.
(4)Lisa A.
We held a 3 day event at Serenbe last month at the Farmhouse provided all our food needs while we were there. From breakfast to afternoon brownie platters, everything was so fresh and tasted like it was made with love. They were even nice enough to make us their famous Sunday fried chicken on a Wednesday evening and it was great!! Great service, food and they also make some awesome cocktails all at a very reasonable price to boot!!
(5)Anna S.
I never met a fried chicken I liked until I tried the fried chicken here (I think it's part of their Sunday brunch). Oh. My. Gosh. It is worth the drive from Atlanta. And the sides and mimosas were excellent, too. I stayed in the Inn at Serenbe which is on the same property and also found it excellent. It was comforting and quiet and a really neat experience, especially given its close location to Atlanta.
(5)J T.
Very small menu fits the very intimate, quaint setting. Great cocktails, delicious entrees, impeccable service. Not much to dislike here. Open only 4 nights of the week which is annoying.
(4)Greg J.
The restaurant / farmhouse and the delicious organic dining is just part of the experience. I am visiting Georgia and some some friends took me out here. The drive out to Palmetto from downtown Atlanta was part of what made this so different for me. Not that Atlanta is stressful, but you can feel yourself relaxing as you drive deeper and deeper into rural Georgia. If you're on the fence about whether to try The Farmhouse, just do it! You'll be kicking yourself that you didn't come sooner and you'll want to bring others out here, too. There's a quaint inn attached to the restaurant with a wide, old-fashioned wrap-around country porch. It doesn't get any better. If you're a visitor from out of town, make it an extra special trip and visit this place. Tip: Use a GPS or make darn sure you know these back country roads. It's easy to get turned around!
(5)Will M.
Excellent find during a trip to Serenbe. The menu is not ornate - typically 2-3 options for starters, mains and dessert. The dishes however flow well together and feel like they're good value despite the triple dollar sign on the profile. Service was really good, including letting us sit down 10' before closing time and insisting repeatedly we enjoy the meal, not worrying about the time we departed. Only reservation, if anything, is a bizarro floor vent in the main room just below my seat (reflecting the re-purposed nature of the design). It is really cold. Choose another table if offered it, though they'll be quick to their hands and knees to help cover it.
(5)Alan K.
Awesome fried chicken lunch. We stayed at the lake hose on the Serenbe property...it was delightful - the horses and other farm animals were right out our window. The staff at the Farmhouse were terrific. We had great drinks (the sangria was killer...the mint julep was too sweet) and you can sit and relax on the porch...even better there is a 2 for 1 happy hour in the afternoon. The highlight by far was the fried chicken lunch. With only two options on the menu you wonder whether it is really worth it but in a state where there's fried chicken everywhere this one stands yards above others. The sides were great too.
(5)Shelly J.
We went here for dinner after a long day roaming around Serenbe. The menu is a fixed menu (a couple choices for each course) and contains as many local items as possible. The restaurant literally looks like a house and it feels like a house. We sat in the area that overlooks the garden. It was beautiful! Our waitress was very nice and happen to have served us earlier at the Blue Eyed Daisy! For the appetizers we ordered the salad and the gazpacho. I did not like the gazpacho but that was mainly because it had a cucumber taste to it, my boyfriend loved it! The salad was amazing! I ordered chicken for the main course. it was perfectly broiled and was sitting in a tomato soup-like sauce with corn homily. It was very yummy, but I didn't like the seasoning. My boyfriend loved it and I ended up eating most of his plate and he ate most of my plate. He ordered the pork chop with peach salsa over three-cheese grits and collards. It was the most amazing dish! I usually don't like fruit with my meat, but this dish was unbelievable! The grits were so rich a delicious! Finally, for dessert we had the chocolate pecan pie. It was so good! It didn't have too many chocolate chips to overwhelm the wonderful pecan pie and it was served with vanilla bean ice cream! I also ordered the peach sangria and it was very yummy! We enjoyed our experience here and especially liked visiting the animals after our meal! The coupon from restaurant.com was a great addition as well!
(4)Roy K.
One of my most 'favoritist' dinners ever! Granted I had amazing company but it was a great experience overall. They were serving a rotisserie chicken breast or a pork tenderloin and both were amazing. All of the sides dishes had exploding flavor that you wanted to savor (rhyme!). This is the slowest I have ever eaten...just wanted to eat slowly and relax. Ate the ice cream brownie sundae for dessert and it was great and big enough to share. Everything done on the organic side of things, much of what was local fare. Staff was great and the owner was making the rounds making conversation as well. *Note - they put crack in their biscuits they give you when you get there. They are amazing and should be savored slowly...just don't let them ruin your dinner. **Only negative was the musa'c they had playing....seriously subpar music for the type of establishment it is but not bad enough to give it less than 5 stars.
(5)Tara B.
Yum, yum, yum and Yum!
(4)Leslie W.
The former BF and I went for our anniversary celebration in November and coupled this with a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Our reservations were for 7pm on Thursday and we were seated promptly. The dining room was relatively empty, but that made no difference at all once the food began to arrive. We ordered the prix fixe menu and split the choices between the two of us. We also chose the wine pairings (which brought it to $55 each) which was probably our best idea of the whole evening. We began with the fresh oysters and champagne. Delish! Then our first course. The former BF had a smoked trout salad with grapefruit, avocado and chicory frise. I had the most lovely grit cake with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. It was absolutely heavenly. The first bite was a mouthgasm of the most profound kind. Then I took a sip of wine. Dry white with a clean finish. Perfect pairing. Heaven. Main course for me was Georgia trout fillet with wild Atlantic shrimp and local greens. The fish was beautifully done and the shrimp was so good that I now only purchase Georgia shrimp at the farmers market. The former had a Berkshire pork chop with mashed potatoes. He raved and raved, but I'm not so big on the piggies. Dessert fell a little flat in my opinion, but that may also be because I'm not too big on dairy and the dessert reminded me of cool whip. It was some sort of creme souffle served in a coffee cup with Grand Marnier as the pairing, but all I did was drink the GrandMa. The Inn has this deal on Thursday where you receive $60 off your room tab if you eat at the Farmhouse. It makes for a perfect combination. The room also comes with breakfast in the am done by the same chef. Yummy pancakes with apple sausage. Excellent coffee. I highly recommend this place for a special occasion. The chef is also a big advocate of the local food movement and has a 90/100 rule which means that 90% of his ingredients come from within 100 miles of the restaurant. It's more than worth the drive down 85. Go now before the weather warms and the place is flooded with townies.
(5)David B.
Serenbe is like a very high maintenance significant other: At first you're wowed by how great and perfect everything looks, you start out with really high hopes, and then you sortof realize -- toward the end or even after you're done -- that it really wasn't quite worth all the effort. I admire the Nygrens for going several steps beyond the usual "Hey, let's do the Green Acres thing," and literally trying to build a community out of the rolling hills of South Fulton County. They've started a groovy (if self-consciously so) little housing and commercial development; they've built and sustain super eco-friendly farming; and of course they have they totally pimped out bed-and-breakfast and restaurant sortof farm compound going. The problem is that if you don't totally buy into the vision, it can all seem veeeeeeeeeeeeery precious. I'm pretty sure that real farmhouses don't look like they were decorated by someone who's spent several internships at Pottery Barn. Also... it's pretty pricey. That's fine if your heart is warmed at the idea of helping the local organic farmers grow their bok choi withuot using Round Up, (or if you're setting up a corporate retreat on someone else's dime), but if you just want a good meal, a chance to get out of town and a quiet night to catch up on your reading, it seems like a bit much.
(3)Tom R.
The Farmhouse just keeps improving. Nicolas Bour is a gifted chef - I've 'done' fine dining all over the country, and his deft touch is as good as it gets (remember - he was the co-owner/chef of Iris in Atlanta). Simple farm-to-table food (nothing fancy), but Chef Bour's Canadian French background ensures that it is perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared and artfully presented every time. That it is in a beautiful countryside setting is just a bonus - make sure that you save some time to look around Serenbe and the surrounding Hill Country (and keep in mind that this beautiful spot is only 25 min from the airport!). Things to remember: It IS the country, so slow down! The pacing of the dining is rightfully slower than 'in town'. Also - it is a prix fix 3 course menu, usually with only 2 appetizer and entree choices - call ahead to make sure there is something that you like on the menu...
(5)Deanna J.
The Farmhouse at Serenbe opened in 2006 and is a prix fixe restaurant concept adjacent to the Inn at Serenbe. What is all this 'serenbe' stuff you ask? It's a burgeoning community located about 45 minutes south of Atlanta proper in Palmetto; its concept is based in principles of sustainability and a huge emphasis on green space. There's not much surrounding the area (the directions even warn you to make sure you've filled up your gas tank because they're pretty infrequent on the drive down), and as we drove through green swathed surroundings, there was definitely a calming 'Ive escaped the city!' feeling. We finally reached the beautiful sign announcing that we'd hit Serenbe territory. The housing is a breathtaking collection of homes, 'cottages' and townhouses that left me quite . . . amazed. This is not a community of hippies living off the land, but a community of expensive, well designed residences of people that must either have these as second homes, not have to commute to anywhere (or work!) or have another very good reason that allows them to live here. Adorable Martha Stewart perfect homes, as well as a row of super mod townhouses that made me drool a bit. The Serenbe community also has a couple shops tucked between the movie set glam homes, including a bakeshop (which was cute enough to make me want to visit again) and another restaurant called the Hil. Continuing the journey, we passed a postcard perfect (cliche, I know, I know. But wait 'til you see this place.) lake, corrals of farm animals and of course, more silky green space, before arriving at the Farmhouse. Its got excellent roots, being the offspring of Steve and Marie Nygren, who were a part of Atlanta restaurant staples the Pleasant Peasant and Mary Mac's Tea Room. They embrace a 'farm to table' concept and are only open four days a week, serving a three course prix fixe menu for $33, with a choice of entree Thursday through Saturday. Sundays mean that there's Southern fried chicken for lunch, at $22. They've been in the process of acquiring their liquor license, which means that patrons have been free to bring their own bottle of vino; however, they are about to get it and will start charging a corking fee. We passed the cheery open kitchen on the way to our table, which gave a very honest feel. The dining room was decked in simple decor has a dozen white linen-ed tables, ranging from tables for two, to a larger one in the center of the room that would be ideal for a group. Our servers were down to earth, and our primary waiter Jason was friendly and knowledgeable about the community. However, we were brought the wrong dishes a couple of times - they tried to bring us an entree before serving our salads and then they got one of the entrees wrong (which should be pretty avoidable considering that this is a prix fixe menu, but oh well). We happened to come right after a new chef had come on board - according to Jason, the chef that had been at the Farmhouse since opening day, Tony Seichrist, was off to Italy and replaced by Chef Nicolas Bour. The cuisine keeps in line with their ideas of simplicity - the menu is straightforward and the only dish you have a choice with is the entree. The night we went was halibut or duck, with a beet salad as a starter. Everything tasted very fresh, and the menu rightfully took seasonality into account. Plans for the community include even more businesses and a world class spa. There was a wedding reception outside when we arrived, and it would make an incredible place to hold an event - if you can ward off the all-natural mosquitoes. If you've made it through reading this wayy too lengthy review (this is definitely longer than some papers from freshman English..can I get extra credit or something for this one?!), then I hope that you'll agree that it's a very cool experience and something to yelp about!
(4)josie p.
Tucked away from all the brewhaha of Atlanta is the Truman-esque oasis, Serenbe. I love this community even though it has somewhat of an eerie charm. It's seriously almost TOO perfect! Fortunately for me, I got to taste a sampling of delicacies from the Farmhouse during a wedding this weekend & I was blown away by each & every dish. We started out the evening sipping mint juleps on the porch which even had the blue ceilings & all. Love that! Felt like I was back home in Charleston, which always earns brownie points in my book. In fact, all the details of this place reminded me of the southern city... It's really an escape from the hub-bub of Atlanta to say the least! The first course was a tomato salad served over fresh lettuce & dressed with a light buttermilk dressing... phenom. Next up, a creamy butternut squash soup that was so rich & satisfying, it could've passed as dessert.... ridic. For the main course, we had a cheese grit souffle (awesome), maple glazed carrots (heaven), & a pecan goat cheese stuffed baked chicken topped with a peach marmalade (killer). Honestly, everything was so garden fresh & stick-to-your-ribs good, I hardly had room for dessert! Somehow, I managed to choke down a couple bites of the key lime pie before it kind of melted on the plate, which was good, but it wasn't mind-blowing like the rest of the meal. Then again, I've never been a ginormous fan of key lime pie, so perhaps that had something to do with it. If you need a quick get away to clear your mind & feel completely refreshed after only a 30-45min drive, definitely head to Serenbe & check out the Farmhouse while you are there. It's like a massage in food form.
(5)Acman P.
Nestled in the middle of nowhere about 15 miles outside of Atlanta, one gets the true experience of the organic "farm to plate" experience. The location itself is a commune-like experience of like-minded individuals living in this psedu-self sufficient community. But let's get to the food. The main draw to the Farmhouse is the organic & farm to plate concept, including grass fed beef and locally grown produce. To make a long story short - I found the food to be very good, with my main protest being they normally offer only two choices based on what they have. Unfortunately for me, my night they had Catfish and Meatloaf - probably two of my most detested foods. Catfish are simply lake rats, and just never have been a fan of meatloaf. So between the rock and the hard place, i went with the Meatloaf. It was decent, and thank god for the bacon sauce which made it more than tolerable for me. The facility itself was extremely nice - would be great to meet people here for a pre or post dinner drink anytime. They have a wonderful ante-room and even a porch to sit out on and enjoy perhaps a mint juleps or two. I think this place is definately worth the try, and a great date night to escape the city. I look forward to my return, and hope to get better luck with my entree choices next time. PS, the chocolate cake is great, as was the service!
(4)Dorothy P.
Finally made it to Serenbe! it's been on my must-visit list for the last 6mo. but as my luck would have it, we end up going on a rainy sunday. which surprisingly didn't take away from the experience. if anything it was nice to get away from the city and see the Farmhouse and community in it's cool, rainy, natural state. We were going to eat at the Hil, but since it was sunday they had "fried chicken sundays" at the Farmhouse, so of course how can one say, "No", to fried chicken! the Serenbe community is really cool w/ very beautiful homes on the property. you have to drive much further in to find the Farmhouse...on a dirt road, so come in a truck or suv (esp on a rainy day) if you can. There's also an Inn next to the rest't. It'd be neat to stay there for the weekend. The Farmhouse had a nice ambience to it..if it's a farmhouse, then I'd call it an "upscale farmhouse" designed by Pottery Barn:) the menu gave us 2 choices: Pot roast or fried chicken..FC of course! the waiter started our meal out w/ a bread basket, or shall I say biscuit basket...actually they're called chive biscuits...easily could be one of those items that can be featured on, "the best thing I ever ate" on food network. YUM-O! I couldn't stop eating them...they were so melt-in-your mouth I even forgot to spread butter on them. the waiter must've seen my enthusiasm for them b/c he came over and asked if I needed another basket...do zebras have stripes?? oh, I forgot to mention the main course. (the biscuits were THAT good) so the fried chicken didn't meet my expectations at all (esp. since this is the creation from the same family who started Mary Mac's Tea Room and the Pleasant Peasant in ATL, I expected to have the best fried chicken experience EVER)-- the reason I can't give it 5 stars...but the biscuits leveraged everything to 4 stars. and the seasonal organic vege sides were pretty awesome (fried okra, carrots, and mashed potatoes). I'd like to come back and try the other rest't sometime, the Hil. overall, neat community.
(4)Michael E.
The Serenbe community as a whole is one of the coolest places for a quick getaway. The restaurants are all amazing, the B&B is simply sublime and the scenery is a gift courtesy of the big guy upstairs. If you haven't been, GO NOW!
(5)Michelle F.
Hmmm. For all it's reviews and hullaboo (all over the AJC, online reviews and even a mention in Bon Appetit) I expected to be wowed. It was very beautiful, and a lovely departure from the norm for a unique dining experience, but several things put our experience off, just a bit mind you. First was the slight inconvenience of being afraid of getting lost, so we left early and arrived earlier than our reservation, but there was nothing to do until our reservation...we had hoped to perchance have an ice tea on the porch or a mint julep (though they don't have a liquor license yet...), but we were not offered anything. So we we drove back into Serenbe and had our aforementioned beer. The meals here are Prix Fixe, three course with your choice of main course. I admit I was happy to not have to make any decisions about what to eat. It set a relaxed tone to the meal. The best part of the dinner we had was the first course, a very delicate, almost nutty puree of a cauliflower soup. All of us decided it was quite good and anticipated our main courses with high hopes, but unfortunately they were only okay. Good and fresh, but not mind blowing. We had a nice fish, rabbit tenderloin/backstrap and rabbit forequarters. The backstrap was the most delicious of the three, being juicy and tender with crisp skin. The forequarters were just too difficult to get any meat off, or perhaps they were slightly over done and the majority of the meat was too hard/crisp, in any case, the father, a frequent "chewer of bones" was not impressed with it and eyed my backstrap jealously...he was rewarded with several sweet bites. The dessert, a banana cake with chocolate sauce and bananas something like foster was nice, but again, not mindblowing. As we enjoyed our coffee in the serene setting, the child sitting behind me began to sing. She had a sweet voice, and we all beamed at each other across the table with childhood memories aflight. However, she didn't stop singing. And five songs later her mother joined her in chorus. Our smiles turned to serious frowns. No one said a word to them. Mind you, the dining room here is very "cozy" with probably around 20 tables max in a very small room Needless to say it did not help my meal end on a happy note. If I am paying a reasonable sum for my dinner experience, I assume it will not be accompanied by an eight year old singing in my ear. If I want that, I can stay in Atlanta and go to Chili's or Joes' Crab Shack. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but I expect good behavior from both children and parents if they choose to visit a nice restaurant. Use common sense. God knows how many times I took the baby outside to calm it while at New York restaurants, so I would not disturb any other's meals. One song was sweet; the whole operetta was souring. In any case, I would say the setting here was lovely, the freshness of the ingredients was nice (a big thing they are touting is the organic fresh ingredients from the farm, thowever our waiter did not know if the meat was organic, though he did know it wasn't from the farm...), the service was workable, and the food nice. There was a very cool open kitchen area you could peek at the cute chefs working at. I wanted to love it really badly. Probably a three star, perhaps a two when you add in how far away it is. And probably not a great place for kids. For a Prix Fixe, the price was reasonable. I might come back to stay at the Inn as the whole area is quite charming, and then I may visit the Farmhouse again, but I am not sure I would make the trip just to indulge in a meal. Just my first impression, and I usually give a place a second chance before I pass sentence. So I suppose I should go back again. It might have just been overhyped, and I did so want to LOVE it badly.
(2)Nancy R.
I haven't reviewed Serenbe because I am a selfish bitch. I don't want others to know and somehow compromise the greatness that is going on down there or lead to some other restaurant poaching Nick, the chef, from his fresh herb garden, local grit-grinder, or lovely surroundings. Full disclosure: my roommate used to work with Nick at Murphy's and knows him well, which means she gets the call when the good is on. But we've been there three times, for four meals, and I don't know if it ever isn't. First time: Nick's opening night in August. The place was full of the locals, rich hippies in their homemade dresses and BMWs; we were obvious outsiders. But, so what? The food was amazing. Cold tomato soup, fresh salad from the farm, tender meats, perfect wine pairings. Then we did a beer dinner with a shrimp boil. And there was amazing pork in every course. Delicious. Fresh beets from the farm, homemade bacon, sausage, spicy cornbread. And, of course, the shrimp boil itself was perfect. We stayed the night after the beer dinner, for good cause, and got the best eggs, fresh-ground grits, and homemade sausage I have ever had for breakfast the next day. And then roamed the gardens in the sweet fall sun. Really, this is as good as it gets. I keep praying for that trust fund or magical lotto ticket, and, when it comes, I'm moving to Serenbe (or poaching Nick for myself).
(5)Amy D.
I booked a one-night stay at The Inn at Serebe for my husband and me on a Sunday night. We arrived in time for lunch at The Farmhouse which also houses 7 guest rooms. We made reservations for 12:30pm but arrived at 12:00noon and were seated right away. We sat outside on the screened-in porch even though it was a bit humid with no breeze. Our waitress was very attentive and very friendly. I had an unsweet tea with lime (my usual) and my husband had a Bloody Mary. Both of our drinks were good. We moved tables before our meal came due to the ants that decided they liked my husband better than me! We ordered the pot roast (for my husband) and the fried chicken for me. Both dishes came with fried okra, creamed corn, and potatoes with onions. Our meals were fabulous--fresh, consistently tasty, cooked to perfection. I would definately eat here again. It was a nice relaxing way to start our visit to Serenbe. Then we drove into the 'community' where there are a few stores like the Bilthouse (a women's boutique clothing store), the Blue Eyed Daisy (a bakery), an art gallery, and several stores that were not yet open for business like a Spa. The stores are only open Thursday-Sunday. It has a quaint feel and I think it's important to keep in mind that this place is in its infancy and intended to have only local proprietors rather than strip mall stores like Blockbuster, Great Clips, and a Fed Ex/Kinkos. We toured the model home, stopped off for a cold drink and a lovely bakery treat at the Blue Daisy Bakery, then back to The Inn to check in to our room and rest before dinner. The room we stayed in was room #2 in the main building. It had navy blue and cream/white decor, a huge closet, and a nice size bathroom. The bay window was comfortable for resting and reading or watching tv. There were 2 rakes (yes, I said rakes like the gardening tools) bolted to the wall above our bed. I wasn't crazy about the idea of getting spiked during the night by the rakes but my husband assured me that they were bolted pretty tightly to the wall! My only complaints were that the duvet cover needed replacing as there were noticeable stains on it, the white towels were very dingy, and the dead bolt on the door was not very secure. After our little siesta, we drove back into town to eat at The Hil Restaurant on the Hill (only one L in the name of the restaurant). I'll leave a separate review of this eatery, but it was very disappointing. When we got back to the room we walked around and discovered that there was a microwave, a full refrigerator, popcorn, oreos in tiny bags, and tea bags for our use. Our bed was way too soft for us and the pillows were lumpy. It stormed twice during the night so our sleep was interrupted but that would have happened in our own beds. Breakfast is included in the price of the room and it was pretty good. You can't really order anything different than what they are offering on that particular day. They were serving fresh OJ, cold cereals, yogurt, fresh pineapple. hard boiled eggs, pancakes and bacon. I asked our waitress if I could get scrambled eggs and they made them for me. They had an unusual texture and no flavor but they were fresh from the hen! We enjoyed our time at Serenbe and would go back for another R&R.
(4)Acman P.
Nestled in the middle of nowhere about 15 miles outside of Atlanta, one gets the true experience of the organic "farm to plate" experience. The location itself is a commune-like experience of like-minded individuals living in this psedu-self sufficient community. But let's get to the food. The main draw to the Farmhouse is the organic & farm to plate concept, including grass fed beef and locally grown produce. To make a long story short - I found the food to be very good, with my main protest being they normally offer only two choices based on what they have. Unfortunately for me, my night they had Catfish and Meatloaf - probably two of my most detested foods. Catfish are simply lake rats, and just never have been a fan of meatloaf. So between the rock and the hard place, i went with the Meatloaf. It was decent, and thank god for the bacon sauce which made it more than tolerable for me. The facility itself was extremely nice - would be great to meet people here for a pre or post dinner drink anytime. They have a wonderful ante-room and even a porch to sit out on and enjoy perhaps a mint juleps or two. I think this place is definately worth the try, and a great date night to escape the city. I look forward to my return, and hope to get better luck with my entree choices next time. PS, the chocolate cake is great, as was the service!
(4)Dorothy P.
Finally made it to Serenbe! it's been on my must-visit list for the last 6mo. but as my luck would have it, we end up going on a rainy sunday. which surprisingly didn't take away from the experience. if anything it was nice to get away from the city and see the Farmhouse and community in it's cool, rainy, natural state. We were going to eat at the Hil, but since it was sunday they had "fried chicken sundays" at the Farmhouse, so of course how can one say, "No", to fried chicken! the Serenbe community is really cool w/ very beautiful homes on the property. you have to drive much further in to find the Farmhouse...on a dirt road, so come in a truck or suv (esp on a rainy day) if you can. There's also an Inn next to the rest't. It'd be neat to stay there for the weekend. The Farmhouse had a nice ambience to it..if it's a farmhouse, then I'd call it an "upscale farmhouse" designed by Pottery Barn:) the menu gave us 2 choices: Pot roast or fried chicken..FC of course! the waiter started our meal out w/ a bread basket, or shall I say biscuit basket...actually they're called chive biscuits...easily could be one of those items that can be featured on, "the best thing I ever ate" on food network. YUM-O! I couldn't stop eating them...they were so melt-in-your mouth I even forgot to spread butter on them. the waiter must've seen my enthusiasm for them b/c he came over and asked if I needed another basket...do zebras have stripes?? oh, I forgot to mention the main course. (the biscuits were THAT good) so the fried chicken didn't meet my expectations at all (esp. since this is the creation from the same family who started Mary Mac's Tea Room and the Pleasant Peasant in ATL, I expected to have the best fried chicken experience EVER)-- the reason I can't give it 5 stars...but the biscuits leveraged everything to 4 stars. and the seasonal organic vege sides were pretty awesome (fried okra, carrots, and mashed potatoes). I'd like to come back and try the other rest't sometime, the Hil. overall, neat community.
(4)Michael E.
The Serenbe community as a whole is one of the coolest places for a quick getaway. The restaurants are all amazing, the B&B is simply sublime and the scenery is a gift courtesy of the big guy upstairs. If you haven't been, GO NOW!
(5)Michelle F.
Hmmm. For all it's reviews and hullaboo (all over the AJC, online reviews and even a mention in Bon Appetit) I expected to be wowed. It was very beautiful, and a lovely departure from the norm for a unique dining experience, but several things put our experience off, just a bit mind you. First was the slight inconvenience of being afraid of getting lost, so we left early and arrived earlier than our reservation, but there was nothing to do until our reservation...we had hoped to perchance have an ice tea on the porch or a mint julep (though they don't have a liquor license yet...), but we were not offered anything. So we we drove back into Serenbe and had our aforementioned beer. The meals here are Prix Fixe, three course with your choice of main course. I admit I was happy to not have to make any decisions about what to eat. It set a relaxed tone to the meal. The best part of the dinner we had was the first course, a very delicate, almost nutty puree of a cauliflower soup. All of us decided it was quite good and anticipated our main courses with high hopes, but unfortunately they were only okay. Good and fresh, but not mind blowing. We had a nice fish, rabbit tenderloin/backstrap and rabbit forequarters. The backstrap was the most delicious of the three, being juicy and tender with crisp skin. The forequarters were just too difficult to get any meat off, or perhaps they were slightly over done and the majority of the meat was too hard/crisp, in any case, the father, a frequent "chewer of bones" was not impressed with it and eyed my backstrap jealously...he was rewarded with several sweet bites. The dessert, a banana cake with chocolate sauce and bananas something like foster was nice, but again, not mindblowing. As we enjoyed our coffee in the serene setting, the child sitting behind me began to sing. She had a sweet voice, and we all beamed at each other across the table with childhood memories aflight. However, she didn't stop singing. And five songs later her mother joined her in chorus. Our smiles turned to serious frowns. No one said a word to them. Mind you, the dining room here is very "cozy" with probably around 20 tables max in a very small room Needless to say it did not help my meal end on a happy note. If I am paying a reasonable sum for my dinner experience, I assume it will not be accompanied by an eight year old singing in my ear. If I want that, I can stay in Atlanta and go to Chili's or Joes' Crab Shack. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but I expect good behavior from both children and parents if they choose to visit a nice restaurant. Use common sense. God knows how many times I took the baby outside to calm it while at New York restaurants, so I would not disturb any other's meals. One song was sweet; the whole operetta was souring. In any case, I would say the setting here was lovely, the freshness of the ingredients was nice (a big thing they are touting is the organic fresh ingredients from the farm, thowever our waiter did not know if the meat was organic, though he did know it wasn't from the farm...), the service was workable, and the food nice. There was a very cool open kitchen area you could peek at the cute chefs working at. I wanted to love it really badly. Probably a three star, perhaps a two when you add in how far away it is. And probably not a great place for kids. For a Prix Fixe, the price was reasonable. I might come back to stay at the Inn as the whole area is quite charming, and then I may visit the Farmhouse again, but I am not sure I would make the trip just to indulge in a meal. Just my first impression, and I usually give a place a second chance before I pass sentence. So I suppose I should go back again. It might have just been overhyped, and I did so want to LOVE it badly.
(2)Nancy R.
I haven't reviewed Serenbe because I am a selfish bitch. I don't want others to know and somehow compromise the greatness that is going on down there or lead to some other restaurant poaching Nick, the chef, from his fresh herb garden, local grit-grinder, or lovely surroundings. Full disclosure: my roommate used to work with Nick at Murphy's and knows him well, which means she gets the call when the good is on. But we've been there three times, for four meals, and I don't know if it ever isn't. First time: Nick's opening night in August. The place was full of the locals, rich hippies in their homemade dresses and BMWs; we were obvious outsiders. But, so what? The food was amazing. Cold tomato soup, fresh salad from the farm, tender meats, perfect wine pairings. Then we did a beer dinner with a shrimp boil. And there was amazing pork in every course. Delicious. Fresh beets from the farm, homemade bacon, sausage, spicy cornbread. And, of course, the shrimp boil itself was perfect. We stayed the night after the beer dinner, for good cause, and got the best eggs, fresh-ground grits, and homemade sausage I have ever had for breakfast the next day. And then roamed the gardens in the sweet fall sun. Really, this is as good as it gets. I keep praying for that trust fund or magical lotto ticket, and, when it comes, I'm moving to Serenbe (or poaching Nick for myself).
(5)Amy D.
I booked a one-night stay at The Inn at Serebe for my husband and me on a Sunday night. We arrived in time for lunch at The Farmhouse which also houses 7 guest rooms. We made reservations for 12:30pm but arrived at 12:00noon and were seated right away. We sat outside on the screened-in porch even though it was a bit humid with no breeze. Our waitress was very attentive and very friendly. I had an unsweet tea with lime (my usual) and my husband had a Bloody Mary. Both of our drinks were good. We moved tables before our meal came due to the ants that decided they liked my husband better than me! We ordered the pot roast (for my husband) and the fried chicken for me. Both dishes came with fried okra, creamed corn, and potatoes with onions. Our meals were fabulous--fresh, consistently tasty, cooked to perfection. I would definately eat here again. It was a nice relaxing way to start our visit to Serenbe. Then we drove into the 'community' where there are a few stores like the Bilthouse (a women's boutique clothing store), the Blue Eyed Daisy (a bakery), an art gallery, and several stores that were not yet open for business like a Spa. The stores are only open Thursday-Sunday. It has a quaint feel and I think it's important to keep in mind that this place is in its infancy and intended to have only local proprietors rather than strip mall stores like Blockbuster, Great Clips, and a Fed Ex/Kinkos. We toured the model home, stopped off for a cold drink and a lovely bakery treat at the Blue Daisy Bakery, then back to The Inn to check in to our room and rest before dinner. The room we stayed in was room #2 in the main building. It had navy blue and cream/white decor, a huge closet, and a nice size bathroom. The bay window was comfortable for resting and reading or watching tv. There were 2 rakes (yes, I said rakes like the gardening tools) bolted to the wall above our bed. I wasn't crazy about the idea of getting spiked during the night by the rakes but my husband assured me that they were bolted pretty tightly to the wall! My only complaints were that the duvet cover needed replacing as there were noticeable stains on it, the white towels were very dingy, and the dead bolt on the door was not very secure. After our little siesta, we drove back into town to eat at The Hil Restaurant on the Hill (only one L in the name of the restaurant). I'll leave a separate review of this eatery, but it was very disappointing. When we got back to the room we walked around and discovered that there was a microwave, a full refrigerator, popcorn, oreos in tiny bags, and tea bags for our use. Our bed was way too soft for us and the pillows were lumpy. It stormed twice during the night so our sleep was interrupted but that would have happened in our own beds. Breakfast is included in the price of the room and it was pretty good. You can't really order anything different than what they are offering on that particular day. They were serving fresh OJ, cold cereals, yogurt, fresh pineapple. hard boiled eggs, pancakes and bacon. I asked our waitress if I could get scrambled eggs and they made them for me. They had an unusual texture and no flavor but they were fresh from the hen! We enjoyed our time at Serenbe and would go back for another R&R.
(4)Tom R.
The Farmhouse just keeps improving. Nicolas Bour is a gifted chef - I've 'done' fine dining all over the country, and his deft touch is as good as it gets (remember - he was the co-owner/chef of Iris in Atlanta). Simple farm-to-table food (nothing fancy), but Chef Bour's Canadian French background ensures that it is perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared and artfully presented every time. That it is in a beautiful countryside setting is just a bonus - make sure that you save some time to look around Serenbe and the surrounding Hill Country (and keep in mind that this beautiful spot is only 25 min from the airport!). Things to remember: It IS the country, so slow down! The pacing of the dining is rightfully slower than 'in town'. Also - it is a prix fix 3 course menu, usually with only 2 appetizer and entree choices - call ahead to make sure there is something that you like on the menu...
(5)Deanna J.
The Farmhouse at Serenbe opened in 2006 and is a prix fixe restaurant concept adjacent to the Inn at Serenbe. What is all this 'serenbe' stuff you ask? It's a burgeoning community located about 45 minutes south of Atlanta proper in Palmetto; its concept is based in principles of sustainability and a huge emphasis on green space. There's not much surrounding the area (the directions even warn you to make sure you've filled up your gas tank because they're pretty infrequent on the drive down), and as we drove through green swathed surroundings, there was definitely a calming 'Ive escaped the city!' feeling. We finally reached the beautiful sign announcing that we'd hit Serenbe territory. The housing is a breathtaking collection of homes, 'cottages' and townhouses that left me quite . . . amazed. This is not a community of hippies living off the land, but a community of expensive, well designed residences of people that must either have these as second homes, not have to commute to anywhere (or work!) or have another very good reason that allows them to live here. Adorable Martha Stewart perfect homes, as well as a row of super mod townhouses that made me drool a bit. The Serenbe community also has a couple shops tucked between the movie set glam homes, including a bakeshop (which was cute enough to make me want to visit again) and another restaurant called the Hil. Continuing the journey, we passed a postcard perfect (cliche, I know, I know. But wait 'til you see this place.) lake, corrals of farm animals and of course, more silky green space, before arriving at the Farmhouse. Its got excellent roots, being the offspring of Steve and Marie Nygren, who were a part of Atlanta restaurant staples the Pleasant Peasant and Mary Mac's Tea Room. They embrace a 'farm to table' concept and are only open four days a week, serving a three course prix fixe menu for $33, with a choice of entree Thursday through Saturday. Sundays mean that there's Southern fried chicken for lunch, at $22. They've been in the process of acquiring their liquor license, which means that patrons have been free to bring their own bottle of vino; however, they are about to get it and will start charging a corking fee. We passed the cheery open kitchen on the way to our table, which gave a very honest feel. The dining room was decked in simple decor has a dozen white linen-ed tables, ranging from tables for two, to a larger one in the center of the room that would be ideal for a group. Our servers were down to earth, and our primary waiter Jason was friendly and knowledgeable about the community. However, we were brought the wrong dishes a couple of times - they tried to bring us an entree before serving our salads and then they got one of the entrees wrong (which should be pretty avoidable considering that this is a prix fixe menu, but oh well). We happened to come right after a new chef had come on board - according to Jason, the chef that had been at the Farmhouse since opening day, Tony Seichrist, was off to Italy and replaced by Chef Nicolas Bour. The cuisine keeps in line with their ideas of simplicity - the menu is straightforward and the only dish you have a choice with is the entree. The night we went was halibut or duck, with a beet salad as a starter. Everything tasted very fresh, and the menu rightfully took seasonality into account. Plans for the community include even more businesses and a world class spa. There was a wedding reception outside when we arrived, and it would make an incredible place to hold an event - if you can ward off the all-natural mosquitoes. If you've made it through reading this wayy too lengthy review (this is definitely longer than some papers from freshman English..can I get extra credit or something for this one?!), then I hope that you'll agree that it's a very cool experience and something to yelp about!
(4)josie p.
Tucked away from all the brewhaha of Atlanta is the Truman-esque oasis, Serenbe. I love this community even though it has somewhat of an eerie charm. It's seriously almost TOO perfect! Fortunately for me, I got to taste a sampling of delicacies from the Farmhouse during a wedding this weekend & I was blown away by each & every dish. We started out the evening sipping mint juleps on the porch which even had the blue ceilings & all. Love that! Felt like I was back home in Charleston, which always earns brownie points in my book. In fact, all the details of this place reminded me of the southern city... It's really an escape from the hub-bub of Atlanta to say the least! The first course was a tomato salad served over fresh lettuce & dressed with a light buttermilk dressing... phenom. Next up, a creamy butternut squash soup that was so rich & satisfying, it could've passed as dessert.... ridic. For the main course, we had a cheese grit souffle (awesome), maple glazed carrots (heaven), & a pecan goat cheese stuffed baked chicken topped with a peach marmalade (killer). Honestly, everything was so garden fresh & stick-to-your-ribs good, I hardly had room for dessert! Somehow, I managed to choke down a couple bites of the key lime pie before it kind of melted on the plate, which was good, but it wasn't mind-blowing like the rest of the meal. Then again, I've never been a ginormous fan of key lime pie, so perhaps that had something to do with it. If you need a quick get away to clear your mind & feel completely refreshed after only a 30-45min drive, definitely head to Serenbe & check out the Farmhouse while you are there. It's like a massage in food form.
(5)Sally M.
Today we had lunch at the Farmhouse in Palmetto GA. It was about an 80 minute drive south for us, in a downpour and with highways under construction, but I have to say, with all the trauma in the travel, the experience was well worth it. We met lovely and loved John and Cheryl and traipsed thru the puddles to the porch and once inside were welcomed as if we were family. This is a lovely dining room, rustic yet elegant and everyone is SO friendly but not overbearingly so. On Sundays they offer 3 courses and the only entree is fried chicken. It comes with collard greens, butter beans, and creamed corn. The table bread basket offers delightfully fluffy and tasty chive biscuits. We had the starter of fried green tomatoes, which would have been better in spring but were still very good and a spicy remoulade " warning! you get 5 slices of tomato with each order ". John and Cheryl had the arugula salad which looked very fresh and nice. The chicken had been soaked in buttermilk (all this is speculation and I am an amateur) and it had a nice tang to it, the crust was very tasty and not too thick. It was served airline style which means the ribs are removed but the drumstick part of the wing remains. The creamed corn was sweet and creamy, the collards were perfect!!! Not at all bitter,very tender and tasty. The butter beans were soft and well, buttery. A great combination. There was a nice selection of wines by the glass and also some cocktails and beers available. The dessert offerings today were a buttermilk cake with chocolate fudge frosting ( it was a bit dry) and a peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream which was very nice. The Farmhouse is a part of the Serenbe community, an interesting and unique gathering of shops, an Inn and 2 restaurants as well as residential housing. All are committed to farm-to-table dining in a really beautiful setting. The atmosphere at the Farmhouse is as if you are dining in a friend's home, it was just lovely. There are not many places I would expend this much effort to get to, but the Farmhouse iss definitely one of them.
(4)Donald F.
had dinner there few days ago because just cannot get over how much i've heard about this place. got there like an hour be4 closing but still there's few tables and a big group just started sitting down. lesson one, do NOT drive ur rear drive manual 2seater convertible to that area. i missed the entrance so i kept driving into that little town. whole time i am thinking " man i hope i don't get a flat tire" the town is pretty cute though. ok finally back to the farmhouse. me and my gf sat down ordered one of each entree plus a soup. soup was suppose to be garlic or something but not much taste to it beside salt. don't get me wrong it was great for dipping the bread but by itself it stink. she ordered the chicken (not the fried one) on some sauce. sauce was ok chicken barely have any chicken taste in it. to me it taste like frozen chicken cooked in chicken broth . i had pork tenderloin which was average. we were kinda disappoint so we didn't stay for dessert. o we got a lemonade which was good. i MAY come back if i ever see the fried chicken on the menu since that was my goal. like the concept, like the area (kinda but i'll drive the big car next time lol), but still lots of room for improvment. well i'll still consider it's the best fine dining restaurant in a 15/20+ miles radius lol
(3)Annie C.
Thank goodness for The Farmhouse at Serenbe, if it weren't for the restaurant I would've never taken the initiative to visit Serenbe Farms - a beautiful retreat town that I've completely fallen in love with (more on the property in a future review). Back to The Farmhouse! It's located right next to the Inn at Serenbe, so it's very convenient if you're a Palmetto visitor. It's quite reminiscent of a Southern cottage - complete with a veranda (!) populated with chairs - both wicker and rocking - for enjoying cocktails noon and evening (as encouraged by the staff). In addition to outdoor and indoor seating, there's also a patio seating alternative - which is where we were seated, and in my opinion it's the best of both worlds. Our waitress was absolutely wonderful: friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and helpful without being patronizing - she even offered some great suggestions with what to do for the rest of our day in Serenbe/Palmetto. Our food came out fairly quickly - we did a full three course brunch (appetizers, entrees, and desserts), and the dishes were staggered perfectly. For our apps, our waitress suggested we split the 'Fried Green Tomato Plate' and the Garden Green Salad (Lettuce, Pecans, Feta, Mustard vinaigrette) - which we most definitely did; The fried green tomatoes were delicious, if you haven't tried them before - you must try them here - there's a slight tartness to the tomatoes, that works deliciously with the fried skin; it's also served with a roasted red pepper sauce, which I was initially hesitant about, but again, a wonderful compliment. The salad was good as well, nothing too out of the box - it's your standard side salad, but one of the best ones I've had in recent memory. I was also fairly impressed by how thoroughly saturated the vinaigrette was with the greens - it's a rarity I've found. We both had the fried chicken for our entree - as it's "what [they're] known for" (the chicken was served with a side of roasted carrots, creamed corn, and cole slaw). The chicken was - no surprise here - quite tasty; I will say it's not you're average southern fried chicken, by which I mean, very heavily breaded with that beige-ish crisp we've all become accustomed to (which isn't a bad thing). It's a much lighter fry, a seemingly gourmet version of fried chicken, the chicken was well-cooked: tender, moist, nicely seasoned, and full of flavor. The sides with the exception of the creamed corn, were decent, but forgettable. For dessert, we had the apple crisp, which was good, but after reading about some of formerly presented desserts I was a bit disappointed. The apple crisp was also a lot more apple than crisp - and I would've preferred more crisp to balance such sweetness from the apples. All in all, I had a good experience, we were both pleased by our meal, though I do think it is a bit overpriced for what's served. Still though, I'd love to try their dinner on my next return trip to Serenbe!
(4)Rachel B.
The good: The farmhouse was beautiful. Great atmosphere. The food was fresh, flavorful, and very well prepared. The view on the porch was lovely. The not so good: Service was a little slow. Although our starters came out fairly quick, we waited about about 45 mins for the main course. Our soup was served without a spoon and we were sucking ice from empty water glasses (I would recommend the restaurant buy taller glasses or leave a water carafe at the table). Overall: Serenbe is beautiful and dinner at the farmhouse was an overall lovely experience.
(4)Natalie B.
We read the reviews and decided to try this place for dinner, not to be disappointed with limited lunch menu. We were glad we did. First, bar happy hour starts at 4pm. We didn't know that and came late. Still got the time to browse wine and cocktail menu. The wine selection is not extensive but the wines are chosen with great care. Whoever selected wines for this place, deserves high points. The wines well priced and portions are generous. French rosé on the menu is remarkable and worthy of a second glass (or maybe even third). Reds are great as well. We had 3 course menu.. the way to go! You can select 5 or 7 course, but for each of us appetizer, main and dessert were plenty. Of course, you can select à la carte, but value is in the multiple course meal. Both appetizers were outstanding (peaches and cream and spring rolls), our fish was cooked perfectly and panna cotta desserts were wonderfully presented. It was not the best panna cotta we've had but close to the best one in Atlanta. What can I say? Yes, scenery is memorable, especially at dusk. Its an idyllic place, with many things to do. We will be back when the weather gets cooler. Then you can sit outside and enjoy wines, food and weather at the same time. Its best to do it during weekdays when its quiet and serene!
(4)Kristin P.
I had never heard of this place until I was invited to a birthday dinner this past Saturday. I am still talking about the red fish over hominy. Drink wise the Serenbe Shine with Butterscotch shine, Kahlua, and a few other happy ingredients made the drink. Overall, excellent chef, great atmosphere, and sever was very friendly and attentive. The only complaints I have were that it took awhile to get our food and the portions were small for the price. I will be back anyway. If the theater is doing a play, make sure you check that out as well. We saw Sleepy Hollow. Lots of fun and well done. Great way to support our local artists.
(4)Theresa S.
The food couldn't be any fresher and more delicious! They change their menu regularly to accommodate what they are growing or the livestock they have. It's very picturesque as you can walk the grounds after eating and see the animals. It feels like someone's grandmother opened her kitchen to you. Rustic and beautiful. Love it.
(5)Kenneth P.
This meal was not good. We had a group of 10 and while the atmosphere is wonderful the food was not. My Porkchop was dry and chewy, my wife's fish was over cooked as well. Appetizers were forgettable. They are living off the Serenbe name. I would suggest The Hill if you want to travel down and experience good food and a good atmosphere.
(2)Gabriela C.
The food and service was great- everything tasted farm grown and fresh. The friend chicken is only served on the weekends, I was not aware of that so we stopped in on a Friday. We had the pork loin entree and the meatball entree. The one egg tomato appetizer. For dessert we had the bourbon mousse tart and the peaches and cream- both were delicious. Our waitress was friendly and very attentive the bus boy not so much. He never came by to refresh out water and was very hesitant to come and clear out plates. Overall I would return because of the food.
(4)Joli M.
I wanted to do something special for my husband to celebrate our 26th anniversary. I booked tickets to see Streetcar Named Desire at the Serenbe Playhouse - GREAT performance! We had dinner at The Farmhouse before seeing the play. Food and atmosphere totally exceeded our expectations. We had the 3 course menu: starter, main and dessert. Pork chop and Trout for main, pork cheek and spring roll starter, pecan chocolate pie and panna cotta for dessert. Everything was amazing. I like that the portions were not huge and you did not leave feeling stuffed - but we were satisfied. The restaurant is so beautiful. I love the rustic country setting - very romantic and classy. Lastly - our server Ben was great. We told him that we had tickets to see the play and he made sure we were served in a timely fashion - without seeming to be rushed. He also made great suggestions on our food pairing. I can't wait to go back to see the next play and dine at The Farmhouse. I just wish it were closer!!
(4)Beachale E.
We decided to visit for a Sunday lunch and were sorely disappointed. Our reservation was at 2 and we expected to the place to be busy, but it wasn't even half full. The bartender was reading a book when we came in, so I guess that is why our two glasses of wine didn't make it to the table until we were halfway finished. Now on to the food. The three sides came out lukewarm and were cold before we finished. The roasted broccoli was so overly seasoned/salty that I could not even finish and the baked beans were crunchy since they were not thoroughly cooked. Overpriced for food we can get at similar restaurants in Atlanta and even mom's house when she feels like making fried chicken.
(2)Sunita H.
Amazingly fresh farm to table food! From the moment you pull up to Serenbe you feel at peace, hours away from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta even though it's only about 45 minutes outside the perimeter and ready to unwind. Parking is tricky and you might have to walk a little ways from the restaurant if you park in the field across the street. The restaurant is never super busy and they greet you immediately and quickly seat you. We always make reservations ahead of time however. The Saturday afternoon lunch menu is fried chicken and your choice of seasonal veggies that change. We could choose 2 from: black eyed peas, coleslaw and grits. The grits and peas were delicious and they have an extensive wine menu with great pairings for any palette. For starters they have fresh made biscuits and warm pepper jelly which is available for purchase in the yellow daisy store. By the end of lunch we are always full, happy and a little tipsy. Make sure to schedule enough time in your day to walk around the property and look at the cute stores and houses. Highly recommend for a relaxing day with the girls or daytime date.
(5)Jim W.
We drove down from Peachtree Corners to eat here and it was well worth the trip. The food was excellent. We had the Poulet Rouge, Short Rib Osso Bucco, the Pork Chop and the Jambalaya the chef knocked them all out of the park. You need to try the Farmhouse Yeast Rolls OMG awesome. The venue was beautiful and the chef made us feel right at home. Great food great people. We really love that everything was farm to table.
(5)Courteney H.
I've only ever been here on the weekends, but that's because I CRAVE the Fried Chicken. I rarely eat chicken, but I long for their friend chicken. It is so crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. It is perfect. I may have even accidentally moaned at the table once or twice while eating it. The sides are always good, but nothing to write home about. The biscuits that come with the meal are also divine. Go on the weekend, order the Fried Chicken, and you won't be disappointed. Serenbe is a beautiful community, and I highly recommend you take some time to enjoy it after you've finished your meal.
(5)Erin B.
Recently dined here, and I was unfortunately disappointed in our meal. I started with the cauliflower soup, and that was fantastic. It was the best part of my meal! It was followed by the tri-tip for my main entree. This was probably one of my least favorite beef entrees I've ever had. It tasted like country ham, and I'm not a country ham fan. The extremely small portion of potatoes that was accompanying the meat was pretty good. For dessert, I had the chocolate pecan pie. Once again, I wasn't impressed. I guess this could just be perception/tastes, but I was hoping for more of a chocolate pie, and it was more pecan pie. On the upside, the farmhouse atmosphere was very nice and our server was attentive.
(3)Valerie N.
With yet another Scoutmob for the fried chicken lunch, we decided to make a day trip to Serenbe to enjoy unseasonably warm December weather and have yummy fried chicken. I easily made a res via Opentable and requested a table on the awesome patio, which they honored. It wasn't as crowded as last time, but we also rolled in after 1:00pm on a Sunday and it seemed like other people were on their way out. We had a different waiter this time and he was absolutely terrific: fun to chat to, with loads of tips about the place. He also made redeeming our Scoutmob soooo easy, which is always a plus since some places make you feel like a jerk when you announce your coupon. He also brought our bottomless wine refills without any prodding. Super terrific, friendly, thoughtful service worthy of this 5 star rating. I forgot about those biscuits and omg, they were such warm, soft, flavorful bites of heaven. I asked for another batch after we devoured the first - and joked about getting the recipe too - and to my surprise the waiter led me straight to the recipe (easily found on google and Pinterest). I can't wait to make them at home! Our fried chicken was even better this time, which is saying a lot since it was sooooo good last time. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Mac & cheese - it was fine, but not very flavorful (but nothing some pepper couldn't fix). The carrots were pretty okay, and as someone who doesn't like carrots, that's a compliment. The surprise to me was how much I loved the cabbage and bacon - yum!!! I had Pinot Gris and hubby had a really good Washingtonian red with lunch. Yay bottomless wine! We definitely got our money's worth and had a lovely brunch, all while listening to amazing jazz and watching donkeys graze outside our patio window. After lunch, we grabbed some feed and fed the animals, which was very nice in the warm winter weather. We also visited the shops in town and really enjoyed visiting Greg at the Newington Gallery. We also stopped in the general store for a beer tasting. Super fun relaxing day out of the hustle and bustle of the ATL!
(5)Danielle H.
The food and drink are fine, but it's the ambiance that makes everything amazing here. I just happened to be in the area and someone referred me to the Inn. I went over and for $5 at guest services got a bag of feed and was on my way to see all of the baby animals. I fed and pet pigs, goats, llamas, lambs, and donkeys. If you have kids (or a crazy animal lover like me!) I bet this would be a fantastic experience. It was 5pm on Saturday when we wrapped up with the animals and guest services told us that it was happy hour at the Farmhouse Restaurant. We headed over and got two fantastic cucumber vodka drinks for $11--not bad at all. We enjoyed them in a lounge chair next to one of Serenbe's lovely pools. Everything is just beautiful there. I couldn't believe that we weren't guest of the Inn, but still got to enjoy such a beautiful day for $16 total. Loved it!
(4)Doug L.
Went for lunch. What a beautiful setting. Relaxing and a staff to match. I got the salad to start which was outstanding.... But my wife got the green fried tomatoes. Even more outstanding. They are fried but aren't too mushy and not greasy at all. I could make a meal of two of those! The fried chicken was simple. Lightly seasoned and nice. Got the peach cobbler for desert. Enjoyed that. Not too sweet. Very nice. While it's a drive from the city I would recommend
(4)Stefanie M.
I had a scoutmob coupon that was good for 90 days, and was for a fried chicken dinner/lunch for two w/ three sides and bottomless wine. I had forgotten about it until I realized we only had a few more weeks left on it, so I made reservations for Sunday afternoon around 1pm, and we made the 45 minute trek down to Serenbe for Sunday bottomless wine brunch! We were immediately seated out on the patio and it was so adorable! Our waitress, gosh I wish I could remember her name, but she was so awesome! She kept our bottomless wine glasses full (and the wine was GOOD), and made some great recommendations! We added on the fried green tomatoes app and the brownie desserts to our scoutmob deal! What a fabulous little place this is! Our fried chicken was WONDERFUL, the cabbage and roasted baby carrots were delicious! Surprisingly, my least favorite item was the mac and cheese, it needed a little salt IMO, but that's fine. Seriously though, I loved this place. Our waitress also made the recommendation that she would fill our wine glasses up and we should enjoy ourselves on the rocking porch since it was such a beautiful day, and we did! Loved it! We then took a tour through town and found such a cute community! I'd love to come back here and go horseback riding and feed the animals! I think I may purchase another one of these scoutmobs, as the Farmhouse at Serenbe is an adorable down home escape form Atlanta!
(5)Chamberlaine B.
With the picnic ban at Serenbe (a big turnoff to those hoping to visit for the day), you don't have much choice but to partake of one of the restaurants on property (along with The Farmhouse is The Hil and Blue Eyed Daisy Bakery). Unfortunately, these are neither affordable nor, in my single experience, terribly impressive options. I was treated to dinner at The Farmhouse by somebody who doesn't have all that much to his name, but he insisted despite there being no inclination of prices on the menu (We simply assumed entrees to be about $15-$20 each... our mistake!) He ordered the STRIPLOIN, served with potatoes and mushrooms. The strip was not very big, and there was only a small helping of potatoes on top. The sauce was flavorful and the meat was cooked well... which is lucky since they didn't even bother to ask how he wanted it cooked. I ordered the JAMBALAYA RISOTTO, which was topped with sausage and a few pieces of shrimp. The barbeque-esque shrimp on top were absolutely delicious, but what was under it was just "ok"- not memorable or worth mentioning. And those herb biscuits/cornbread that everybody raves about in reviews- nonexistent. BIGGEST LET-DOWN EVER! We turned down appetizers, drinks, and dessert, yet when the bill came, it was over $70 and I was mortified at being such an expensive date with such mediocre food. That being said, I fully admit to adoring the classic country atmosphere of the old farmhouse. No modern furniture or flashy fixtures- not trying to be what it is not. They even had a large, thoughtfully decorated Christmas tree in their waiting area (aka: living room). However, in the restaurant business, atmosphere isn't everything. I might give this place another chance, but only because I love Serenbe, and there isn't much other option... and only with a coupon... and only after calling ahead to ensure they will have these infamous biscuits/cornbread that I have yet to encounter.
(2)Hieu H.
Serenbe is a great day trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is located about 45 minutes from Atlanta, but feels like a different world entirely. I always get a little nervous traveling outside of the city and into the country (cue: guitar song from deliverance). Sure, you'll pass by houses that could use a little work, but once you reach Serenbe, all of the front lawns are mysteriously manicured. Serenbe is considered a sustainable community with an emphasis on clean and farm-to-table living. You definitely get the country vibe at the Farmhouse at the Serenbe Inn. Parking can be a little tight and you might make one or two wrong turns, but getting there is half the fun right? Stepping into the Farmhouse, is like stepping inside your Grandmother's house for a Sunday visit. The walls are lined with the owner's family photos and you can smell the sweet scent of fried chicken cooking in the open kitchen. We were seated in the patio area which had great natural lighting. The lunch menu is rather sparse since everyone comes here for the fried chicken. There was also a second option of BBQ ribs, but I would skip those. The first thing that arrives at our table are the most buttery biscuits I've ever had, served with red pepper jelly. The biscuits still feel hot and warm from the oven with a nice crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. That's a real biscuit, y'all! The fried chicken lived up to the hype. It's juicy and the skin has a nice crunch and is seasoned well and the fresh veggies on the side are a nice compliment. The only letdown was the apple cobbler which arrived pretty sad like a scoop you'd get at the school cafeteria. It was dry and just bad - even a dollop of ice cream could not save its depressing state. After we were finished with lunch, we went exploring around the grounds. Walking the gravel trail to the petting area with all of the farm animals - bunnies, goats, sheep and small horses. It was nice to get in touch with nature. Highly recommend nice little Weekend day trip.
(3)Bonnie B.
Beautiful restaurant! I loved the farmhouse, rustic feeling. The menu was very limited especially for a vegetarian. I had 4 choices: panzanella salad/ catfish/pork tenderloin/meatballs. I had to go with the bread salad & it didn't satisfy me. My starter was tomato basil soup & it was perfect. We ordered dessert because I was still hungry... Very good but very, very sweet. I'd like to go back but I'll call 1st to check the menu!
(3)Bill W.
Hate to be Debbie Downer, but the best part of our Sunday brunch was the biscuits. They only offer 2 entrees, which would be fine, but both were not up to our expectations. My fried chicken was average, I've definitely had much better. It reminded of the fried chicken you get in a cafeteria that's been sitting out for a while. Then for the ribs, one word, awful. The waitress said they were "dense" when we asked if they were "fall off the bone tender" and we should have taken that as a hint. They were worse than dense, they were virtually inedible. Anyway, we enjoy going to Serenbe and plan to go back, but hope something is done at this restaurant to improve things before we return.......
(2)Mary L.
I really, really thought this was going to be a beautiful love story. The setting is perfect, the menu looked great, and the house was beautiful. It was truly terrible, at every opportunity. We made a reservation for dinner. Seeing that they had a happy hour until 6pm, we rushed to get there, couldn't find it at first, but made it in the door at 5:50pm. The "bar", an open area in a lounge, was unmanned. We stood there and waited. We asked the hostess, who confirmed that it was a bar. 10 minutes into our wait, a perturbed server arrived, waited 30 seconds, then bellowed "DRINK ORDER!" in front of guests, and a bartender appeared. We ordered drinks right after him, and at no time was happy hour mentioned. We walked around the property. Some of the seating could use a cleaning. There were empty glasses and plates on the porch tables, which no one had cleaned up, and they were still there when we left, 2.5 hours later. When we were seated, we were told that out of the two menu choices, they had run out of food and just one was available. Fried chicken... or fried chicken. The server was very kind and apologetic, and I asked her to get my dessert order in right away, so we would be sure to get peach cobbler. At the end of our meal, they had run out of cobbler, and she didn't know what had happened to the dessert we pre-ordered. The food was rushed, and the chicken looked like a dwindling amount of breading was hastily clumped onto it. The collards were gritty. The meal was not good. What would have been great is a phone call to let us know they were running out of food, with the offer to reschedule our reservation. You go there for the whole experience, not the convenience. And you make a reservation so that the restaurant knows that you're coming, and can get in touch with you if needed. But no. I gave them a call this Friday afternoon, as I really wanted to love the Farmhouse, explained on voicemail that we had a very disappointing experience, but that my parents were in town, and I'd love to bring them by if this experience was a fluke. No one ever called me back. Guessing it wasn't a fluke. So what was a 2 star review is a 1 star, because honestly, while almost all the checkmarks are there for an amazing dining experience, there's just no management holding the overview together. Who doesn't return a customer's phone call? Because the Farmhouse is so far out, the hit-or-miss risk is just too high to drive out there and not have a good experience. Won't been back. Seeing some other sad reviews on their Facebook page as well, which aren't addressed either. Honestly, it's a real shame. Try The Hil, it's a different owner - not Marie Nygren, the co-founder of Serenbe, and who's obviously not on top of her game here at Farmhouse.
(1)Alison E.
Loved the setting, service was great, food was delicious we just left hungry. The portion sizes are very small for the price and sadly we went back to the hotel and ordered a sandwich because we were still hungry.
(2)Sophie H.
Fresh farm to table ingredients make this a terrific experience. We tried the crab fritters, flatbread with chow chow, and red snapper appetizer - all were delicious, and so fresh! Then we had the lamb loin and multi-grain risotto with braised lamb mixed in...also had the pork and scallops with roasted turnips - yep pork and scallops - absolutely phenomenal! Dessert was the gluten free flourless chocolate cake and the waffle with butter pecan ice cream and bourbon caramel sauce - everything was over the top delish. A keeper!
(5)Kerry W.
My wife and I visited The Farmhouse at Serenbe for the first time on 2/15/14. We live in Gainesville, so we were close to 2 hours traveling to Serenbe. We had reservations for lunch at 2 PM, and we arrived with five minutes to spare. We were quickly seated, and our waitress, Kris, promptly came over with menus and suggestions. Both of us had read about the famous fried chicken and I had seen the piece on "Georgia Traveler" about Serenbe. We both ordered the fried chicken. In the meantime, hot biscuits were brought out that were simply melt-in-your mouth delicious. We also ordered the fried green tomatoes as a starter, and they came out very quickly, as well, and were delicious. The fried chicken arrived after a brief wait. Kris also brought a replenishment of biscuits without our even asking her. I don't consider myself a fried chicken kind of guy, but this chicken was most likely the best fried chicken I've ever eaten (no insult to my mother). It was tender, moist, and packed with flavor. The rice and onion bake was also delicious, as was the creamed corn and green beans. We were both extremely pleased with the food and the service and will definitely be making another special trip here. Oh, the apple crisp we shared for dessert was also fantastic.
(5)Lesa T.
Charming and a quick escape to the country from the hustle & bustle of Atlanta. Took my Mom for Saturday lunch. We started off with a cocktail (nice pour) and the fried green tomatoes. She had the fried chicken and I had the cheese soufflé. Both were served with Cabbage, Rice Pilaf, Dill Carrot salad. Everything was seasoned to perfection. Had no room for dessert. Nice relaxed atmosphere and a widely diverse crowd. Looks like everyone of all ages are enjoying Serenbe!! I will be back with more friends and family.
(5)Alexis S.
Really neat farmhouse with a restaurant inside. We only tried the short rib, but it was great. The potatoes and Brussels sprouts were delicious, too. Nice intimate setting as well. Would love to go back when I have more time to sit and enjoy and try other things.
(4)Laura F.
Lovely, cozy romantic place :) The best blueberry pie I have ever had. I was in heaven with every bite. The fried chicken was delicious without dripping oil. Kudos for that. Sounds cheesy but was that good. This was a wonderful addition to my visit to ATL. Love that southern hospitality ya'll
(4)Larissa B.
This was our worst meal at The Farmhouse. The Fathers Day special was a choice between Fried Chicken and Fried Catfish. The father we were honoring doesn't eat "fried" food. He had the chicken as did we all. It was tender and tasty but the outside was soggy and not crispy. The mash potatoes were brown and cold. The zucchini casserole tasted like the redolent wasn't complete. The best thing on our plate was the cooked kale. It tasted like collards without the texture of kale but the menu stated kale. To add to the less than mediocre meal, we were seated on the enclosed patio. It was so hot and everyone was sweating. My son soaked through his shirt and we were all miserable. I overheard other tables complaining. The server said he would check the a/c but the temperature never changed. With the tip and only one drink ordered, the bill was over $100 dollars. I struggle to give this meal one star.
(1)Kelley M.
Would not go back. The place was pretty, but not well attended. I waited 15 minutes for my drink at the bar. And the bartender made me wait another 10 minutes to pay while he made drink orders for 2 waitresses instead of waiting on me quickly. We had reservations for 7:00, and the hostess knew we were all there but she forgot us and I had to remind her we needed to be seated at 7:20. The charred endive salad was very hard to eat, was overly salted, and didn't seem to have any dressing, I would have sent it back if our waitress had made an appearance. When she finally came to clear the plates, I told her it was over salted, she said"thanks for your input", no apology. The strip loin steak I had was very good, but the side of potatoes and mushrooms was way too small. The bourbon chocolate pecan pie had one chocolate chip and no bourbon flavor. For the high prices and limited choices, I felt the food should have been a great deal better and the server, bartender, and hostess should have been more attentive.
(1)Msa A.
Whoa... I've been twice and have been disappointed twice. Let's start with the positive. The restaurant, its concept and the grounds are very pretty and charming. The cornbread is pretty good. Well, that's about it. The standards aren't there at The Farmhouse. The bathroom needed attention. The server walked us past at least 4 tables that hadn't been cleaned off. Sat us next to a dirty table which remained dirty for over 45 minutes. The menu, though purposefully small is really embarrassingly small. 6 items total and none of them done well. The food isn't warm let alone hot. When you have such a restrictive menu then everything should be done to perfection. The staff is mostly just fine but there's one male waiter who is loud, intrusive and opinionated. Overall, a MAJOR disappointment. I plan to try the other restaurant next time I visit Serenbe. Or maybe we'll just grab sandwiches at the cafe.
(2)Wayne R.
Overpriced and pretentious. Tomato salad, for $6, consisted of not quite a whole tomato sliced up. Four slices. The lodging is overpriced and pretentiious as well, so give them an A for consistency.
(1)Nathan F.
The fried chicken lunch delighted, and our server was both cordial and attentive. Go an hour early to explore the community on foot
(4)George S.
Yes, the setting is very pretty. Which makes it all the harder to take when the rest of the experience is so sub-par. I appreciate farm to table cuisine when the natural flavors are accentuated with creative seasonings. This was not the case. Yes, the kale tasted like kale and the shrimp like shrimp, but just that. Nothing more. The seven entrees came out two at a time, 15 minutes apart each. Our server had bungled the orders. It's a bad sign when your server says, "Sorry" more than five or six times in a meal, whether in reference to the 25 minute delayed drinks or the wrong entree brought out. Overall, a very disappointing experience with bad service and bland food. If you want to eat in Serenbe, try The Hil where we had a very good experience.
(2)Shelly J.
We went here for dinner after a long day roaming around Serenbe. The menu is a fixed menu (a couple choices for each course) and contains as many local items as possible. The restaurant literally looks like a house and it feels like a house. We sat in the area that overlooks the garden. It was beautiful! Our waitress was very nice and happen to have served us earlier at the Blue Eyed Daisy! For the appetizers we ordered the salad and the gazpacho. I did not like the gazpacho but that was mainly because it had a cucumber taste to it, my boyfriend loved it! The salad was amazing! I ordered chicken for the main course. it was perfectly broiled and was sitting in a tomato soup-like sauce with corn homily. It was very yummy, but I didn't like the seasoning. My boyfriend loved it and I ended up eating most of his plate and he ate most of my plate. He ordered the pork chop with peach salsa over three-cheese grits and collards. It was the most amazing dish! I usually don't like fruit with my meat, but this dish was unbelievable! The grits were so rich a delicious! Finally, for dessert we had the chocolate pecan pie. It was so good! It didn't have too many chocolate chips to overwhelm the wonderful pecan pie and it was served with vanilla bean ice cream! I also ordered the peach sangria and it was very yummy! We enjoyed our experience here and especially liked visiting the animals after our meal! The coupon from restaurant.com was a great addition as well!
(4)Roy K.
One of my most 'favoritist' dinners ever! Granted I had amazing company but it was a great experience overall. They were serving a rotisserie chicken breast or a pork tenderloin and both were amazing. All of the sides dishes had exploding flavor that you wanted to savor (rhyme!). This is the slowest I have ever eaten...just wanted to eat slowly and relax. Ate the ice cream brownie sundae for dessert and it was great and big enough to share. Everything done on the organic side of things, much of what was local fare. Staff was great and the owner was making the rounds making conversation as well. *Note - they put crack in their biscuits they give you when you get there. They are amazing and should be savored slowly...just don't let them ruin your dinner. **Only negative was the musa'c they had playing....seriously subpar music for the type of establishment it is but not bad enough to give it less than 5 stars.
(5)Tara B.
Yum, yum, yum and Yum!
(4)Alexis S.
I love Serenbe. I went for the first time two years ago and had been daydreaming about it ever since. I went back with a girlfriend and we decided to have leisurlely Sunday lunch at the Farmhouse. I just knew the experience was going to be as awesome as Serenbe. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I had a very mediocre experience. Good stuff first: You really can't beat the setting. Our server was very sweet. The cornbread with pepper jelly was EVERYTHING! The fried chicken is really good. Less than awesome stuff: First, front of house was not on the level. Examples: the hostess seemed at best perplexed, at worst resentful in response to be being told the bathroom needed attention. Tables were left uncleared for long periods of time; the table next to us went uncleared our whole meal (by uncleared, I mean the plates were removed but everything else, glasses, dirty napkins, stained table coverings, was left). I had to brush off the banquet where we were seated before I could sit down - full of crumbs. Another waitperson, not our server, decided to chastise us for our cell phone use while he re-filled our water. Note: We weren't talking on our phones. I was checking in for my flight. My friend was checking in with her daughter. Nevertheless, he told us we were the representative of the "zombiefication" of America. Boy BYE! He also was just very loud in general. We heard every single word every time he was in the dining room, despite his distance from our table. My food was barely warm. Also, the menu seemed unreasonably limited. I get the whole locally sourced, farm-to-table thing - but 2 entree options? That struck me as weird. All in all, it wasn't horrible, but if this place wasn't in Serenbe, I absolutely would not return.
(2)Lynne S.
We dined at the Farmhouse Restaurant yesterday on Mother's Day. I LOVED the atmosphere and we had a good male waiter but the food left a lot to be desired. Online the Farmhouse advertised a special~ fried chicken or salmon and when we arrived, we were told there was no salmon. The waiter said they might have some kind of fish and three of us out of five selected the fish entree. It was served very plain~ no sauce~ but had a nice taste. The squash casserole and beans that accompanied the fish were such a small portion it was no more than a large tablespoon! The salad was lousy and we noticed that it was sitting out 'en masse' on a large table and ours was lukewarm. The salad had no taste whatsoever and was only greens with I think quinoa. I couldn't even taste the salad dressing! Dessert was a strawberry shortcake (fresh poundcake and whipped cream) which was excellent. The Farmhouse serves biscuits and they are always fresh and very tasty but why can't they get the entree/salad and veg right? This is the third time we've eaten at the Farmhouse and it's always the same. Biscuits are good along with dessert but everything else is a bit of a disappointment.
(2)David W.
Having never heard of Serenbe, my girlfriend informed me she bought a Scoutmob for a fried chicken dinner for two. My first reaction was, "You know it's 45-minutes away, right?" I could not have been more short-sighted. I had made reservations on opentable beforehand and were seated immediately upon arrival. Our server greeted us and brought out these delicious mini herbed biscuits to whet our appetites. We informed her we had the scoutmob deal, and her reaction could not have been more welcoming. I was expecting the "oh, you have a coupon? greaaat." reaction I sometimes get when using these internet-purchased deals. But none of that here. The offer included a glass of either beer or wine off their decently stocked list. The girlfriend ordered a glass of malbec, while I ordered a diet coke as I have recently quit drinking since apparently I have a tendency to overindulge. But that's neither here nor there. The girlfriend noted that her wine was served a bit warm. The menu is limited. But as a small farm-to-table establishment, they kind of have to limit their selections in order to provide the freshest possible. We both ordered what they're known for: the fried chicken, even though the country fried steak also offered was tempting. Be sure to read the back of the menu on the history of Serenbe. Our dinners were served shortly after ordering. A little too quick, if I have to be picky. The complaint in my head didn't last as it was soon replaced by the ensuing southern culinary delight. I immediately cut into the lightly-breaded breast of chicken and took a bite. Heaven. Juiciest fried chicken breast I've ever tasted. You can tell they really took their time brining the chicken. Perfectly seasoned, as no flavor overpowered another. The three sides complimented the chicken well. Tonight's pre-selected offerings were black eyed peas, roasted okra, and potato salad. All were very well-done, especially the okra. Now, back to the chicken. Easily tops the "fancy" fried chicken served at a certain Midtown establishment. All table manners were put aside as I finished off the bone-in wing with my hands. Would definitely return to indulge in their fried chicken again. Together with The Hil, these two Serenbe restaurants are well worth the drive as getaways from the city. 4.5 stars
(5)Sean Y.
Great place. I love the feeling. Everything we ate there was very tasty. Servers were very helpful and friendly. My only complain would be extremely limited menu. I understand the small menu is the way to have great food however it doesn't have to be this small. Also why not Sunday brunch. W
(4)Sol L.
I found this little gem through a scout mob deal which included 2 entrees, 3 sides, and bottomless wine. For the appetizer, we ordered fried green tomatoes which came out really quickly which made me think that it was pre-made. It was flavorful, but was a little too salty. My boyfriend had the fried chicken and I had the country fried steak. The fried is probably the best I have ever had. It was moist, flavorful, and fried perfectly. The country fried steak with brown gravy was also good, but it was a little salty and a portion was a bit chewy. For the sides, we had smashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and brown sugar, sautéed cabbage, and pinto beans, which were all extremely flavorful and balanced well with the entrees. Overall, the food was excellent and is a great place for a date.
(4)George P B.
Great experience. Classic Southern cuisine using high quality farm to table ingredients. Walking in the door it smells like Grandma's kitchen at Sunday dinner. Decor is upscale rustic and pleasant. Service was good and everyone was genuinely gracious. Fried green tomatoes were good - not too greasy and well seasoned. The accompanying red pepper sauce was to much like 1,000 island dressing for my taste. The fried chicken was quite good and the sautéed kale was fantastic. The fresh black eyes peas were good but they are al dente, which could throw off traditionalists. The chive biscuits were excellent and they gave us some to take home. The location is off the beaten path but Serenbe is a destination worth the drive. Kind of hard to do a farm in Buckhead. So if you're looking for great Southern food and an idyllic setting Farmhouse is a good choice.
(4)Alma A.
So lovely! Very intimate and comfortable setting. Our server was so lovely, and the peach sangria was delicious! Can't say enough about how great our dinner and overall experience at Serenbe has been. Make sure you save room for desert. The fig cobbler was great!
(5)JOHN R.
Refreshing, home style, and very lovely. Exceptional service, an element of great quality.
(5)Jennifer K.
Great place for a quick day getaway & date! Went with the scoutmob deal and everything was delicious! The scoutmob deal included bottomless wine, so they even let us take our last glass in a plastic cup so we could enjoy it while we walked around and explored the farm!
(5)Tara H.
One of the BEST meals I have ever had. Visited on Sunday, March 2nd. Had the chicken with sweet potatoes, butter beans and okra. Everything was to die for (I highly recommend the ScoutMob deal for $29). The unlimited wine was good, and Chelsea, our server, was FANTASTIC. The biscuits, fried green tomatoes, and apple cobler were ALL out of this world. I can't wait to go back!
(5)David D.
Christmas day 2013, we drove down to Serenbe and The Farmhouse for dinner. It turned out to be the worst food for the money I can ever remember having. Although the price was high ($100/2 without drinks), the food on the plate was all close to grey (not nice to look at) and not very tasty. The dinning room was full of staff scurrying about, but what was going on in the kitchen?
(1)Leslie B.
I made a reservation for 6- because it was a LONG drive from North Georgia, and the place was empty except for another couple. GPS got me to the address with no problem. Parking directions were clear and it was very pretty. People were dressed pretty casually overall. Most competent and friendly staff I have ever encountered at a restaurant or business. I had recently purchased a $25 gift card off of restaurant.com for much less than $25. It was maybe even only $2. I was a little nervous- not confident that it was legit- but it had been highly recommended. So, our waiter immediately noticed the gift card and thanked us for putting it on the table at the beginning of the meal. He told us that he hoped we had gotten that for only a couple of dollars as they run specials on that website in September. And, he told us that he had used one recently too at another restaurant. It's much appreciated when someone doesn't treat you poorly because you are using a gift card. He made a couple of drink recommendations from their extensive menu and we were very pleased with what we ordered. With only two options for entrees my husband and I each ordered one. He had the chicken with kale and grits, and I had the apple pork with greens and a praline sweet potato. I didn't like my pork. My rating is not reflective of the pork- I ordered the wrong thing. My greens were the best greens I have ever had. My husband also thought his kale was delicious, and was impressed that his chicken was so moist. Seriously, best greens ever! Like- if you have a child that hates greens take them there and change their life. No idea that you could make vegetables that taste that delicious- and I like vegetables. Amazing. The bread they brought out before the entree also had something green- an herb, scallions...? I don't know. So, good. Serenbe rocks at using vegetables. Maybe I should have ordered a salad. Our waiter left mid-meal and introduced us to our new waitress. She was equally friendly. We couldn't decide if we wanted to order dessert there, or if we should go to the blue-eyed daisy bakery. She told us that we could go and if we didn't find anything we could come back and get dessert to go if we wanted. I thought that was really helpful. I love that they change their menu every week. I get emails about all of the events they have each weekend. I'll try to make a day of it next time. I definitely recommend.
(5)Jackson R.
Really good service and the food wasn't bad, mostly had breakfast here during my stay at Serenbe. Really enjoyed the whole atmosphere of the whole place, yeah its a little pricey, but most of us have paid more for less at some resort somewhere, and you save the price of the added travel.
(4)Jennie T.
An organic favorite. They change their menu every week, depending on what's fresh and in season. Their simple menu also has two choices for each course, which made it easier to choose. My company and I came here on the 7th of August for dinner. I chose the chilled farmhouse garden cucumber soup. I've never had cold soup before, and this was very a refreshing choice during the hot summer day. I loved the crunchiness of the bell pepper cubes. The soup had a little bit of spice to it, but it wasn't overpowering. I've been trying to find a recipe to match since I came back to Chicago. For my entree, I ordered the Georgia shrimp with garlic, Jenny Jack grits and sauteed kale. This was delicious, but I think I should have ordered the farmhouse country steak with buttermilk mashed potatoes and roasted Serenbe farm carrots instead. Maybe it's because I prefer prawns over shrimp; they seem to have more body and meat. The kale was my favorite part of the dish as the grits tasted a bit too mushy to me (is it supposed to taste like that? I'm not sure). I didn't order any dessert, but I had a glass of their Southern breeze cocktail and it tasted like juice. What kind of juice, I cannot tell you, but the ice cubes looked like they may have been orange juice ice cubes. It was delicious. I would definitely come back. But if I were to come back, I'd want to go through the side door on the concrete side. I have a phobia of insects and spiders, and the two bushes on the sides of the pathway up to the restaurant were so overgrown that they overlapped and covered part of the walkway, and the two bushes were covered with butterflies. I'm hoping they'll trim these two bushes because I ended up in tears by the time my boss took my hand and walked me across.
(5)Anthony P.
The menu is a limited menu. There were only two appetizers and two entrees as well as two desserts offered this evening. They do an excellent job preparing a tasty meal of gourmet comfort food. I had the pork stew which was on a bed of grits with some greens thrown in with spice! Prefacing this I had the beet salad with goat cheese. Very tasty. The setting in what appears to be an old farmhouse is very unique. This is a farm to table type restaurant. Great service as well with a real personal touch. Somewhat out of the way and difficult to find even with GPS.
(4)Lisa A.
We held a 3 day event at Serenbe last month at the Farmhouse provided all our food needs while we were there. From breakfast to afternoon brownie platters, everything was so fresh and tasted like it was made with love. They were even nice enough to make us their famous Sunday fried chicken on a Wednesday evening and it was great!! Great service, food and they also make some awesome cocktails all at a very reasonable price to boot!!
(5)Anna S.
I never met a fried chicken I liked until I tried the fried chicken here (I think it's part of their Sunday brunch). Oh. My. Gosh. It is worth the drive from Atlanta. And the sides and mimosas were excellent, too. I stayed in the Inn at Serenbe which is on the same property and also found it excellent. It was comforting and quiet and a really neat experience, especially given its close location to Atlanta.
(5)J T.
Very small menu fits the very intimate, quaint setting. Great cocktails, delicious entrees, impeccable service. Not much to dislike here. Open only 4 nights of the week which is annoying.
(4)Greg J.
The restaurant / farmhouse and the delicious organic dining is just part of the experience. I am visiting Georgia and some some friends took me out here. The drive out to Palmetto from downtown Atlanta was part of what made this so different for me. Not that Atlanta is stressful, but you can feel yourself relaxing as you drive deeper and deeper into rural Georgia. If you're on the fence about whether to try The Farmhouse, just do it! You'll be kicking yourself that you didn't come sooner and you'll want to bring others out here, too. There's a quaint inn attached to the restaurant with a wide, old-fashioned wrap-around country porch. It doesn't get any better. If you're a visitor from out of town, make it an extra special trip and visit this place. Tip: Use a GPS or make darn sure you know these back country roads. It's easy to get turned around!
(5)Will M.
Excellent find during a trip to Serenbe. The menu is not ornate - typically 2-3 options for starters, mains and dessert. The dishes however flow well together and feel like they're good value despite the triple dollar sign on the profile. Service was really good, including letting us sit down 10' before closing time and insisting repeatedly we enjoy the meal, not worrying about the time we departed. Only reservation, if anything, is a bizarro floor vent in the main room just below my seat (reflecting the re-purposed nature of the design). It is really cold. Choose another table if offered it, though they'll be quick to their hands and knees to help cover it.
(5)Alan K.
Awesome fried chicken lunch. We stayed at the lake hose on the Serenbe property...it was delightful - the horses and other farm animals were right out our window. The staff at the Farmhouse were terrific. We had great drinks (the sangria was killer...the mint julep was too sweet) and you can sit and relax on the porch...even better there is a 2 for 1 happy hour in the afternoon. The highlight by far was the fried chicken lunch. With only two options on the menu you wonder whether it is really worth it but in a state where there's fried chicken everywhere this one stands yards above others. The sides were great too.
(5)Leslie W.
The former BF and I went for our anniversary celebration in November and coupled this with a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Our reservations were for 7pm on Thursday and we were seated promptly. The dining room was relatively empty, but that made no difference at all once the food began to arrive. We ordered the prix fixe menu and split the choices between the two of us. We also chose the wine pairings (which brought it to $55 each) which was probably our best idea of the whole evening. We began with the fresh oysters and champagne. Delish! Then our first course. The former BF had a smoked trout salad with grapefruit, avocado and chicory frise. I had the most lovely grit cake with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. It was absolutely heavenly. The first bite was a mouthgasm of the most profound kind. Then I took a sip of wine. Dry white with a clean finish. Perfect pairing. Heaven. Main course for me was Georgia trout fillet with wild Atlantic shrimp and local greens. The fish was beautifully done and the shrimp was so good that I now only purchase Georgia shrimp at the farmers market. The former had a Berkshire pork chop with mashed potatoes. He raved and raved, but I'm not so big on the piggies. Dessert fell a little flat in my opinion, but that may also be because I'm not too big on dairy and the dessert reminded me of cool whip. It was some sort of creme souffle served in a coffee cup with Grand Marnier as the pairing, but all I did was drink the GrandMa. The Inn has this deal on Thursday where you receive $60 off your room tab if you eat at the Farmhouse. It makes for a perfect combination. The room also comes with breakfast in the am done by the same chef. Yummy pancakes with apple sausage. Excellent coffee. I highly recommend this place for a special occasion. The chef is also a big advocate of the local food movement and has a 90/100 rule which means that 90% of his ingredients come from within 100 miles of the restaurant. It's more than worth the drive down 85. Go now before the weather warms and the place is flooded with townies.
(5)David B.
Serenbe is like a very high maintenance significant other: At first you're wowed by how great and perfect everything looks, you start out with really high hopes, and then you sortof realize -- toward the end or even after you're done -- that it really wasn't quite worth all the effort. I admire the Nygrens for going several steps beyond the usual "Hey, let's do the Green Acres thing," and literally trying to build a community out of the rolling hills of South Fulton County. They've started a groovy (if self-consciously so) little housing and commercial development; they've built and sustain super eco-friendly farming; and of course they have they totally pimped out bed-and-breakfast and restaurant sortof farm compound going. The problem is that if you don't totally buy into the vision, it can all seem veeeeeeeeeeeeery precious. I'm pretty sure that real farmhouses don't look like they were decorated by someone who's spent several internships at Pottery Barn. Also... it's pretty pricey. That's fine if your heart is warmed at the idea of helping the local organic farmers grow their bok choi withuot using Round Up, (or if you're setting up a corporate retreat on someone else's dime), but if you just want a good meal, a chance to get out of town and a quiet night to catch up on your reading, it seems like a bit much.
(3)