Midtown Mediterranean Diner

by Stephie Z.

Another review colored by god's finest...Guiness. Went here after Ri Ra forced us to leave: BAR'S CLOSING!  The nice thing about the place is that they are open all night and that they serve later than most of the bars.  Someone suggested this place so we had one last drink and some food.  We ordered 2 spinach artichoke dips.  They didn't taste that good but to a drunk it was edible.  The dip came in a large bowl with about 4 pita triangles, which were eaten in 0.2 seconds.  We ordered more pita because the whole bowl of spin dip was left.  Out comes 4 more pita triangles.   What a joke.  Some in the group considered spooning the dip in their mouths due to lack of a carrying device:) When the bill came it had our extra pita listed as an item to be purchased.  Not cool especially considering there was still an almost full bowl of spinach artichoke dip sitting on the table.

by Kim S.

This 'diner' has serious identity issues. First it was Mediterranean, then it lit up signs that it was an all night diner, then it advertised (with neon lights out front) that it has European desserts and coffee. The food itself was actually okay. I had a gyro, but it didn't have any of the typical gyro sauce on it. No sauce at all. I ordered a cranberry martini since they had drink specials, but I couldn't even taste the alcohol. This is supposed to be a martini people! I ordered one more and asked for less cranberry and more alcohol and what I got was less cranberry and the bartender added water. This may be a good place to go when you are leaving the bars at 3am, but I would not recommend anyone go there sober.

by J W.

The place is kooky and fun, it reminds me of trips to Queens or Brooklyn  to the local nightclub/restaurant/hang-out of an emigre community.  In this case, the best food and the consistent theme that runs through this idiosyncratic restaurant reflects the national origins of the owners: Turkey.  There is hookah to be had, and by the looks of it last night, people like hookah.  The patio was nearly full, with a mix of couples and groups, at least a third of which were blowing smoke.The menu is very large, as others have pointed out.  I can't speak for much of it having been there for drinks twice and just tried some nibbles to accompany the booze.  I was happy with what I've tried, both desserts were excellent.  We also shared a very authentic Patlican salasi (baked eggplant) which felt home cooked.  I suppose a final verdict would involve tasting both the omelette and the kebab, my bet is that the kebab wins.In terms of decor and service, we found the chairs and seating to be very plush and comfortable, both inside the main space and on the patio.  There's a sense that the place is still figuring out its identity, last night there was karaoke inside (which would be a nice addition to the Midtown options), but very few people seemed interested.  On a warm evening, the patio has its charms, and the quirky nature of the place should attract groups who want a bite at all hours aren't too caught up in whether a place is IT or not.  As others have noted, the service has its charms, and its downsides.  I would describe it is as idiosyncratic but improving. I imagine the owners don't yet have a steady expectation of how many people will come in at any given time over a 24 hour cycle which could explain some of the delays in prepping some items.  Other quirks I found charming, last night we were greeted by a charming hostess who spoke no English. But the other hostess was there to save the day, having just watched The Producers, I guess one could argue that Ulla's English does improve over time.  I hope this place does as well, its merits outweigh its flaws, but time will tell if it can find the niche to succeed.

by Robert S.

After finishing a run this morning, my friend and I strolled past the new Midtown Diner (open 24 hours) located in the old Jocks and Jills space on 10th and Peachtree.  Menu was simple brunch fair and it was within a short walk of another friend's place so we decided to give it a try.  I don't know if it was because it is working out kinks or that the owner is new to the restaurant business, but the brunch was an overall comedy of errors with few exceptions.  The food was basic but done badly.  My Mediterranean omelet (which for some reason had bleu in instead of feta) was overcooked and poorly presented.  Despite asking for feta instead of bleu, I wound up with bleu.  The accompanying potatoes were undercooked and the toast was, well, slightly warmed bread.  The coffee was serviceable, but served with very controlled creamer rations which were served in non eco-friendly plastic cups.  My friends said their omelets were not bad, but were best described as the perfect meal if you were hungover and not anything to write home about.  Their meals were cooked better so they did not have the same complaint as me.  Our server was very pleasant and apologetic.  She did her best despite being left alone to man a patio (which is perfect to enjoy an outdoor dining experience) on a Sunday for brunch.  The owner (or at least someone we believed to be the owner) was called into duty and did his best to assist, but clearly they were both overwhelmed.  They did the best they could despite the situation and we were appreciative of it.  I would give it another shot in a few months to see if they were able to work out the issues, but, only if I am in the neighborhood.  This is not a destination place for someone who does not live within walking distance of it.  There are many other places in Atlanta that are better for brunch.  Although being a 24 diner, there are other opportunities for this place to succeed (happy hour, late night drinks, late night dining, desserts and coffee), but that will only happen if they can get all the parts working together and fast.

by Shyam S.

I am a big fan of late night diners or places where I can work late and have a decent meal. I've been getting tired of eating at Fellini's and Waffle House, so I decided to check this place out.My whole experience was pretty disappointing. I suppose I should have realized that a 24-hour mediterranean diner in the heart of Midtown should have rung many alarm bills, but I bundled up and launched caution to the wind and went for it. What a mess.First off, the ambience is just downright weird. For the 1.5 hours I was there, I heard a nutty mix of Turkish techno and American hip hop and all of it too loud. I guess this place is the new disco diner?Secondly the food was not very good. I had the stuffed grape leaves and also the calamari. The actual rice stuffing was good, but the layout was bad. It's never a good idea to pair a yogurt sauce AND a citrus dressing because the citric acid does a number on the yogurt. I also felt kind of queasy eating the calamari, as if it had not been fully cooked. I never like to waste food, but I seriously could not imagine finishing the food or taking everything home.Lastly, the overall menu was not very broad. I agree with some of the earlier revieews that the menu was kind of unclear. How can you be a mediterranean restaurant and not serve hummus? How come no falafel wraps?It seems like the Turkish owners just wanted to create a late night bar where you coudl smoke hookah too. What a waste. Give me Jock's and Jill's any day.

by Micah P.

This place can not not make it. With all of the chains - upscale and otherwise - we need a place in Midtown that's got a bit of quirk, and this place fits the bill in spades.After choosing to enter even thought it looked closed, we picked inside over patio and we were seated just in front of the DJ. At 9 pm. On a Wednesday. It started with a bit of techno, and then it was dialed back slowly, surely, to a funkier time when Hot Chocolate believed in Miracles and cops weren't in hot pursuit of James Brown. We ordered what were more-than-adequate pilaf and gyros, and got down with our bad selves. Was it weird? Absolutely. I have lived in Germany and seen weird, and this topped that. But was it good? No question there. The food was good, the service was excellent and weird isn't always a bad thing. They've got tons of square footage, and I doubt they'll make it long with the business we saw tonight. So give them a shot, and at the very least, you'll probably walk away asking yourself "What the hell was that?"

by Jason R.

I let this one sit in my mind and... macerate? marinate?  Some word that fits.I was with friends and stopped by here late-ish one Friday evening a bit ago.  Hopes were high for a 24-hour place.  Hopes were dashed against the sharp stones of vicious reality.  I might remember the service...  No, wait, there wasn't any...Why two stars?  Well...  The evening we were there, this definitely could be classified as a fetish bar.  A somewhat main-stream fetish, but still a fetish.  Not to my taste, and I couldn't fit into this fetish even if I wanted to do so.  Fetishes have their place, and if the Fridays here fit your taste, go for it.  Now I know.The atmosphere really could be nice.  The elements are there, good location...  sigh.  Perhaps I'll try this place again during some more neutral time.

by Felix C.

The decor is a bit kitschy but that seems to be unintentional. Amusingly, it seems like they just wanted to decorate each area consistently yet cheaply.I am always amazed when I go into a diner and see such a broad selection of items. The menu ranges from the standard breakfast items (omelettes, eggs benedict, pancakes, and waffles) to lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, and stuffed grape leaves. How can they do all of those varied items so well? Personally, I'd like more focus and specialization so you know they have fewer, better items. The stuffed grapes leaves appetizer was the best item we had. The lamp wrap and eggs florentine were run-of-the-mill. The place hasn't been open that long so they may be working through some kinks. But between the size of the menu and the hours (Open 24 hours) it is hard to see how they could have consistently good food.

by Travis N.

This place has so much going for it, I wish I could say the food was as well.I walked to this place the other day for lunch.  It being summer, and I being in shorts I decided to sit out on the patio.  I was shown to a table, with a pair of easy chairs.  I sat down and felt like they had been bought at a garage sale!  They were comfortable, if very odd for a "diner".  The service was practically nonexistant which was odd because there was hardly anyone there.Their menu runs the gamut from mediterranean to diner to breakfast.  I think that might be part of the problem. (Jack of all trades, master of none!)  I ended up ordering a salad, and got a very pedestrian entree.  There was very little flair or craftsmanship in it.  I know I didn't order the "house special" or whatever, but I would expect a chef to take pride in everything they served.The salad tasted as if it had been made on an assembly line by robots.  no creativity.  And it wasn't just mine, my girlfriends burger was subpar as well.I'm sorry to say but I think that location deserves better.

by Lorne C.

After dining here, I can see why people are reporting problems.  While we had some brunch items last Sunday, we noticed three tables around us having problems which include waiting 40 mins for food, being charged for items that were wrong, servers who have to ask someone (e.g. front house manager or chef) for everything little thing including whether that could refund something the table didn't even order. In the end, our breakfast items were good, not nothing special or great.  We ended up have standard eggs, bacon and potatoes.  They overcharged on a small item, which the server couldn't fix (credit to the credit card)  but ended giving us the change back.  But the waiter was at least friendly.  I would be hard-pressed to go to this place again.  Maybe at 3-5 am, which seems little the right time and place.  (Were you don't care what the service or food is like, sorta like ATL Diner).  :-P