An Atlanta Tradition: Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Mary Mac’s Tea Room has been a fixture along Atlanta’s Ponce de Leon since 1945. I have known about, and passed, Mary Mac’s since I have lived here. But, it was just this past weekend that I actually made it inside. A bit deceiving from the street, the inside is huge.
Pleasantly greeted by a polite and friendly hostess, a second friendly woman led us past the framed autographed photos of celebrities and notable politicians that lined the walls and seated us in a nice table for two.
My companion was familiar with the routine and told me about having to write our own meal ticket for the southern home-style food before we were asked for our drink order. Our waiter was a little slow, but professional, familiar with the menu, and did finally bring is a bread basket with some amazing cinnamon rolls, corn bread, and yeast rolls. I ordered the roasted turkey, gravy, dressing, and cranberry sauce with fried green tomatoes and squash casserole, while he ordered sautéed chicken livers, rice, and tomato/okra. We both agreed that, for the most part, there was a lot of food for the price. The sides needed some help, but the main dishes were okay.
The dining room in which we ate was filled, but not loud. That made it possible to have good conversation. Nonetheless, I was a bit nosey and tried to see what others were ordering. There seemed to be a good mix dishes coming out of the kitchen, like meatloaf, fried chicken, mac-n-cheese and sweet potato casserole. Personally, I liked that the menu had a decent variety and there was a mix of fried and roasted entrées. We didn’t save room for dessert, but there were the classics like pecan pie, banana pudding or strawberry shortcake available.
I don’t know how many times I will return, but if and when I do, I will wait until the cooler months. The meals are a little too heavy for my taste for spring/summer time. However, it was an overall, nice dining experience and, as an Atlanta tradition, I am glad we went.
