Cakes & Ale
- Nearest Transit:
Decatur (North-South, Northeast-South, East-West, Proctor Creek)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
15 Reviews for Cakes & Ale
I was excited about trying Cakes & Ale because I thought the locally grown food would blow me away, but I think the sticker shock and small portions (3 pieces of cheese for a $9 cheese plate?!) dampened the experience. I had the halibut, which was kind of bland. My dining companion had the roasted chicken. The chicken was well-seasoned., but the sides didn't leave much of an impression on either of us.
I really wanted to like this place, but can't say it was memorable (except for the prices).
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Cakes and Ale is very "Decatur," and that's a good thing when it comes to food. A group of six friends went to check out this place and see what all the buzz was about. I'd say we all came away happy and maybe a little more impressed than we expected to be.
You absolutely MUST start with the fried okra/ranch dip appetizer...it was so fresh and amazing. One person even said, "I don't even like okra, but that's good." For the main course, a few people tried to order the gnocchi dish and were told later they were out...but that didn't dampen spirits too much. The overall winner of the night was the Eggplant Cannelloni...wow, what a good meal. I also heard shout outs for the pork tenderloin...although the portion was a bit small for the price (I heard this for 2 of the meals).
For dessert make sure and get the "Phatty Cakes." They consist of two amazing ginger cookies with some kind of creamcheese filling...6 out of 6 people really enjoyed it.
Overall, they combine a solid drink list (more quality than quantity) and great seasonal food with a really well done space that had a nice vibe going for a Tuesday night. I can't wait to go back and try a few more dishes...once my wallet recovers (a tad overpriced in my opinion).
We went here on the same night that we hit the Chocolate Bar (good night all around - and I planned the whole thing if I do say so myself, which I do, because I'm damn proud of it). I'd seen it whence it first opened, for I used to work in Decatur-ville, so I wanted to hit it up for some grub.
I had the wild Alaskan halibut with eggplant puree, squash, zucchini & herbed breadcrumb salsa (yes, I just copied and pasted that from their menu. I'm not that OCD), and my lovely and always-hungry boyfriend had their special (ratatouille). My meal was extremely good. I mean, I wanted to lick my plate after I had finished eating it, but I guess I was trained too well as a child or something lame like that. Anyway I think his meal was good, but perhaps not the most filling option, especially after we saw the burger walk by (okay not literally, that's just gross) and it looked pretty spectacular.
Their desserts looked excellent too, but I can't say that for a fact. Guess call it an educated guess. Fo sho.
Oh and the people who work there are super friendly. A+! 4 stars! Fine quality food! Rock.
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Cakes and Ale has been at the top of my short list to try for a while. I had been here to have an app and sit at the bar...but last night was my first experience sitting down to a full meal there. I chose it as a spot for a dinner "date" thinking it would be cozy and low key - when I was there at the bar, it was still early in the evening/late afternoon so I hadn't seen the restaurant in full swing. While the space is cozy and laid back...it is also very LOUD when full on a weekend night. Not as intimate as I had hoped for.
We started with two apps - the fried okra and the pork belly. The fried okra is amazing. Its cut lengthwise and lightly fried - it remains crispy and no residual slimeyness. The ranch its served with is awesome. The pork belly was melt-in-your mouth and served on a bed of field peas and tomatoes.
For mains, my friend had the special - all locally sourced eggplant parmesan. It wasn't your usual eggplant parm. Nothing fried...just stacks of grilled eggplant with cheese and a great tomato sauce. My main was the gnocchi with okra (small thin slivers), corn, and heirloom tomatoes all topped with a dusting of Parmesan. The gnocchi were SO light and perfectly cooked with the veggies being al dente.
Desserts were a special gratin of figs and raspberries which was basically a yummy cobbler-without-the-crust...and a couple smalls cake in place of the Phatty Cakes, which were sold out. The little cakes were ok but nothing to write home about.
Service was wonderful - Greg took wonderful care of us. So much so that we let him really guide us as to what to order. Everything was paced well and attentive without being pushy. We were able to talk and linger over our coffee at the end and take our time finishing the meal. I'll definetely be back to try more of the menu...including a killer looking burger that was ordered by the table next to us.
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Overall I enjoyed the experience. I wish Yelp! allowed half stars...Cakes & Ale is closer to a 3.5 than a 3.
Here is what I discovered: The location is fantastic...across from Cafe Lily on Ponce; the space is small, which I like, but very noisy. The host assured us that sound dampening material was to be installed soon. Reservations are strongly suggested...even on a week day!
I love the menu, somewhat limited but everything on it sounded great and it was supplemented by a host of daily specials. Fair warning: while the appetizers are priced faily, the entrees are rather pricey...more to the point...I expected larger portions for the money. Likewise with the wine...the shortest pour in Decatur so far. Dinner for two (two beers, a shared appetizer, two entrees, and two glasses of wine) was just shy of $100.00.
The food was quite good...I highly recommend the fried okra appetizer. Let me say that again...order the orka!!! The beer list at first glance looks limited as well; but again, every selection is a winner! I enjoyed a Langunitas Pils with the okra. The wine list is also very nice...I was served a glass of True Grit Petit Sirah to accompany my rare roast beef dinner...both were delicious...though the wine was such a short pour (3 to 3.5 oz., 4 oz. tops) I almost sent it back. The desserts looked wonderful...but again we had already spent a C note...
This would be a great stop for a light dinner before going to a play, etc. knowing that a trip to Cafe Intermezzo would follow some hours later. I would not recommend Cakes & Ale to anyone who is really hungry.
Summary:
Things I liked: The service was top notch! The space is fun. The menu was creative. The beer/wine list is stellar...all top shelf...no Bud, no Kendall Jackson!
Things that need improvement: The noise! Very hard to have a dinner conversation. Entrees are too expensive for the portion size. Bartender needs to learn what a proper wine serving looks like. No salt or pepper on the tables...and the gnocchi definitely needed salt! (This is a pet peeve of mine...I find it rather pretentious for a chef to assume the food he serves is perfect...bad memories of Paul Luna come to mind...those who know that ass will understand).
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So, went to Cakes and Ale last night after hearing such rave reviews about it - and all the farm fresh meal/sustainable foods, etc. I will tell you that I was not so infatuatingly impressed and have had better organic/farm fresh food....(we did not get the burger which I will say looked amazing)
The place is very cool with excellent photography. And the bar is new to the space and it is a good looking bar. They offer specialty drinks along with the ale and wine they serve, and I guess we should not have gone for something so specialty, because it was obviously hard to make these supposed swanky drinks. The bartender was about to die behind the bar - and when you are called cakes and ALE, I would suggest you get two bartenders. The specialty drinks took at least 10 minutes to come out and one was too sour (supposed to be pineapple taste - but was more lemon) and the other one was very nice and fresh- a gin type mojito- but lord, it took less time to drink them than to get them.
As for the food- I felt it was good, but not damn good. The okra appetizer was by far my favorite and I opted for a greek salad with very fresh tomatoes and the mini-blt apps. Both were nice. Two in our group got the 16$ gnocchi and it was very fresh and had nice okra, tomatoes, and corn in it...a good summer-y meal. Another in our group got the half chicken with polenta. The chicken was extremely moist but then so was the polenta- in fact the polenta was almost soupy and tasted more like buttered grits. But that was it. A white dish with no color - chicken and grits. Could have put a raddish on there or something. And I know the chef hates me for this, but it looked boring as heck.
The beers we got were all very good and different (Allagash White, Highland Brew Porter and a Stout of some other name...)and of course, we were not hungry at the end to get a "cake" - so maybe we missed out on the true meaning of the place...the alcohol and the cakes. I hate to give it only two stars and will go back again certainly, but really, i can't justify 3 stars quite yet.
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Cake and Ale has been on my radar for a few months now; it has opened with much fanfare and a pretty flattering review from Meredith Ford of the AJC. I was hoping it would be a solid farm to table addition to the ATL dining scene, ala a more casual version of Woodfire Grill or something akin to Hugh Acheson's awesome Five and Ten or Farm 255 in Athens.
The Mrs and I live on the west side of ATL so we had high hopes trekking to this "destination" neighborhood restaurant near downtown Decatur. Our dining companions were another couple, food savvy too...
So first the plus!
-Love the corner lot location and fabulous building design. High ceilings, wine racks, an inviting bar and chalkboard specials menu
-Show up at 7pm reservation and was greeted and seated immediately, BIG plus!
-Great wine list and the carafes allow you to try wines easily; 3 glasses for the price of 2
-Service was attentive, knowledgeable, friendly and timely.
-The water glasses are tiny about 8 ozs; I think table had 6 refills during the night.
-Recommended dishes are the Arancini and Gnocchi with cabbage.
Now the misses
-The menu was too limited and simple, I know it changes often but it's not as creative and though provoking as you would like. Only a few dishes fit that all important criteria when you eat it; "The I can't make that at home very easily" question. They had a specials board but the mains were sold out (it was 7pm)
-They just got their full bar license but didn't stock anything but 3 bottles of liquor; non flavored.
-The portions are too small for the price point. If I wanted to diet, I would order less or split dishes. The 4 of us got 4 starters, 4 mains and 2 deserts and were barely satisfied.
-My main was really disappointing; soggy roasted chicken with no crispy skin, slightly undercooked inside and very underseasoned.
A decent experience all in all but not worthy of special events; would return if they either lowered the cost or was more realistic with the portions. A good neighborhood place if tuned a bit. I really wanted to be a fan but so far I'm just lukewarm about it. I'll be trying The Shed at Glenwood in a week or so, so we'll see how that new addition to the farm to table restaurant scene does...Enjoy
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If this review were based solely on the strength of the hamburger and the phatty cakes, it would be 5 stars, hands down. Perhaps the best burger I have had in my life. My boyfriend said the same thing and, y'all, he always orders the burger. Always.
Anyway, we went tonight sans reservations and, while we couldn't get a real table, were happy to sit at the counter at the window overlooking Ponce. The bar and communal table are also available for walk-ins. The staff were very professional and friendly and helpful -- no complaints there. I do wish the menu were a bit longer, though. The low point of the meal came early, which was the arancini with citrus and fennel pollen -- basically fried risotto balls with cheese in them. The citrus overwhelmed and was somewhat confused by a taste of licorice, from the fennel. We concluded that a) they were better eaten in one bite and b) the citrus needed to be toned way the hell down.
Beyond that one misstep in ordering, the meal was magical. The burger was probably about 8 ounces, roughly as tall as it was wide, which made for a vaguely unattractive eating experience. But it was so worth it. It didn't need any toppings at all, but the Vidalia onions were an especially complimentary touch. The waiter told us that of course all the ingredients are local, the buns fresh-baked in house, and the patty made from the restaurant's own special blend of beef brisket and pork belly, if I remember correctly.
The thing that first caught my attention as I read about Cakes & Ale was the "phatty cakes." Up North they call these whoopie pies, little soft cookie-cream sandwiches, and here they are made with soft ginger molasses cookies. They sell them in threes, for good reason. SO DELICIOUS.
I will definitely go back to Cakes & Ale, and I heartily recommend it to any lover of burgers or gingersnaps.
Excellent food, cool atmosphere.
My foodie friends brought me to Cakes & Ale this evening. They filter their water and have still and sparkling avaialble for $1 (unlimited refills). The beer selection was pretty unique, I had a really nice lager that reminded me of my recent trip to Germany. We ordered the pimento cheese sticks and okra appetizer. Both were outstanding. The okra appetizer reminded me of Fritti's calamari, very lightly breaded and fried at a high temperature for just a few seconds and served with a ranch dressing. The pimento cheese sticks are served with pickles which complement the saltyness of the cheesestick.
My entree was out of this world. I have never had a roasted chicken this moist and juicy before. It was outstanding. I will go back just for the chicken!
We had a neopolitan dessert which was off menu, it was very good but I hear this restaurant is known for its pies. There's always next time!
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Cakes and Ale. Although it's most definitely a Shakespearean reference of the highest order, I can't shake (pun intended) being reminded of "Steak and Ale," that decidedly suburban temple to an '80s Saturday night out while the kids are with the sitter and wines didn't get anymore complicated than "red" or white." I know this is an unfair knock and no stars have been deducted because of it. It's just an observation that probably says more about the observer than the observed.
So how was it though? Having only been open briefly, kinks are still being worked out. Service, though attentive and sincere, was a still a bit slow. With time this, um, kinkiness should disappear posthaste. The liquor license hasn't appeared yet, so the complimentary glass of wine was a nice touch. The space was artfully arranged, consisting of blacks, whites and the muted grays of concrete almost as if Kenneth Cole stopped making clothes and took up interior design. The space was a far cry from the dark hard woods and Asian flair of the previous tenant, The Viet Chateau.
The minimalism of the space extends to plate presentation as nary a garnish was found. I'm not exactly a garnish person, but, like the sport of hockey and the entire state of Wisconsin, some color would've been nice. But taste overrules all and the little restaurant that could definitely does. Deviled eggs, moussed and creamy, was what I imagine you'd bring to the church picnic--if that particular church happened to be located on St. Peter's Square. I also had the roast pork shoulder special that I consumed quickly and without regret.
The following will mean nothing if you aren't Filipino, hung out with Filipinos, have never been to the Philippines or are taller than 5'7''; if you ain't brown, scroll on down. If you're still with me, the roasted pork tasted EXACTLY like lechon. Now believe me when I tell you that I've had pork in all shapes and sizes and, other than the traditional Filipino way of roasting a whole pig, I've never had pork actually taste like lechon. Even better, scattered throughout the mashed root vegetable side were pieces of chicharron (roasted pg skin.) You might imagine that being served, well, lechon, on anything other than a Styrofoam plate by some grinning auntie was a disconcerting experience for yours truly. Not an unwelcome one, mind you, just disconcerting.
I've given considerable thought to this dish over the past few days and I believe that I've come to a suitable explanation. Lechon is typically a whole pig roasted over a spit (or buried with charcoal.) Every pig I've ever seen this done to were smaller, raised naturally and unless they were associating with a spider friend gifted with preternatural spelling skills, Wilbur was always taken before he got too old. Cakes and Ale prides themselves on organic and locally sourced ingredients. I can only guess that the absence of commercially-grown pork is what led to the lechoniness of this specific dish. Either that or the chef has my dad locked away in the back. So, just for being able to replicate something that takes many hours, many beers, and many old, Filipino men to make, four stars.
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Cakes & Ale Restaurant is an awesome new restaurant in the heart of Decatur. The SO, a friend, and I ventured from East Atlanta to Decatur to check out this new establishment this evening....and we were amazed with the food, service, relaxed vibe of the space and the friendliness of the owners and staff.
Here's a run down of what we ate....
Appetizer: Deviled Eggs with Pickled Veggies. I'm not a fan of deviled eggs as I find the concept to be a bit gross, but these were great. I will definitely be ordering the deviled eggs again.
Entree 1: Cake & Ale Burger w/ Shoestring Fries. The SO is fond of simple, but well prepared burgers...and this totally hit the spot. (He ate half and took the other half home. I of course ate the other half as I was dying to try the burger...and loved it, even at room temperature.) The burger was made up of ground brisket and pork. It was wonderfully moist with a rich flavor. The bun was made in-house by the pastry chef. (Full disclosure...the pastry chef is a friend & neighbor....which by no means influences this review as I've sampled her cooking skills prior and she's an amazing cook.)
Entree 2 and 3: Flatiron steak. The friend and I both ordered the flatiron steak served with broccoli. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium; amazingly tender and flavorful. The broccoli was seasoned well and served as a nice accompaniment to the robust flavor of the steak.
Dessert: Phatty Cakes and Pistachio & Strawberry Baked Alaska...amazing. The Phatty Cakes look like Little Debbie oatmeal cream cookies, but taste so much better. Definitely a must if you're a fan of ginger snaps. The Pistachio & Strawberry Baked Alaska... made with homemade strawberry ice cream. Really...homemade strawberry ice cream- another awesome dessert.
One drawback to this dining experience was that they don't have their liquor license as of yet, so they couldn't sell alcohol. They hope to have their license in the next couple of days.
So....if you're looking to spend an evening with good friends and amazing food in a relaxed, non-hectic environment...check out Cakes and Ale.
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I feel the need to do this one justice, because I'm 90% sure we were sitting next to Creative Loafing reviewer Cliff Bostock at Cakes and Ale on Saturday night. Either that or some other middle aged guy with his middle aged male partner taking pictures of every course. But I digress.
Cakes and Ale is in downtown Decatur on East Ponce de Leon in the space formerly occupied by Viet Chateau. Since they're still in the process of getting their liquor license, but they were pouring complimentary glasses of wine in the interim, which was a nice touch.
The space is small -- the bar seats about six, another three stools by the front window, three or four booths and another 10-15 tables. The space itself squeezes into the weird overlap between minimalist decor and a relaxed atmosphere; about half the room was wearing jeans without looking underdressed.
The chalkboards on the walls were advertising specials focused on locally grown and farm-sourced ingredients, but we skipped the local pork special since we had a tenderloin of our own brining at home in the fridge. Potato gnocchi with cabbage, green garlic, caraway seeds and crispy pork belly was pillowy soft, creamy, and redolent of the very best aspects of potatoes and pig. Extremely satisfying comfort food. The boyfriend's grilled skirt steak with arugula, parmesan, and balsamic vinegar was perfectly medium rare and an exercise in simplicity done right. "I can't believe this is just arugula with salt, pepper, and vinegar!" he said, while refusing to give me any.
On that note, I should mention here that portions are not huge. Nor are they small, however. In fact, all the entrees we ate/saw were refreshingly moderate in size, which to me is a nice touch - I like being able to share an appetizer, order my own entree, eat it all, have some dessert, and not leave feeling absolutely stuffed. Your mileage may vary depending on your eating habits, of course, but I for one appreciate something that falls in between "would you like a box for the rest of that?" and "$8 gets you this microscopic tapa, enjoy!"
Dessert: one order of chocolate pot de creme with candied kumquats. One order of the house "phatty cakes": three soft ginger sandwich cookies with marscapone cream in between. As a huge ginger cookie fan, the latter were a hit with me, although not as ginger-y as they could be (then again, I eat all the pickled ginger that comes with my sushi, so maybe I'm an abberation). The boy reported that the pot au creme was excellent, although the candied kumquats, which were mixed in, were almost a bit overpowering.
The single service slip-up of the evening was our (otherwise helpful and competent) waiter's recommendation on what size coffee to order. Cakes and Ale brews coffee by french press, which they bring to the table. The small size isn't really two cups of coffee; at best, it's one and a half. So we we got a little less joe than we intended, but enjoyed what we had. Chalk it up to the soft opening; no doubt little stuff like this will get worked out as they get rolling.
Final conclusion? This looks like a great addition to the neighborhood, and I can't wait to come back once they put the ale into Cakes & Ale.
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The reviews have already been awfully thorough, so I'll keep this short. Cakes and Ale is a charming, intimate little place in downtown Decatur. The food is delicious (I particularly enjoyed the surprising breadsticks), and now that they have their liquor license, they can fulfill the "Ale" portion of their name. On tap when I visited was Red Seal, Allagash White and a Highland brew that I can't recall. The staff was friendly and thorough and its location is an added bonus, as it's a couple-minute walk to Decatur CD, Dancing Goats coffee, the Brick Store and so much more. I will be visiting Cakes and Ale again soon.
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We went to Cakes & Ale on Saturday night, w/out a reservation. It was around 7:30 and we were given two options, we could sit at a table but would have to finish up by 8:30 or we could sit at the bar and stay as long as we wanted to. We choose the bar and I think we made the right decision.
The female bartender (wish I could remember her name) was delightful. She really seemed to enjoy her job and the food. She told us about the specials and a few of the other dishes, then allowed us time to decide what we wanted.
I had the hand cut pappardella pasta and my husband had the quail. Both were good, but mine was better! The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce was so light and flavorful. For drinks, we opted for a bottle of Bordeaux. Their wine list is not big, but I think there is a nice variety. My only complaint would be that the wine was a bit warm. As for desserts, we decided to come back another time, but they did look amazing. I am happy to have this place in my neighborhood and I know I will be back, soon!
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I recently went to Cakes and Ale for the first time.
I was disappointed to find that their actual menu is not the same as what they currently have on their website. There weren't any vegetarian entrees when we got there (their website shows 1), and there was only one fish entree. Everything else had sausage, beef, etc. Perhaps this isn't a big deal for most diners, but since the only "meat" my wife and eat is fish, it's something we like to be aware of ahead of time.
I ended up eating their one fish dish and my wife had a couple of the vegetarian appetizers (cheese plate and a salad). My halibut was nicely cooked and the veggies it came with were fresh and tasty. It was a subtle dish, but good. We also had the Arancini appetizer which was good and the coconut cake. The coconut cake came with ice cream which was very icy (i.e. not creamy). The cake itself was fresh but I'd probably try something else next time.
We'd definitely go back if we knew there was always a vegetarian and fish entree, but without that knowledge it's a bit of a crap shoot. I usually don't feel like gambling when I go to a restaurant. Again, most people probably won't have this concern but I'm making it known for the vegetarian/fish crowd.
I probably would have given them 4 stars on food, but I was so irritated by the seating situation that I can only give them 3. We got there at 6pm, with at least half of the tables empty. We were told that all of the available tables (at least 8 or 9) were reserved so we had to sit at the bar. A few other diners came in after us and similarly were forced to sit at the bar. Like us, they all looked incredulously at a half-empty dining room as they took their bar seats. We finished our dinner AND desert by about 6:45 and not a single one of those reserved tables were claimed. Even worse, two or three of the previously occupied tables were now empty since those people had finished eating. So, there were actually more free tables when we left than when we got there. I guess it's remotely possible that all of those reservations were no-shows, but I highly doubt it. Instead, I think they just block out the tables for an hour (maybe more?) before the next reservation. The bar was ok, but when you're spending $70 on a meal for two (before tip), it would be nice if you're actually given the courtesy of sitting at an empty table. I guess the moral of that story is... MAKE A RESERVATION or sit at the bar.
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