We were enthusiastic patrons at Marietta Square Market in the grand-opening spring and summer of 2019. But since the pandemic, our restaurant dining has been about as frequent as an Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl appearance. So after a recent downtown walkabout with the grandkids, we decided to mask-up, pop in, walk around and sample an assortment of midafternoon treats.
Marietta has a well-deserved reputation as a foodie favorite, with chef-centric restaurants like Spring and The Butcher The Baker, surrounded by an orbit of down-home favorites like The Local and Stockyard Burgers, seasoned with the weekly Farmer’s Market and finally sprinkled with dessert and treat locations.
In March 2019, Marietta Square Market made a grand entrance into this thick gumbo of culinary craftsmanship, offering a trendy food hall concept that has a long European history and was one of the fastest growing food trends in the US. A few months later, the Market seemed to have found its pace and place, though some locations weren’t yet open and others seemed to be struggling for operational consistency.
During those early days, we made a series of summer sojourns to the Market, sampling a broader cross-section of the food fare. Each time, our returns to previous outlets were better than before. And our first experiences at several locations delivered mouth-watering flavor fests that might even encourage Food Network’s Guy Fieri to book a train to Marietta’s new flavor town.
And then came the coronavirus and Covid-19, striking devastating blows that included forced business closings. Restaurants were particularly hard hit, with permanent closures unfortunately common. For Marietta Square Market — built on the concept that multiple food outlets located in close proximity would serve large dining crowds who shared crowded tables in an open hall environment — the shut down, followed by slow, restricted and careful reopenings, proved particularly challenging. Several of the original tenants didn’t survive.
But the good news is that Marietta Square Market now seems to have adapted to this “new reality” during these “unprecedented times” and “successfully reimagined” its operation. (Did we capture all the proper buzz words?) We made a return visit for a walk-through survey and some quick take-out snacks in January 2021. We found ordering easy and fast, and were able to enjoy our snacks on the outdoor tables.
We’re still not ready to pick favorites from the primary outlets at Marietta Square Market – yet – since we haven’t tried them all. Instead, we’ll share our experiences at those we’ve visited so far, listed in the order in which we visited. And, we give a strong recommendation that you visit, try individual offers at multiple outlets, and determine your own favorites. Likely, we’ll do another update on this post once vaccines combined with preventive care make us comfortable to spend extended times at dine-in locations. Then, hopefully, we can complete revisits to all outlets and will be prepared by then to pick favorites.
Before we go further, note that Marietta Square Market is NOT located actually on Marietta Square, but rather across the railroad tracks in renovated warehouses facing Marietta Parkway between Polk and Mill Streets. And neither is it the weekend Marietta Square Farmers’ Market, although combining an early morning visit to the Farmer’s Market with a later visit to the food hall is a great outing.
Enough clarification. On with the food fest!
D’Cuban Café
D’Cuban Café delivered an authentic hot, pressed Cuban sandwich originated at Columbia Restaurant that we had craved since relocating from Tampa years ago. Loaded with slow roasted pork, smoked ham, melted Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and mustard, this tasty toasted classic hit all the Florida flavor notes we expected. The coffee station was a beautiful as the coffee was thick and delicious, providing the caffeine jolt to restart us after that filling sandwich. Unfortunately, our side of plantains likely had been held slightly too long, with a limp and soggy consistency that distracted from the flavor. We’re guessing that the early afternoon time of our visit contributed to that small disappointment, so we’ll happily return again.
Just Loaf’N Cajun Café
We grew up in South Louisiana, thus generally have low expectations for “Cajun” restaurants elsewhere. Just Loaf’N Cajun Café served up a good shrimp po-boy on our first visit, as well as excellent fish and shrimp poboys return visits. Born from food truck roots that earned honors as “Best Cajun” by Atlanta Magazine and “Best Bread” by the AJC, Just Loaf’N’s poboys come “fully dressed” with mayo, mambo sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, all served on New Orleans’ own Leidenheimer’s French Bread. While our side of hush puppies was too onion-forward for my tastes, my wife enjoyed them greatly. The seasoned New Orleans fries packed that peppery and salty goodness that hearkens you back to The Big Easy and tempts you to douse your fiery mouth with cold Dixie beer. Hot beignets and icy cold, sugary snoballs are on our list for the next return visit!
Bullgogi
The “build your own bowl” concept has gained popularity among millennials who seek to customize virtually every experience. But for older diners who prefer a set menu, Bullgogi and these poke bowl places can be a bit overwhelming. Falling into the second category, we put ourselves into the guiding hands of a Bullgogi server. With a few basic questions and a sampling taste or two, together we crafted a double-chicken spicy poke bowl with noodles and several toppings. The result was a flavorful blend of available starches, proteins and veggies that tasted great and digested easily on a hot summer day. We won’t hesitate to return, and we’ll probably get a bit more experimental on the next visit.
Shai-Karr Eatery
With a main course from Korean-inspired Bullgogi, we sampled a shrimp tempura street sushi roll from Shai-Karr, which is operated by Marietta’s full-service Thaicoon restaurant on Mill Street. In case you haven’t noticed, adding the word “street” to your menu is one of the culinary trends that’s supposed to show you’re both cool and legit. In the case of Shai-Karr, our large sushi roll was on-target for both claims. We wished we had sampled more on this visit. That said, recognize that Shai-Karr has a limited food-court-style menu, and Thaicoon is literally less than 1,000 steps away across the parking lot. So, in all likelihood, we’ll visit Thaicoon for a more complete experience and continue visiting Shai-Karr for appetizers and snack option when we’re at the market.
Four Fat Cows
This ice cream and snack shop has some of the best ice cream we’ve ever tasted, and perhaps the worst location in Marietta Square Market. So, be sure to look for it before making a final dessert decision. Four Fat Cows is operated by a mother and son duo from a family familiar with celiac disease. The store offers traditional flavors, some exotic options, and a variety of gluten free and diary free treats – all allergen free. My double-scoop combination of caramel turtle and carrot cake was gluten free and flavor rich. Kids are sure to love the colorful Superman, birthday cake and cotton candy explosion flavors. For my next visit, I’ve already got my eyes on chocolate bourbon pecan pie, huckleberry pie, strawberry balsamic or one of the many cupcakes we have yet to sample. Our grandsons are converts, too!
In With the New
Among the original outlets we visited, three have closed, and two have been replaced, in-place, by similar entries. Henri’s Bakery and Grill has moved into a large front-corner location, and offers a range of savory breakfast sandwiches and sweeter baked treats great all-day. I’m a sucker for supersized cupcakes, and those with brilliant white toppings always shine brightly into my dessert-focused eyes. We look forward to returning here for lattes and those cupcakes — or maybe the double doozie, featuring two chocolate chip cookies surrounding a white icing middle, then partially covered in chocolate. Well, who knows what will catch our eye on the return, but we will be back!
In one of the largest outlets and featuring both a craft bar and full-service tables, Siete specializes in tacos, tequila and Latin fusion inspired by a trip to New York, of all places! Owned and operated by a local family which deserves credit and support for having the courage to open a sit-down restaurant during a pandemic, we’re looking forward to tasting the well-reviewed El Georgian Guac, ceviche tostados and the wide range of creative tacos. Hopefully, when winter eventually gives way to spring and summer, we’ll also be able to enjoy Siete’s patio and a margarita, tequila flight and one of those tequila craft beverages. OH, we meant OR one of those beverages, not AND all of those beverages — unless we Uber over!
Next Up!
We still have outlets to try that offer barbeque, burgers, crepes, lobster, pitas, smoothie, hot dogs Italian options. We’ve heard good things about each, and have our menu choice prepared. Frankly, we would have tried Cousins Lobster previously, but we had a Maine trip scheduled on our final pre-Covid visit, and thus wisely left our full lobster consumption allotment open for that trip. Cousins operates food trucks in nearly 30 cities, and restaurants or food hall outlets in another 10.
More Nearby Attractions
If you need to build up an appetite, burn some calories or create other reasons to drop in at Marrieta Square Market, here are a few of our other favorite nearby activities to consider:
- Gone With the Wind Museum. If you’re looking for Scarlett on the Square, she’s no longer there. Relocated to Brumby Hall, the Gone With the Wind Museum is a perfect spot for fans of this Southern classic movie. And don’t skip the gardens outside.
- Kennesaw Mountain Hiking. The nation’s most-visited national battlefield, Kennesaw Mountain offers history, hiking and lots more. On weekdays, you can drive to the top, while on weekends you can walk or take the park shuttle for a small fee. Our favorite hike is around KEMO’s backside, a longer, more challenging hike that includes some rock climbs and ascents of both Little KEMO and KEMO.
- Marietta Walking and Bike Trail. The brick and paved trail follows the railroad tracks through downtown Marietta. Continuing South for less than a mile, you can visit Brown Park, the Confederate Cemetery and Marietta City Cemetery – all good walking and history spots.
- KSU WWII and Holocaust Museum. A small, somber and interesting local museum, the folks at KSU have done a fabulous job of documenting both the horrors of the Holocaust and the role Georgia played in World War II. Admission is free, and you’ll definitely learn something new.
All Our Adventures
We’ve been busy at OurTravelCafe.com. You can check out all of our (50+) adventures at OurTravelCafe.com/blog. We’re adding new stuff all the time. And we welcome contributions by “guest chefs.” So if you want to share a travel story, location or tip, just leave a comment on our comment form, or drop us an e-mail.
