Mary Mac's Tea Room

The staff was friendly from those that greeted us walking in the door to the wait staff to any staff member we passed just walking by!
We had kids with us and the waitress offered to take their orders first to get the hungry kids their food fast while us adults still tried to decide what delicious food we wanted...it was so nice of her to do this!
The food came out without a long wait and it was all so delicious!!
I would absolutely recommend Mary Mac's if you are looking for great southern food, friendly staff and a great atmosphere!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We have never had a bad experience here. The staff is always super nice, the food is always fresh and hot, and there are tons of choices. Love the atmosphere and the history of this establishment. They offer complimentary sweet tea while you wait for your table.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I added a side of rice and it went absolutely amazing with the cubed steak n gravy! Everything I ordered was delicious 😋

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

This was pretty special. I came here with two chums for lunch this past Saturday, after getting a very strong recommendation from my Uber driver (also a NJ native) earlier in the day. Historic Southern restaurant with scrumptious catfish? Try to keep me away. I was honestly not a fan of most of the Atlanta areas I saw on my travels, but this neighborhood was by far my favorite - aesthetically pleasing houses, and the pervasive homelessness and drug usage that was unfortunately a hallmark of my other stops was nowhere to be found.

I was a little apprehensive when I saw the limited parking spots left in the lot behind the restaurant, but I didn't realize how MAMMOTH the interior of Mary Mac's is - we were literally led through at least three different dining rooms before finally arriving at our table. Very cool interior with oodles of ye olde painted wood. And just to double down on the old school? We had to handwrite our orders down, which I kind of loved - hard for there to be a miscommunication when it's literally written out in front of you.

Our waitress was Tammy, and she was an absolute superstar. One of my chums is a native to the area and mentioned that yes, Southern hospitality is a thing, but you can tell when some people are faking it a little. This was the genuine article. An absolute delight who unquestionably added/improved the experience, which wasn't exactly in need of a savior but no matter. She was very familiar with the restaurant and its accompanying menu, and had a few on-the-fly anecdotes off of my questions, including mentioning that former President Jimmy Carter (RIP) was a fan and contributed a peanut butter cheesecake recipe that was utilized after his funeral. Very cool.

To start the proceedings off, I decided to go for a Southern classic, the mint julip, despite not being at Churchill Downs waiting for the Derby to start. A delight, and the perfect refreshing beverage on a summer day. I'm not hanging out below the Mason Dixon line without supping on catfish, so I immediately ordered that as my entree, along with sides of sweet potato souffle and mac & cheese, with peach cobbler for dessert. We also got this interesting dipping sauce that was basically the drippings of collard greens (they had a cool name that escapes me) with accompanying cornbread to share.

Honestly? Everything was phenomenal. I think the one ding on cornbread is that it tends to be dry, but that's certainly not the case when you have drippings to dip it into. The blackened catfish was incredibly well-seasoned; one of the better-tasting fish I've had in a while. Really the only downside was that I was way too stuffed to do much damage to the peach cobbler; I unfortunately had to leave a significant portion of that on the plate, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Just incredible from beginning to end.

We took our time on the way out going through the myriad of rooms and looking at the celebrity pictures (Jesse Ventura stuck out like a sore thumb). My chum swore up and and down that Atlanta just isn't much of a food town. She changed her mind after this meal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Lovely place with a traditional southern feel to it. Service was exceptional and the food was good... I probably wouldn't recommend for vegetarians- lots of cross contamination.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I love the history behind Mary Mac's teahouse. When I was talking about the restaurant, I was saying this was opened during segregation and what a long way it has come. The restaurant has a lot of diverse customers. With that being said the restaurant smelled like mold & mildew. That was my biggest complaint during my meal, that was so unpleasant for me. It's time for the owners to remove the carpets throughout the restaurant and do some sort of hardwood or anything besides the carpet. The vinyl tablecloths were pretty outdated as well.

● The collards and pot liquor weren't great, need work.
● The cornbread needs some work.
● The sweet potato souffle, Good!
● Fried chicken, flavorful!
● Ribs, good!
● Shrimp & grits, good.
● Fried shrimps, good.
● Potato salad, ok.

Would I visit again no.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 4

Friendly old waitresses were so warm

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Food was excellent and plentiful. Service A1...Shawn was very nice. Couldn't ask for a better late dinner.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Always amazing. No need for a lengthy review here.

The chicken was amazing but I have to say I was not impressed with their corn bread.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It is always a nice experience very very reasonably priced and delicious food. We got seated immediately, ordered and received our food quickly!!!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

We were absolutely treated at Mary Mac’s!!!! Learned so much about the history, had PHENOMENAL food - but the service was out of this world!!! Kam took such great care of us - she had the entire room laughing and smiling. It was such a treat & I literally will go back! Great experience & great great food!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Let me say this, the last time before today that we went to Mary Mac's was pre-pandemic, and it was always our go to and favorite restaurant. I was super excited when my wife decided to treat us their for dinner. Where do I start? The portion sizes are definitely smaller. It use to be something that I could brag on. Second, I use to love the fresh bread and Cinnamon rolls. They tasted like they were a couple days old. Third, my wife's Chicken Fried chicken was overcooked and dry. Also the Broccoli casserole seemed old and overcooked, very slimy. I had the Baked chicken with dressing with Mac and cheese and potato salad. Their potato salad use to remind me of my grandmother's, but now, it reminds me more of Kroger but with not enough mayo. Also, the potatoes were cut very big, and undercooked and bland. The chicken breast was one of the smallest that I've ever had and the Mac n cheese was average to below average at best. The dressing was good, although it was lacking something, maybe not enough poultry seasoning. I wonder if they have the same cooks as they did back in 2019. It use to be like alot of grandmother's cooking, and it was the best, and made me think of my grandmother's, but I definitely didn't get that feel today.

So from my last review, fast forward to Aug 24,2025. We picked up a togo order in Hopes of it being like the Mary Mac's of old. Well, we were again disappointed. My wifes meal was pretty bland, and needed more seasoning. The Mac and cheese was too loose and had entirely too much garlic powder. Her pork chops were oily and flavorless. My Chicken and dumplings were decent, but my sides were lacking. The Cornbread dressing tasted like unseasoned stove top stuffing. The Mac and Cheese, bland and too much garlic powder. The biggest disappointment was ths Peach Cobbler. It was lacking cinnamon and nutmeg. The Patti Labelle Peach Cobbler from Walmart tastes much better. Overall, big disappointment from my former favorite restaurant.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 2

Recommended dishes: Fried Green Tomatoes Served with a Parmesan Horseradish Dipping Sauce

The dining room smells like old, damp carpet and moth balls.
Shrimp and grits did not have any flavor. Salmon tasted the way spoiled meat smells. Fried green tomatoes were bland. Collards tasted bitter. The best thing I had was the cornbread and dinner rolls. My server, Shay was a sweetheart. She was very attentive and accommodating. I wish her the best.
This place has great potential. I think the recipes need to be reviewed and modified or maybe the cooks need to be replaced.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

The food was delicious. I had fried chicken, collard greens and Mac and cheese. I had deviled eggs which were a little bland but still edible. They also bring out cornbread rolls, and potliquor. The atmosphere was cozy and had a homestyle feel. Great service.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5