empire grill - carrollton, Georgia
First reviewed: February 16, 2009 last reviewed: july 1, 2009
It is nice to see that the former location for Miller's Downtown did
not stay vacant long. In fact, the owners of Miller's Downtown
and the guy that built the bar in both the old and new store, Shawn
Cubitt, were behind the startup of Empire Grill. The
Times-Georgian did a very nice background piece
here so we'll get straight to the food!
Starting
a new restaurant and new concept, especially without the benefit of
a proven franchise, is a very time and financially intensive effort.
Most of us can't begin to understand the long hours, sleepless
nights, and frustrations that come with launching something of this
scale, particularly in this economy.
So it wasn't unexpected that there were bumps the first few weeks. Family and friends reported long waits for a table and food, menu items were out of stock, and equipment wasn't working. On one Friday in January, I had hoped to have lunch there with a friend only to find the store closing because of another mechanical failure that needed noisy repair.
However, my youngest son and I didn't give up and we were excited to finally have lunch at Empire Grill five weeks after it opened.
Our first surprise was that we were seated right away. Proudly taking a spot at the bar, my five year old boy couldn't stop listing all the things he wanted to order. As this was our first visit (my wife, daughter, and sister-in-law had been a couple of times earlier), I was eager to try as many things as I could so I didn't make much of an effort to restrain his appetite.
We received service very quickly but weren't ready to order. The Empire Grill menu offers a broad selection to which you must add a phenomenal variety of bottled soda. After looking it all over, however, my son and I both settled on the draft root beer to drink and found it much better than the typical canned drinks you find at the supermarket.
After we put in our order for a milk shake, chili cheese dog, cheeseburger and fries, it took less than ten minutes for the food to come.
While the milk shake was primarily for my boy, I managed to coerce a
few sips and have to say it was one of the best shakes I've had in a
long time. He thought so
too finishing it off before anything
else. I rather enjoyed the dog that I ordered though I wished
there had been a little bit more. And the cheeseburger, from which I also
begged a bite, had a good, fresh flavor to it.
The only thing we couldn't finish was the fries, but it wasn't for trying! These thick delights are cut by hand from fresh potatoes and deep-fried perfectly. The order is huge and just one round was more than the two of us could handle. Friends of ours who have eaten at Empire Grill have made the same comment. So order easy with the fries. You can always ask for more.
We thoroughly enjoyed the food, the service, and the atmosphere. With a little more interior design work, Empire Grill-branded uniforms for the staff, and perhaps a souvenir counter, we believe this would be a destination restaurant. As it is, we are pleased to rank Empire Grill with our second-highest Now You're Talkin' rating. [Editor's Note July 1: We have upgraded our rating to Destination Dining reflecting a restaurant worth a drive from out of town.]
Perhaps the best way to summarize our experience would be to share the quip from my son who had passed up his favorite fast-food restaurant to come here. As we hopped down from our seats he exclaimed "Dad, we've gotta come back here again!"
And we will...
Updated: March 11, 2009
I've returned twice with two different boys since this review was first written and continue to get very fast service and excellent food at lunch. Much to the dismay of my wife, all three boys assure me that Empire Grill in Carrollton, GA is every bit as good as (if not better than) Five Guys Hamburgers in Douglasville, GA. However, it still costs $25 for two (including tip) at lunch.
We added a photo of the soda selection and a menu for this update.
Updated: July 1, 2009
My oldest boy (yes, I have four) finally joined me today for his first experience at Empire Grill. His opinion? The fries are "the bomb" (that's a good thing), the burger better than Five Guys (or anything else in Carrollton) and the shake better than Dairy Queen or Chick-Fil-A.
As for me, I was pleased to see improvements in the decor. The transition to a 50s-era feel is almost complete. The touch that pushed me to upgrade my rating was the branded paper grill hats that they give out for free. Go for food, stay for the fun, leave with a souvenir. I like it!
Likes: Unique, fun atmosphere, fast service, really good food and a nice menu selection, fantastic choice for soda fans
Dislikes: A little small (though outdoor seating in good weather will help), a touch pricey (our lunch for two with tip was $25)
Rating: Destination Dining
-- Stephen W. Beam, WestGeorgiaDining.com
