Steak 'n Shake

I made a promise not long ago that I would only post positive reviews. I am about to break that promise.

I visited Steak 'n Shake in Acworth tonight. My wife and I had just finished shopping for a few things, and thought a light dinner was in order, and Steak and Shake would be a treat. We had very little wait, as there were plenty of tables.

I ordered chicken fingers, and Phyllis ordered a turkey club. Easy enough, and delivered in a timely fashion. Everything went sour from there.

Soon enough, my drink glass was empty. After a pass or two, our server asked if I wanted a refill. I responded yes, and about ten minutes later was provided one. When that came, I ordered a milk shake for dessert.

I noticed that a group of students had come in the door, as had a middle aged couple, and three elderly ladies. All of those people stood by the "Please Wait To Be Seated" sign for quite some time. Keep in mind, there were several empty tables, and an ample wait staff hanging around the pickup window, seemingly unaware of duties to perform.

After several minutes had passed, the five or six students walked out, never having been spoken to. A few minutes after that, the middle aged couple stepped around the hostess station to see what was going on. After getting someones attention, they were seated at one of the many empty tables. The elderly women were taken care of at the same time.

There were several young people working. The majority of them were paying more attention to each other than the dining room. There were two people who appeared to be management (they had on regular clothes instead of a uniform). For the most part of my visit, I saw only the female manager, who seemed to be helping the cooks.

After waiting a good ten minutes for my milk shake, I told my wife we were leaving. At that point, as we stood up, our waitress looked up from her conversation with an "Oh YEAH" look on her face and ran to the shake machine.

At the register, I told the hostess/cashier that I never got my shake, and wanted only to pay for my original order. She asked me if I wanted to wait for a shake to go, because it had already been added to my bill. I said no, I was only paying for the original order, as I had anticipated enjoying the shake at my table and not while I drove. She then turned and walked away from me, to ask the manager for permission to change my order. That was when I saw the second manager, back by the desk, doing I don't know what.

I put the money for my original order on the register and walked out.

I could blame the service tonight on the wait staff. OR I could direct the blame where it belongs. On a Saturday night, the managers should be on the floor. They should be ringing the register, greeting the guests, and most importantly, giving direction to a very ample staff that had relatively little clue as to what to do with their time. If we are to expect a team to perform, we should be providing direction.

Tilted Kilt - Johns Creek

Tilted Kilt has its roots in Las Vegas, a city known for over the top entertainment and almost dressed women. The uniforms of this restaurant fit that bill perfectly (the girls probably appeared modest when compared to the expected dress code of the town). Although the original Las Vegas location has closed, a chain of offspring restaurants has opened up here in Johns Creek and across the country wherever sports bars are the norm or college kids abound. A menu of moderately priced pub food enhanced by some seriously good comfort food, steak, chicken and pasta entrees is accentuated by highly attentive service.

The staff is predominantly young women. There are a good number of men, but they are much like stage hands for a play, meant to perform a duty and remain unseen (except, possibly by the good many thirty-plus year old female patrons I saw there on my visit). While the ladies' uniform (long, tasseled white socks, a very small plaid skirt, a tartan sports bra and a short white dress shirt tied off to show off the midriff) brings to mind Hooters and other restaurants aimed at men, this place is somehow different.

To begin with, the floorplan is more sophisticated. The Johns Creek tilted Kilt is a handful of dining areas. The large dining area surrounds on three sides a very large bar that has a second outer bar. One of the smaller dining areas is a small room off to one side, while the other dining area also houses the gaming (billiards and electronic games). These rooms have that old pub feel that makes one feel at home.

In addition to the floor plan, the menu separates TK from the other restaurants that target men. Most of those restaurants are limited to wings and pub sandwiches. Not so here at TK. This menu does have all of the usual pub foods. Nachos, wings, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and the rest are all there. They even serve wraps. There are ales of every kind as well. The big difference between TK and their competitors lies in the entree section of the menu. There you will find shepherd's pie, a meatloaf sandwich, steak, fettuccine, lasagna, chicken and a sausage platter (served with maple mustard vinaigrette, peppers, onions and a side of Gaelic mashed potatoes).

Intent on comparing the pub foods? Let me toss a few choices at you.

First, the classic "Big Arse" Hamburger. I don't know when I have had a better Angus beef hamburger. Ten ounces, grilled the way I like it and served with some great fries.

Not in the mood for a burger or wings? Get the "One Shot Johnny" pizza. A combination of pepperoni, sausage and bacon with just the right amount of sauce and cheese decorates a crust that is not too thick or too thin. This pizza is sized just right for a man with an appetite.

The prices are competitive, with the pub foods hovering around $9 and the entrees from $11 to $17. The service is good, attentive and friendly, as you might expect. Yes, the uniform is skimpy. I would buy this food, however, if the servers wore burlap sacks.

Athens Kouzzina

A short time ago, during my visit to Gwinnett County, I enjoyed a quick lunch at Athens Kouzzina on Pleasant Hill Rd. in Duluth.

The restaurant is set up like a cafe, with plenty of storefront window seating, and small tables covered with blue and white checked tablecloths. The atmosphere is open, bright, and very cheerful.

The menu is full of traditional Greek food as well as a few Italian pasta dishes and some American sandwiches. Entrees range in price from $10 to $20, with a few larger party items just under $30.


I had a small Greek salad, an unpretentious blend of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese, peppers and onions. I followed the salad with a gyro wrap. While the salad was nothing to write home about, the gyro wrap was another story. That thing was huge.

The wrap is described as "... gyro wrapped in pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce". What I can tell you is it was both filling and tasty. The wrap was a wonderfully messy concoction that kept me satisfied until dinner.

With its diverse menu, whether you are into Greek food or not, this place is worth a try.

Barnacles - Norcross

Last week I visited Barnacles in Norcross as part of my Gwinnett restaurant tour. This location is managed by Managing Partner Kevin Robinson and Manager Stephanie Zirkle. When I went in, Kevin showed me to a table, and Stephanie gave me a tour of the restaurant.

Like the Gwinnett Place location, this restaurant has an open air patio deck with ample seating. While it is probably comfortable given the right weather conditions, I would choose to eat inside, just because of the proximity of Jimmy Carter Boulevard. That's a personal preference, as I like privacy. The Gwinnett Place location has better scenery (trees, etc) around its deck.

Inside is a different story, however, as I prefer the dining rooms at Norcross. The main dining room is open and large with plenty of booth and table seating to suit your preference. There are no shortages of televisions here, either. Like the Gwinnett Place location, Norcross has a really wide, bar-length television screen, as well as a tv monitor everywhere you look.The other rooms consist of a game room and a large area set up for very large parties. The building is non-smoking, so kids are welcome.


Ryan was my server, and he did an excellent job not just at my table, but at the others he was responsible for as well.

First up was a order of Nachos. The nachos come with either chicken or beef strips (I chose beef, which was cooked to my specifications), cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos and sour cream. Two things you should know about this appetizer are that it is too much food for one person, and you will want a fork in the end so to make certain that you get it all. Unlike most places, this nacho plate is not full of lettuce. It has more stuff than filler.

After putting a good dent in the nachos, I had a bowl of onion soup. Crusted with good, thick, swiss cheese over a slice of bread, this soup was chock full of sweet sauteed onions. It was enough to be a meal by itself.


Next up was the Gorgonzola Steak Salad. It was a nice presentation of grilled sirloin, gorgonzola crumbles, bacon and fried onions served atop a bountiful garden salad. The fried onions were a nice, tasty, peppery touch. Once again, the portion was huge.

Along with the pub sandwiches, steak and chicken dishes, Barnacles serves its signature seafood entrees. Their menu is a good surf and turf offering that makes the "where to go" question easy to answer.