by: Natalie Wirtz
Located on Broad Street in downtown Athens, East West Bistro has the optimal location for Athenians to meet for a quality meal.
With different menu options for brunch, lunch and dinner, East West Bistro has quality choices for all price ranges. With tapas costing $6-$12 and main courses between $9-$28, the restaurant can be easily affordable for the collegians of Athens or for the more affluent crowd.
The bistro has two floors with downstairs seating for smaller groups of 2-8, and the upstairs boasting two banquet rooms with enough seating for receptions. Our group of 16 made reservations the day before and was promptly seated in the upstairs dining area overlooking Broad Street. We had two and a half hours to eat before heading to a concert, which normally would be sufficient. Not in this case.
We were surprised to be the only party upstairs because the hostess was very insistent that we could not change the size of our party because they were booked to capacity.
My dining companions and I got settled and immediately ordered house cocktails and appetizers. My “Dixie” drink was not what I expected. The sprig of rosemary mixed with champagne and pomegranate juice was not a refreshing combination. One member of the group ended up sending it back. However, the mimosas were good with the surprising addition of strawberries.
With different menu options for brunch, lunch and dinner, East West Bistro has quality choices for all price ranges. With tapas costing $6-$12 and main courses between $9-$28, the restaurant can be easily affordable for the collegians of Athens or for the more affluent crowd.
The bistro has two floors with downstairs seating for smaller groups of 2-8, and the upstairs boasting two banquet rooms with enough seating for receptions. Our group of 16 made reservations the day before and was promptly seated in the upstairs dining area overlooking Broad Street. We had two and a half hours to eat before heading to a concert, which normally would be sufficient. Not in this case.
We were surprised to be the only party upstairs because the hostess was very insistent that we could not change the size of our party because they were booked to capacity.
My dining companions and I got settled and immediately ordered house cocktails and appetizers. My “Dixie” drink was not what I expected. The sprig of rosemary mixed with champagne and pomegranate juice was not a refreshing combination. One member of the group ended up sending it back. However, the mimosas were good with the surprising addition of strawberries.
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| East West has an expansive drink menu offering many different choices. |
The table split appetizers of fresh bruschetta (a delicious addition of oil and vinegar makes this dish stand out), fried calamari rings and crisp sweet potato chips with feta dressing. Our table seemed to be forgotten after receiving appetizers and some of my dining companions were still waiting for their drinks 30 minutes later.
After an hour wait, the waitress returned to get our food order. Starving, we quickly ordered in hopes that our meals would be served promptly. However, another hour later the dishes started to arrive sporadically.
My alfredo chicken pasta was one of the first dishes to arrive at the table. The aroma instantly made me want to dig in but I decided to wait until the rest of the table received their food.
The dishes were brought out to us randomly within a thirty-minute time frame. My meal was room temperature by this time, but I ate it anyway. This was not the case for others at the table and two plates were sent back to be re-heated.
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| Definitely go for the food, but pray it arrives in a timely manner. |
The lack of prompt service put a damper on the dinner, but the food was still delicious. The chicken alfredo with carrots and broccoli was rich and creamy with flavors that worked together and did not overpower each other. With large helpings, it is a pasta dish that can easily be shared. Same can be said for the shrimp pesto linguini. With a surprisingly large amount of capers and a very salty yet lemon taste the dish is not for everyone. However, it is delicious if you like the ingredients.
The special of the day was a shark fillet with brussels sprouts which one of my adventurous dining companions decided to try. There was some confusion because the waitress initially insisted that he was served shark, however the plate in front of him was chicken. Any amateur foodie knew something was fishy (pun intended) and the waitress soon saw the error. He was given the correct meal and was satisfied by his bold choice of entrée.
After eating like a starving pack of dogs, which by that time we were, the waitress asked if we were interested in desert. Normally I am not one to pass up on the after-dinner treat, however, seeing that the dinner had already taken so long we were 30 minutes late for the concert.
Even though the poor service overshadowed the good food, I thought East West Bistro deserved a second chance. I returned two days later for brunch and was surprised by the change. Our service was excellent and our waiter attentive. If you have the time to dine at East West Bistro I would give it a shot for simply the food, but I would not make reservations again.
The special of the day was a shark fillet with brussels sprouts which one of my adventurous dining companions decided to try. There was some confusion because the waitress initially insisted that he was served shark, however the plate in front of him was chicken. Any amateur foodie knew something was fishy (pun intended) and the waitress soon saw the error. He was given the correct meal and was satisfied by his bold choice of entrée.
After eating like a starving pack of dogs, which by that time we were, the waitress asked if we were interested in desert. Normally I am not one to pass up on the after-dinner treat, however, seeing that the dinner had already taken so long we were 30 minutes late for the concert.
Even though the poor service overshadowed the good food, I thought East West Bistro deserved a second chance. I returned two days later for brunch and was surprised by the change. Our service was excellent and our waiter attentive. If you have the time to dine at East West Bistro I would give it a shot for simply the food, but I would not make reservations again.
351 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30601 |
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