Community Smith

wanted to sit @ the balcony but they said it closed … during day/​afternoon time :(
did not enjoy the food much & a no no for their popcorn ice-​cream

The food was outstanding and our server went over and above. She was five stars alone. The pork chop melts in your mouth and love the egg rolls.

Burger was so stinkin’ delicious. Brioche bun and juicy, perfectly cooked patty. It came with yummy shoe string fries. Ambiance was really cool. Burger was well worth the$ 15, but the vodka/​water I had was not really worth the $ 10 I paid.

I would say they had terrible service… but we didn’t have any service. We were there for 20 minutes before the host asked us if we needed anything. Fucking terrible.

We made a reservation for 6 at 12:45 pm for Mother’s Day brunch. We understand that Mother’s Day brunch is a very hectic day and sometimes restaurants get behind but we waited an entire hour to be seated. There was very little communication from the hostess about how long we would have to wait — candidly we should have left. From the terrible service on the front end to the warm mimosas and very dry biscuits, cold eggs and overcooked poached eggs, the experience was frankly very underwhelming.
The bright spot was that our server seemed competent but frustrated with the kitchen running behind — she was very clear that she doesn’t normally work at Community Smith but at another restaurant in another Renaissance property. While other tables had to wait a bit for their reservations I think we had to wait the longest — tables that got to the host stand got seated before us because of their smaller size etc. The manager never came over to apologize or to see if everything was okay. I am definitely unimpressed with place and would advise you to eat anywhere else.

Okay, so, this restaurant is really indicative of the air of pretentiousness that floats around Midtown. With that being said, they have such bougiè options. My old coworker’s and I would read their menu out loud because slightly childish and I mean seriously, fingerling potatoes as an a la carte option? Anywho, it’s slightly pricy so if you got The Spence money, you’re fine. I’ve only tried their burger and fries as I wasn’t in the mood for anything else. The burger is good. Fries too. Shoestring joints. I’d come here if I was trying to impress somebody. I’m not though so I guess I won’t be here again for a while.

I went to Community Smith on a Saturday night for a bachelorette party. We had a reservation, so had no wait. I don’t think we would have had a wait anyway as there were not many customers. Once we were seated, I could see why. The service was not very good; we had to wait way too long for our drink order to be taken. And when we needed refills, it took forever to flag down our server. I ended up ordering a fish dish, which was only ok, but way overpriced. I would not recommend this place.

Jazz Monday withGeorge Washington Jones! Thanks Naomi for making the evening perfect

What gem! I was meeting a friend for lunch and we wanted something nice but quick because it was the middle of our workday. The hostess, waitress and bartender were super polite! I have a limited diet which they easy accommodate. The atmosphere was very clean and elegant and our food came in a timely manner and was delicious! I regret not taking pictures but there are plenty here to make you hungry and want to come back for more!

Walked in at 12:17 got our food at 1:30. That’s over an hour! Btw, restaurants validate parking for 2 hrs. Will not be coming back. Won’t even bother rating the food or the atmosphere.

Short Version: Took my wife and I for a date. Tiffany served us and she was great and the food was amazing. A bit pricey, but expected and it was the best steak I’ve ever tasted. Will be back next month.
Made reservations for a Friday night at 8 for the rooftop for 18 March. They were nice enough to call and tell me the roof top is still closed as a courtesy that was very appreciated. We arrived and the restaurant was quiet and had plenty of seating. We sat and ordered wine and started with the crab cakes that were small but delicious. The wine was about 9 – 12 a glass but great taste. We ordered the lamb shank and flat iron steak for dinner and it was plenty of food and amazing quality and we really enjoyed it. My wife claimed, «It was the best steak I’ve ever had!!! Tiffany was our server and she was very good and offered some really good suggestions because I was a little indecisive at the time. Will go back definitely!

Made reservations for 5 for Saturday around 1 I do believe. They didn’t have my reservation but who cares. The restaurant was empty. Like empty!
First time here. Missed the hotel the first time around. Downtown Atlanta and parking is an entirely different post. Renaissance does offer complimentary valet though once I was able to realize you pull up to the front of the hotel. Just pray no one rear ends you after making such an unexpected stop!!!
Nevertheless. Food. Was. AMAZING!!! I had the French toast. First time I had French toast without maple syrup! Friends ordered shrimp and grits. Chicken sausage (BLT). An omelet and a croissant. The food looked amazing and it tasted heavenly. The food did take a long time though. And I said before the place was empty. That’s why it gets 3 stars. That and the terrible dangerous parking situation.

The restaurant is located in the Renaissance hotel. They offer brunch daily until 2pm. The place was quiet but that’s ok. The décor was nice and the staff and servers are friendly. I ordered the crab cake Benedict with small potatoes and it was quite tasty. I ate all the potatoes and only had room to eat one half of the Benedict. The hollandaise sauce was good and the Benedict was perfect! I also had a glass of Bellini which was also good. I will have to go back on a Thursday night to enjoy live music and have dinner.

Short version: The food was quite good, but there were a couple of minor issues. The service was not very good.
Long version: I went to Community Smith as part of a group of 4 people on a recent Saturday night. We sat at a table in the back, which was fine. We noticed pretty quickly that the service was a little odd.
First, the waitress came to take our drink orders. She took orders from two people, and when the other two people in the party expressed the slightest hesitation about knowing what they wanted, she departed to put in the first two drink orders and left the other two people in my party high-​and-​dry. That might have been ok if she had come back immediately, but it was probably another 5 – 10 minutes before she came back to complete the drink order.
When she did come back, she didn’t immediately try to take the drink order for my other two dining companions. Instead, she launched into her description of the soup of the day, and when one of my companions expressed an interest, she said «oh, great, you want that?» and took it down as an appetizer order and then decided to take appetizer orders from the rest of us. We went along with it because we were caught a little off guard. Only after completing the appetizer orders did she take the drink order from my other two dining companions. The waitress left before taking our entrée orders.
Fast forward to 10 minutes later, the drinks arrive along with our appetizers. Our entrée order had not been taken yet. Only after the appetizers were delivered did the waitress take our entrée oder. The pace at which orders were taken and food/​drinks delivered was just bizarre. Despite the service problems, the appetizers were pretty good. The calamari was very tasty, though I think the squid was sliced too thin. It would have been a bit better with fewer but larger chunks of meat. The chicken soup was excellent.
I had a flat iron steak, which was wonderful. Everyone in my party loved their food (red fish, scallops, and pork chops). But even then, there were service hiccups — for example, the person who ordered the large pork chop was never even offered a steak knife and was left with a simple, non-​sharpened table knife.
After we finished our entrees, the waitress disappeared for about 20 minutes and never so much as offered a dessert menu or otherwise followed up. I had to flag her down to ask for the check because our 2 hours of free parking was almost up.
I’m not going to rush back, but I’d be willing to give it another shot. Hopefully the service will be better next time.

Made reservations. Restaurant half full and 10 minutes to be sat. Brunch took 30 minutes to come out and the crab cake Benedict egg was fully cooked, probably due to 10 minutes under a heat lamp. Ordered coffee and had to get up and walk over to bar for a refill. Once finished 10 minute wait and waived down server for check. The plus side is the staff was nice and décor cool, but I came to eat.
Happy Valentines Day!

Went there about 30 min to closing, kitchen was closed so couldn’t try the food,
but the ambience was great overall, drinks were oki oki… décor was better.

Love this place, classy and quiet, but modern. GREAT menu, terrific wine. Recommend the mussels and roasted cauliflower. Great for date night, business dinner, or brunch with friends!

I decided to forego room service at The Renaissance and ordered «to go» from the hotel restaurant, Community Smith. I’m so glad I did! The service of the staff — impeccable. Curtis is incredibly personable and produced our special orders to a tee. The cook, Allen, did an amazing job on our omelettes and the CRAB CAKE BENEDICT. Everything was perfectly seasoned. Perfectly. The HOME FRIES are not to be slept on. I ate them first. They were so delicious. Special thanks to Khadidra and the white lady who greeted us but I didn’t get to learn her name. Everyone is so nice there. I have to return. Simply must.

Community Smith is a hotel restaurant? What?
Somewhat connected to the Renaissance hotel, the Community Smith is a fancy hipster restaurant that shares the valet only parking with the Renaissance.
Our server, Tiffany, was super friendly and helpful. We ordered our drinks as we waited for our friends to arrive. We had made a reservation, but seating looked not to be a problem, even though it was a Friday night. I ordered a gin cocktail, the Saint, which included a whole bunch of bubbles and some St Germain and St George gin. The sprouts gave it some color, but didn’t do much in terms of flavor, so seemed a little unnecessary. I would have loved a refill if it weren’t a $ 12 cocktail.
Our friends joined us a couple minutes later and ordered their drinks then. They didn’t get them for so long, that the server comped our dessert and the hush puppies we ordered for appetizers. Speaking of which… Food…
Being the good Asians we were, we went family style. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and three entrees to share among the four of us:
Snacks and Starters —
Parkerhouse rolls: I’m a huge white bread enthusiast, especially if complimentary. Unfortunately, we had to order these off the menu, but we got 5 rolls per order and they were hot and buttery, although more butter was also provided.
Blue Crab Hushpuppies: whoa. Not expected. Wasn’t too much like a hush puppy to me, other than the shape, but each puppy was chock full of crab. The accompanying green goddess was tasty, but the hush puppy stood well on its own.
Pan Roasted Mussels: OMG so good. The soup was rich and with an amazing kick of spicy. I could have dipped that bread roll in it all day (which was the reason we put in a second order of bread). Of course, the mussels and bread themselves were great, but I won’t ever be able to stop raving over the mussels juices.
Sides —
Rosemary Elote: the hype is real. This corn is riDICULOUS. The ginger kick is a little overbearing but tasty nonetheless. Would definitely order again when I come back to visit.
Mains —
Smoked and Braised Pork Shank: not bad — flavors were on point. Reminded me slightly of a Christmas ham. A tasty Christmas ham, of course, but we REALLY got it because it was on top of a bed of mushroom risotto. And THAT, was beautiful.
Pork Chop: this wasn’t bad, but was my least favorite of the three entrees. It was just ok. Harder to share since it was one large chop. I did appreciate the seeded mustard on top, though.
Ribeye: the best entrée of the night, all 10 oz of it. The farro was even better than the mushroom risotto because of its lightness in consistency. A must order, even though it is pricier than the other entrees. Definitely worth it, though!
Dessert —
Popcorn Ice Cream: maybe my tastebuds became numb after all those amazing flavors from dinner, but I couldn’t really taste the popcorn. But it was salty and sweet and delicious! And the chunks of blondie? Yes please! Yay for complimentary desserts!
At the end of our meal, Tiffany M. offered us 10% off coupons, as we identified ourselves as «locals» to the Atlanta area. It was a great night with a meal for four WITH alcohol for under $ 50 a person. Once that rooftop bar reopens in the spring, I’ll definitely be back.

Had a great Christmas eve dinner there. Our waiter (feel terrible I can’t remember his name) was excellent. He recommended the blue crab hush puppies for appetizer and the grouper and ribeye entrees. My boyfriend and I got all three and none of them disappointed. The grouper was cooked perfectly, was the steak medium rare. We got the corn for a side dish and it was phenomenal! Probably my favorite thing in the evening! The raspberry gelato is the perfect end to the meal. Would definitely go back and recommend it for a good date dinner, or if you’re in the mood for some great, well cooked food in a great atmosphere.

This is my second visit to Community Smith. I work at the Biltmore across the street and was thrilled to see another lunch option. I LOVE the design and atmosphere. As an interior design nut, I just really love the way this place looks (serious inspiration for my kitchen remodel). If this were a lunch spot beauty pageant, Community Smith would win hands down. But it’s a restaurant, so it’s a solid 3 stars. I had the French dip sandwich this time (the burger last visit). Both were decent but a bit underwhelming. The fries, which were improved with pepper (who knew?) were the highlight. The French dip sandwich itself was a bit fatty but still delicious; however the au jus was extraordinarily oily and pretty useless. It looks like they are now serving brunch until 2pm every day (GREAT IDEA!!!), so I think I’ll give Community Smith one more shot… but if I remain underwhelmed I’ll probably return to Spence next time I feel like spending $ 20 on a nice lunch.
UPDATE: Came for brunch (on a Thursday!). Upgraded to 4 stars for the very good coffee, awesome service, and complimentary juice shot (yum!). Would have been 5 if the poached eggs on my crabcake Benedict weren’t a bit overdone (which is a peeve of mine).

The service gets a one star! The food gets 4 stars. The bartender threw away my food! away! I had almost half of my pork shank left when my plate «disappeared»! I put it in front of my laptop, but had over HALF left. I wanted to take it home but it was removed and thrown into the dirty dish bin! I made him dig it out and put in a «to go box» to show how much was left. C’mon guys, pay attention!

Came here to kick off our Girls Holiday Weekend Slumber Party! The hostess, Naiomi, was professional yet warm. Although our interactions with her was minimal she had a welcoming personality. We wanted to invite her to hang out with us!
The drinks were they way they should be! A little bit classic with a twist. I had the No. 12 which was like a jack and ginger with a bit of citrus. i tasted the mojito which was not in the menu but delish!
Between us 8 ladies we had the Parker house rolls which we suspected to be Kings Hawaiian rolls (insert side eye here), the crab hush puppies… yum, the burger– someone said it was better than H&F…I don’t believe it but I didn’t taste so me no know, mussels– best in Atlanta!!! yup I said that, collard greens-​check, elote — check, the shrimp dish– heard it was good, and the pork chop– massive!!! I think there was a salad on the table too and a grouper. Don’t worry we packed our loose holiday pj’s!
Our bill was $ 400+ before tip which was easily 20% at minimum.
Our server Randall was excellent! We wanted to take him with us! He wasn’t overbearing and didn’t seem to be annoyed by our antics (and we had antics)! One of the chefs (we think) came out to have some fun with us! It was like being at home or at an Italian family style restaurant (I don’t know why, but that’s how it felt). We were probably a little too loud and a bit much to handle but luckily it was a little late on a Friday night and Randall was awesome!
Just go, skip the bread-​or make sure it’s not Kings Hawaiian, get the mussels, get the grouper, get the burger, just get it all… but not the bread, unless they are true Parker House!
Lightbulb…it had a «community”/family feel! They should change the name to just that… Community! Sorry Smith, whoever you are!

Loved the shrimp and grits and our server Tenise Cabiness is just the most personable and sweet person!!!

I have gone to Community Smith twice. Once for a birthday party. The staff was nice and accommodating. Even though you are not able to get the entire menu from downstairs upstairs the food was delicious and the drinks were great.
The second time I came to Community Smith was with the boyfriend for an impromptu date night. We only had drinks but the bartender listened to exactly what we asked for and delivered. The waitress was also sweet.
This place is also good for networking events.

Good times on the garden rooftop deck. Perfect weather, good friends and good music, fire pit and comfy lounging for Jazz Thursdays. The bar menu is a tad small, with limited wine and interesting tapas choices. Would love to see some wine flights and more seafood options. This would be a great spot for wine tasting/​pairing events. Happily I was able to order from the restaurant downstairs. The grouper was perfect! Amazing quality, tender, tasty and perfectly prepped.
Community Smith is inside the Marriott Renaissance in Midtown. Beautiful hotel and restaurant, and the hotel is dog friendly, which always brings a smile to my face.

We had an excellent brunch here. The space is just stunning. This was an expensive build out. Located street level in the Renaissance Hotel; they offer free valet w/​validation. We had the Bllt Benedict with
Homefries and the burger and fries. Both dishes were
excellent and the yolk ran on the benedict. The space and the comfort level really made the experience great. The booths and most of the chairs were so comfortable, you’ll want to «linger longer».
Tush Review — — -5 cheeks !

This place is absolutely amazing! If you haven’t been, you are missing out!!! They serve every meal of the day, beautiful modern atmosphere, perfect menu! Great for friends getting together, or even date night. Robert was my server and he was very informative and a pleasure to talk to. We were celebrating my friends birthday and he truly made it an experience.
The roof top deck is perfect for a cocktail after dinner. They also have different events (like Monday movies) Check them out!

Hmmmm. Well this wasn’t what I expected.
My coworkers and I had been dying to do a Friday Happy Hour or lunch here. Such a cool looking place. We came in around 1 on Friday after an event and said we wanted to do drinks and lunch.
We weren’t allowed on the roof (during Friday afternoon on a sunny day?!) and we didn’t get drinks bc the waiter never took our drink order. We all just drank water. They missed out on probably $ 50-​$ 75 in drink orders.
The food was super mediocre. And the service was just strange. The waiter wasn’t attentive and said weird things like, «well, our fries are really good» when I asked for a side salad instead of fries. Like, ok dude. I wanna salad. Get off me.

Service was phenomenal — host and waiter were super nice even before we told them we were there for a bachelorette dinner.
Got the mussels, but probably wouldn’t get them again: not too much broth, and there was definitely still sand in a bunch of them. Sides proved to be good portions and two of the girls shared 5 sides as their meals and were full. Most notable was the corn dish.
Heard there is a rooftop area, plus they just started brunch service, so will be back to check those out.

Went here on a Sunday evening with my girl and it was dead quiet for such a large place. Do people just not go out on Sunday nights in Atlanta? The atmosphere was pretty trendy with dim lights, tile & wood surfaces, and lots of glass. Even a cool fox sculpture made of utensils! Service was good too with the waitress rattling off a very detailed list of recommendations when requested. We decided on the crispy squid, roasted cauliflower, and steak. All were incredible! We also got a Manhattan (sadly the best drink they had on the drinks menu) and a beer. My only gripe with this place. But it’s a big one for a place that has a separate bar above it. Why not have better drinks downstairs too?

We snacked on a New York strip and I found it very average. Cooked to the correct temperature, but I didn’t find the flavor, char, or cut of meat to be anything beyond average. The side of cauliflower was hella good though.
Sometimes good restaurants do things that make absolutely no sense. In Community Smith’s case, they charge $ 4 for club soda. When I’m spending almost $ 100 on cocktails it feels a little nickel and dimey to charge each of us $ 4 for club soda. Keep it classy and either remove that cost or keep it to a reasonable $ 2 and I won’t have to make petty comments like this.
The cocktails we had were simple enough (old fashioneds and moscow mules) so I can’t comment on how well they make more interesting drinks.
I really like the indoor décor and will have to check out their roof deck as well.
All in all I’m much happier here than any of the previous restaurants that lived here. Hope they can stick around more than a year.

Living nearby, I had watched with anticipation as the remodel of this spot progressed, and looked forward to trying it and the «Garden,» the rooftop bar at the Community Smith. When news of their grand re-​opening in March hit, I was even more excited to read their press which described «a fantastic city view… serving as Midtown Atlanta’s première outdoor dining destination… serving small-​plates and casual outtakes from the Community Smith menu, plus local and craft beers on draught.» All in all, it sounded like a winner.
Sadly, upon our first visit a solid month after their re-​opening, we found their own description to be completely untrue. First, there is no city view at all, becasue they’re only on the second floor of the hotel. The beautiful firepits were broken and leaking gas fumes throughout the patio area. They also serve no food from the Community Smith menu at all. Our served informed us that when the weather is nice, they’ll have a grill and serve grilled sausages. However, because it had rained earlier in the day upon our visit, the grill was closed and we were not able to order any food.
When we inquired as to a cocktail menu or their specialties, we were told there was no cocktail menu («still in the works») and the bartender made no mention of the «local and craft beers on draught» as promised on their website. The bartender made us some solid whiskey based cocktails, but at over $ 12 each, you’d be better served going next door to Grain where the atmosphere, food, service, and drinks are better and the prices are lower.
I was looking forward to having another go-​to spot so close to home, but the Garden at Community Smith is a total miss.

Ambiance = coolness! Nice, upscale, and food prices were reasonable for the area. Parking looks tough but there is the valet option.
I opted for patio seating to people-​watch and enjoy the weather.
I got the mussels. They were OK. Nothing unique. There was a generous portion. I expected flavorful broth, maybe with lemongrass like other places that I’ve tried with fantastic broth. Needless to say, I didn’t eat much of the broth. It came with toast that tasted disappointingly borderline stale.
The elote (corn) is interesting. It’s creamy and has the natural sweetness of the corn. Quantity of the $ 5 appetizer is large. I would recommend this if you’ve never had rosemary elote before.
Service is polite.
4 stars mostly for ambiance, neighborhood, and potential of the food. I would come back with a group to try more items.

This place has promise. The GF and I decided to come here for a post-Valentine’s day brunch this past weekend. Actually, breakfast, because they stop serving at 11. Which is a little disappointing, but oh well.
We arrived at about 9:30 and, upon entering, noticed how few people were actually there. Anyone who tries to have breakfast in or around Atlanta knows exactly how much of a rarity that is. We were seated promptly and offered coffee and juice. Note: I don’t know what type of coffee they serve (I forgot to ask), but it was very, very good.
We decided to order a couple of things so that each of us could get a taste. We went with the chorizo frittata, biscuits and gravy, short stack of pancakes, the banana bread, and a side of bacon. it was a lot of food. Everything was delivered to the table quite promptly (probably about 10 – 15 minutes after we ordered). Unfortunately, both the biscuits and gravy and the pancakes were lukewarm at best. The gravy for the biscuits was absolutely delicious though — would have been even better if it was actually hot. The banana bread was also excellent and I’d definitely go back for that one again. It was probably the highlight of the meal, which is a little disappointing. And bacon is bacon — really hard to go wrong there. The most disappointing item, however, was the frittata. While it was served fresh and hot (which shouldn’t even need to be mentioned), there was a very strange aftertaste. So much so that we each took a bite and then neither of us touched it again. It was served in a little cast iron skillet with a side of potatoes. It was a beautiful dish… I just wish it tasted better.
All in all, it was a nice brunch. It was calm and quiet, the décor was beautiful, and the service was prompt. Unfortunately, the food didn’t deliver to the level of the rest of the experience. I’m looking forward to trying this place again once they’ve worked out some of the kinks (they’ve only been open a couple of weeks).

Wow. This restaurant opened only a few weeks ago, but they’ve got something good going on. The staff is extremely helpful and attentive, but the food is wonderful. My husband and I decided to treat it like tapas and shared the oxtail toast and crispy squid. The oxtail is served on a single slice of bread which we cut in half. The meet was moist and tender, and the greens on top complimented it nicely. The crispy squid was a very nice size portion. The aioli sauce that was served with it went well. The only thing is that the breading didn’t stick as well to the squid as expected, but it was good none the less.
For dinner I ordered the lamb shortribs with the rosemary elote. Delicious. The asian style seasoning on the shortribs (which were fall-​off-​the-​bone tender) were amazing. I got three meaty ones served with three deep fried goat cheese balls… or at least that’s what they tasted like since they are listed as scallion fritters. I wasn’t able to finish them all at dinner, but man do they make good leftovers. The rosemary elote AKA corn with rosemary in a pepper aioli with parmesan cheese was one of my favorite parts of the meal. It was just so good.
I can’t say too much about the porchetta and turnip greens that the husband ordered. The porchetta was crispy and delicious and the turnip greens were well cooked and pleasantly bitter but not excessively. We rounded dinner off with a latte and cappuccino which were good too.
This new and hot restaurant is hot for a reason. You’ve gotta give it a shot even if it’s not for dinner. Apparently their brunch is good!