Moderna

This was our favorite restaurant before they changed chefs… everything was great! Hopefully one day they will decide to bring back the chef that was there when they originally opened. The ambiance is nice and so are the staff…

This place is trying to turn itself into a salsa club.
Nice décor, a great DJ, friendly servers. Just need more people. It has lots of potential!

DJ rocks!!! Bartenders very friendly. My first time here… Came here on a Sunday… No crowd yet I’m here at 8:00 pm

The tacos here are a $ 1 before 6pm on Sunday
I missed out on that but the tacos are still pretty good.
Not his biggest fan of the frozen drinks but this one i ordered that came in like a mini container that you get to keep after was definitely worth it.
I’ll be back next time before 6 lol

3 stars for the «meh» food (nothing special), 3 stars for the service (nothing special, sometimes quite slow), and 1 star for attitude. Went to stop by there Sunday for a quick taco, some lady that worked there almost hit us (she was taking a left into the lot, we were taking a right (hence we had the right of way), and she just went right ahead… silver car, DC plates). We got to the door as she was standing there on her cell phone and she snapped at us (after us avoiding her hitting our car) «We’re not open til 3:00.» It was not a «Sorry, we’re not open yet,» or even «we’re not open yet,» (or «sorry for almost hitting you in the parking lot») it was snippy and bitchy, like we were somehow inconveniencing her for thinking of eating at Moderna. We live very close by, and used to stop in occasionally when we needed a sub-​par taco. No more.

HA! This place is a JOKE.
We came to support our friend’s first gig here tonight and the server charged us $ 10 for two «fiji» water bottles.
First of all, when we ordered water she did NOT warn us it was bottled. ok…
When we did get it, it wasnt even fiji like the reciept said
When we confronted her about it she said its the club price.
Pff, Ive NEVER been charged $ 5 for a water bottle! Not even at the movie theater would they charge this!!!

I’ve been wanting to try this place for ages… it’s sparkly colorful sign called to me.
I was a bit disappointed.
We were a party of 3 and were one of only 3 tables total in the place.
I ordered a margarita, waited about 10 minutes, then ordered queso & guacamole. Another 10 minutes went by and they brought me the appetizers — still ok margarita. 5 – 8 minutes later, I got my drink. In a EMPTY RESTAURANT.
The marg tasted weird. Not fresh, not like mix, just… weird and not great.
Queso was blech. Guacamole was ok.
Ordered 2 tacos (al pastor and carne asada) and they were pretty dry but tasted decent. The waitress had to come back twice to ask me what I ordered cause she forgot.
They never asked if I wanted another drink.
The lights also kept turning up and down. I dunno if that was intentional or not, but damn, I was about to have a seizure.
Ambience is nice overall, but they might need to work on the restaurant half of their business more than the club part.
Won’t return.

Oops. Closed. No restaurant at this location any more. I miss Digger’s that was here for years.

I liked the design of this place and service was great as well. Parking is free which is always good. I went here with a group and it wasn’t too crowded at the time we went on a Tuesday at 7pm which is great because we were serve well and fast. The food is good and the drinks are strong. Im kinda indifferent about the restaurant though it was nothing that sparked about it. its wasn’t bad, but I probably wont go back to it.

We were here as a group that had children and were eating around 5:30. I can give them somewhat of a break because maybe they aren’t use to serving that type of group because it took HOURS to get served and the food was mediocre at best. Living in the metro area there are so many excellent places to eat. I would skip this place, unless it’s more of a lively place that offers entertainment in the evenings that you might enjoy? Based upon our food and service wasn’t worth it.

Absolutely fanastic! This place has it all! Ambience, incredible flavors, presentation!
Now, that I’ve gotten that out of the way, we had been to Moderna previously, on a night when they had Salsa dancing. We loved the ambience (it almost feels like you’re in an aquarium when the lights are on at night), the music and the dance floor. However, we had not tried the food. When I got a look at the menu, my curiosity was immediately piqued but its a fair drive from our house on the west side of town. However, when I saw a Living Social coupon for Moderna, I figured I would give them a try. After all, date nights away from the kids are crucial for a good relationship, right?
Anyway, I digress. As fate would have it, time and schedule didn’t align and we ended up taking our kids (8 and 11) to Moderna with us on Saturday afternoon for my son’s birthday. It was a late lunch, early dinner timeframe and there were very few people in the restaurant. They had really cool music playing and the service was really fast. We started with the Guacamole Classico and chips and were immediately impressed with the fresh taste and well balanced flavors! Super yummy! We ordered a variety of tacos plus the Salmon Quesadilla and the Chile Seared Tuna. My wife was so impressed by the Salmon Quesadilla, she ordered a second one to take home with us! The Tuna was also quite good and was cooked perfectly for me. Almost like sushi with a seared edge. Its amazing how much flavor they seared into the fish so quickly!
The tacos were available with a variety of shells, soft and hard, and the fillings were quite generous. I definitely feel that the portions were appropriate for the prices. With the Living Social coupon, it was a double value. We tried the P.B.C. (Crispy Asian white-​fish, jicama slaw, salsa verde), Teatro D.F. (Grilled all-​natural steak, caramelized onions, peppers, bacon, cilantro, salsa borracha), Brisket (All-​natural slow-​cooked brisket, smoked-​jalapeño salsa, cilantro), Toluca Libre (blackened trout with lettuce, tomatoes and limeavocado remoulade), Pollo Frito (Crispy All-​natural chicken breast, pasilla BBQ, jicama slaw). Did I mention we ate a LOT of food?
Not only was the food and service outstanding, the servers were so incredibly personable that my kids really enjoyed themselves! They even brought a few candles (which we had forgotten) for the birthday boy’s cake! Needless to say, we will be back to Moderna, with or without a coupon! This one’s a keeper!

What a «Cool» place.
They have atmosphere, with a cool vibe, good cocktails, drinks and cold beer as well as food. The drinks and food are made fresh which is great. You can choose the Indoor bar or tables or hang at the covered Patio, The staff and service that evening was good.

I don’t write many reviews but the service here is horrendous. Mind you, I hadn’t even made it into the establishment. Today, I called to inquire about the concept and the hours as I heard they close early sometimes.
The person answered the phone, did not offer his name nor did he mention the name of the establishment. I asked if this was Moderna and he said, «Uhhh Yeah!»
He started talking to people in the background mid conversation. I asked the operations hours and he said «Huh» and began talking to people in the background again. When I repeated my question, he replied very curtly that they were closing in 15 minutes (10:30). Later, I read on their web-​site they should’ve closed at 2:30.
I advised him of his sub-​par service and he offered a half-​hearted apology.
To survive outside of the perimeter you have to provide stellar service to compensate for the smaller populations. Unfortunately, Moderna may meet the fate of many OTP establishments as they don’t commit to service excellence!

This place is located on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs and boy has it undergone a facelift from the previous restaurant that was here. I’m not going to act like I know about contemporary design and all that so I’ll just say the décor is very chic and stylish. It looks awesome inside of there.
The lighting is colored and varied. This creates a nice visuals for the atmosphere, but it was hard to identify the ingredients in the food because the light distorted the colors. Small thing; some people just like to stare their food down before they inhale it.
They have a wall that looks like it is made up of grass and moss. They have a big screen t.v. over the bar. I liked.
Okay, I have to say the chips are freakin good. Slight nutty taste, crisp, and light. I filled up on those as I could not stop with the eating of them. I am gaurenteed to return just for that reason. The cheese dip is another winner. I think it is called Chihuahua cheese and it was a little bit spicy and delcious. I’m telling you, I will be back for that.
It was lunch, so I had a bowl of corn and poblano chowder. It was awesome. I sucked it down as though it were my last meal. Others at the table had burritos, salmon quesadilla, chicken quesadillas, and chicken mole. Plates were cleaned, I tell you. Clean.
Service was pretty good. One person got onions and peppers on their plate when they requested not to have any. They quickly fixed the problem. They were nice enough to give us individual checks with no problems.
As I return and try other, sure to be fabulous, items on this menu, this may become a five star situation. I’ll look forward to it.

Ventured here recently with a friend for an early dinner and we were pleasantly surprised. The building sticks out like a sore thumb (not a bad thing) in the strip mall it’s in on Roswell Rd. Opposite end from Enzo.
Slightly upgraded twist on classic Mexican dishes. We shared the tlyacoyo which was two masa cakes with panela, chihuahua cheese, salsa verde and grilled shrimp. It was delicious! Probably my favorite thing.
We shared the salmon/​spinach/​caramelized onion quesadilla and each had a taco — cozumel shrimp (marinated in habañero) and calamari. We enjoyed it all.
I had a sangria, she had a caipirinha de Brazil — both spot on for us.
Service was OK. For it to be near empty and early for the dinner service, our waitress disappeared a couple of times for long periods of time. But everyone was friendly enough.
They have a nice patio space which I’m sure will be busy as the summer approaches.
The space itself is interesting and bit schizo. It is very spacious and nice inside with big screen TVs, a DJ booth, small dance floor and club-​like lights. It doesn’t really feel like a restaurant inside but more of a nightclub that happens to sell good food for a nightclub. They seem to have a lot of events here at night and it is probably a good time if you are looking for something in that area. It was just a little odd to have purple, blue and green lights strobing across our food.
I will definitely return to try more of the menu.

Based on the inclusion of a «JEWBAN» sandwich on their menu, my wife and I immediately left the restaurant. See the photo I posted above.

Since a scoutmob was offered and my lovely work folk raved I decided to give Moderna a try. I can’t visit places on work gossip alone because my co’s don’t quite know what they are talking about when it comes to food. They still weren’t on key with this place either. All they have done lately is rave about how fabulous the tacos were. Well, not really or at least that wasn’t my take. I ordered the shrimp taco and the calamari taco. Neither of them were all that good. I should also say that I am not really a fan of flour tortillas so that didn’t help things. The issue I had with the calamari taco was that the sauce that topped it was too sweet and cloying. I couldn’t get any true squidy taste and I love some squid. The shrimp taco was better, but not by much. The shrimp was overcooked and there were only a few that made it in my taco. The saving grace of the meal was the moderna salad with salsa ranch dressing. The $ 7 medium large salad comes with black beans, lettuce, roasted corn, pepitas, cukes, tomatoes, radishes, avocado, and perhaps my most favorite ingredient, masa croutons. The masa croutons need to become an app because they are awesome little cubes of fried masa goodness. You can also get fried tofu added for no extra charge. The $ 7 price tag doesn’t look so bad when you add that in. I think it’s $ 2 or $ 3 extra if you want chicken or shrimp added. This salad was awesome. I’ve already been planning another trip just for the salad. I should add that the slightly spicy ranch dressing is the final push in the star rating. I don’t love salad dressings, especially not ranch (I’m a bad southerner, I know), but this shit is funnel-​it good.
To summarize the long winded column above: get the salad, make sure you order the fried tofu with it (despite the calorie count of the final dish), and drizzle spicy ranch on top. You can’t go wrong with this combo.

This place just opened around the corner from Kungfu’s place. We passed by it a few times and I dismissed it saying it looks too much like a Miami bar to serve me a real taco. The incentive that cinched our visit was a Scoutmob deal that popped up. I’m glad to report that this super ultra sleek looking place also serves super awesome food.
It’s located in a strip mall out in Sandy Springs, about three to four miles down from Nori Nori. They have a great selection of tequila, a great looking interior, and a great lighting and sound system that parallels any nightclub in town. There was a birthday party being held there that night so the atmosphere was much more club like than a restaurant. I ordered a tlacoyo, a paloma, and a chicken mole for myself and Kungfu ordered a Teatro DF taco and a Jewban sandwich. He says that he would’ve ordered carnitas if he saw them on the menu but the lights and the club atmosphere distracted him and he just wanted to eat and get out. I know, he sounds like a cranky grandpa at times but he’s a grumpy old soul when he’s hungry.
We received our Teatro DF first and at the first bite, Teatro DF became the best gourmet steak taco to me in Atlanta. The steak was so tender and so juicy. I also expected we’d get a small taco but this taco was pretty huge. The size of two to three tacos put together and filled to the brim with glorious, mouth-​watering steak. I think next time we’re here, we’re just going to order a ton of tacos just to try them out.
Next we got our tlacoyo, a corn cake that’s cooked just like a polenta with salsa verde topped with panela and chihuahua cheese and shrimp. We mowed this dish down as well. I loved how the warm corn cake melted the chihuahua cheese just so and the salsa verde cooled the corn cake so you wouldn’t burn your mouth. The shrimp was done to a perfection and added a nice contrast of texture within the entire dish. I love this dish. I love it. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting.
Next our sandwich and our chicken mole came out. Not a lot of places around town do mole. The chicken mole was literally half a chicken served to you on a bed of Spanish rice and a bed of salad next to it. The juicy chicken is dotted with panela cheese on top of its mole covered glory. The chicken is smoky with a hint of sweetness with a little bit of magical je né sais quoi. I never like Spanish rice at any Mexican joint and Moderna’s Spanish rice? I could probably just eat just the rice and be happy. It’s that good. It reminds me more of rice from arroz con pollo dish and it’s very well made. It’s 1am and I’m making myself really hungry thinking about it.
The Jewban wasn’t bad but we both weren’t really a fan of it. The ropa vieja was a bit too salty and the bread wasn’t sweet enough to counter the saltiness. The meat though, good lord, the man knows how to cook his meats. All of them are just cooked to perfection, never tough, never dry, and they’re all freaking juicy.
My paloma was good, but then again, I’ve never had a bad paloma in recent memory.
Is this a place I’d recommend people to come OTP for? Heck yes. It’s hip enough to eat and drink and then to go party downtown or just to stay and party OTP. Their food is more than spot on and their bar is very well stocked with a great assortment of tequilas and cachacas! I’m actually thinking about having my birthday party here this year as the food is more than fairly priced and they have a great selection of tequilas. What more could a tequila lush ask for?

Not like ANYTHING else around here. Great tacos and flavors and design. Fun, ambient music. It really does remind me of Miami. Except without all the Miami. So… BONUS!

Miami meets Mexico with Moderna, a sexy new taco restaurant with head chef Ignacio Barq. Ignacio was head chef at popular Red Pepper Taqueria off of Briarcliff. His new restaurant is great and priced so well I am already planning my next fallow up.
We started the dinner with Moyetes which is Mexican bread with refried beans, Chorizo, cheese and salsa Borracha. It was amazing, and I would definitely order it again. The Moyetes was soft, and flavorful with just the right amount of spice. I then ordered the carne asada taco, the brisket taco, and the pibil (pork) taco. They were all amazing and very authentic in the preparation. I would say that everyone of them was spectacular… Prices range between 12 – 4 dollars on the menu. I am salivating just thinking about the tacos.
The place is posh great for a date. I am glad there is finally a descent restaurant on that part of Roswell rd.