Stir It Up

From hello it was a bad start. We didn’t know if we were to seat ourselves or wait from to be addressed. Once we were Finally address it was from the bartender mumbling «sit where ever»! After we sat down we orders 2 drinks shock took 20mins and when the waiter brought it he only brought 1 and 5 mins later brought the other. And it taste horrible. I went to the bar and tried to talk to the bartender who act like he had more important thing to do then his job. And reluctantly remade the drink. Which still taste like pure juice. I sat down to wait for the waiter He never came back we had to flag him down to take the order after 30 mins of waiting. We finally put a order in for apps & entrees. After another 20 mins of waiting he finally come with ½ of a cold appetizer and told us one of his co workers took out other ½ and there wasn’t anymore. I’m really disappoint at this black owned establishment that has potential to be one of Atlanta great Eatery in a prominent area. The fact that they have a gold mine In the City of Atlanta is just unfortunate thing with lack organization, poor management, organized confusion with there staff, & disappointing customer service. I would hope the owner & staff can realize what they have appreciate it and do strive to do better…

Forty minutes later and still no food. Just one waitress really. Don’t know how you are going to stay in businesses who tells us I am doing the best I can. Not good enough.

My first and last time here was today! I called in 4 orders of the curry rolls and 20 minutes later they still weren’t ready. There was a total of 3 people in the restaurant so busy wasn’t a factor. When I finally got them they were soaked in grease and the rude, unapologetic hostess said that they didn’t have any to-​go bags. So I had to walk up the hill in the rain with 4 boxes of grease for $ 30 and a shot of attitude from that hostess. When I finally got them home, drained them on paper towels and tasted them, there was a thick film left on my tongue. The rest went in the trash because I wasn’t about to feed my kids that crap. Never again!

Stir it up is a Jamaican restaurant in Midtown. We had a really nice experience when we came for dinner. The décor is very pleasant and classy. I ordered the jerk chicken and my husband had the jerk pork, both us which were delicious. The meat was tender and juicy and the jerk sauce was really yummy. They also have really good ginger beer, which is imported from Jamaica. We thought the prices were reasonable and will definitely return.
One thing to note is I would not suggest going here if you are short on time. While we did not feel like it took forever to get our food, it did take a little longer than maybe at other restaurants. Just sit back and relax and operate on island time!

The rating that I am giving Stir it Up is really 3.5 stars.
Walking up to it, I didn’t know what to expect as it is nestled near the corner with a little alley way. Before entering the restaurant you come to the patio dinning area which looks to be a pretty cool spread. However, with the cold weather, I wouldn’t recommend it unless one does not mind freezing their behind (s) off.
Finally inside I take a look around and am pleased with the entire layout and décor. To me, everything is warm and inviting. It’s a beautifully decorated space. I hadn’t anticipated it to look that nice. There was only one other couple outside of my brother and I, so we were seated immediately.
Guy (her nickname), our waitress came over swiftly taking our drink orders. 5 minutes later she was back to take our food orders. We selected the jerk rolls, bbq wings and fries, Mac, and oxtails, rice and peas, cabbage, and plantains for myself. It took awhile for the food to come out, but one expects nothing less when the food isn’t fast food. Besides, the wait wasn’t anything that a little conversing couldn’t help past.
As the food arrived, everything looked great. The majority of everything tasted good. The wings were crispy and sauced to perfection (not too much/​too little), the oxtails were tender, plantains– buttery and sweet, mac-​cheesy and flavorful. My critiques revolve around the cabbage which was bland, the rice and peas being dry and crunchy, and the price of the $ 19 oxtail entrée with so little food. Overall, the food was good.
I can imagine that the place would be a nice spot to just listen to reggae music and drink while enjoying a quick bite. I love the vibe. Guyesha, was sweet, attentive, and accommodating. I think that the spot is worth checking out.
Also, be warned that this place sits atop where the city runs its sewage so if the city happens to be doing business, you might get a whiff of that not so pleasant smell.

Not my fav Jamaican spot at all but food is ok depending on who’s in the kitchen and is a bit over priced for what you get… The place has great décor but they would get more business if it wasn’t so pricey for something that doesn’t cost that much to prep. And some what small portions

I love the fact Stir-​it-​Up makes no apologies and provides notice that their food isn’t your Caribbean grandma’s cooking. Because if it did they definitely would be lying.
The food here is cool. It’s nothing stellar by no means. But the décor, strong drinks, and the fact that they aren’t trying to convince anyone this is the best Jamaican food ever takes up the slack.
Now I have a personal beef with their portion sizes. $ 14 for 5 – 6 jerk shrimps is by no means acceptable for the typical American appetite. However if you are watching your calories it’ll do. But, still.
There is no lot, or valet, so you have to pay to park on a private lot or on the street.
The drinks start around $ 7 and two are more than enough to get you feeling right.
It’s a little dark for my taste lighting wise, but if you want to be all romantical and hugged up then this is your place.

I found this place during my evening walk around Piedmont Park. When we walked in we were greeted by a terrific waiter who showed us around the restaurant including the basement where they have live DJs and dancing on the weekends. I came in the next day for the lunch special and I must say definitely not bad! It’s not it’s appropriate for the area, from the seasoning to the plating. Super cute!

I went here Labor Day weekend. It was one of the worst dining experiences I ever had. I heard mixed reviews about it, but wanted to give it a try. Since I was by myself, I sat at the bar. It was not that busy. I sat there for about 5 minutes before the bartender acknowledged me. I ordered the curry goat with peas and rice. When they brought it out, it was barely warm. I had them reheat it. I admit it was pretty good once they re-​heated it. I also ordered a drink. They never brought me the drink, but added it to my check anyway. I will never go back there again.

I have never waited so long for marginal food in life. I really wanted to like this place because I’d heard good things about it but it’s incredibly slow.

The food was ok for us. I read a lot of reviews before we came here and expected bad service. But no, our waitress was really sweet and greeted us promptly. However we waited for food a little longer than we wanted. I want to say we waited about 45 minutes before the meals were served. Normally it’s not something I would really complain about but we had somewhere else to go that night. It didn’t make sense to have to wait that long, because I only saw only 2 other people in the restaurant, it was 6:00 pm on a Friday night.
As I looked at all the other Unilocalers pictures I saw the Jerk pasta looked really good. I craved it for a whole week after looking at those pictures, but unfortunately after having it, it’s not what I expected. The jerk chicken was tender and flavorful. But the pasta cream sauce was so THICK. It wasn’t a light cream sauce. It had more of a mac and cheese thick consistency. I’m pretty sure it had some kind of cheese in the sauce, how else could it get that thick. The flavoring was great but I didn’t even finish half of the pasta… which is just weird for me because I can down 3 bowls of homemade pasta. But the sauce was so rich and creamy there was no way I could of finished it.
My husband ordered the Jerk pork. He said it was good, although some pieces were dry and others were moist. The rice and beans were a little on they dry side. But we’re extra critical on the rice, his Haitian mom makes the best rice and beans ever!
Nothing is really making us want to come back on our own. If one of our friends wanted to try it we’d still go, but if just us. we’ll try somewhere else.

Recently visited Stir It Up with my mom and was highly disappointed. The waitress disappeared so many times, I thought we were at a magic show. The wait for the food wasn’t too bad for a sit down restaurant, but due to the amount of people that were in the establishment (less than 10 customers in which 4 were only drinking and just hanging around) it could have been better.
I ordered the smothered chicken and my mom ordered the stew chicken. This is the first time in my life that I had been served chicken backs (major side eye…) Please keep in mind that a piece of dental floss has more meat on it than the back of a chicken. When I was finally able to hunt the waitress down (she disappeared to the kitchen for most of the night, guess she was playing double duty and cooking the food also) and ask her for an extra plate because we did not want the chicken backs and would like another piece of chicken instead she brought the plate but nothing else.
When the magic act finally resumed (the waitress finally reappeared after me having to keep my eye on the kitchen door area and flag her down) I asked about our chicken, she gave me a look as though I asked her to co-​sign on a car or give me her first born child. She then said that she’d bring her manager over, the manager didn’t show for at least another 15 minutes. I’m not sure what the reason for the delay in response time to customers is with this place, but it’s insane… I can’t forget about the rice and peas that were so dry, it was painful to eat. Even my first attempt at making rice & peas was waaaayyyyy better than what they served. A heavy dose of gravy helped moisturize and give taste to the rice & peas.
I then again explained to the manager that we did not want the backs of the chicken and he tried to tell us that the back of the chicken was really the quarter — SIDE EYE… Both my mom & I explained that a quarter is typically a thigh and a leg. The back is not considered a part of the quarter and further more the chicken had to be cut up (as the back was separated from the drumstick on the plate).
I guess after he finally realized that he wasn’t talking to people that would fall for the first thing that was told to them, he said that he would get us more food (mind you this was asked a long time ago). The extra food was prepared and brought out to us and we were finally able to leave although highly disappointed.
Not one time, did the manager offer anything for the inconvenience with the order or lack of customer service delivered from the ever so disappearing waitress. And to make matters even worse, when we got home and looked at the food as we were putting it in the fridge — they added the chicken backs right back to the orders,
NEVER AGAIN WILL I VISIT THIS ESTABLISHMENT NOR WILL I RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. I’D RATHER TAKE A 30 MINUTE DRIVE TO SOMEPLACE THAT I KNOW THE FOOD WILL BE WORTH IT…
Although the waitress was MIA most of the time and never checked on us to see how the food was or if we needed anything we still left her a 15% tip which was extremely generous due to the level of service that was received…
Stir It Up needs to stir it up and get competent staff members that know how to deliver customer service.

I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone. I wanted to get my 4 mile walk in and also get food. Didn’t want to have to drive in Atlanta. I started to get the oxtail but since I had that in Miami last week I decided upon the Jerk Chicken. I also ordered the jerk rolls. Sweet then a little kick of spice. They were great. Jerk chicken and plantains were fantastic.

Amazing food! Amazing décor! I loved my fishbowl drink! Waitress really took the time to get to know us! Her name was Terri! Black, female owned family business! If you love Jamaican, they are the best!

Food & drinks are amazing! Love, love, love, this place!!! Amazing, delicious, fabulous! Next time I’m going to try the curry shrimp and Jasmin rice. When your there, ask for the watermelon & basil drink!!! All fresh ingredients! A place you must visit for authentic Jamaican food!

My coworkers and I dined here for lunch on a Tuesday. There were 10 of us and when we arrived at the restaurant at 11:40, the entire place was empty, however, as the lunch crowd began to trickle in, the place became more and more packed – so much so, the two servers almost struggled with service towards the end. If you’re coming with a large party, I would highly encourage arriving early and making your life easier by taking advantage of reservations.
Our server patiently described the menu to our party and answered all our questions. Their lunch special is a great deal and I would come back just for it. For $ 10, choose from a variety of dishes that mirror the dinner menu but just a smaller serving. Each dish comes with your choice of jasmine rice or rice and peas, chop suey (cabbage), plantains, and a tea or soft drink. What a deal, especially in midtown. I ordered the jerk chicken and the chicken is seasoned very well with a mild kick, robust sauce, and has a soft, fall-​off-​the-​bone texture. Very delicious! The rice was also seasoned well, although a bit dry. My coworker commented that everything else on the plate – the chop suey and plantains, were not warm and I think it was probably due to either their haste in preparing all of our dishes or inexperience in the kitchen. Not having my food piping hot isn’t a deal breaker to me, and I’d gladly return because the chicken is truly that good.
Service was slow at the end, but again, probably because they were overstaffed. We were still served with smiles and everyone was very friendly towards the group. You can’t beat a $ 10 sit-​down lunch in midtown, especially when the food is good! I’m a fan.

Lawd have mercy! The food is amazingly presented with an authentic flavor with a twist of the now. Truly a must!

Having spent the past 2 years in a Midwestern college town, where there is only one Caribbean restaurant to serve the town and the neighboring city suburbs, and where Jamaican food sounds too exotic, I decided to take my friends to Stir it Up. If we were going to do Jamaican, we were going to do it in a city where it has been tested, tried, and recommended to me by a local. My friend recommended Stir It Up to me, and in turn, I decided to have a second dinner with my friends there.
We arrived at 7:30 p.m. on a weeknight to a mostly empty restaurant, but sometimes I just have to look at who (not how many) is there to know that we were in the right place. Based on Unilocal,the place is packed during weekdays when people in Midtown are at work and working. Nights not so much. We were seated immediately and offered water. The menu was filled with a variety of Jamaican specialties, just the right amount of options to be choosy but also to not be overwhelmed.
My friends and I ordered the jerk chicken, which came with rice, cabbage salad, and fried plantains, coconut bread and beef patty, and a side of fried plantains. The food sat on a banana leaf. My friend enjoyed his chicken, never having had Jamaican food before, and the coconut bread was different from the bread I am used to at Trinidadian restaurants. Its more like a soft bread roll with just a hint of coconut flavor. Perhaps it is made with coconut oil, but the coconut flavor was subtle. The beef patty was like a beef pastry and my friend enjoyed it. The fried plantains were sweet, but not overcooked or gummy.
The ambience of this restaurant is worth mentioning or shouting out for. I like the décor, especially the artwork and the articles/​tidbits of history posted on the walls. The service was impeccable, and even though our waiter was training another waiter, it seemed like we had very individualized attention and care was taken to make this an enjoyable meal and experience.

Overall experience was utterly disappointing!
Came here with a large group of 15 – 20 people to eat and check out the band performing later that night. We were planning to come around 10 pm on Friday night so I stopped in early in the afternoon to see if we can reserve a table, etc. Hostess or manager said no reservations, first come first served. Its their policy so cool no problem. Most of the staff did not even seem aware of the band performance.
Fast forward to 10pm. My group and I arrive to beat the rush for seating due to the performance. Same hostess/​manager claims that they don’t have enough seating for my group at the moment, although she just gave away a table/​area to a group of 4 that would have accommodated my group. OK so we were waiting around and I decided to stake claim to a section on their outside patio that was open. Great… now we are seated, due to my own efforts!
Even a superstar entertainer had to wait over an hour to be seated and eventually she found a seat outside through her own effort too!
That level is indicative of what we continued to receive throughout the night.
Me to the hostess/​manager, «Can you have the waitress stop by, please?». Hostess/​manager decided to take the order. 45 minutes later still no drinks but another girl stops by to inform us she is our waitress and will help get our drinks. It took another 45 minutes before the drinks came. Over an hour and a half just for drinks??? Luckily we were keeping ourselves entertained.
In between all of that we were able to order food but the kitchen closed at 11 so the only thing they serve between 11pm and 2 am are wings.
Food eventually came and it was just eh. I ordered brown stew tilapia with rice & peas and they gave me mahi mahi, which I don’t even think was on the menu. The veggies, rice and peas were good.
And like most businesses with bad service, the waitress tip was included in the bill @ 20%!!!
This was probably the worst experience I’ve had at a restaurant. I think this is a poorly run business and I attribute many of its problems to operations management because the décor is OK and food is tolerable. Running a business takes more than just collecting money. Its about making sure your customers are happy. Start there and the money will come hand over fist.
I won’t be back!

Great place!
LOCATION: Right in Midtown, basically the corner of Crescent and 12^th. Across from the new luxury condos/​restaurants they built. There’s metered street parking, a parking lot down the street, and a parking deck you can pay to use nearby off Crescent.
DECOR/​AMBIENCE: Love the look of this place! It does have a fresh Carribeam vibe, the dark wood floors, flowy sheer white curtains, exposed wooden beams ceilings, and music all add to the vibe of the place. You have to acknowledge the thought put into it, for example the larged tufted seat backing for booth look to be more of a burlap/​linen instean of leather or velvet. That color and look choice aids to the stylish carribean vibe.
The tucked away feel of the place would make me feel comfortable coming here alone and sitting at the bar.
FOOD:
We had the Jerk Rolls for appetizer, they were delish! Basically they’re a carribean/​jamaican spring roll. They also have other flavors like curry
He got Escovitch Tilapia that comes with cabbage, try rice and peas, and plantain. He loved it
I got Brown Stew Tilapia that comes with the same stuff and it just wasn’t good. I usually just get brown stew chicken, but took a chance, but that backfired.
Coco bread– I love cocoa bread, I prefer mine slightly sweet. This one was basically just dough bread. I didn’t like because it wasn’t sweet, but it was good bread generally speaking.
Carrot Cake– for dessert I got this and was see disappointed with all the raisins in it. Why is my precious carrot cake stuffed with raisins. It was pretty good cake, but I had to basically tear it apart and eat it as crumbs because of all the raisins. Please just cook moist carrot cake with NO raisins.
Cocktails– We tried 2 of the signature cocktails and they were pretty good.
SERVICE: Here’s where the stars should fall. Alot. But I’m being nice since I’m carribean and want them to succeed. Buuuut service was slow, the server/​bartender had some what of an attitude (she may have been stressed though b/​c she was doing a lot, but still don’t catch attitudes with smiling customers) and the guy bartender was sloooooow I mean he was clearly just a pretty face and is new to making drinks… we sat at the bar and it took about 20 minutes to get our drinks, haha.
They really just seemed to be very disorganized. Someone needs to just come and tighten ship and this place could be a huuuge success. Because everyone loves Jamaicans and their food PLUS you’re located on the hottest block in the whole Atlanta. So, Stir It Up, Make sure your food is great (fresh quality and good flavor), make sure the kitchen has everything going out ON TIME, keep the place clean, continue to walk around happily engaging customers and you should be awesome! The owner was sweet btw, both her and Jasmine were doing there best to be friendly.
PEOPLE/​CROWD: Cool stylish mixed crowd.
ETC: I didn’t get a chance to go down stairs to the lounge part, but I’ll do that soon hopefully. Also they have different theme nights, go to their website to find out more information.
That block is becoming a little international food fare. There’s this jamaican restaurant, a new indian spot across the street, an irish pub, sushi, a couple southern restaurants, mexican cantina, a new burger spot with good olé american fare, etc. I’m loving it!
SUMMARY:
Everyone try them out. At the least «pre game» there with a drink and some jerk rolls! I hope they have success and continue to make improvements.
***UPDATE***: I’ve gone several times since the review above and I the food just depends on who’s cooking. We went for Sunday brunch during Easter and the food was AMAZING, I mean EVERYTHING we got was good… ackee & saltfish, chicken & waffle, jerk rolls, jerk chicken… service was good, music was good, and the one thing I can definitely say after going several times– atmosphere is GREAT. The owners a nice people and its just a perfect mix of cozy/​classy/​carribean :-) Chris is a great chef! The food is made fresh so prepare to wait 20 minutes to get it– which is stated on the menu.
I also had a chance to check out downstairs– very cool space!
I saw and spoke to Bravo’s Chef Roble’s incredibly nice and sweet sister, Jasmine, I’m giving them an extra star. Also, I do want them, a Carribean restaurant, in my neck of the woods to succeed.