Feast Restaurant

First of all, why don’t I get over to Decatur more often? It is such a fantastic part of town with it’s eclectic shops, dining, watering holes, etc. Recently I was reminded/​reprimanded by some friends that it had been a while since we’d gotten together, and it was time. After a flurry of Facebook messages and Google searches for a place that offered a variety of food for all of our palates, we settled on Feast, and I am so glad we did.
I love a great restaurant discovery, and I found one in Feast. It’s tucked away a bit, not in the square, but not hard to find either. The dining room is intimate and the décor is cozy. The wine list is sufficient (I was not going to drink that night, but oopsie…), and I actually loved my Pinot Noir. I split the crab appetizer with one friend and it was delicious.
But where I have to give Feast props is my entrée. Trying to move toward a more plant-​based diet, especially with all of the «bad» ingredients that restaurants use to make their food taste great, I decided to order the veggie plate (4 veggies for $ 15). I have always been reluctant to order veggie only, lest I pay $ 30 for dinner only to have my stomach growling when I go to bed.
Well not only were the servings generous, but the veggies tasted amazing! If you want to call risotto a veggie, that is… but honestly, my favorite items were the mushrooms and the asparagus. Both were packed with flavor, and the mushrooms were so rich in taste that I actually felt like I was eating meat. You know how you get full and just can’t stop? That was me with the ‘shrooms. My haricot verts were also good and filling. I can happily report that I left Feast MISERABLY full and was for the rest of the night. If you’re looking for a solid meal with a quaint atmosphere, good service and decent wine menu… and you want to venture to the wilds of Decatur… then Feast gets my recommendation.

I have to admit that I secretly wanted my dining experience at Feast to be horrendous so that I could start with a clever quip about how the restaurant should change its name from «Feast» to «Famine». Alas, my plan was foiled, but for all the right reasons. Although I don’t believe Feast is of comparable caliber to some of the more well-​known restaurants near Decatur Square, it still offers a respectable dining experience.
Food: Feast specializes in fresh and uncomplicated American Continental fare. The menu contains a fairly comprehensive assortment of options, including soups, salads, wood-​fired pizza, pastas, and various meat-​based entrees. Additional sides are also available, but I’ve never found any of them to be overly unique or impressive. My preferred entrée is the bone-​in pork chop, which is topped with a bourbon pomegranate glaze and accompanied by smoked chili buttermilk potato purée and green apple relish. Although I’ve never ordered dessert, they do have several options, including a sampler of four different items of your choice.
Service: Knowledgeable and attentive. The staff are generally well-​versed on the menu and capable of making recommendations without automatically reverting to the most expensive item. The wait for food can be particularly long at times though, regardless of whether the restaurant is at capacity.
Atmosphere: Intimate, casual, and welcoming. The restaurant itself is quite small, but the bar area is reasonably impressive. Clientele is eclectic, but mostly adults and smaller parties.
Cost: Moderately expensive. Appetizers are $ 5-​$ 10, pizzas are $ 13-​$ 15, pastas are $ 16-​$ 24, and entrees are $ 15-​$ 25. Sides are all $ 5.
Other: Parking isn’t too problematic. For the most part, there are always ample spaces available outside the restaurant on East College Ave. Also, gratuity is added for parties of five or more and there is a $ 3 charge for split entrees.

I had the pleasure of going to Feast with a friend of mine the other night. I admit, I originally highlighted it as a place I wanted to try because of Unilocal.
I called ahead to make a reservation for 7 pm on a Thursday and once we arrived (a little late due to traffic, of course), we were whisked to a cozy table in the back offering a grand view of our fellow diners and the delicious dessert display case.
Our waitress was very attentive, bringing water to the table in a classy wine bottle, fresh warm bread and olive oil with parmesan for dipping, and telling us the specials of the evening right after being seated. She also recommended the pizzas as her favorite, though neither of us ended up getting one. Next time, perhaps.
My friend ordered the Ashley farms chicken and I had the scallops and risotto. Both were, in a word, delicious! The scallops were cooked to perfection, the onion salad atop a generous portion of risotto had a nice tang, and the presentation was very good. I can’t speak for my companion entirely, but our plates were clean by the end of the meal.
All in all, I would definitely recommend it — it’s a little off the beaten path in Decatur (not on the square like many places) but so worth the extra trouble of finding it.

We got a gift certificate from our friends for this place. Last night was our anniversary and we decided to make a reservation earlier in the week and use this gift card.
Let me first say the space itself is adorable and very cozy and I like the location and the fact that it is off a little sidestreet with ample parking. That being said, I am not sure I would actually go back. Well, I would probably go back, but I would have pizza and a salad next time and would make sure we don’t get the same waiter.
We selected a nice bottle of French wine from the $ 25 list, which I appreciate they have bottles at that price. And then we started with Chicken Livers, which we both love — they were ok. We have had better. They smelled and tasted a wee bit burnt. I liked the apples that were served with the livers but wasn’t crazy about the really crispy and tiny pieces of toast.
I ordered the salmon and my husband ordered the trout. At this point, things went a little downhill. I waited tables for 17+ years and it is truly a PET PEEVE of mine when I have to pour my own wine. I once worked at Spaghetti Warehouse in Charlotte and people paying $ 7 for pasta didn’t have to pour their own wine in my station. You see where I am going with this — I gave our waiter 3 chances to walk by and see our empty glasses before I gave up and just poured it myself. You would think that after he saw the glasses were miraculously full and he didn’t do it, he would pay better attention — wrong — instead he then didn’t even bother to bring back water for us in a bottle he removed himself and I had to ask him for that as well.
There was a bottle of olive oil on our table that I saw several other servers pouring into something on their tables, but I have no idea what it was for, as our waiter didn’t seem to utilize it on any tables in his apparent station.
When the food came, my appetizer plate was in front of me and I had to move it (lack of prebussing, another HUGE pet peeve of mine as well). My salmon was good and cooked how I requested it, which I appreciate — though I had to put salt on it, which was a little disappointing. I would have also liked a spoon for the broth in my bowl (salmon with butternut squash, pearl couscous, and PEI mussels in a broth). My husband’s trout was a tiny bit dry and he also had to add salt.
At the end of the meal, when the waiter asked if I was finished and took my plate — HE ASKED ME IF THE WINE BOTTLE WAS EMPTY!!! I wanted to politely tell him that if he was doing his job, he would know the answer to that question, but I refrained.
We were full and (quite honestly) slightly frustrated at this point and so we didn’t have dessert or coffee and I left him a basic 15% tip instead of my normal 20% — I was also prepared to leave more, since we had a gift card and didn’t have to pay for our own meal — I was tempted to just leave 10%, but I just couldn’t after so many years of waiting tables…
I will probably go back in time, but, like I said, would have something simpler and would just be prepared to pour my own wine.
We have several friends who love this place and it is a go-​to place for them, so I am sure my experience was ‘off’ and would be willing to go back, but it will be a while before that happens.
I greatly appreciate the GC and love our friends for it — but just wished my service was better…

My Other’s mother is looking for a place to celebrate her 60^th birthday and as a test run we took them to Feast tonight. I cant explain why but I really love this place. So lets get to it!
Service: Claire was our server, as lovely as she could be. No joke, going forward Im inclined to call first and see when she is working just to make sure is she our server again. The night moved at our own pace which made it very relaxing and enjoyable. She asked when to place our orders and didnt leave a check until we asked for it. Great great job! Te manager stopped the the table to check on how things went… and very nice touch to end a wonderful evening.
Food:
—-Apps:
The Assorted Olive plate: Those who ate it said it was really good.
The Crab Dip: Damn right I ordered that again! And it was just as delicious as the first time.
—-Soup: The lobster bisque was the soup of the day. I was creamy with chunks of lobster throughout. Its was the BEST I’ve had!
—-Entrees:
The Rib-​eye Special: Both myself and Other ordered one, it was 12oz of meaty goodness! Other mentioned it was one of the best steaks he’s ever had. For me? Yeah, it was the best steak Ive ever had. I still have half of it to eat tomorrow. =)
His mom ordered the lobster risotto, she loved it! (see previous review)
Her husband ordered the the Margarita pizza and he enjoyed that as well.
No dessert tonight, we were all too stuffed. We got there earlier and only one other table was there. By the time we left the place was packed and people were waiting for tables to open up. Keep that in mind.
The drinks were great and I stuck with what a knew rather then venture out into the martini specials. Everyone seemed to have a great time and his mom love the evening. It was a very nice time!
I hope your experience is as wonder as our evening tonight!!!

This is a great Decatur restaurant! Thank goodness for Scoutmob because I wouldn’t have tried it — it’s not too expensive, I’m just broke lol! Food was interesting and tasted great. Note: some of the dishes are a la carte, so read the menu carefully. The server was prompt and nice, even though the restaurant was full. It’s such a pretty restaurant and has a great ambiance. Unlike other restaurants attempting to be chic, they took the time to decorate and they leave the lights on so you can see :)
Definitely going to go back!

Regarding my relatively negative review, I wanted to note two things:
1) This did happen a year and a half ago, but it was based on a collection of experiences. I have not been there recently.
2) The owner contacted me as a result of my review. Her concern makes me confident that there will be focus to avoid these issues in the future and also that these issues might already be addressed.
When I try Feast again, I will update my review.

Note my review is based on brunch only (which I’ve had here several times). I haven’t had the opportunity to try dinner here yet… I hope to soon. The sad part is… Feast no longer offers brunch or lunch. I’m sure their service and food quality is the same from when I was there for brunch as it would be for dinner now. With that being said… Feast is one of those places with mismatched tables and chairs… trying to be «different». I actually appreciate the atmosphere there… especially on their back patio. Their food was fresh and tasty, but nothing too fancy or difficult actually. Service was always good when I was there. A few times the kitchen was running slowly, but that happens sometimes during busy hours.
Overall…this is a nice, fun Decatur restaurant. I hope to make my way to Feast for dinner soon.

Great place for a girls night! We went and enjoyed yummy champagne, my favorite Casal Garcia vinho verde, and shared the crab & artichooke dip. Yum.
The menu is varied and offers fantastic options for meat eaters and vegetarians. I loved my scallops with polenta (a sub for brown rice), but I had order envy on some of the salads at my table. Everything looked divine. Fab sweet potato fries.
The service is super friendly! Everyone seems eager to ensure your meal is going great. I would also like to note that my girlfriend accidentally knocked over my full glass of champagne when she got up to use the restroom (the tablecloth was in her way). Feast brought me another one, at no extra charge. Nice!!!
Its super easy to make reservations. I would definitely recommend going that route, especially on weekends.
We had a Scoutmob, which they happily honored to our group of 6. Fantastic.

Great food but a little pricey.
I really enjoyed the Feast salad but the lobster bisque was disappointing. It was more of a tomato soup. Where’s lobster?
They made up for the soup when I had the veggie plate. Everyone of my veggie picks were delicious! The sweet potato mash was my favorite.
The service was fantastic. Not overly in your face but attentive.
Our table shared a bottle of the house pinot noir (Black Sheep.) We all enjoyed it.
I used my Scout Mob to bring down the bill. Just a heads up, if you use your Scout mob gratuity is included.

I went with my sig-​o to Feast last night for dinner and it was delicious, satisfying, and more food than I should probably have consumed in an evening…
I was surprised by some of the other reviews that gave Feast one star — so to counter their reviews, I will offer a couple of helpful hints/​comments:
1) I had a Scoutmob for the restaurant and for our table of 2 — we too were automatically charged gratuity… which surprised me initially. But I re-​read my Scoutmob coupon and it said on there that we should expect a gratuity charge with use of the Scoutmob. I think too many people are tipping based on the discounted total for the meal — and not on the original total… hence the gratuity automatically added.
2) Make reservations. We went on a Tuesday night and the restaurant filled up pretty quickly. We were seated quickly… but I will make reservations in the future.
The food was great — very rich. As a table, we had: the crab/​artichoke dip (a large portion), chicken remoulade, and lamb burger… oh and the kahlua crème cake (which was amazing!).
Our server was also very nice and attentive. I will be going back! :)

I was unsure of how to review Feast after my first visit. I decided to try them for a special occasion instead of going to my local favorite, Cakes and Ale. I tried not to keep comparing the two in my mind, but ultimately I was a bit disappointed.
The service was spot-​on — our waiter was prompt, friendly, and well-​informed about the different items on the menu. He also suggested a great wine for my entrée, although I suffered a bit of sticker shock when I saw that it was $ 12.50/glass. I ordered it anyway, since it was a special occasion.
I got the Feast salad, which was good, although I agree with previous reviewers that it’s very light on dressing. That’s actually how I like my salads, so I didn’t mind. But even the small portion was a lot of salad, and I found myself wishing they’d given me less greens so that the flavors of the cheese, pecans, and pears were more prominent. Overall I thought it could have packed more of a punch.
My White Marble Farms pork chop entrée was delicious. The meat was flavorful, as was the sauce they served with it, and I loved the sweet potato mash. The steamed broccoli was a bit limp, though. And, when I got home and Googled White Marble Farms, hoping to learn about a local meat producer, I was saddened to read this:
«White Marble Farms is a brand of Sysco, North America’s largest food services distributor. The pork comes from Cargill Meat Solutions, America’s second-​largest meat processor. It is bred to ensure tender meat marbled with just enough flavor-​boosting fat. But these pigs never see a pasture. They’re raised indoors in confinement barns, just the way most commercial pork is produced, except in smaller numbers. Aside from genetics, they’re conventional pigs wearing a lip gloss of sustainability.» Source:
Apparently even a lot of restaurant owners aren’t aware of the fact that «White Marble Farms» meat doesn’t actually come from a farm, so I will give Feast the benefit of the doubt here. But man, that bothers me.

Great food, service is friendly and the manager/​host is wonderful!
We came here on a super busy night and as we waited he offered to bring us a drink.
Ambience is really nice, dim lighting, dark colors, candles, this restaurant is beautiful and cozy feeling.
For entrees, we ordered the duck and the lamb burger.
Restaurant was packed and the waitress told us that they were slammed so it would be slower than usual but she would bring us some bread.
It did take awhile for the food to come out but the burger and sweet potato fries were really tasty. The duck on the other hand was extremely salty. eyes watering, cured meat salty. Now I’m a girl that likes salt and seasoning but this just blew me out of the water.
We told the waitress about our dilemma and she said she would talk to the chef. Minutes later the same host/​manager comes to our table, sits down and says that they are making a fresh one from scratch for us. He had even tried the plate that we sent back and completely agreed with our complaint. He explains that its one of their best dishes that they pride themselves in and in the chaos of a busy service something must have been screwed up. We got a sincere apology and said he would void the charges.
15 minutes later the duck comes out and it is a completely different dish, so yummy and crispy, perfectly cooked.
Really appreciated the effort by the staff and manager to make sure we were happy with our food. Definitely will come back with my scoutmob to try some different dishes!

Reader, let me tell you why I’ll never return to Feast.
The lady and I returned to Feast over the weekend, motivated by a Scoutmob offer. We’d been before a couple times, enjoyed the food, thought the service was all right, and so on. This night was a harsh wake-​up call.
Thanks to Scoutmob, the restaurant was packed and overwhelmed. Our waiter mentioned that they had been slammed since the offer went live but didn’t realize that Sunday would also be packed? Why would you not staff yourself appropriately and then cut people if necessary or perhaps even call for extra help? Poor management, I guess.
Because of the traffic, everything was slow. We never got a drink in less than 10 minutes and our food – not to mention just getting attention from our server – was extremely slow coming out. We were cool about it, though, joking with our server about Scoutmob destroying his employer, the very fussy (sending food back, complaining about things, etc.) eight top he had nearby. We wanted him to know it was cool, things happen.
But here’s something that shouldn’t happen in these circumstances. We were given an automatic gratuity. On a crazy night where we got terrible service, our table of two people weren’t given the choice to tip how we felt appropriate. It’s a shame, too, because we were so insulted that we didn’t give our server the 20% we would have otherwise.
Oh, and that pain-​in-​the-​ass eight top? Our server informed them that he was waving the auto-​gratuity for them. I guess Feast thinks that nice people don’t deserve to be rewarded. A disappointing decision indeed. We won’t be coming back.

This is one of those times when I appreciate having Unilocal.While my opinion may NOT matter to the restaurant manager, as he stood transfixed by the Saints vs Seahawks football game while we waited patiently for our server to come back to see if we wanted drinks — I guess we should have ordered drinks when we sat down… I mean, she asked then… we just thought she would come back a little sooner… — and walked past the table numerous times while I sat salad untouched for the entire meal because there was not enough salad dressing on the salad for me to eat it — raw greens? I think I’ll pass.
We finally got our drinks… they were out of the Malbec on the menu, so she suggested a wine that was considerably MORE than the wine that I wanted. we’re not penny pinchers, but a seasoned server would offer several solutions — comparable wines both in price and in taste. We knew she was not a seasoned server because then she asked my boyfriend if he wanted his dirty martini on the rocks…(pause to let that sink in.)
The service dropped from there.
I ordered the eggplant soup special (a cup) and a Feast Salad (the smaller portion). I know my limits and I ordered what I thought would be a delicious meal. I ate the soup — it was o.k. Not very flavorful and not what I expected for a «Special». Then I moved on to the salad… there was very little if any dressing. I had to ask my boyfriend to taste to see if maybe I was missing something.
To an outsider it would probably have been very interesting «people watching» to watch our table… we tossed the salad… scrutinized the salad. He tasted a little, I tasted a little. Couldnt taste any dressing… so I looked around. Our waitress danced around our table for the entire meal assisting other customers. So I caught another server walking by. I asked if he could bring me a side of dressing… he said «certainly» and never came back… As i stated in the first paragraph of this review, the manager passed our table SEVERAL times and didnt stop to ask anything — «hows the food?» «can I get you anything?» nothing!
My boyfriend ordered the chorizo and queso fresco pizza. It was quite large… could definitely be shared among two people (of course, my boyfriend and I dont eat very large portions). so thats was a plus.
As we left the manager caught us outside and asked how everything was… too little too late bud.
My boyfriend summed it up succinctly:
Ok food
Terrible Service
Manager didnt care.
NOT going back.

We came in to Feast to try the crab and artichoke dip everyone has been raving about on all the previous reviews. It didn’t dissapoint and it was good stuff, id definitely recommend it.
For our dinner I had the chorizo and queso fresco cheese which I enjoyed, it was a way bigger pizza then I expected and I had to take some home. It was probably more of a flatbread then a pizza but really good.
We also got the seafood étouffée which was a special for the night, it had alot of seafood pieces in it but was definitely more soupy then I expected.
Our service was great and Ill definitely be back.

I have been to feast over a dozen times so I guess that make me a fan. Ive never been during the day, or for a holiday and today was the day to try this out. Easter Sunday brunch was a buffet at $ 24 pp and was a delight.
We dined outside in the back under a tent, but tables were available in the sun as well. The day was sunny and perfect. 4^th of July we would have melted but April is perfect.
The place is a often little crowded for many southerner’s but that’s something I can deal with.
The buffet was filled with blueberry pancakes, strawberry crepes, pastries, eggs with fresh spinach poached salmon, a giant roast beef ham mac-​n-​cheese and lots of other veg and brunchy choices. Fresh fruit, white choc bread pudding (my fav) and cherry cobbler finished off the meal.
My picky Mom was in town and was thrilled with the super fresh and delish food. She paid the tab and thought it was a bargain. Service was buffet so not too involved but still very good.
Feast continues to do everything they can to turn out a great meal with fresh tasty ingredients and I’m glad to do my part to help:-)
Always call for reservations and they’ll try to accommodate you. Let your crowd out and the door and park the car then catch up with them as downtown Decatur parking is almost always a challenge.
Word is that they’re opening a new place [in addition] in the old Depot space across the street and Im sure that will be a hit as well. I’ll be there soon after I learn it’s open!

Took my Groupons here tonight with a party of 4 and was able to enjoy a great meal. I thought the portion sizes were very generous given the relatively low cost per entrée. I had the duck, which I would rate about 4 stars. One of my friends had the lamb burger, which he really enjoyed, and only cost about $ 12. The baked brie was good, but probably had a bit too much jam on it.
Service is great here too. My printer broke, so I couldn’t print out the Groupons, but the host was more than willing to accommodate me when I called in for reservations that evening. This place is very affordable, and has an unpretentious atmosphere considering the gourmet food put out.

Really nice place for dinner. Not super-​fancy, but a really solid place at a fair price. This is a good place for a dinner out for no special reason. The small plates are great, and they execute very well. Desserts are killer! The wine list is OK, but again, this is not a place for the super-​picky.
I highly recommend the salmon cakes, which I normally do not like. They are great here! The grilled asparagus is great. Avoid the pasta, though. The red sauce is just a glorified ketchup (admittedly, I am a red sauce snob).
Perhaps the worst thing about this place is the parking, which is kind of tight.

I done feasted again. This time it was for brunch. The same lovely hostess warmly greeted us [and remembered us, from our first and only visit!]
The boy and I settled on the Peanut Butter Bananas French Toast [sans the peanut butter] and the Wood Oven Bistro Steak [with skillet potatoes, two eggs, tomato olive relish], cheddar grits, and sweet potato fries.
We commented to each other on how friendly and warm Feast is. A small group of knitters were seated next to us, comparing creations and ordering fresh tea. Another large group sat in front of us and seemed to be regulars. We were content on a balmy Sunday afternoon, just to be sitting in the sunlight and on the verge of sating our rumbling innards. Then our server appeared with a small smile on his lips.
«Do you have any allergies?»
Me :surprised:: «Uh yeah, to bell peppers — yellow, red, green.»
The boy: «Thanks for asking. We always forget to inform the server unless it is listed on the menu as an ingredient or garnish.»
Server: «No worries. I’ll make sure there’s no bell peppers on the steak»: smiles, pivots & turns:
Me, to boy: «How does he *know*? He wasn’t our server the other time. Is he psychic? Is there a picture of me in the kitchen from the last time, when I said «no bell peppers, please?» Have I been blacklisted?
Our food came out, hot and delicious. The steak was succulent and juicy. I didn’t let a single tomato or olive go to waste. The cheese grits were favored, and the sweet potato fries were really, really great.
Needless to say, we were wildly curious about the server’s allergy knowledge and we developed all sorts of espionage plots and spy software. Then we just decided to simply ask him. He slyly winked and admitted the hostess made him aware.
Anyone else might have tried to kill me. I mean, one less annoying person with food allergies is a noble goal. But these people are actually trying to keep me alive. How can I not return?