Twisted Soul

This is a cute little restaurant near downtown Decatur.
I was the first to arrive in my party so sat at the bar. The bartender (warren) was personable and chatted with me until one of my friends arrived. While I was waiting the chef/​kitchen provided complimentary sample of chicken salad in wonton. I don’t typically care for chicken salad but this was really good!
I made reservations for my friends and I using Unilocal and it was quite simple and easy!
The food is soul food with a twist (duh, like the name). I stuck with traditional soul food and got fried chicken, Mac and cheese, and collared green rolls. Every single item was awesome! The Mac is a little drier (so not oozy cheese) but that’s what I prefer. The collared roll was interesting, I had never heard of it before. It’s exactly what it sounds like, which is basically collared greens rolled up. It’s seasoned well and tasty.
A friend got the chicken curry which is a newer menu item but she said it wasn’t what she was expecting and was more like a soup than a curry.
Another friend got the duck and waffles (play on chicken and waffles). She didn’t care for them that much. The waffle was too soft, duck too chewy.
I tried my friends apple cobbler and it was the best cobbler I ever had… seriously. Full disclaimer, I don’t like cobbler. But this one the crust is bakes in with the apples (not like others where the crust is laying on top of the apples). I liked this twist and it made the dish more pleasing to me.
Other things to note: service was a little slow but I had a good time with my friends so it didn’t bother me as much as it normally would have.
Also, the menu says 18% gratuity is added to parties if 8, we were a party of 5 and gratuity was added to our bill.

I’m so mad it took me this long to try Twisted Soul. Welcome to Decatur!!! This restaurant is definitely the new «go to» spot in Decatur. The food, ambience and service were all PHENOMENAL! Great beverage, wine and cocktail selection. Fun atmosphere with a positive vibe. Creative and delicious food, and a professional and attentive wait staff.

Food is great, the bar is nice as well. Great bartenders, ask for Warren I believe. Great takes on southern classics like fried chicken and Mac and cheese, the peach cobbler is to die for. One of the best spots in the entire Atlanta metro area to dine.

Twisted Soul has potential. If they heed the reviews they could be great.
We went for an early Sunday brunch so we weren’t able to try the cocktails. This location used to be Mar and we loved that restaurant — decided to give this place a try. The décor is pretty much the same as Mar. The music and service were great.
The menu descriptions were mouthwatering. The actual food was … bland. We had the pork chop which was prepared pretty well, slightly over. The meat had weird knife lines sliced throughout. Perhaps they were checking the temperature while cooking? The chops were drizzled in a sweet sauce and I personally prefer savory. The potatoes were also prepared well but they had no salt. At all. We got the seafood omelette which had crawfish and cheese but really no flavor. The sauce was creamy looked like it would be rich and flavorful but no. Again, all prepared well but eggs and cheese without salt and pepper is boring to say the least. Everything was also slightly over priced. Each brunch item was about $ 17-​$ 21.
We asked for salt and pepper. Then we asked for hot sauce. Clear information that we need to add flavor. The waiter inquired about the food and we admitted that it was bland. He thanked us for the review but that was it.
Three stars is still high for insipid food. However, the intent behind the creations is clearly there. The menu is really ambitious. You know what they say about over promising… The ingredients were great. Presentation beautiful. The use of seasonings and fresh herbs alone could turn my frown upside down. I wouldn’t mind paying slightly inflated prices for food that matched the mouthwatering descriptions. I’ll keep an eye on the reviews to see if they heed the suggestions. If so, maybe we’ll be back.

I have a mixed review of Twisted Soul. There were some things that I liked and some things I didn’t like.
THINGS I LIKED:
Moonshine Cocktail — This was my first time drinking moonshine. I was expecting that it would be strong and not have a pleasant taste, but I wanted to experience it at least once. I ordered the Georgia Sunrise which was a blend of Peach flavored moonshine, orange liqueur and lime juice. It was served in a mason jar glass. When I took the first sip I didn’t like the overall taste of the moonshine. It was strong. But as I stirred the drink and kept sipping on it, I warmed up to it. Or was it the buzz that I was getting from it that made me think that I liked it better?
My friend ordered the Peach Martini. She said it was strong, but she did like it, because she ended up ordering a second one midway through dinner. Many of the signature cocktails had some sort of Peach ingredient. I guess it’s due to Georgia being the Peach State.
Service — The service was good. The wait staff was very friendly.
Shrimp and Crab fritters — This dish was on the Small Plates section of the menu. It was definitely a small portion which consisted of four small bite size
(two shrimp and two crab filled) fritters. They were tasty though. I ordered this appetizer because many of the other Unilocal reviewers said this was one of the dishes they liked. I’m glad I tried it. I just wish the fritters were larger in size.
Sweet Tea glazed BBQ ribs — Even though this dish was on the Small Plates section of the menu, it was an ample sized portion. It was six meaty ribs in a sweet hickory barbecue sauce which was really tasty. I agree with some of the other Unilocal reviewers who noted the ribs were a little chewy. But the sauce made up for it.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
Inconsistent portion sizes — I didn’t like the inconsistency in portion sizes of the dishes. For example, the Shrimp and Crab fritters was a small portion while the BBQ ribs was a large portion even though both were considered appetizers (small plates).
Paella Macaroni Entrée — This dish was not appetizing and it didn’t match the menu description. It was a small portion size for an entrée. It was boiled elbow macaroni noodles in a light broth sauce topped with a few pieces of shrimp, mussels and one soggy chicken wing on top. It was served in a small cast iron skillet which I don’t understand because this dish wasn’t even a baked dish.
The menu said it was supposed to also be served with chorizo, crawfish and vegetables. These ingredients were missing from the dish. It was not good and was pricey. I wish they would remove this from the menu and bring back the Seafood (Lobster, Crawfish and Shrimp) Mac N Cheese entrée instead. I probably would have enjoyed that one better.
Dessert — Some Unilocal reviewers said that they liked the Peach Cobbler, so I decided to try it. It wasn’t a bad dessert. It was just okay to me. My friend ordered the Bread Pudding and said the same thing. We really should have skipped dessert.
Service — 5 stars
Food — 3 stars
Price — 2 stars

Again this is the best food in Atlanta!!! They did it again and we still haven’t had an entrée!!! Love this place and the food is simple yet complex flavors are SOOO robust even the drink was exceptional
Go to this restaurant and fall in love!!!

First time at this tasty place. Had the fried chicken with three cheese orchiette and collard rolls. And peach cobbler for dessert. Can hardly wait to come back and try some other things on this Southern-​inspired menu. Great atmosphere and excellent service too!

I really enjoyed this restaurant and I’m proud to say it’s the best soul food I’ve had in Atlanta and I’ve visited several places. I visited on a Scoutmob and didn’t have any problems using it. I got the Southern Marinated Fried Chicken and it was alot of food, the greens were fab, macaroni was good too. My husband got the Brasstown Meatloaf Burger and fries and was pleased also. We were served bread prior to our meal and the sweet potato roll they had with cinnamon on top was AMAZING yum! I’d go back just for that.
Just as other guest have mentioned, Connor was also our waiter and very knowledgable of the menu and attentive to our table. Having a waiter that is good helps with the dining experience tremendously.
The only reason I can’t give the restaurant 5 stars is because the parking, again, as everyone else has mentioned. We went to an early dinner on a Friday night at 7pm and circled the building and lot 4 times until we could find a park. not fun when you’re hungry.
I’ll def go back but I hope the parking situation gets better.

1^st visit to this Decatur hidden gem. Parking isn’t the best, clean and a friendly staff. My friend suggested this restaurant for brunch and it was an really good find. It’s a buffet of great looking options. My favs the chicken & waffles, seafood grits, mac & cheese and desserts. This is a great brunch spot to explore. I will definitely come back for brunch.

Nice, restored brick building. Seated on time with a reservation. My dinner mates thought the meal was just ok. I ordered the fried chicken and greens which were fantastic. The mac and cheese were nothing special. The service and staff were great. I would have
given the restaurant four stars but the chairs were brutal.
Very uncomfortable.

Great and I mean really terrific service tonight. My wife and 2 kids had dinner and everyone was welcoming. Connor our waiter was attentive and pleasant, the owner/​manager came out to say hello and thank us.
The small plates were all terrific, especially liked the black eyed pea salsa and chips as well as the seafood fritters. My son and I had fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and a very well presented and tasty spin on collards that was incredible. My youngest had the kids plate with about the same. My wife is Vegan so it’s usually hard to please all of us but they did have a vegan option which she seemed to like.
Portions are plenty, took some chicken home and the cocktails were southern eclectic at it’s best… we’ll definitely be back!

Peach cobbler review. DONT BUY IT! Very sloppy in making. It was MUSH! Tasted like canned peaches. NO crust, just mushy mush. Nothing special and my 13 year old who doesn’t cook or know anything about cooking anything could do better. You’d better to buy a Marie Calendars cobbler from the store AND SPARE THE DISAPPOINTMENT! Don’t buy it !!
Again Don’t buy it! I got the Marie Calendars because I was let down soooo badly. I had to get normal with the cobbler feeling again.
Service was fantastic and it’s too bad this thing they call dessert let them ALL down on this review. Horrible, Tragic, dishonorable end to a good meal.

This will be short and sweet. Just follow my directions and you will have a great meal. Sit at the bar. Make sure David is your bartender. Order the meatloaf burger and fries. Then order a variety of drinks, whether it’s the peach martini with peach jam and Georgia peach sweetness or a special margarita (my friend got a grapefruit flavored margarita and it was amazing). And enjoy your meal. Everything was delicious and the service was even better. I can’t wait to return here soon.

I’ve been wanting to try this place since it opened, and last night we finally did.
The People:
My wife, me, and another couple
The Atmosphere:
Beautiful restaurant with urban chic vibe
The Service:
Over the top friendly. Our server, Blue, was very passionate about his job, made us fee at home, and made awesome recommendations
The Food (rating scale 1 — 5):
Appetizers — fried duck & sweet potato waffles (4)
Shrimp & crab fritters (5)
Entrees — southern fried chicken (4)
Sweet tea ribs (4)
Pan roasted grouper (4.5)
Dessert — bananas foster banana pudding (4.5)
Peach cobbler w/​vanilla ice cream (5)
The Overall Experience:
I absolutely loved this place and can’t wait to go back. While the food didn’t score all 5’s, they were all very strong dishes. The shrimp & crab fritter and the peach cobbler stole the show, as they were the best two things we had all night. The duck was good, and I loved it with the waffle; I was just surprised that it didn’t have a crust, even though it was deep fried. The chicken was moist and crispy, the portion was huge, but it could use just a touch more seasoning. The ribs had great flavor and I loved the chew, but my friend thought they could be a little more tender. The grouper was moist and delicious! And all three had great sides that paired really well. The bananas foster banana pudding was a touch too sweet, but that didn’t stop me from downing nearly the whole thing (unfortunately I had to share with the others at the table). But that peach cobbler… Not too sweet, the right amount of crust, and the ice cream just took it over the top. It’s one of those desserts that you keep checking to see if there is any more in the bowl, well after you’ve licked it clean. Don’t judge me…

Service was slow, wait for a table was long and food was mediocre. It seemed like they didn’t have enough staff to handle the volume of people. However I really liked the presentation.
I ordered the grilled chicken salad and the ingredients did not seem to be paired well. The salad was not tossed, and the grilled chicken was one breast that was not sliced. The bread that comes with the meal was dry.
The have a very nice interior and outdoor seating. But, the table i sat at seemed to have been painted by hand and there was paint chipping off, I thought that was tacky. They should have gone over the table with some type of clear coat after painting.

Took forever to get seated. Took forever to get greeted by a server. Took forever to get the appetizer and entrée, but what’s worst are the food portions. The portions for the chips and bean salsa is so small that a bird can eat it and would still be hungry afterwards!
I ordered the beef short rib w/​lasagna. The portions were so small that I was done with it in 5 minutes. By the way, this entrée cost $ 22.00. I was so pissed, that I asked the server to send the chef over. I literally wanted to know what they were thinking. The chef never came but the server ended up speaking on behalf of the chef saying they wanted to go light on the beef for summer. RIDICULOUS! I began to look around to see what other people had on their plates and it looks like the fried chicken is the way to go to get full. Either way, if I can’t get full for a $ 22.00 entrée and a $ 7.00 appetizer, you literally deserve a one star and probably a different chef. I definitely don’t recommend this place.

We ate at Twisted Soul for the first time last week and were extremely impressed. The food was very good and the service was outstanding.
The restaurant has a large, outdoor patio out back with plenty of seating. Our server, Yvan, went above and beyond bringing us tastes of different wines to find the perfect pairing to go with our meal. She brought us homemade berry popsicles afterward we ate, too. I had one of the house moonshine drinks and was pleasantly surprised – it wasn’t too sweet by any means.
For our entrees, my boyfriend got the shortrib lasagna. The portobello mushrooms in it were out of this world delicious, I got the fried green tomato sandwich with bacon. It was pretty good, but I was most impressed by the delicious tempura-​battered homemade fries. Yum!
This is a great addition to downtown Decatur. I hope it’s location, tucked across the street from Kimball House, doesn’t deter people from trying it out. We’re planning to go back soon.

Oh my GOSH!!! This place is amazing! Whenever the Mr. and I go in, we’re treated like family. Mr. Warren and Ms. Lorraine feel like our brother and sister – and we got the 30 seconds into our first visit.
The food is fantastic. Try the shrimp and crab fritters, the ribs, chicken and waffles, and the chicken salad on wontons. They’re awesome!
The drinks are exceptional! Since both of us are bartenders, E and I are particular about our drinks. When I tell you they’re amazing, I’m not joking! The moonshine drinks are the greatest!
Go now… RIGHT NOW! Tell them that Jenn sent you!

Welcome to the scene TS! Came here on a Sunday evening, and it did not disappoint. Very cool ambiance, I suspect if we came later in the night, it might not be so child friendly. But the wait staff was spot on, easily among the best service we’ve received here in ATL.
Started with the Twisted Soul salad with goat cheese. Wonderful!!! I wish there was a little more goat cheese goodness, but I was sharing with hubby. Maybe next time I’ll tell him to get his own.
Per our waiter’s recommendations, I got the country fried steak. I was a little skeptical, but it was fabulous! The sauce was awesome-​sauce!!! And the green beans — those were the best green beans I have ever had. If all green bean dishes tasted like that, I would not hesitate to heap on green bean casseroles at holiday gatherings.
Finished with the bread pudding — INCREDIBLE! Absolutely loved it, and really had to try not to glare at hubby from eating more than just the bite or two he said he was going to have.
Will be back!
Quick note — immediate parking adjacent to the restaurant is quite tight. They have another lot shared with Kimball House.

Have you ever been on one of those rollercoaster rides where the first drop ends up being the most exciting part of the ride??? Well… that’s kind of how our meal went the other night.
Although we ordered their PEI mussels to start, we were pleasantly surprised with a complimentary preview from the chef– an amuse bouche
«Mooze Bouche» (that’s what it showed on the receipt) — It was a chicken salad on a «wonton” — this was actually excellent. A great blend of distinct textures (crunchy/​chewy/​crisp ~ fried wonton shell/​chicken/​veggie) and the flavors melded well together. This really got us excited for our meal.
I also ordered a glass of Soul Sister Pinot (I forgot which year) — but it was excellent. Great recommendation from our waiter.
PEI mussels– With all this anticipation, these mussels were unfortunately downright uninspiring. You wanna talk about «deflategate»? How about our expectations. Sigh. No complexity in the broth, the mussels themselves were more or less on the brink of going bad– a good ¼ of them didn’t open up very much upon cooking, which basically told us to steer clear! Without any improvements, this shouldn’t be on the menu.
For our entrees, we had the following:
Southern fried tenderloin– Now this was recommended by the waiter– I was trying to choose between the braised short ribs and this dish. Although I requested medium, it ended up being well-​done. SMH. I understand that when you deep fry, it might make it difficult to keep the meat at medium… but still. Chewy. The only nice thing about this dish was the element of truffle flavor in the gravy. The mashed potatoes and green beans were competent, but nothing special. (3)
Marinated fried chicken– Other reviewers have mentioned this as well– but the breast was WAY dried. Like Kroger fried chicken DRY. Not cool. The breading was crispy and tasty, and the leg and thigh meat was passable. We kind of wondered what kind of marinade they used, because the meat wasn’t particularly flavorful– I mean, it was good, but there wasn’t any obvious hint as to what could’ve been used in the marinade. (2.5) When you’re an upscale southern restaurant, you need to at least fry your chicken breasts at a similar competency level as the local Bojangles, right?
Well, after our entrees, we didn’t really want dessert.
I really like the way this place is set up– ambiance is nice, unique compared to other spots in downtown Decatur– it does get too loud because there isn’t much to absorb noise.
Despite our bad initial experience I still think this place has a lot of potential, and I really hope they will take reviews into consideration and make changes that are needed. We really do need a non-​Brickstore-​affiliated business to do well in downtown Decatur!