Miller Union

Oooooo delicious! I came here for a Friday dinner with my husband, sister-​in-​law, and her husband. The service was great and the food was excellent as well!

Fresh ingredients from local farms make sure the food quality in Miller Union the best. Pork Belly and Chicken Liver Mousse are my two favorite appetizer. Entrees are not as amazing as appetizers. Service is little bit slow.

This place is really overrated. While like most posters I had great service, the food was ok to good while the ambience is overrated as well. Starter was the hush puppies with grits which while good, didn’t have much flavor. The entrée was the sautéed quail which while tender had little flavor. Since the ice cream sandwiches are only a lunch item I did have a lemon tart with graham cracker ice cream which was flavorful. In the end, this is a one and done place.
I should add that the bar did look appealing.

Everything here is great. The lamb shoulder was probably the best lamb I’ve ever had. I also recommend the grits fritters and hummus as appetizers, but I have my eyes on the pork belly for next time

Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta! I have been to Miller Union twice and neither time was a disappointment. The service was really fast and very friendly. I would definitely recommend trying one of the bourbon cocktails and definitely dessert (brioche pudding if they have it)! We had the lamb and the vegetable plate the most recent time we visited here. The lamb was really good, and the vegetable plate was a big portion. However I would definitely recommend trying an entrée other than the vegetable plate.

We came here for dinner on a Saturday evening with a group of 8 of us. They have valet but there is also a parking garage nearby. We were a bit early and got cocktails by the bar. I tried the Southern Son and it was excellent! Not too sweet at all. I would have loved a glass of wine with dinner but they did not have any options for glasses of red under $ 14 or bottles for less than $ 45! Seems pretty steep. We started with the egg baked in celery cream with bread. OMG so delicious! A must try! I wasn’t all that impressed with the entrees themselves. I tried the lamb shoulder and also tried my friends dish which was the duck. Neither were stand out dishes. Just not a whole lot of flavor and small portions. The service was great!

«It’s like my comic relief and my only way of getting back at people, even though I do it secretly,» Mr. McCarthy said.
This is from an article in the New York Times. «getting back at people»? WTH??? He admitted he has an instagram account where he makes fun of and belittles birthday cakes that his customers bring in. What a total dick. Now I’ll definitely think twice about going there. And it sucks because I really like Miller Union. It was formerly a go-​to about once a month for me.

I think it’s tacky when a customer brings a cake into a restaurant for a special event. After all, the restaurant is there to make money. Even tackier, is being the owner of a restaurant and saying this in the New York Times:
Excerpt from an article in the New York Times (on-​line) January 11, 2016:
«Cakes are meaningful, so it is no surprise that people sometimes bring them along to a restaurant as a celebratory coda to a special meal. And it’s no surprise that restaurants don’t always like it.
So restaurants often charge customers to cut and plate the cake. Sometimes they add a scoop of ice cream. The practice has come to be called cakeage. It’s a play on corkage, the fee a restaurant levies to open a bottle of wine brought by the customer.
Neal McCarthy, who owns the Atlanta restaurant Miller Union with the chef Steven Satterfield, takes things a step further. His private Instagram account is filled with photographs of cakes customers have carried into Miller Union. He pokes fun at grocery store monstrosities and cakes fashioned from chocolate chip cookie dough, cracking wise about garish icing and other questionable decorative choices.
«It’s like my comic relief and my only way of getting back at people, even though I do it secretly,» Mr. McCarthy said. «These people sought out a nice restaurant, yet they undermine it by bringing in the world’s most hideous cakes.»
(End of excerpt)
Getting back at people? Really? I totally understand Mr. McCarthy’s frustration, but to mock your customers publicly is very unprofessional.

I was here on a recent weekend evening, and I just loved everything about it. The servers were on point and very helpful, the food was all excellent, and the wine list was extensive and all good. We arrived about 30 minutes early for our reservation intending to grab a cocktail at the bar but were pleasantly surprised to be seated right away.
In terms of food:
It’s essentially fancy Southern food. Not shrimp and grits … more excellent cuts of meat and fish with a Southern edge.
We started with the pea hummus and pork belly appetizers. Recommend both!
I had the braised lamb shoulder and LOVED it. He had the chicken, and while it was good, he was less keen on the overall dish. Wasn’t a big fan of how the sauce turned out, I think.
We valet parked our car. Unclear if there is alternate parking in the area.

The homemade ice cream sandwiches at Miller Union are on the 2013 Atlanta Convention and visitor’s bureau signature 100 list so I decided to stop by for some. They’re only available with the lunch menu, although I don’t know why because they’re delicious!!! They also change up almost every day so you can always go back for more :)
Before the ice cream, I had a shrimp po boy with fries and hushpuppies for an appetizer. The hush puppies are so good they practically melt in your mouth!!! They’re similar to the ones at Holeman and Finch but slightly better.

One of the best meals I’ve ever had. Everything we ate was top notch:
1) Farm Egg & celery cream appetizer– probably their most popular app and easy to see why. It’s delicious and unique. Try it.
2) Scallop appetizer (it was fall so was made with pumpkin) — scallop was seared perfectly, and was extremely flavorful.
3) Duck leg confit — This was outstanding. The flavor of the glaze was so powerful. Perfectly executed.
4) Lamb shoulder– so tender, with kind of a mint chimichurri sauce that was incredible.
This restaurant is special. In the conversation for best restaurant in Atlanta.

Miller Union first opened when brussel sprouts were trendy, and I ordered the brussel sprouts, which were not Miller
Union’s talent. No more brussel sprouts for MU. Just sayin. That first experience kept me away for years. However, I’ve recently had a slew of visits to MU where my meals were delicious.
The creamy celery egg thing is a must have. The last time I ate there, I got the red snapper on a bed of butternut squash. That was pretty awesome. The time before that, I was with a big party plus an infant and they accommodated us graciously.
Weirdly, I spend a lot more time eating worse food at JCT’s upstairs bar but Miller Union is way better and was overlooked for so long Bc of those brussel sprouts that they burned.

I’ve had Southern food in various incarnations over the years and it’s for the most part been a great experience. I particularly enjoy the use of local ingredients/​produce, because the cooking staff tend to think of more creative ways to present an item and frankly it tends to taste better. Unfortunately for my mom, this place shattered her Cracker Barrel notions of what Southern food is all about. Selling her on quail, duck, or seafood wasn’t going to happen, so she ended up with a salad.
I decided on the seared duck breast with polenta, grilled onions, muscadines, and arugula. I took our waiter’s recommendation of medium rare for the bird and I was rewarded for it. The meat was tender, juicy, and without the gamey flavor found in most duck. The polenta was whipped into a concoction that was like a much more tastier version of mashed potatoes. The grilled onions and muscadines complimented the duck and polenta admirably.
The service here was on par with the quality of the food. Our waiter did an amazing job at explaining what the dishes were all about and was very attentive. The atmosphere was really nice, albeit the music was a little loud at times. I’d definitely return to this place the next time I’m in town.

I’ve been meaning to try Miller Union for quite some time now, and it was everything that I had built it up to be in my mind. As one of the first farm-​to-​table restaurants in this particular part of west midtown, I had forgotten about Miller Union amongst all of Ford Fry’s constant openings. Well, this experience showed me a higher understanding of farm-​to-​table fine dining.
For starters, we tried the fresh farm egg with celery cream and grilled bread. I saw this dish on «The Layover» with Alton Brown raving about it, so I knew I had to try it. Typically, the most simple sounding dishes end up being the most flavorful and memorable of all. This was one of those dishes. Our table also shared the shrimp which were fresh Georgia shrimp with watermelon and cucumbers. An excellent lighter appetizer to go alongside grilled bread and farm egg.
I have given up on cooking duck at home, so I decided to give it a go at Miller Union. This duck… Cooked perfectly medium rare and rested on top of grilled onions and whipped polenta, it was executed to perfection. I would say that this dish was a «winner», but I tried my girlfriend’s grouper and my friend’s pork sausages and all three dishes were on a higher level.
I’m pleased to say that although this meal was quite expensive (we did try a variety of different in-​house cocktails and higher end wine), it was worth every dollar. Every local ingredient exploded with flavor which created a truly memorable meal. We will be back.

4.5÷5
Overall impression: well decorated, fancy restaurant with great food and service but small portions. Although the quality of the food was there, I’m not giving it 5 stars because I wouldn’t really want to come back again. The selection of food wasn’t particularly appealing to me. However, the menu supposedly changes from time to time.
Parking: there’s some street parking and valet
Starters:
+Field pea hummus, housemade lavash — this was my favorite! The starter comes with flatbread (lavash) that you dip into the hummus.
+Smoked trout mousse with grilled bread — comes with 4 pieces of grilled bread and is delicious
+Peaches, arugula, watercress, yogurt, honey salad thing — good flavors but mostly underwhelming and pretty tiny for the $ 10 that it cost
Entrée:
+Carolina trout — comes on potato wedges with vidalia vinaigrette and bacon. Very good but got tired of eating the trout halfway through.
+Sauteed quail — friend got this and really liked it! Comes with farro verde (wheat grain) with corn, pecans, and peaches.
Dessert:
Ordered the 3 ice cream sandwiches available: banana, espresso caramel, and toffee with almond brittle. All were reeeeeally good and very large. Also got the coffee but found it to be average.

Very trendy ambiance with a comfortable setting, making your brunch very casual with a contemporary feel.
The chicken salad sandwich was one of the best I’ve had in a long time.

I really enjoyed this spot! We tried the following:
Starters
— shrimp: nicely seasoned but not too spicy
— hummus: a surprisingly good option
— egg dish: apparently this is what they are known for, it was really good and easily shared. Remember to stir the yolk in all the way before eating it (otherwise it cooks too much).
Mains
— duck: I tried this one. The flavors were nice and the blueberries were a good contrast. The ricotta sauce was a tiny bit lacking in flavor but otherwise a great dish
— my colleagues had the pork and the brisket — the brisket was raved about. The pork I’m not sure.
We didn’t sample the desserts but they looked lovely. Their coffees were also decent.
Ambiance wise — this place is excellent for groups as they have both long tables and round ones. It feels intimate despite having high ceilings and offers a large bar and separate outdoor seating (with fans!). They didn’t play background music the night I was there but it made for easy conversation. I.e. Nothing to shout over.
Overall I’d come back to try the other starters and apparently they change their menu seasonally. The food is definitely on the heavier side, but I enjoyed it. Some may say the portions are ‘small’ but really only compared to Waffle House or something.

Great customer service.
Even better ambiance with different types and areas of seating.
Farm egg baked in celery cream, grilled bread. We were confused about how to share this appetizer. TIP: use the spoon provided! If I wasn’t sharing, I would just use my bread to break the egg and soak up the cream. I only got one chance of trying a bite so I scooped up the white chunks. Turned out I got too much egg and not enough of a balance of the celery taste. While I could smell the celery, I did not taste it like the others.
Smoked rabbit mousse, housemade pickles, grilled bread. The way it was prepared, it looked like a chicken salad. I didn’t find this a shock my palate. Definitely add the garnishes to give more flavor.
Confit duck leg, fiddleheads, local mushrooms, sunchokes, dandelion greens. Strong flavor. A bit salty for my sensitive palate. I enjoyed the various vegetables though. One spiral green crunchy veggie tasted like okra to me and I liked it.
Beeliner snapper, butter poached potatoes, radishes, leeks, radish pistou. Snapper is tender and flakey. Normally I don’t like too much salt but this saltiness was just right for the skin. Skin was just great!
Braised rabbit, caramelized fennel, english peas, vidalias, olives, rabbit bacon. The rabbit itself lacked flavor for me.
Our waiter is professional, patient, and very accommodating. He gets a 5 star.
Overall, I deemed that I paid more for the ambiance than the taste of the food.

Miller Union is a cool place. An old industrial space that feels more like an old house inside than a warehouse.
We had reservations this evening at 8:45 and showed up slightly late, no issues there. Upon sitting we were immediately asked if we wanted to have anything besides water, I hadn’t even put my napkin in my lap yet. Slightly annoying but not a big deal. We ordered a couple of appetizers, the farm egg (duh) and the cauliflower purée soup. The soup was pretty boring honestly, but I’m not really sure what my expectations were anyway. Our waiter tried to push more apps on us suggesting we order the quail as well. We had 2 apps for 3 people already and it’s not like we’re 3 big people either. Chill dude.
For entrees I ordered the Moroccan spiced lamb shoulder. Incredible. So many complex flavors. Think Moroccan pot roast. Great cinnamon flavor in there. Yum. Okay enough drooling. I also tried the chicken entrée and the snapper, both were good if you want something lighter. The quinoa with the chicken was very flavorful and «springy».
Naturally, our waited pushed dessert and then when we didn’t want dessert pushed coffee and liqueur. Chillll dude, we’re done.
Anyway, would have been a 5 star experience except for our awkward and pushy waiter. Food was also a little slow but I don’t deduct for that if everything comes out fresh and flavorful, which it did.

First and foremost the service was absolutely impeccable. They did a fantastic job. The drinks were delicious (holiday cocktail with bourbon and cranberry). We had a blast at lunch but honestly the food was just ok.
Maybe because the hype for MU is so big and we came for lunch instead of dinner. Not exactly sure what it was. Don’t get me wrong the food was very tasty’ just not «all that»
Black eyes pea hummus was served in what looked like a small salt dish. Like, tiny. So tiny.
We had rabbit and a risotto dish with broccoli and butternut squash. The vegetable plate was honestly the highlight because idk what they do to their beets but they were the best damn beets I’ve ever eaten. No joke. A whole star just for the beets.
We ordered all three ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Chocolate toffee, coconut macaroon, and pistachio. They were tasty but very big. We could’ve split one let alone all three. Oh well!
Maybe I was having an off day or something but it wasn’t as amazing as everyone had pumped it up to be.
We are also bar people and sat at a table so that could’ve been a throw-​off as well.
Maybe I just don’t want to leave a three star review. Alas.

No doubt one of the top 5 restaurants in Atlanta. And the cheeseburger is the best I know anywhere. I keep coming back and have eaten my way through the menu twice by now — the place never disappoints. You can tell the staff also love their own restaurant — knowledgable and dedicated. The freshness of the produce they buy along with a kitchen team continuously beefing at their top game guarantee an outstanding culinary experience every time.