Restaurant: Ted's Montana Grill

Media mogul, philanthropist, and environmentalist, Ted Turner, is the largest independent land owner in North America. He also re-introduced Bison back into the United States... And bred them... And cultivated them... And opened up a chain of restaurants so people can eat them.

Ambiance: 3.5 / 5
Cleanliness: 4 / 5
Service: 5 / 5
Taste: 3.5 / 5
Presentation: 3.5 / 5
Price: $$
Overall: 4 / 5

Sometimes, it's the little things that make the difference. And for me, in this case, it was the paper straws. The food was decent, and the Bison steak, while a little chewy, was certainly leaner and healthier than beef. The service was superb, with the waitstaff exuberantly showcasing some of that 'Southern Hospitality'. But it was the paper straws that made the ultimate difference for me.

Sorry, only had my mobile to take photos with.

I stole a Bison Slider from my friend. A smallish cheeseburger, it was moist and tender, and cooked just right. The buns however, were a little disappointing. It didn't seem any different from the store bought ones. And there's nothing wrong with store bought buns, except that the restaurant claims their stuff is "made-from-scratch".

Being that it was my first time at Ted's Montana Grill where they feature a Bison on their logo, a Bison head on the restaurant wall, and Bison options over regular beef, I ordered the Delmonico Bison Rib Eye. This Ted guy, that founded CNN is pretty patriotic too. Every single dish served comes with an American Flag.Yes, that IS a hunk of butter on that rib eye. I should have asked if it was Bison butter. Ah well. Another time I suppose. You get to choose your sides, and I chose half and half (fries and onion rings) and their garlic mashed potato.

The rib eye was ordered rare, but was a little bit tougher than I would have thought, but I will attribute it to the fact that Bison is leaner than beef. But other than that, it was seared perfectly, and the onion ring was big, juicy, and perfectly drool-icious with the home made horseradish dipping sauce.

The one thing I really enjoy about heading into the Southern parts of the United States is the service. It's always friendly, and always warm. I guess they don't call it Southern Hospitality for nothing. And the service at Ted's was no different. We had our main waiter, with a trainee who were patient and warm, but also a couple of waiters who came around, just to make sure that we didn't need anything extra when our guy got a bit busy. We were very well taken care of.

At the end of the night, the manager came over and spoke to us to make sure everything was to our liking, and again, oozing that Southern Hospitality Charm. I'm not generally a big fan of chain restaurants, but this place was warm, welcoming, and inviting, and the food was fairly decent to boot. And using paper straws? Total bonus.


Ted's Montana Grill
1874 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30309
USA

~Cheers.