Daniel B.
Yelp
I was kind of surprised how good the food and service were at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar, then I saw chef Doug Turbush's name listed as the owner on the restaurant's Facebook page and it all made sense. Turbush owns what I think are the best restaurants in East Cobb. Among them, this (Drift), Seed Kitchen & Bar (https://bit.ly/3efdsvy), and Stem Wine Bar (https://bit.ly/3jPqgKg). I think this is one of the best seafood restaurants not only in Marietta, but in all of metro Atlanta. Food, service, ambiance - Drift has it all.
To me, Turbush is to East Cobb kind of like what Ford Fry is to Atlanta, on a smaller scale.
Drift is nice. It seems like an ideal place for any occasion, whether it be a casual night out or a special date. The restaurant opened in February 2016 at The Avenue East Cobb. The restaurant has a spacious, semi-covered patio along with a gorgeous bar and beautiful dining room. Modern and refined is how I'd describe it. In the back, there's an oyster bar, with fresh oysters on display, and an open kitchen. Servicewise, this appears to be a tightly-run ship, from the manager down to the food runners. I received a call from Leah two days before our dinner to confirm our reservation.
I booked our group's reservation using OpenTable. This is a popular place and I suggest booking via OpenTable. Before completing your reservation, be sure to choose the option to collect 100 points. You can use those points later to redeem a discount at an OpenTable restaurant in the future, an Amazon gift card, or other reward.
Drift has a sizeable menu of both food and drink. The cuisine is New American seafood. During our visit, the kitchen offered many classic American seafood staples including broiled oysters (6 for $16), New England clam chowder and lobster bisque (cup/bowl, $5/$8), Connecticut-style lobster rolls ($32 each), and Maine sea scallops ($32). They also had steaks on the menu ($33-59 each) with the option to add seafood accoutrements like lobster claw and knuckle meat (+$22) and Maryland-style crab cake (+$16). Desserts included treats like key lime pie and chocolate hazelnut Nutella pie ($9 each). Drinks ran the gamut from high-quality handcrafted cocktails (most around $13 each) to reserve wine ($76-84 per bottle, 2016-18).
The oyster menu consisted of three types of oysters: Blue Point (New York), Beausoleil and Savage Blonde (both from Canada). These ranged in price from about $3 for one to $27-32 for a dozen. Drift does not have "oyster happy hour" or any discounts. I liked that their oyster menu had helpful flavor descriptions.
Here's what we had:
Oysters
* Blue Point (12 for $27) - crackers, fresh horseradish, mignonette, and cocktail sauce
To Share
* Deviled Eggs (4 for $9) - smoked salmon, creme fraiche, dill salmoriglio
* Jalapeno Cheddar Hush Puppies ($7) - honey butter
Handhelds
* Crispy Fish Sandwich ($15) - crisp blue cod, shaved lettuce, tartar sauce, pickle. Served with side salad
Chef's Specialties
* Seared Yellowfin Tuna ($29) - tahini dressing, chickpea puree, Padron peppers, chermoula, pita
* Crab Fried Rice ($25) - lump crab, duck fat, sunny side up egg, crispy garlic, and ginger
Sides
* Shells & Cheese ($8) - smoked Gouda, Parmesan, breadcrumbs
* Kung Pao Broccoli ($8) - peanuts, jalapeno
Drinks
* Smoked Old Fashioneds ($13.95 each) - Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Demerara, orange, bitters, hickory smoke
All around, the food was outstanding. Not only was everything delicious, but dish presentation was excellent too. I recommend everything listed above, especially the Deviled Eggs and Hush Puppies; those were incredible.
The Blue Point oysters were terrific; shucked and cleaned well. No trace of shell or dirt/mud/sand. The mignonette was served in a glass dropper bottle which looked cool, but wasn't functional (just give it to me in a sauce bowl). Each Deviled Egg tasted magical. Just a wonderful combination of flavors in every bite. The Hush Puppies were huge; crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. They tasted fantastic and exceptionally rich, especially with the sweet honey butter spread.
The Seared Yellowfin Tuna was cooked to perfection. The seasonings were mouthwatering. The inside of the fish was raw and its taste and texture were appetizing. My buddy really liked his Crispy Fish Sandwich. My tablemates had already been to this restaurant multiple times and are fans. My other friend enjoyed his Crab Fried Rice. Portion sizes were generous, particularly with the sides. The Shells & Cheese was smooth, creamy, and delectable. I was impressed with the Kung Pao Broccoli which sounded gimmicky, but turned out to be super tasty because of the sugary sauce they cooked the broccoli with.
If you like whisky, try the Smoked Old Fashioned. It has a fun, smoky presentation. Each serving is poured with smoke.
Our server, Kamron, was great. He was attentive, friendly, upbeat, and cheerful. He elevated the atmosphere. Service from the staff in general was A+.