Message in a Bottle

Celebrated 5th year Engagement here Food was Delicious! Service was very warm, hospitable, and on point. We had 2 servers (Kathrine) and sorry cant think of the other one but She also had a rather large party behind us. Noise level was a little loud..it was a Saturday night and they were full so it doesnt take away the experience here. The cheesecake was complimentary due to Our celebration. Its in a nice little area dubbed "Funwoody" with adjacent eateries, a outdoor area, a large screen TV. Would definitely return.

Located in Funwoody (Dunwoody Village), we enjoyed an early dinner on Sunday. Paige is a fantastic server, both personable and funny! We enjoyed cocktails, appetizers and yummy entrées (pics included). The Key Lime pie was enough for us to split.

A wonderful new restaurant in the Dunwoody Village. Oysters were incredible, good size, well sourced, plated with the works. Cioppino pasta was a favorite, hearty and generous portion of seafood and linguine. Lobster pot pie was a real comfort food. Key lime pie is noticeably better than most, not a typical custard style, but a dense, proper rich filling. Staff was incredible. Our server, Sam was knowledgeable, concise, and kept the wine coming. Brian, the manager was attentive and made sure we were enjoying our night. Looking forward to coming back for a few more signature cocktails and more oysters.

Great first experience and will definitely return! Our waitress, Kacy, and support staff were prompt and attentive. I enjoyed a bowl of Gumbo the Gulf shrimp special with the Saffron rice. The first plate was very spicy, so the manager promptly replaced it. My wife enjoyed the grouper sandwich and our daughter had the crab cakes and lobster bisque. The wine was excellent as welll as the Key Lime Pie. TTL $285 for three people.

Food and Service is great here. Love the atmosphere. It's a little hard to find with the courtyard entrance but well worth it.

We came for the happy hour, and from the moment I walked in, I was greeted by a friendly host, and our server, Triend, was amazing. The raw oysters were incredibly fresh, and the restaurant has a great beachy vibe that makes you feel like you’re on vacation. Chef Matt and the rest of the team even checked in on us frequently, which was a nice touch. I had the shrimp scampi, and I’m already craving it again—it was delicious! It was a little tricky to find since it’s tucked away, but there’s plenty of parking available in the lot. Highly recommend this place!

Service was excellent; food was okay. The grouper was supposed to be blackened; it lacked flavor and the sandwich and fries were a bit cold when served. Also, the portions were small given the high prices…Even the ketchup portions were sparring…Alcoholic drink was also just okay, but again the cup was 3/4 full and cost ~$15. The tres leches chocolate cake was delicious! Not sure if I’ll return.

Message In a Bottle captures the essence of a beach vacation in Dunwoody, offering a fun and breezy ambiance. The half-dozen oysters and the superb blue crab claw highlight the restaurant's commitment to fresh, quality seafood. While the ceviche impresses, the seafood pasta's slightly sweet sauce leaves room for improvement. The grouper, though satisfying, is accompanied by somewhat lackluster peas and carrots. Nevertheless, the diverse seafood selection enhances Dunwoody's culinary landscape. The excellent and friendly service ensures a positive dining experience, prompting our desire to return.

The food was absolutely amazing. The seafood was super fresh and everyone that came with us really enjoyed this restaurant. It was our first time here and definitely will not be our last. The ambience is so cozy and gives off a wonderful coastal vibe. The service was wonderful and very attentive. We had a large party and they were very accommodating. I would go back specifically for the sushi, 30a dip, and the key lime pie!

This is a super cool area. The people with this bar on multiple other restaurants in the area, so you basically have one big courtyard that you can walk around in. It's super tucked away in Dunwoody so if you don't know where you're going you probably wouldn't notice it, but this is a very lobby place and they do do events here since there's so much space. It's indoor and outdoor, there's a courtyard in the middle where they have a huge screen so you can sit outside if it's a nice day or a nice night. But all the restaurants have indoor seating as well. It's also free parking so you don't have to worry about paying the part since it's Dunwoody. Tommy has worked the bar every time I have been in and he is always super dope. The first time I went he actually let me try a couple of wines and I would consider buying because we were talking about it so much. Which was actually pretty cool. He really knows his stuff at the bar and he's been doing it for years and years so he's a really good person to sit down in front of. The service lady gave us great and I would definitely go back in. See him again. The establishment is set up and a nautical sense, so they're really good decorations and the decor is very nice. Is very clean and neat so and very well lit. Old bay fries - So the fries were good. They had Old Bay on them and they were seasoned to perfection. And the majority of the fries were actually crisp fried to perfection as well. Like you didn't actually need ketchup to give him anything else. If you didn't have it, they were a good seasoned on their own. They're good either way. Sea smoke - The sea smoke was a sushi roll, came out pretty good. It had good presentation, and it had a very good taste to it. I had a little kick and I appreciate it that. Double double galley burger - The burger was good, it reminded me of a Big Mac. But a much more well put together. Big Mac I guess LOL. It had a burger sauce, which reminded you of Big Mac sauce if you looked at it. But it came stacked very tall so it was a very hearty burger. I would definitely get it again. Overall it's just a really dope area to be in. Like I said, you can go from one place to another and be perfectly fine. You can stay in one spot and eat and drink and be merry if you want to as well. But either way, I've been satisfied since I've been going thus far.

Phenomenal! From the food, to the service, to the ambiance I can't speak highly enough about Message In a Bottle. I absolutely love the ability to select your fish and preparation style - such a great way to present dishes in unique forms and adds a great level of customizability. Everything we had from the appetizers to our mains to even our drinks were wonderful. Service was exceptional, and the ambience of the place is absolutely awesome and fits the intended vibe perfectly. I will 100% be coming back to Message In a Bottle next time I'm in ATL!

We have dined in Dunwoody many times but never in this little restaurant Mecca. Tucked in the back of what appeared to be. Strip mall from the street is the cute, u-shaped little pod of restaurants with a giant outdoor patio in the middle. There was a live band and the place was PACKED with locals just enjoying a nice evening. Message in a bottle is one of the entry level restaurant closer to the parking lot. It isn't a huge restaurant, but larger inside than the store front would make you think. It's a nice restaurant with a casual vibe. We had a reservation (highly recommend doing this on open table) and were seated immediately. Our server was bubbly and friendly ... and very patient with us as we needed longer-than-usual to decide on a wine and had a million questions about the menu. I grew up going to 30A regularly and still visit often. This place claims to be 30A cuisine in Atlanta, which sets up a huge expectation for me. We orders the hush puppies as a starter, but there was a kitchen mix up and they came out with our mains. These were served with a remoulade and really had more of a funnel cake (sweet) flavor than a traditional hush puppy. (Very good, but not what I expected) For ur mains, we ordered a group sandwich (subbed green beans for the fries) and the Cioppini. The grouper on the sandwich was cooked perfectly and delicious. And normally the sides are just side decor - the green beans were heavenly (yeah, I said that!). They were the paramount of cooked between crunchy and soft with fabulous flavor. No complaints with the pasta dish either. For dessert, we went out of our usual pattern and shared the chocolate cake. It not a huge chocolate person, so this wasn't my favorite. It was Just ok, but likely that my preference for non chocolate desserts talking. Final thoughts - location A+, vibe A+, service A+, food solid A (very good, but my favorite dive in PCB still has a better grouper sandwich)

So glad we've finally found a great local spot for seafood! The service and ambiance were both excellent, and the food was absolutely delicious. It was our first time exploring Dunwoody Village, and we're looking forward to coming back.

Needed to update our review to a 5. As we are now regulars here . Every 2 weeks or more frequent. Weekday happy hours or Sunday afternoons. Service Sara and Tommy both great Our favorites are happy hour shrimp and oysters and Sunday lobster rolls . Anytime: seafood cobb salad and shrimp scampi. Daughter substitutes chicken on the scampi or gets the chicken sandwich. Owner David Abes is usually around, and quite friendly. Highly recommended

My first yelp review of the year goes to Message In a Bottle! Nestled into Dunwoody Village, this seafood restaurant has the perfect neighborhood charm that makes you feel as if you are on the coast of 30A! I don't think I've ever had quite amazing quality of fish in Atlanta. My fish basket was blackened, and the oysters were incredible! When you visit, make sure to see my girl Triend! She was spectacular and such a sweet soul! We will be back very soon!

I was in the area and decided to stop by after exploring Dunwoody Village while running an errand. There was a wedding reception going on and the first place I stopped at was closed for a private event. Message in a Bottle, it is! I was seated quickly on an early Saturday evening. But I definitely wasn't acknowledged quickly. After 30 minutes, I was finally asked if I needed help. If it wasn't for the fact that I saw Old Bay fries on the menu (fries are my weakness), I would've left sooner. But right as I was about to leave, Catherine came to see if anyone had served me yet. She apologized and was super attentive during my dining experience. The She Crab Soup and Caesar Salad were a good start, especially the soup. For my entree, I went for all things fried because why not? Everything was seasoned and prepared well. I also had cocktails and dessert, which were good too. After a not-so-good start, things ended on a good note thanks to Catherine. I went from feeling invisible to being given a high level of attention, which I greatly appreciated.

Our Server was fantastic~ Catherine! She knew her menu hands down, what a pleasure to be taken care of in this way! Food was Dee~ Lishwe celebrated Billie's birthday tonight. This was our first visit and we will deff b returning !

We came for the happy hour, and from the moment I walked in, I was greeted by a friendly host, and our server, Triend, was amazing. The raw oysters were incredibly fresh, and the restaurant has a great beachy vibe that makes you feel like you're on vacation. Chef Matt and the rest of the team even checked in on us frequently, which was a nice touch. I had the shrimp scampi, and I'm already craving it again--it was delicious! It was a little tricky to find since it's tucked away, but there's plenty of parking available in the lot. Highly recommend this place!

We had a great experience at Message early for dinner for 4 adults (and a one year old in the restaurant's highchair) on Christmas eve. My wife, who does not eat Seafood, liked her menu choices, so naturally I took us all back for the Mother's day brunch; where we sat on the patio and had a very enjoyable time. Message in a Bottle for a quick Po Boy or a family gathering is an excellent addition to Dunwoody.

Great seafood option in the heart of Dunwoody. You've been twice and will continue to go back. Something about the ambience is a little off to me. I'm not sure what it is. Like the restaurant is mixed between relaxed and a little upscale.

Came across this place and decided to try it for my birthday weekend. Reserved table for 10. Paige was our server and was AWESOME- she was knowledgeable, fun and attentive. We all enjoyed our meals and the oysters were delectable. I will definitely be back. Hidden gem!!

Everything was great! Went on a Sunday night, the manager (or owner, not 100% sure) helped us the whole time. Explained the menu, the drinks and recommended specials. Will definitely be back. Tried a little of everything and was THOROUGHLY satisfied!

Great place. Went on Sunday night.Our sever was so nice! Great drinks & wine list. I had a nice white wine to start. We ordered straight from the entrees. I had the shrimp grilled & hubby had fish of the day Veracruz. Both entrees were great! Will come back for happy hr to try the shrimp & oysters. Very relaxing dinner!

This place is really good. A little hidden but worth the search. They are very welcoming.

Been here for Brunch and Dinner. It's outstanding. the food is fresh and fairly priced. Oysters in Dunwoody? YES I was skeptical and nervous and I'm a believer. I love coming here. Drinks are great too!

There were two standouts in the meal: the blackened grouper sandwich was stellar (I will return for this alone), and the saffron rice that came with the pan seared striped bass was delicious. The latter was cooked in the Ibiza style. I wasn't blown away by the bass itself - it was outshone by its starch - but it was fine. Good quality, just not terribly flavorful. Perhaps I should've gone with salmon. The French fries were mediocre, both unseasoned and crinkle cut, which if you check my other reviews, I'll say it again - this is the second worst type of fries, and steak fries almost don't count (they're more like a baked potato than a proper French fry type). However, I grade on the best thing a place offers, and I have to tell you, the sandwich itself was phenomenal. Simple, yet it shone with great components. The bread was perfect, the spicing, whatever aioli they had in there, pickles, lettuce, whatever, it was crunchy and moist and flavorful. I had driven, so I ordered an Arnold Palmer (half iced tea, half lemonade), and they got the right balance - where it's really 2/3 unsweetened iced tea - so it was refreshing without being too sugary. The waitress also kept me from running too low on the drink before bringing a refill without having to flag her down or even look up from my meal/companion. The service was excellent. The decor was extremely well thought out and executed. They had a mix of tasteful and a particular, intentional kitsch meant to evoke the sea/beach places that many people have been to elsewhere in the USA. The pricing was reasonable. It's a little hidden if you're not familiar with the shopping center, but it's a heck of a nice place.

We tried Message in a Bottle for the first time last night and it was great! Not only was the food delicious, but the service is what really set them apart. Every staff member we interacted with was so kind, but most of all our waitress Triend. She went above and beyond for us, as well as the other tables she served. We will definitely be back!

Start I like thank Tommy the bartender for my key lime pie for my birthday dessert. He is very good knows the menu very well. I started with Oyster on half shell. Their horseradish is the best some of the hottest I ever had. Then had Crab and Lobster bisque very good. Tell the chefs is from Maryland it has old bay. Then I had the Shrimp scampi. It was delicious. Big shrimp on there. Thanks to Tommy I had key lime pie for birthday dessert. Wonderful. I will return again. On Tuesday happy hour shrimp and / or oysters. Oh yeah had espresso martini. Again thank you.

Food was amazing along with attention to detail from the server up to the Chef. We had oysters and for fried platter and I must say it was crispy and not ever seasoned or oily it was perfect. Already recommended some friends and will be back.

From the moment I walked in, I received excellent service from the host to the bartender and food runner. I could just tell from the bartender (Tommy) that this place was amazing. The bisque was truly the best I ever had. Literally melted in my mouth and they weren't skimping on the meat. The Cioppino had the right amount of sauce and seafood added, big enough portion for a late night snack. The Banana Foster needs its own paragraph. OMG!!!!!! Ahhh it's so yummy and tasty. I wish I could lick the bowl. Overall, this restaurant exceeded my expectations. I can't wait to come back and try the other items.

This restaurant is in this little cute plaza with other restaurants. Has its own parking. The service was very friendly. I had ordered the crabcakes which unfortunately had to send back because they were completely mushy and undercooked. I would venture to say that it was basically raw. I could not eat it so I sent it back. They did remake it. It took a long time probably about the time. It should've take them to actually cook something. The interesting thing was that one they gave me my bill first they double charged me they charge me for the one that I had returned and for the one that they had to rebook. I didn't ask them for a new one. I just asked them to cook the original one. The other interesting thing about this place was on my truck. They have those pre-programmed buttons of 20% 25% 30% tips but if you do the math the numbers don't actually align. My bill end up to be approximately $50 because I had the crabcakes and a couple of the uptown girl drinks. The pre-calculate a tip for my $50 bill was $22. If I was unable to do math I would've completely over tip them rather than tipping them the 20% that I had intended which would've been the $10 OK move it more for the trouble because of the returning of the crabcakes and end up taking them $12 which is still better than they should've been but nowhere near the $22 that they were asking for which was ridiculous and also some type of fraud because there's no way that $22 is 20% of $50 in the pre-calculated button I don't know they do this to everybody but that is definitely a problem.

Great new seafood spot in Dunwoody Village. Awesome dining room, good service, with a fun vibe. Everything is super fresh and the apps were all big hits with everyone at our table...we'll be back.

Wonderful seafood restaurant that I'll be adding to my rotation! A friend and I had lunch here; we went when it first opened, so it wasn't crowded at all. The food was delicious and the service was also top notch. I ordered the blackened grouper sandwich with extra tartar sauce and Old Bay fries.

New spot in dunwoody village and a must try Lobster meal was excellent. Chill environment with plenty of seating and staff was good. Definitely will try other restaurants by same owner.

Delicious food, especially the cioppino pasta. The service was terrific even on a Friday evening.

On top of having a negative experience, the manager reached out through Yelp to offer us a gift certificate to one of their other restaurants. I accepted. And crickets. And I followed up twice. Nothing. Not good management.

First time visit, date night with wife. Let me get the one fault out of the way, since you can already see I gave it five stars. The cocktail list is in line with the coastal theme, which makes it a little kitschy for me. High sugar beachy feel. Now for the good parts. Great ambiance... it looks the part and transports you out of Dunwoody Village. Gets loud when full but not unbearable. Becomes quite the scene on weekends. Server had "owner mentality" like it was up to her to make us happy and save the entire business. That's what you want! Food... we split the crab cakes and the fried platter that has a bit of everything. All of it was delicious. Nothing skimped. Big shrimp, big cakes, big everything. Excellent fry batter. Would order same meal again before trying other options. One suggestion.... bring in some Crystal hot sauce as an alternative to Tobasco. I'm looking forward to this being around for a while.

First timer, the food was very good. I had the calamari (didn't like), had the fisherman bounty and I must say enough food for two people and very good.

Wonderful food experience!!! Calamari had good flavor but a little too salty for my taste. However I would order again just to make sure. The pasta was amazing!!!!!!I would definitely order this again. The atmosphere was very pleasant. I came in at sat immediately at the bar. The service along with the conversation with Andrea was very pleasant. She gave wonderful recommendations.

Stephanie was amazing,, personable and informative about guiding you through the menu. We made great choices. Yummy seafood and Fish You will want to try this place. Service is great A STAPEN

While there was nothing at all to complain about, there was also nothing to write home about. Awesome spot for the area but definitely not ranked in my top overall food experiences. Service 10/10 Ambience 7/10 Quality of food 10/10 Taste of the food 7/10

Incredible local seafood place. Clean, upscale, yet casual. Wonderful food and drinks, great happy hour, and super pleasant staff. If you didn't look outside, you'd think this was on the boardwalk along the ocean, as the seafood is off the charts and very fresh.

Nice hidden gem in Dunwoody....the atmosphere was very friendly and the food was good plentiful. The pina colada was blended well and the Fisherman's Bounty with the spinach vs the fries is my recommendation

Great food, service was top notch with a focus on the customer. They got this place just right! The ambiance- nailed it for an upscale beach seafood restaurant along the gulf. Location is great and they built something special.

Holy cow, that was sub-par food! If the message in the bottle was to eat somewhere else next time, message received! The teeny tiny oysters with gloppy cocktail sauce were $3.00 each. The blackened grouper was fine, if a bit overcooked, but it was served with a redundant spicy sauce full of vegetables I could not believe-- frozen peas and tiny carrot squares like elementary school! And it cost $38! The service was adequate, but there are so many great restaurants to eat at in this price range that I can't believe they get any second-time diners. Everyone in my group agreed we wouldn't come back.

Funwoody! Bar{n}, Morty's and everything else David Abes has done to revitalize the Dunwoody food scene is amazing. My favorite thus far is Message In A Bottle. The ambiance is an elevated beach bar vibe with a menu boasting fresh seafood to match. We sat at the bar, kid-free for a night, enjoying crafted drinks and ordering a la carte as needed. The ceviche to start was an instant diversion from the amazing charcuterie my wife always craves from Bar{n}. We also split a Po Boy and other bites. Finally, don't sleep on the Funwoody Water. Pineapple infused locally-distilled Old 4th Ward Vodka.

My husband and I found this gem through Dunwoody Area Restaurant Reviews on Facebook. Their seafood is fresh and so delicious. We have been here a few times already. Our favorite is the Love Boat, which is a generous chilled seafood platter. If you love oysters, PEI is a must. Stephanie is amazing. She really cares about providing the best food and experience to her customers. I can't wait for our next visit.

Great food! The freshly caught fish was amazing. We got salmon Malibu and shrimp Ibiza, both were excellent, fresh and tasty. We also felt that everyone was very attentive (even to a fault- we had 5 separate people come up to us and ask how everything was tasting :) ).

First, I just want to say this isn't bad food. It's perfectly edible. Given the price point however, it's very underwhelming. I ordered the Lobster Pot Pie. It tasted like the essence of pot pie. Similar to how you have those water bottles with the aroma packets on top that make you feel like you're drinking a flavored drink but you're really just smelling fruit while drinking water. It's a very similar feel here. It was packed full of lobster though. Wife had the Red Snapper. Again it felt like "Essence of Red Snapper dish." Tried the gumbo, same thing. Even my daughter was complaining about the buttered noodles being bland. Saltines were stale, rice was undercooked and crunchy.... I told the manager and chef. I tried to help the best I could but I don't know what was missing. It wasn't salt because I could taste salt and we don't like overly salty food, and I could smell herb aromas but everything was just bland.... We all felt like we were ready to go get dinner after we finished though. They brought out 2 huge desserts as an apology which made us excited until we tasted it. Essence of cake. It wasn't overly sweet which was good. The ice cream and sauce on top was great. 3 stars because.... bless their heart, they tried their best. Will not rule out a return visit because of how much they showed they care and how great their service was, but was not worth the price paid. If this were a $20 meal, I'd have no complaints honestly. At $42 for my dish alone, the scrutiny goes up significantly. That all being said, everyone here was drinking; not so much eating, so maybe that's a sign.

Dined here on a Thursday evening with family visiting here. The menu was explained to us by the server and after some deliberation, each of us ordered something different (salmon, halibut, and another dish). Everything was cooked as ordered and everyone enjoyed their respective meals. Highly recommend based on our dining experience.

This is a fantastic addition to Dunwoody and my new favorite of the DASH restaurants (and they are all really quite good). We had a reservation and checked in a little early. Table wasn't ready but the host was super nice and we went next door to Bar(n) (because we enjoy it over there) to grab a drink. He offered to text as soon as our table was ready and it was ready prior to our timed reservation. Rachel was our server and she was great. We ordered the hush puppies, shrimp cocktail and the lobster/crab bisque to start. The hush puppies were like soft fried pillows of goodness - not something that had sat in a basket and been scooped up (clearly made to order) and the sauce that came with them was a nice complement. I really enjoy seafood bisque and we tend to get it at Kaisers and other spots, but this was the best I'd had in a long time. The shrimp cocktail had a fun presentation and had 6 large shrimp for the price, whereas many restaurants with similar price points only do 4. Cocktail sauce was great. We ordered a nice bottle of cab and our server knew a ton about it and the winery, so they clearly trained the staff well on both food and wine. My husband got the lobster pot pie and I got the mussells because I already knew I wanted dessert. My guess is the cioppino would be fabulous as Rachel confirmed they were the same sauces (and if I had more room, I would have ordered it). The mussells were huge and filling and came with bread for the sauce which was so good. My husband's pot pie was really good - I'm not a huge pot pie fan but he loved it and it came with huge pieces of lobster in it. Finally, we had the bananas foster bread pudding which is the best dessert I've had in a long time. I do think that the only thing this restaurant has to "overcome" is that it's pricepoint is much higher than its sister restaurants next to it, and for us it felt weird to have a splurge date night in the same vicinity as the place where DASH and David Abes have provided us with a super fun spot to grab a cocktail and snack but also kid friendly. However, if you're reading this, hear me - the food is WORTH the price point if not more, and the atmosphere inside is more elevated than the other restaurants. We will be back!

SUCH great food and Great service!! Triend was our waitress and she is great! Very attentive, friendly and efficient! Such a great experience! If you're at the bar, Brian and Tommy are the best! They will go out of their way to make you exactly what you want!!

We just dying at messaging a bottle for the first time. The restaurant is very well run and has the atmosphere of a Florida golf seafood restaurant. The special fish dishes were excellent especially the sablefish which is very hard to find on the East Coast Rachel. Our server was excellent. We definitely will be back for another great experience

We had dinner here tonight for a birthday. The birthday girl was stuck in traffic and late and the host as well as the server could not have been kinder. We ordered drinks and apps, both of which were delicious. The food came out so quickly, the amount of service, water refills, cleared away plates, everyone in the place was so kind, efficient, attentive we had an amazing experience. What could have been a really stressful evening was made so much better by their kindness and service.

Had Valentines dinner here, the food was amazing and service was great will definitely be back!!

Decided to check this place out. Have been hearing great things from friends and neighbors. Turns out they were spot on. What a wonderful restaurant for our area. Unbelievable food, and impeccable service! Some of the best gumbo and calamari I've ever had. Blackened Sea Bass off the charts. Will definitely be back soon!

My friends and I visited this place last week and it was phenomenal. I met two wonderful bartenders Bryan and Tommy they were super knowledgeable of the menu. My French 75 was amazing. The pineapple vodka water omg try it! The crab claws was so juicy and seasoned. I order the crab cakes and they were delicious. Fresh crab meat pan seared perfectly. The mashed potatoes are made fresh! We will be back !!