Jennifer D.
Yelp
It was nearly impossible to come up with a star rating for this review, because everything at Murph's is either off-the-chain excellent or pretty awful. I landed in the middle, and want to explain the reasons I enjoy this restaurant in Cobb Galleria Center as well as the things that frustrate me every time.
The Good:
* Location. I can't imagine going out of my way to deal with the parking situation, but if you're at a Braves game and already in the SunTrust Park area, it sure beats the crowds and inflated prices at the Battery. Just a five-to-ten minute walk from the stadium, it's a perfect stop for a pre- or post-game nosh.
* Food. It's bar food, plain and simple, but it's solid bar food. I've never been disappointed with an order there, and have tried several of the appetizers and sandwiches. There's nothing I wouldn't try again. I highly recommend the cheese curds and fried beef tip sandwich. (The chicken fingers were fine but not outstanding.)
* Dale! If you're a native Georgian between the ages of 35-50, chances are that at some point in your life, Dale Murphy occupied a place in your heart more or less between Jesus and Luke Skywalker. I was fortunate enough to meet Murph himself on my first visit to his namesake restaurant (a modern-day Sam Malone, he is extremely approachable, willing to sign autographs and take pictures as well as share his thoughts on the current Braves roster.) It's rare that our childhood heroes live up to our inflated expectations if and when we finally meet them, but I am happy to report that Dale Murphy is absolutely as nice a guy as you'd ever imagine him to be.
The Bad
* Service. The hosts are generally very friendly. I can't speak to the bar, because my girlfriend and I have always eaten in the main dining room, where there is one server whom we've encountered a few times who seems to go out of her way to be rude. It's really baffling. I've been to Murph's four times now, and on both occasions she waited on us, we were stuck waiting for about 10 minutes to order drinks Inevitably, by the time she checks on our drink order, we are ready to put in the whole thing. Both times, we ended up getting our meals a good 10-15 minutes before our drinks arrived. It's just plain inattentiveness. When we politely remind her "hey, we're still waiting on water" we're met with a brusque nod or hand wave, as if to say "yeah yeah, it'll get there when it gets there." Really strange, because everyone else seems friendly. We've decided in the future just to avoid her section and hope for better somewhere else.
All in all, recommended.