The Foundry

The restaurant opens at 5. My husband and I arrived around 5:10 and the doors were still locked. We were about to walk away when we noticed someone coming to open the gate. She opened the restaurant for us and all the lights were still out as we walked in, Another younger lady was also there and got us drinks. I ordered an old fashioned. Not sure she actually knew how to make one as it seemed like pure bitters, no Makers. We ordered food and waited 20 minutes before she came to tell us that the kitchen had a stack of tickets they opened up to (despite it being completely closed and empty before we arrived). We also noticed 2 kitchen employees arrive during this time. Another 20 minutes passed of us listening to her talk with two off duty employees (very loudly and with lots of cursing) and I walked up to the bar to ask her about our food. They evidently still hadn’t even started it. We canceled our order, paid for our drinks, and left. What a terrible excuse for a restaurant. The hotel should be embarrassed to be associated with them.

We LOVE this venue for music, especially in the summer! The stairs are black and in the dark. I almost fell because I couldn't see the edge of the steps. Just a light color stripe at the edge would help keep you from getting sued and make me safer.

Prices weren't super expensive. Nice atmosphere has booths and tables

We like the acoustics at The Foundry. We went to hear a jazz band. We had good strong drinks this time, still small for the money they cost. It was disapointing that there aren't enough seats for everyone inside. It was too cold to have all the windows open to the patio seats.

We attended a Micro Wrestling event here. The staff is friendly and the venue is clean and fairly well laid out. It's a little hard to find but worth the effort.

Fantastic venue! Not a bad seat in the house. Staff was attentive, food was very tasty. Sound system makes this a perfect venue. I can't wait to go back. Prices were very competitive. There are 3 levels and a outdoor patio (smoking allowed) with tables and service. We could still hear & see the musical act on stage. Dog friendly.

My first visit-- Great venue for an intimate show! Friendly staff and great bartenders! Loved the balcony view but chose the floor SRO, to party harder!! Mother's Finest rocks!! Thanks Foundry! Just work on more parking, when possible. That was the only negative thing about the evening, but will still return.

This is a great place to see live music. The sound is always great. The food is ok, not awesome. It's bar quality food at a restaurant price. The service is not bad but there is kind of forced table service. If I am just watching a show I would prefer to be able to have a great seat and make trips to the bar. It's annoying having to focus on getting the servers attention instead of the show.

Disappointed in this specific performance choice -altho the venue is fine for casual events. Foundry:5 stars for casual facility Band: 2 stars for lack of tribute band songs -Eventbrite let us down We were excited to go to an event that claimed to be playing Abbey Road -a Beatles tribute band. Unfortunately, even though the band played loudly and spiritedly, after the first hour: with not even a semblance of Beatles music to fulfill our expectations, and the arrival of an accordion on the stage (at a Beatles show!?) - well -we were a little underwhelmed. Hoping the next few shows are better -and at least similar to the band that inspired the tribute as advertised.

Delicious food! Great staff! The absolute best place to see live music in Athens! Especially for an intimate experience up close to the musicians.

Well stopped in for dinner and drinks while staying at The Graduate Hotel. We had no idea who was performing and didn't really care -- it was just background noise as far as I was concerned. This review is strictly about the food, drinks, and table service. I ordered the pink guava margarita, which was freakin' delicious. I really, really liked the flavor of this drink. It was very flavorful with a nice tequila kick. I would order this drink again without hesitation. My boyfriend had the blueberry gin limeade. I didn't like this drink at much, but he seemed to like it. We ordered the jalapeno shrimp appetizer, which featured seared shrimp and a grit cake. The shrimp were juicy and flavorful and paired well with the grit cake. I ordered the Trout and Sweet Corn Grit Cakes for my entree. I was informed that they were out of trout. Le sigh. My heart sank. They were subbing shrimp for the missing trout. I decided to give it a go since the appetizer was so good and the entree was basically using the same main components. The dish was good, but I kept imagining how great it would have been with trout. My boyfriend ordered The Local Burger, which was pretty basic and not very good. I wish the patty had more seasoning or something to make it special. Our server was cheerful and energetic. She was knowledgeable and made good suggestions. Service flowed smoothly. Overall, I have no major complaints about my visit. I would probably return here for drinks and go elsewhere for food since nothing really blew me away.

I have never eaten here so my review is on the venue and the bar. We have been to many concerts here over the years. It is a good place to listen to music and enjoy the show because you are close to the stage. The Foundry does a good job of bringing in both original musicians or tribute bands. Another good thing is the show prices are usually around $10-$15 per person so a show is not too expensive. The bar does a good job of taking drink orders and getting them in your hand quickly. The bar can sometimes be four or five people deep but you move quickly and be back and listening to the music. We also enjoy that it is easy to catch an Uber in front of the venue.

First, let me say that The Foundry is a fantastic music venue. I've seen some amazing acts there over the years and will continue to do so. My issue is the recent change in the menu. They HAD a fantastic menu and we would go early to get a table and have a great dinner before the show started. The menu used to be so good you'd find yourself exclaiming "Wow, I don't know what to pick!" Now it's an assortment of uninspired bar nibblings and you find yourself opining "Wow, I don't know what to pick......" I'm not sure why they scaled the menu down, they have a full kitchen and catering and large party capability and the crowds for the shows are cetainly large enough I settled for a burger which was $13. It was a $3 burger on a par with Checkers and a pile of frozen Ore Ida crinkle fries. The wait staff was excellent and took great care of us all night long, so absolutely no complaints there. Again, it's a wonderful music venue, but the menu change means that we'll be eating elsewhere before we go to the shows.

In theory, I love the Foundry. It's an intimate little venue with great acoustics and a lovely selection of food and drink. I have two big problems though: 1) Parking is TERRIBLE. A nightmare! It's hard to get into the place, then you have the horrendous parking setup. Bleh! 2) It's so small that it can get unbearably crowded. If you're going to operate such a small venue, maybe the thing to do would be to cut off how many are allowed in, I don't know. When I went to see Randall Bramblett I thought I was going to suffocate it was so packed! Still, despite those things, I would go more if I could. Again, I love the intimacy of the venue and it's just all around a "cool" feeling place.

Really cool venue! Our server was EXCELLENT even though there was a very large crowd. There is not a bad seat in the house, however arrive early to ensure you snag a seat. We originally had a seating issue which was addressed promptly by the staff, and handled in a more than fair way. We will definitely return and recommend!

Skip it! I came here before a Concert to support the venue hosting my favorite artist. It took 90 minutes to receive and eat half of my steak, which was under cooked. By the time I got to find a general admission seat, I got a crappy seat separate from my date. Very very disappointing.

The foundry is our favorite music venue in Athens by far. We've seen countless live shows here & always enjoy it. The service is pretty good. The food & drinks are always good, and the value is decent. The setup for music is outstanding in our opinion & it's just all around a pleasant place to be. It's a building with lots of great character. It's very easy getting in and out, or catching an Uber. Cannot best the Foundry, hands down best place.

Dear Macy, Bill and I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for the wonderful job you and your staff did to make our son's rehearsal dinner a truly special event. From the initial stages of the planning, to the day of the event, you went the extra mile to make sure our expectations were met and surpassed. Your professional and timely responses to questions, accommodation to last minute changes, and your and your staff's willingness to roll up your sleeves and help set up on the day of the event is a testimony to your commitment to customer satisfaction and personal work ethic. Our guests were so complimentary of the venue, the meal and the staff. It was a great evening for everyone involved! With deep appreciation, Bill and Luciann McCartney

Kitchen closes arbitrarily, came in at 830 and they said the cook was already closing. The bartender was a sweet older woman named Pat that moved as slow as molasses. She took over 5 mins to make an ice water. This place could be so awesome if it was better managed and book much better talent. The food may be decent, but I'll never know. Whatever

My friends and I visited this place to listen to Charlie Starr play solo. The place was great, acoustics were great on the third floor. The drinks were not watered down and the food was great. They had a great deal where if you buy an entree before 7pm,a get an appetizer for free. Huge portions. One of my favorite places to hear live music. I will be back !!

Never been here. Here on business. Restaurant right here where Graduate is so no driving. Hamburger was worst I ever had. My friend also got one. He asked me if it tasted funny. I said like fish. He said, yeah, fish. McD quarter pounder would have been 10 times better at 1/3 the price.

amazing venue to enjoy live music, the bar is fully stocked with craft beer and cocktail menu to satisfy any palette, we had great service from Allison, you don't want to miss this place while your in Athens, 5 Stars

This review is strictly about the food.We ordered the "surf and turf".....terrible...it was over cooked deep fried pita bread with lumpy half melted cheese and some strange salsa. There were two tough pieces of shrimp. Was not good at all. The chicken wings were supposed to be a mild buffalo sauce, it was tasteless. The chicken wings themselves were not fresh. Definitely the frozen version. Tasted rubbery and bland. The margarita was nice. Overall, this is not a place to eat a dinner, I would call it middle of the road bar food. It used to be a great place to eat with a great beer selection. Apparently it has changed owners. Someone needs to call Chef Ramsey in here........ The venue for music here is great......but the eats....blech...

Its a nice place to hear local bands. The Peach Bruswick soup is good, not as sweet as I thought it would be. The pretzel plate is really good. Not much to it dont try to share. We will go back.

Cool place. Great vibe. The people are very friendly and the place is neat. They have live band which make it a bit different from the rest of the bars in the area.

Came from Clemson to see a show at The Foundry and decided to have dinner here. I had the Cobb salad and my husband had a burger. We also ordered drinks after dinner. Both of our orders were correct (both were customized) and the food was delicious. Our server, Nicole, was incredibly attentive. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!

The New menu was pretty good. I had the Club and it was good after I added mayonnaise. The fried pickles on top were cold and too heavily breaded.

I'm shocked there aren't more reviews for the Foundry... what a great food and music venue! I've been here twice with family/friends and we LOVE it! The building and setting is comfortable/authentic. The food was priced good, fried pickles, entrees and big bang shrimp excellent. Great choice of musicians. If only we had a Foundry in San Diego.

We were staying in the hotel. I called to get ticket and dinner info but they never picked up the phone.

The Cobb salad was really good...the Board was terrible...they were understaffed...only had one server so I'm not going to say the poor service was her fault....the concept is good but they need management

While we enjoy the foundry for certain things like Rabbit Box shows, the food last night was a serious disappointment. Paid $13 for a burger that came out the size of a slider, but on a regular size bun. The man next to us also ordered one. He asked if my burger had been as small as his- and mine had actually been smaller. This was no $13 burger. I was pretty annoyed but the show had started and there wasn't time to complain. On the other hand, my wife ordered a salad and it was fine. So, moral- don't order the burger. And foundry- learn what a $13 burger should be.

In general I love the Foundry but be aware if you buy an advance ticket and it says that the doors open at 5 - they don't. We thought we would have an appetizer and happy hour but to our disappointment we were stuck outside. Oh well, happy hour will start at 6...

All I can say is wow!! My wife and I came here for a date night which is extremely rare. Everything was amazing chef Kyle really out did himself. He actually came out to our table and made sure we enjoyed everything. We had the filet trio which was a perfect med rare. At most restaurants you get a warm pink center which is not med rare. This was a perfect slightly warm red center!!! The choc cake was elegant and to die for as was the cheesecake. Highly recommend visiting chef Kyle at this place, a truly wonderful experience!!

Ate at The Foundry tonight prior to a Mandolin Orange concert. Great atmosphere and my ticket included a free appetizer with an entree. I had the pimento cheese fritters, which were quite delicious. I also ordered the barbecue which was served with succotash, squash casserole and a side salad. The side salad was a mixed greens salad with two very tasty cherry tomatoes. However I didn't have time to enjoy it as my entree came out after I had taken my first bite. Now at Fellini in Atlanta this happens all the time but it is a pizza joint. I will say the BBQ was delicious though the succotash was a bit bland. I did however like the flavorful squash casserole, and my server was prompt and courteous.

First time in Athens. Really enjoyed the Foundry. Hugh was our server. He was attentive and extremely helpful. We had the corn elote. It was delicious. We will certainly come back. Great service, food and cold beer. Music was the reason for missing star.

Really cool venue but the drinks are way too expensive. Staff is also extremely rude so it really takes away from the venue.

I'm surprised this venue doesn't have more reviews! Loved it. Went to see a bluegrass show here. Both intimate and spacious at the same time. Flows between indoor and outdoor space (you can sit outside and still here the music). Seated options upstairs. Lovely space - I heard it was the venue for a Hollywood screenwriter's wedding the week prior... Neat!

As a music venue this place is fantastic! But the food leaves much to be desired. I had the veggie pasta and was very disappointed. First, it was cold (not mentioned on the menu and it's winter). Second there were no veggies aside from a couple thin slices of red pepper and four button mushrooms and the pesto sauce that I saw. The "pasta" seemed to be crunchy shredded zucchini - maybe that's what it was but again, the menu didn't make that clear enough. (It was dark so perhaps I misread the menu). And finally it was served with some sort of melted cheese burrito. Just odd. Would love to see them bring back their Caesar shrimp salad and maybe a more traditional veggie pasta. Again, as a music venue, this is one of my favorites in Athens. (And I didn't try the other dinner choices). Did I mention that the veggie pasta was $16?? I asked that it be warmed up which I know as a chef is an offense and I feel badly, and it didn't really improve the experience.

Bought table for T. Graham Brown. People stood in front of us who didn't pay for a table. Tried ourselves asking them to move...they were rude. Waitress had no success, so we got manager and they finally moved, after about four songs into the concert. Waitress......slowwwwww. The wine I had chosen was replaced by something else. Food overcooked and cold. T. Graham Brown was the highlight. Second time there and I will not go back!

Pretty nice setup. The staff was pleasant. The food was good and the location was unique. All in all, nice place.

Waited for at least 10 minutes before our waiter showed up. I had the mushroom and Swiss burger... Definitely not handcrafted. You definitely pay for the convenience if you're staying at The Graduate

Great food! Great music! Great environment! Chef Kyle & his staff went out of their way to make our visit our of this world! Can't wait to come back!

Very cool venue, I've attended a few events here from a show, to a couple of bridal shows and tonight was my first tasting event. The food was amazing!! The service was great and the ambiance is awesome. Everyone from the event coordinators to the bartender for The Foundry and The Graduate are kind and professional. I defiantly recommend attending a show or hosting a wedding here. The building is beautiful, I hope to consider this place in the future for an event! Keep up the great work! The only con is the upstairs of the melting point was very hot... And wine and heat don't mix well with me, eventually I relocated to outside but I'm sure that can be fixed!

3/17/17 -Saint Patrick's day. Waited OVER TWO HOURS for food. Music was good. Almost walked out.

Slow service and rude waitress. Took over 30 minutes to receive our appetizer and came out cold. Ordered 3 salads and an entree and 45 minutes later no food and the waitress refused to even check with the kitchen to see what was taking so long. Her response "well our cooks aren't superheroes". Way to back up your fellow employees.

So somehow St Patty's Day caught The Foundry by surprise. Ordered once to find out over an hour later the four dishes were no longer available. Ordered a second time and never got our food. Had to ask for a refund but that in itself was a challenge because no one knew who was in charge. Disappointing for the guests and service staff that had to deal with the operator's inability to prepare or manage a team through an expectedly busy night. Zero star!

My brother and I came to see Liza Anne perform. We had a table reserved and was given instructions on where to find it from someone in the front taking tickets. After seating at our table, our waitress asked what kind of beverage we would like. I answered "sweet tea please" and she gave me this expression of disgust as if she was thinking, "why would you order that?" Then she took my brother's order and went on her way to get them. Food was okay, nothing really amazing 2/5 stars. After seeing Liza Anne perform, my brother asked the waitress (Nikki) if it's possible to go down and take a photo with her. She replied with a rude and unnecessary remark "I dont know her so, I dont know!" Seems like she treated us different cause we're minorities. Even when she went to the next table, she treated the other customers with respect followed by smiles. I didnt want to stay after that so we left. NEVER COMING BACK AGAIN. I hope she gets fired. My experience wouldve been 3-4/5 stars if it wasnt for her terrible service. Liza Anne was great though, wish her set was longer

My husband had a special date night set up for our anniversary at the Foundry, and what a great time we had! We were seated right away and the head chef came out and greeted us. I knew my husband had planned the dinner, but I saw duck fat popcorn on the menu and was intrigued, so we ordered it as an appetizer. By far, the best popcorn I've ever eaten. We had a five-course meal that started with a huge, fresh salad, mushroom soup, and black bean sliders, all leading up to our main course of duck and filet mignon. We ended the meal with a delicious cheesecake goodness, and I don't think I could've eaten another bite. Everything we had was not only scrumptious, but also presented beautifully. We had a wonderful experience, not just from the food, but also the service, and the atmosphere was a great one. I would be more than okay if my husband planned the same thing for our anniversary next year!