Stats has been around for ages, but it's one of those places that I'd never bothered to visit before. Ten times out of ten, whenever I'm on Marietta St on foot with company, we inexplicably end up going a little bit further down and to Der Biergarten. But on this particular afternoon, a das boot of beer didn't sound that appealing, and the want for some more sustenance other than a ridiculously large pretzel made Der Biergarten not necessarily the logical choice. So, to Stats we went.
Allow me to paint the picture of the time in which I visited Stats for the very first time:
* Sunday afternoon
* Before post-church crowd
* In late-January, the presumed "slow period" for tourism
* Not football season
* NBA doesn't play until evenings
* No notable events at Georgia Dome, GWCC or Centennial Olympic Park
* Did not drink any booze
I wanted to disclose such criteria, because knowing the area, absolutely no promises can be made to anyone else who visits Stats under differing criteria will get the same positive result that I received, because given the area, businesses and the surrounding area are subject to such fluctuation(s) as:
* Hellacious traffic
* Inaccessibility
* Gauged parking
* Monumental wait times
* Happy hour crowds, sports fan crowds, tourist crowds
* Fixed menus
* Slammed and overwhelmed restaurant staff
None of this should be that much of a surprise, so if you find yourself in a similar situation in which I visited, you might have as equally of a relaxed and well-serviced lunch, but if you decide to come in the midst of college bowl/NFL season, or some major conference/convention, then I make no promises that you will have as pleasing of an experience.
Stats is located at the corner of Marietta and Baker streets, which puts them a stone's throw away from such notable city landmarks such as the Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke and the Civil Rights Museum, as well as Centennial Olympic Park. Slightly further, but still in the right vein are Philips Arena and the Georgia Dome. Needless to say, their business comes primarily from sports fans, tourists, conventioneers, surrounding businesses, or all of the above.
There is absolutely nowhere nearby where parking is free, and depending on when you come, it can range from anywhere from $5-20+ based on what events may or may not be occurring in any of the surrounding landmarks. Unlike lots of places in the city, Stats is somewhat reasonably close to MARTA accessibility, be it on the Philips Arena/GWCC stop, or 3-4 city blocks down from Peachtree Center, following Baker Street towards the Aquarium.
Anyway, being a relaxed Sunday afternoon, my group and I walked into Stats an hour after they had opened. Given how empty the place was, I almost thought they weren't open, but there was still a hostess up front, and we were seated immediately. The emptiness shouldn't be indicative of the quality of the food and service, so much as it was the time and criteria in which I visited; frankly, I prefer beating rushes and getting into places early, as opposed to having to wait egregious times just to be seated.
Service was polite and attentive throughout the entire experience, and I guess I've been having a bad string of service lately, because I found myself especially impressed by the service staff's ability to anticipate refill needs and bringing them; without having to flag anyone down. Being a sports bar, I was pleased to find out that the staff, at least the server I had, understood the Joe Namath "guarantee" reference, in relation to the Joe Namath-namesake wrap they have on the menu. I'd most certainly have judged them with disdain had they not.
I ordered their club sandwich, and what they brought me, for $11, seemed like an absolute steal. It's a fairly standard club, so it's got the usual goodness, turkey, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, a little bit of mayo on toasted sandwich bread. It's generously sized, and they're graciously not stingy on the turkey. The sandwich alone is more than filling, but with a side of fries, it's a very hefty portion of food, which I'd rather have instead of something leaving me jonesing for more.
Overall, I had zero complaints about my Stats experience, but again, I know that the circumstances in which I visited aren't the most commonly available, given the fact that outside of January, there are usually lots of things going on in the surrounding landmarks that could have increased the traffic. The atmosphere is pretty modern, and full of televisions for watching sports, and not as overly trendy as I thought it was going to be. The service was friendly and attentive, and I couldn't have asked for anything more. The menu is small, but full of decent options, and the club sandwich I had was a fantastic bang for the buck.
Personally, I can't say that I'd come during a game/convention time, but under this visit's circumstances, most certainly would consider. read more