My wife and I just ate at the Back Burner restaurant for the first time. We were not familiar with the restaurant and had never heard of it before tonight. I am extremely, extremely impressed. The food was amazing, the menu was diverse, and the service was excellent! I absolutely recommend this restaurant for anyone! We will be back! read more

My company had a staff dinner at the back burner. there was a total of 10 in our party. Restaurant was quiet and allowed our staff to relax and talk amongst ourselves. Food and service were excellent if you've never been I would highly recommend. read more

Don't judge a book by its cover! The curb appeal may not be the best however this place is beautiful inside a d perfect for date nights, anniversary, special gatherings. My waitress was exceptional and very knowledgeable about everything on the menu/wine list. I had the seafood trio which was perfectly cooked. The Cajuns sea bass was flavorful along with the shrimp but the best was the crab cake. Additionally the pecan bread pudding was delicious. I will absolutely come back here again once I am in town. Highly recommend. read more

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I was looking for someplace nice to celebrate my husband's birthday that also allows children. When I called to inquire the man I spoke with was super helpful and let me know even though there's not a children's menu they could make a pasta for them. We loved the intimacy of the restaurant with the candles and soft music playing. The service/ food were also amazing! We have definitely added this restaurant to the list of local favorites. If you're thinking about going, GO. You won't regret it. read more

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I just finished my birthday meal at the Back Burner. This is long been a favorite of mine, although I don't go there as much as I should. Overall, I guess I would have to rate the meal as so so. This is because some things were superb while Other items were just so so... their special appetizer tonight was grilled octopus salad, and it was superb! So soft and buttery. I've never had octopus that tender. It was just delicious! My partner got the lobster bisque, and as always, that was out of this world! My other two items were less happy. I ordered the escargot as a second appetizer, and I must say that the herb butter sauce it came drenched in was just way too salty. I had made this comment to the restaurant before, but with no effect. For an entree, , I ordered the seafood trio. A standby at the Back Burner. I must say that this dish has become tired. The chef was clearly not inspired about making it. The trout it came with was very tough. I had trouble cutting it with my knife and fork! This is very unusual for trout, which is a light and delicate fish. The rest of the meal came drenched with a coating of oil of some type... Clearly someone in in the kitchen is heavy-handed. So, between the superb appetizer and just so so items, I guess I have to rate the restaurant overall as being just so so. But maybe I'm being unfair. I think the trick here is perhaps to order only what is on special that evening. Finally, the service was just as excellent as always! We will definitely be back! read more

First,we took a detour from our previous choice in the Macon area, as it (Shaw's Seafood) didn't open until 4:30pm. So my wife frantically searched the Internet for a nearby place to have dinner. "The Back Burner Restaurant, " she said. Just minutes away, we arrived to find ourselves there first before the evening dinner rush. We were greeted at the door by one of the owner's family members, and seated at an elegant and candle-lit table with fresh white linen. The restaurant is, after all, French, though it's the kind of cozy neighborhood place you would love to find yourselves during a snowstorm. But I digress, I mean it is located in Middle Georgia, you know? We ordered one Ceasar salad, two Seafood Linguine dishes mixed with fresh clams, mussels, fish, sea scallops and jumbo shrimp in a spicy tomato-based sauce, along with pan-seared sea scallops as an appetizer. The appetizer was served with fresh baked bread and butter, but the scallops set the tone for dinner, as they were seared to perfection and plated in a decorative elegant spicy sauce drizzled throughout. The food was delicious albeit the entree portions were HUGE -- suitable for gluttony of the highest order. As the bill was being prepared, our delightful waitress served us with a very large slice of strawberry pound cake dressed in a delicious cream cheese icing...free for ALL first-time customers, we are told. We'll be back. read more

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My husband and I decided to have our Thursday night date here at The Back Burner, thanks to the awesome yelp reviews. We drove right past the parking lot and had to turn around to find it. When we pulled up, I was not sure if we were at the correct place,it looked like the outside of someone's house. When we walked in, we were greeted by a gregarious host whom we informed we had reservations. We were seated immediately in the dining room with the bar. The music was light, and the atmosphere had a quaint, cozy vintage feel. Our waiter was amicable and attentive. We both ordered drinks. I had a Peach Bellini while my husband had the Southern Baptist,both drinks were adequate. We shared the Pan Seared Scallops for an appetizer,they were cooked to perfection and came with an aioli and teriyaki glaze that paired perfectly. My husband and I both wanted to try several menu items, so we both went with the Seafood Trio. The Crab Cake was decent, I'm from Maryland, so it would not be fair for me to compare, but it was good for the area. The shrimp and seared grouper were cooked well, and the sauce was unique and flavorful. The sides were fresh and cooked appropriately. Our meal ended with a yummy slice of strawberry cake that we shared. The cake was moist, the icing was creamy not, too sweet, it tasted homemade. We enjoyed our food as well as the excellent service. If you are celebrating a special occasion or just want to impress someone with a nice upscale experience, this is the place to dine. read more

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The food was terrible. 5 people, well over $400, and the food was either bland, cold, or inedible. The prime rib was a terrible cut - a couple of people in our party tried it and couldn't eat it. Vegetables were cold and had zero taste, no salt or pepper to be found. A couple of people got seafood dishes - bland, ordinary, and not worthy of the price. We were put in a back room right by the kitchen that smelled moldy. Our server, Sara, was attentive and delightful. That's the 2nd (and last time) for us. read more

This place is always consistently great. I always get the mussel appetizer. It is just delicious!

Perfect for intimate dining. The food is excellent and the wait staff is attentive but unobtrusive. I especially like the quiet atmosphere , it is so easy to have an actual conversation. read more

Charming small restaurant (bistro) with great service and food. Priced as a special meal, vs. everyday lunch or dinner, but service, food and ambience make the cost reasonable. I was traveling through for work and my only regret was my wife wasn't with me to enjoy a wonderful, romantic meal. But this was a really nice solo dinner surprise after a long workday and long drive from south Georgia. read more

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My partner and I adored this restaurant. The food was exquisite -- perfectly seasoned and accompanied. He was speechless at the short rib, and I was in heaven with the sea bass. Our cocktails -- a modified old fashioned and a gin-based drink -- were also fantastic. The strawberry cake tasted like home. The ambience, inside of an old house, was intimate and lovely. The service was excellent. We would have preferred just slightly slower pacing of meals, but otherwise, we cannot wait to return to this hidden gem. read more

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So nice! Justin was our waiter and he was amazing! The food was perfect! We went there on our wedding anniversary and it couldn't have been better. Turned a special day into a spectacular evening. We will definitely return. We had the Lobster Bisque and Seared Scallops for appetizers. For our entrées, we had the grilled Salmon with lobster risotto and Cajun Grouper. Of course we had the caramel cake and the strawberry cake for dessert. read more

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My favorite restaurant in Macon, GA. Seafood trio for main course, recommended. Crabcakes for appetizer recommended. Service is always great. And the restaurant itself is cozy and quiet. I highly recommend this place. read more

Good food and great service. Tucked away behind Ingleside avenue... you'll miss it if you're not oaging attention. We were seated outside, which was fine... but it was literally the table right next to where you enter the restaurant. From what I could see, it's very small on the inside. While we waited for our food, we saw two cats and a raccoon hanging out in the parking lot... we couldn't help but laugh! I ordered the paella it it definitely did not disappoint. It was enough for me to have another meal. My wife ordered a special for the day, but unfortunately didn't like it very much. read more

The ambiance is interesting to say the least as the restaurant is in an old house with tables on the original front porch. Check in desk is hidden around the front door and small tables are everywhere. The service was great and the food was excellent! My wife had the sirloin steak bites and I had the seafood trio! Definitely a do-over! read more

We had last eaten at the Back Burner at least 20 years ago, a good experience then, so when we planned to meet another couple for dinner yesterday we invited them here. It amounted to a tab of about $175 per couple, plus tip, and was a very disappointing experience for this price bracket. Must be different management. I started with an Old Fashioned (so-so) and escargots. The latter were served agreeably sizzling in their ramekin, but practically flavorless. These poor snails had died without ever making the acquaintance of a garlic clove, and were served with crostini that was so hard I wasn't sure what would break first: the toast or a tooth. I reegretted not having a pair of pliers with me to break the crostini into edible pieces. Terrible appetizer for my $16. I followed with the $48 rack of lamb, likewise undistinguished and not at all up to what I expect of this dish. This came, like about half of all the entrees on the menu, with new potatoes and asparagus that seemed as if cooked en masse three days earlier to be slapped on everyone's plate. No side dishes with any creativity were in evidence on the bill of fare. No price-worthy presentation or flavor in this dish. Wine by the bottle was outrageously priced, so I asked for a glass of merlot. They didn't have any, so I settled for a bland shiraz that tasted like it would have cost about $8 elsewhere. My wife and I shared a similarly disappointing bread pudding to bring an end to things. Only a good conversation with our dinner companions saved the evening, but the dining room we were in (farthest back) was so noisy it was hard to converse. My wife, observant of decor, remarked that the framed pictures on the wall looked like they'd come out of the parlor of some decreit old aunt who never had time for dusting. For me, the chairs told a story. Draped in black cloth when we were seated, these covers soon slid off to reveal seats iof garish red vinyl that looked like they'd come out of a lowbrow chophouse. It seemed symbolic of a restaurant that presented itself to us as mostly facade without the substance to back it up. We won't be back. If I want to spend this much money in Macon again for dinner, I will go to Christian's or Natalia's, where we've had far better dinners for a little less money than this one. read more

I was skeptical about finding good seafood in Macon however I was open to give a restaurant my wife found on the internet a try. We drove down from Atlanta to try Back Burner. Given the time of our reservation, we were able to be seated in the back room that we ultimately had to ourselves. Mary was our server. We can't say enough good things about her. She saw to our every need and willing answered every question we had about the menu items. After reviewing our thoughts with Mary, we decided to have the crab cakes and scallops as appetizers. My wife had the Chilean Sea Bass and I had the Spanish Paella for the main course. We shared the strawberry cake for dessert. The food was outstanding with good portion sizes. Needless to say, we could not eat it all and took some home with us. The combination of great food and service will influence us to visit Back Burner again and try other items on the menu. read more

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Our friends, another couple, asked us if we wanted to try this place and we definitely did after hearing such good things about the food here. He made reservations for a Thursday, which is Lobster Night. We had trouble finding it, even though the GPS took us there correctly, but the sign is at the bottom under other business names so we didn't see it before we passed it. Also the building is at the back, behind another larger one. But don't let the modest outside put you off; from the moment we were seated, this was an elegant and classy dinner. Our server Dustin confirmed that we had also made reservations for a lobster for each of us, although we didn't have to order one if we wanted something different. Our friends ordered a bottle of wine, which was served iced in its own bucket on a pedestal, and placed tableside. We were also brought chunks of bread with dishes of cold butter that were presented in such a way that I thought it was sliced cheese at first, LOL! For starters I had the Escargot de Bourgogne, which is snails in a garlic butter sauce, served with crostinis. Mark got the special, Coconut Encrusted Shrimp, and our friends shared the Pan-seared Scallops. Everything was outstanding. The shrimp were huge, the size of a large chicken wing, and it took three bites to eat just one. For our entrees, everybody but me had the Lobster Special which was served split, in the shell, and stuffed with Avocado Salad. They were humongous! The plates must have been 14 inches long and the claws were the size of my hand. The avocado salad was delicious, creamy yet crunchy from celery and cucumber. There was clarified butter on the side. I ordered the Spanish Paella which came in its own little paella pan, and had a baby lobster (a big baby), mussels, clams, shrimp, fish, and sausage, cooked with rice. It blew me away. Dessert was a Twelve-layer Caramel Cake with Caramel Sauce, and a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake drizzled with Strawberry Preserves. Both decadent. My friend asked if they had Crème brûlée, but Dustin said if we call at least a day ahead, the chef can plan for it. We all had leftovers, which were packed up for us. We expected the bill to be high, but on Lobster Night it turned out to be about twice what we expected. It was well worth it, though, when you consider the overall experience. From the impeccable service from Dustin, to the size of the portions, the presentation of the dishes, and the perfectly-cooked meal, this a occasion dinner, and definitely a place for a special night. If we'd had white napkins, we would have have waved them in surrender, because they won us over for sure. read more

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My fiancee and I went to this restaurant yesterday evening, as we had been anticipating going out for Valentine's Day all week. Unfortunately, we could not go out on the actual day since both of us work in medical and our hours are crazy. To say that the meal was a disappointment was an understatement. She and I don't go out to eat often, because I cook well at home. We go out to eat for the experience and to prevent the need to clean afterward. When we happen to go out, we expect a certain type of experience from what is expected from a restaurant of the caliber for which it stands. For example, if we were to go out to eat at Olive Garden (seldomly happens, just on a random night when both of us are exhausted and just need to get dinner somewhere), we understand that we will get food at said place and the service will be par or sub-par. However, when you go out to a place like Back Burner which has had amazing reviews for years in Macon, you expect a certain level of food quality and service. Unfortunately, The Back Burner just didn't hit the mark. My fiancee got crab cakes, and I must say that the chef knows how to prepare them because they are amazing. Fresh lump crab meat, pan-seared appropriately and served with an excellent sauce, the appetizer was the highlight of the meal. I got the duck breast appetizer which was ok, however, the chef needs to learn how to put an appropriate sear on the duck before slicing and serving to enhance the flavor of the meat. It seemed as though they may have sent it through a salamander to heat the meat, but this dish requires a sear. Lastly, the duck was served in a sweet and spicy chili that I get from my local Asian grocer. For a restaurant of this caliber, I expect a sauce to be prepared from scratch. My fiancee ordered the Chilean Sea bass Nicoise. This caliber of fish is amazing, however, the chef found a way to prepare it like you would get from a middle-of-the-road chain restaurant. Food can speak for itself, but if a chef is incapable of elevating the food to the stature it deserves, the dish falls flat no matter how much an attempt to elevate the fish is dressed with an amazing sauce. Sea bass should flake as soon as it is touched with a fork. A knife ought not to be required. It's a shame this poor fish died to be prepared tough. I ordered the Black Angus New York Strip au Poivre, which should have been prepared over a wood-fired grill, or at the very least seared on a flat top. I had it cooked rare to mid-rare, as a steak of this caliber deserves to be put together. When the food comes out to the table, both meals are to be prepared appropriately so sendbacks are unnecessary. Unfortunately, I had to send mine back because the steak was tough to cut into with a steak knife, which revealed the steak was cooked medium to medium-well. Anytime this happens in food service to a restaurant with a lofty reputation (not to mention a price point to match), the meal needs to be comped. They attempted to recook my dinner, as I sat watching my fiancee eat her dinner, only for the dish to come out cooked inappropriately again. My steak came out a second time and fired to the right temperature, but the steak was tough to cut into with a steak knife. I'm not sure if they microwaved it or if the steak came from an inferior source, but it didn't seem like it was seared at all. The au Poivre was ok, however, it was smothered all over the steak as though to hide the lack of meat quality. They also used ginger at some point, and ginger doesn't go into au Poivre. Justin was very nice, he just needs some re-education on service. I can understand restaurants get busy, but to serve wine to my fiancee by presenting her wine glass over her shoulder from the back side of the booth because it is convenient rather than coming to the front of the table to present the wine glass according to proper steps of food service is inappropriate. Rather than recognizing issues that needed to be addressed, he was more concerned with cleverly checking that the 2 one hundred dollar bills I used to pay for my dinner were real and returning with a dessert that "we needed to try" and never ordered. It seemed like a good-faith gesture, but I've been around once or twice, and his insistence on us "staying for just a sec" to return with a dessert that they were going to throw away at the end of the night didn't fool me. If the same effort was put into making things right so the restaurant would produce return guests, the business may be able to thrive. Overall, the server was a nice guy and needed a job to take care of his family. Unfortunately, the quality of the establishment he works for is slowly slipping away. I would have left one star, but Justin brought the level up to 2 stars because he was as accommodating as he could be considering the business for which he works. I'll keep my ear to the ground to see if they improve. Til then I'll just visit Natalia's or Downtown Grill. read more

Service was very slow-Could not get a drink , Diner came before salad-sent back , when food arrive it was cold and overdone ,had to cut fish with a knife-way overdone ! Dinner on 2/13/2024 Harold R. read more

Were staying in Forsyth for a few months theres no really good restaurant to go for a celebration. We are celebrate my birthday and need to find a really nice place. I was looking for a restaurants that have seafood and steak. So when I was yelping I found this place. There menu is small and limited selection but enough for me to try. It was weird where it is located we actually drive past it so we had to turn back around. Inside there are few different small rooms with seating. It looks like it use to be a house? The atmosphere is romantic the servers are all same uniformed and very professional. So we order our drinks. They serve fresh bread and it was really good and hot. I had the prime ribs and a side of lobster tail my husband had the Chilean sea bass. All the food was really! really! good! I took my prime ribs home because it was too much for me. It was nice I got a free cake for my birthday. Our dinner came to around $200 with tips which it was not bad for us because it was a real nice experience and would love to come back. read more

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It was my birthday and I definitely chose the best restaurant for this evening. The cocktails, service, ambience and food are top notch. Escargot was my favorite but all the appetizers were delicious. The Brie was a close second. My husbands steak au poive amazing ! All our diners and cocktails were perfect! read more

Absolute great experience! The food is amazing! Service is attentive, and welcoming. I will definitely visit again!

Great food done really well. You will not be disappointed. Please give the place a chance next time you are in Macon read more

Food was good, very slow service, we came here to celebrate Mother's Day and it was crowded. The staff was very friendly.

The Food was terrific, taste and presentation were perfect! The service was the best part. Our 34th wedding Anniversary was perfect thanks to Melanie Diehl who worked so hard to fit us in on a busy Valentine's day weekend. She went above and beyond the service required. Our server Tiffany was knowledgeable and informative her suggestions were spot on. This secluded little gem is a must try for any foodie or connoisseur. Listen to the specials and take direction from the server they know what the chef has planned out and can lead you in the perfect direction. read more

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We celebrated a birthday at the Back Burner Restaurant. It was a great celebration. They made it a delightful evening. The food and presentation was off the charts. The Service was impeccable My highest recommendation without any reservations. Thank you to everyone for making a wonderful memorable celebration, that we will treasure forever. Sincerely, George read more

Outstanding menu variety. We had the crab cakes for appetizers, salads, and the grouper special. Justin our waiter was knowledgeable and accommodating. The lemon drop martini and Manhattan were testy. Highly recommended. The great weather allowed an outdoor dining experience. Found the place while passing through Georgia. Hope to frequent again on another day! read more

Great service, our server Justin was amazing and the atmosphere was quaint. 10/10 all the way through, can't believe we found this gem in Macon on a whim, I don't know what all these 1 and 2 star reviews are about, this place rocks. I looked at the profiles of some that rate this place poorly and it seems like this historic little Macon spot has been the victim of habitual yelp-complainers that want free meals. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent service, food was great and waiter very kind and helpful ***** Love to be back soon. Definitely recommend this place. read more

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Went on a Tuesday and it wasn't too busy. Great food at a pretty good price when compared to my hometown (Miami/FLL). Crab cakes were amazing (no carby fillers) and I had the short rib w/au jus. Wow! Definitely coming here again when I come back to Maconga for work. read more

We have went here several times and are never disappointed. I had the shrimp and grits and my husband had the prime rib special. We finished with the triple layer strawberry cake. This is a quiet restaurant and excellent for date night. We will definitely continue going here. read more

The food is good but it's not great. Yet they charge "great" prices. I had the escargot for a starter and the lobster ravioli for my main. It was all fine but I left disappointed because I paid a premium for "just fine." Look, there are much worse restaurants in Macon and the food was not bad but I paid an arm and a leg here for perfectly fine food. read more

I found this on Google while searching for restaurants near Macon, GA for my sister's birthday, celebrating her wedding & our wedding anniversary. This place did not disappoint. Small, warm cozy atmosphere & delicious food from our appetizers to main courses and a great waiter "Justin". I will be sure to visit again when in town. The noise level can get a little high but there is outside seating if weather permits. read more

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Finally made it to the Back Burner and we were put on the back burner. When we arrived and gave them our name and they acted like they didn't know where to put us. Finally got seated in a back corner. About 10 minutes in a young man brings us butter, no bread 10 more minutes and bread still no server. 5 more minutes A server stops at our table and says he'll be right back. 15 minutes later he comes through the room and gives us a wave. Another 10 minutes and the server at the next table finally ask for our drink order and says our waiter has a large group that is slowing him down. Now we probably should have just given up and left but it's Saturday night and we really want to try the food. Finally the food comes and it was fantastic and really large portions , only could eat half . So our server asked if we'd like there rest boxed to go we say yes, thank you. And that was the last we saw of our food. Did not bring it back when she brought the bill. Should have asked about it but after 2 hours we were ready to get out. As for our corner, I spent 2 hours looking over my wife's shoulder at a poorly repaired wall. read more

We've dined here probably 6 times over the past few years and they've NEVER disappointed in food or service. Everything has been top notch. I will say it is one of the pricier restaurants in the Macon area, but if you want a special dining experience, this is the place. We dined there last night to celebrate our anniversary. I had the seafood trio and my husband had the prime rib. Both were excellent. We cleaned our plates. I always forget to snap a pic of my food before digging in, but I can honestly say the pics on their website accurately represent the dishes they serve. The restaurant is small and they do a good job of separating people due to covid. All of the staff wore masks. read more

This place is wonderfulI love the spicey shrimp with lingini noodles with a cheese sauce,their service is above most restraunts. And it away from the mainstream ,its very cozy to where you never feel rushed out the door. Just good times great food. read more

Just ok. My fish was undercooked twice so I ended up just eating bread and the sides.

Another great little gem in Macon. Great rustic outdoor seating and food. Service was good and the wait staff friendly. Good choice of food with nightly specials. read more

The Back Burner Restaurant - Duck Breast Medallions - French Near Me - Macon, Georgia