This review is strictly for security. One star, and that's for the jackass at the front. I wish I had gotten his name because I would absolutely put it here, and I will be putting him on blast. He was rude, ignorant, and a straight-up coward for the way he spoke to a group of women. Puffing his chest out, cursing at us like he wanted to fight--completely out of line. It would have been a whole different vibe if men had been with us. Let me be clear: this is 100% about security, not the establishment. I actually enjoyed the place. We were there for my daughter's birthday, had a great time, and our waitress was top-notch--super sweet. We paid for a section, which came with a bottle of wine, and were told we could take it if we didn't finish it. At the end of the night, my daughter walked out with the unopened bottle. It wasn't bagged. This security guard lost his mind--cursing at her and at me, telling us to "get the fuck out" and "don't come back." I tried to explain no one gave us a bag, but he didn't listen and didn't care. I have never felt so threatened over something so small. He completely ruined what had been a great night. I did call afterward, and someone was very apologetic and said they would handle it. I hope they actually review the footage, because his behavior toward a group of non-aggressive women was rude, aggressive, and unacceptable. We were honestly just confused by the whole situation. Yes, I understand the rules about taking alcohol out, but it wasn't bagged and we had been drinking--maybe we should have asked, but still, that didn't justify his behavior. I don't blame the waitress much; she had a lot going on and probably forgot. The villain of the night was that one stupid-ass security guard. His delivery was everything. All he had to do was calmly tell my daughter to go back in and get a bag. Instead, he chose to curse and threaten us. What a poor excuse for a black man. I liked the establishment, but I won't spend money somewhere that hires people like that. To that security guard: talk to your mom, your sisters, or any woman in your life--because you clearly don't know how to respect women. You're a coward, and you wouldn't talk to me read more

This is a good neighborhood spot. My review is very specifically about the music level. The DJ plays great sets, but the volume is alway so high that it goes from being a good set to just load music, there is a difference. Every time the music comes I have to shout to talk to the person sitting next to me. Side note, if your bar tender asks if you want a double, asks the price before saying yes. My girlfriend made this mistake and we ended up paying $75 for three Tito's and tonic. read more

First, last time. Cute small spot. Food was good. Drinks were good. Band vocalist was good. I love music but the Volume level for the band and SAXOPHONIST ESPECIALLY was ENTIRELY TOOOO LOUD!!! There is a point where good music becomes TOO LOUD NOISE...they do not know where that point is. When they do find out and adjust the VOLUME to the size of the room, the patrons' comfort level and reading the room for reactions, the experience would be/could be so MUCH BETTER!!! My HEAD IS HURTING, I GOTTA PAY MY TAB AND GET OUTTA HERE!!! read more

Great food and always great live music on Fridays! The waiters are also very friendl!

I Had My First R&B Style Atlanta Lounge Experience With Live Music. My Sistah-Friend Had Been Telling To Come Visit @theoryloungeatl I'm Happy I Finally Did It's A Really Nice Mature Atmosphere & The Food Coming Out Looked Delish. The Service Was Friendly & Professional. I Had The Jambalaya Pasta Filled With Shrimp, Chicken, Smoked Beef Sausage, Onions Tomatoes & Mushrooms In A Spicy Creole Tomato Sauce Tossed With Red Wine & Penne Pasta, Topped With Fresh Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese. Yum #atlantaloungesandbars #livemusic #exploreatl #theoryloungeatl #familyowned #wellran #friyayvibes #jambalayapasta read more

Theory Restaurant & Lounge - Friday Vibes With Friends - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

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Very good service, the owner is always there, very nice and pleasant, food good, drinks good, the bands be great

Ambience was decent and felt safe. Security was very visual. The music was good. The staff as a whole were decent. It took a few minutes for someone to acknowledge my presence at the bar however once I was acknowledge things were ok. The highlight was the big plate of salmon with spinach on top that someone else ordered has me wanting to go back to revisit and try the food in which I'm told they are known for. Once I go back I will see if things get better or not but For now I'd say it's average. With a 3 1/2 stars. read more

Overall I'd say we're going to visit here again Lol. Live music was REALLY loud. Like... really loud... read that in reviews prior to going and honestly was still shocked that the place had our ears ringing. We couldn't even hear the server in front of our table. We went here for our friend's birthday dinner and it was a grown and sexy vibe. The menus are all QR codes(which was nifty to scan with your phone). I ordered the teriyaki salmon. My Husband got a pasta dish I can't remember the name of Lol but the food tasted great. The drinks were strong but they were good. Everything IMO was priced to sell. We had purchased 2 bottles, with cranberry and OJ. But everyone in our booth got a mixed drink Lol It definitely was a great time. The singers they had there were in the right key and sounded amazing. Parking was smooth. There are plenty spaces in the lot and an awesome distance from the front door. If you're looking for a night out singing 80s and 90s throwbacks, THIS is the place for you. read more

Ummm its a strong "No" for me. This place was definitely giving CLUB VIBES instead of lounge. The music was super loud, you couldn't even communicate with the person near you, but the server was good, fast and straight to the point. My friends ordered wings and they even came out pretty fast. The drinks were doing what drinks do, however, it wasn't my cup of tea. read more

This place has severely gone down hill and the server at the bar was the WORSE!!! Attitude from the beginning. I used to love this place but it has gotten GHETTO . It's not the patrons, it's the staff! I They have turned into one of those "Atlanta" places and that's not a compliment. I ordered a wine and it was cheap and they gave it to me in a dirty looking glass. The band and live performance was also LATE!!! This place could be GREAT but management has to get it together. This is Gwinnett not Fulton County! Adjust accordingly! To top it all off, me and my mom got severely ill. Not sure if it was the dirty plastic cup or the food. My husband says that he thinks the alcohol wasn't quite right. read more

Nice little lounge and the food is pretty good too. Live band and a little line dancing after ... gotta bring my mama here!

The steak was absolutely amazing. Ambiance was great. Love the live performance. Service was good. read more

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I went for the live music on a Friday. Greeted when I entered. I say at one of the 2 bars but there was high top seating around the bar area. Booths seemed to be used for larger parties(understandable). As the crowd came, it was 40+ and that was fine by me. I ordered a mushroom turkey burger with fries. It was a very good size, hand made sandwich, that was obviously freshly made and hot (I had to blow on it before taking each but). Fries were good too. Opened at 7pm and got full by 8- 8:30pm. I'm not sure who was the manager and who was the owner but 2 people stayed in view. The male checking on the people. Taking my plate when I was done eating immediately. Asking if I needed refills. The male bartender was constantly making eye contact to ensure I was good. The singer was very good and got the audience to participate. I'll return for sure - great job!!! read more

This place was not what I thought it would be. Regrettably this is a place we chose to go New Year's Eve...will never go back!!! Advertised free champagne toast at midnight never happened, nachos with nasty burger on top was the whole buffet that they advertised. $18 for a 4 ounce drink plus gratuity this place is greedy and not worth the price of admission whatsoever!!!!!!!! read more

Went here to celebrate my girlfriend birthday and thought the place was ok. They had 1 girl working the entire lounge. The music was good but the drinks were horrible. Really small cups filled with ice. I ordered the shrimps and grits and I didn't like it. To loose for grits. read more

Theory Restaurant & Lounge - Shrimp and Grits - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

I came to see the Gritz & Jelly Butter band perform. The band was EVERYTHING! They really packed the house. There were a lot of tall tables most that needed to be reserved, some sections and bar seating. If you are going for the band I recommend you go early. There were a lot of people- mostly a 35 and up crowd. Although the bartenders tried their best to cover the bar there were wayyyy too many people for just 2 maybe 3 bartenders. It was still a good experience, nice DJ to fill in during the bands breaks and the crowd was actually dancing which we know can be nonexistent these days. read more

I decided to try this place on a Saturday based on a recommendation. Parking was great for a 10:45p arrival time. There were 2-3 available seats at the bar and the crowd was mature (mid 30's to early 60's easily). The bartender was pleasant and attentive. I kept my order light and got the French fries with my cocktail. They sale Dasani water if you want water. No tap. The fries were horrible as I could tell it was old grease used and the fries were hard. Moving along to the DJ. Now the young man had a play list that was all over the place with no rhyme or reason as to why he was all over the place. I looked at him wondering if he was practicing like he was at home because he clearly wasn't paying attention to the vibe of the crowd. We went from Evelyn Champagne King to Glowrilla in .2 seconds. I was confused and wondering why. He was busy smoking hookah and trying to figure out the next song to play. The noise level was loud and you couldn't hear the person right beside you speaking. It was definitely not the atmosphere for such loudness. I'll give it another shot on a Friday night to see if that's better. I need management to get a seasoned DJ for Saturday night or The Patio is going to kill what little business I saw in there. read more

I am visiting Georgia, and one of my friends recommended this place. The lounge had an older crowd, like 50 and over. Which was great, because there was no drama. Everyone was there to have a good time. I sat at the bar & although the bartenders were pretty busy, the service was still good. I had the Hawaiin salmon, Collards & rice. Everything was flavorful & it was reasonably priced. For my people in Baltimore, this place reminds me of Sisters Place AKA Identity. So, If you don't feel like dealing with the rowdy young crowd then this is the place to go & the food is good too! read more

Theory Restaurant & Lounge - Met some cool people - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

I have been to Theory Lounge 3 times and I have enjoyed myself each time I've visited. The music was great and the vibe was awesome. I enjoyed the band and the energy. It's a grown and sexy vibe which I definitely love. My husband and I had a great time read more

The establishment is very classy. Safe and for grown mature adults. It's always clean, the owner has a beautiful personality, and the staff are professional. I have visited here several times over 5-6 times in the past few months. The food is amazing. The LIVE band on FRIDAY IS AMAZING.... I would highly recommend grown adults to come here who are looking for a mature atmosphere with a great genre of music. The security is respectful and present. read more

Mushrooms are the best thing they have! Friday Live Music is Dope! I would highly suggest coming!

Visited September 2018 - I started this review and just didn't complete Theory Lounge was not what I expected it to be. My Sister was celebrating her Fabulous 50th Birthday with a weekend of events before she went to Jamaica, so like any good little sister I helped plan all of our outings. Friday night was Theory Lounge I'd never been here and she has visited a few times as this lounge is over 1hr drive from my house. Music- The live Band was really good but I cant recall the name. I remember the lead singer passed out roses. The Dj was also great he played line dance music, old school Kilo, 2 live crew I felt like it was 1997 freaknik in Greenbriar parking lot lol Staff- The Security was cool and even danced with us also walked our group to our cars.The Waitstaff was great also and the Cook he was a cutie (He brought our food out). Food/Drinks- The wings and calamari were great. The drinks were ok but could use a little more alcohol to taste. The lounge is sort of small and if your using your GPS you will pass right by it. It is located behind the quick trip and wendy's. It is trendy and clean and so was the Restrooms. I recommend it and I will definitely return. read more

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Theory has a really nice vibe on a Saturday night. The music was good (minus Frank ski talking so much) and the crowd actually danced. We had a VIP section for my friend's birthday and one of the benches was caved in in the middle so that wasn't fun but our waitress was really nice. For food, I ordered the Theory burger. I had already looked online before I went and decided to get that and I was disappointed to see that the ingredients on the online menu aren't the same as the ingredients on the menu at the lounge. According to the menu online my burger was supposed to have beef bacon, smoked gouda and mozzarella. The burger on the menu at Theory had no beef bacon and instead of the cheeses I mentioned, it had white cheddar. Also, I ordered my burger medium well and it came out well done. The fries were seasoned well so that's a plus. read more

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All the food was great... a little wait but the taste is there. Great music.... ID check and no cover charge. Waitress was very tentative. Her name is Dianai. Sorry, if I miss spelled her name. read more

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Theory is definitely one of the go to spots in Duluth; over the years it has proven to have sustained a welcoming, quality atmosphere. No cover charge is appreciated, I don't mind spending money on food or extra drinks knowing that I didn't have to pay a cover, I'm thankful that this lounge gets it. Friday nights live bands are awesome! They always do an excellent job entertaining the crowd. The bathrooms are clean and well kept. I have to mention that management are friendly and approachable. The only reason I'm not giving five stars is because of the makeshift dance floor, there isn't a designated place to dance so people are dancing in their seats, around their seats, and in a little spot by the door. Hopefully, one day they will rectify this problem; but if not I'll still be there. read more

Came here with my husband the first time for the live music. The food was mediocre, drinks were cheap but strong, music was great. Overall, we had a good time so I decided to stop by again with a friend. We got a couple of seats at the bar, ordered some hookah and kept drinks flowing on an open tab. I went to the restroom and when I returned, a lady (black older lady with short hair) was sitting in my seat in front of my hookah, drinks, and all my belongings. I gently tapped her and politely let her know that I was seating there. She responded by telling me that she's the owner so she could sit wherever she wanted. She proceeded to keep talking to the gentleman that was seated next to her. Her response was so aggressive to the point that I thought she was joking. I waited a couple of minutes to see if she would get up but she just kept talking. I realized she was serious so I tapped her again and told her that if she the owner, she was a horrible owner for taking the seat of a paying customer. She responded by telling me that she will show me how horrible of an owner she was. Then she motioned to a security man that was standing behind us to kick me out. I was in utter disbelief and all I could do was laugh. I asked the bartender to close my tab and I respectfully walked out of the establishment. Once outside, the security was very apologetic and stated that she wasn't the owner but the manager and she is known for getting into it with patrons. Needless to say, you couldn't pay me to step foot in here again. read more

i came to this place this evening. I went to the lady that I know is the owner and was explaining to her it's been 2 years since I have been there, and how I love the place. she cut me off walked off and never came back, but went to many different tables. We - mt table laughed about it. I still bought a bottle for our table although i could not get a booth. I'm a business owner just like her. but this is why you cant support black owned. I watched her and the bartender roll their eyes bcz they gave me a drink I didn't order after paying a 200 plus tab in advance. Make it Make sense. I am cancer patient, which is what I was trying to explain how much I enjoyed the place with dealing with treatment and it felt so good to be out,. you have to take a look at the energy. Her and the bartender set the tone for me, but i will keep my coins. STAY HUMBLE! read more

This club was a 2nd choice offered by a friend. After leaving Linethia (Nene) lounge due to parking fees and rude parking staff. Theory was a breathe of fresh air. I started not to go because of all the people standing outside but after entering we had a blast. Will definitely go back on a Friday night. read more

Went here for the 1st time last Friday night. They have 2 bars and good music. My bartender carolana was amazing attentive and just had overall good customer service. I also had a chance to speak with the owner who very inviting and just down to earth. . BLACK WOMAN BUSINESS OWNER. I love it. And will be going back. Good vibes read more

I absolutely love Theory Lounge on Fridays. However, I was there this past Friday and the crowd, I noticed is changing. They are laxxed on the the dress code and the d.j. likes to hear the sound of his voice. You ever heard a d.j. that cuts songs off before it gets to the best part? Then, the song he does play isn't as hot as the last three songs he cut short? What happened to Jah Lion? Please don't let Friday turn into another Saturday, keep it grown and sexy. read more

This is a small lounge, and as a previous reviewer stated once you walk in the door it is very reminiscent of a lounge you would find in downtown Atlanta. We came early and ordered food. I had the Salmon Club. I was expecting a salmon patty but it was actually a salmon steak on a bun like a burger. It came with fries as all the sandwiches do. I also ordered Georgia On My Mind from their drink menu. It was not an especially strong drink but it was peachy and sweet. My boyfriend ordered the Southern Fried Chicken Breast which came with stone ground grits and collard greens. He subbed the greens for fries. About 5 minutes into our meal the chef himself came out of the kitchen and jokingly informed my boyfriend that he was offended that he passed on his collard greens. Two minutes later he came back to the table with a hot cup of collard greens on the house. And I must say they were delicious. Places like this are typically more club than restaurant, but I can honestly say Theory Lounge takes pride in the food they serve. My boyfriend's interaction with the chef solidified this place as somewhere he intends to return. read more

Theory Restaurant & Lounge - VIP - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

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Music & ambiance is great! Suggestion to the owner it's "HOT"!!! Tuen the air on the night before! There is no way I should be sweating in your establishment! read more

Fried Calamari & Law of Physics drank. Delish good great adult atmosphere. Waiting on band to play. Great date night or girls night spot. Bartender attentive and friendly. Get there early to get a good seat at the bars. read more

Theory Restaurant & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

Ambiance was chill people dancing....Friday night was lit I must say the DJ was awesome mixing it up! Got to vibe and twerk lol! I will be back! read more

My family and I came here last Friday and had a really great time. There was a band called Gritz and Jelly Butter that performed and they were awesome!! Old school mixed with new school hip hop and r&b covers. They were jammin! The place got pretty crowded later on in the night and was mostly an older crowd, but I still had a good time. They food was amazing!!! The collard greens and Mac and cheese are out of this world "slap ya momma" good! Lol. The fish tacos are also really tasty. The only thing I was really upset about and wish we would have been told upfront about was the 18% included gratuity for a group of 4!! Anyways, we still had a great time and will return if in the area again. read more

Atmosphere was great. 30 plus crowd. $20 door fee? For Gwinnett that's armed robbery, let's be serious. Small place, only one bar w/ two bartenders accepted card. Who carries cash anymore? Service was slow, also out of hookahs! I would give it less stars but I had fun and it's hard to find a decent 30+ crowd that's just there to enjoy themselves. read more

Not a good spot. The service is extremely slow for no reason. Drink prices are not reasonable considering that it's not a big time spot. I been a couple of times and it's the same every time. read more

My mother always taught me that if you don't have anything good to say than don't say anything at all. So I'll say this the nicest way possible. Me and my group went here about 15 of us, I called that same dayvand asked them what time do they open They said we open the doors at 8pm, wait before that when I called they screen their calls, so you have to state your name before you can be connected which I thought was strange I'm like are they dodging bill collectors? Anyway that was the first issue. I said to him I told my group to come at 7:30 he goes ma'am you can't come in until 8. So I was like cool and told my group to come at 8. Some got there right at 8 and they were told we don't open until 8:30 so when I got there it was about 8:10 the door was now unlocked we came in immediately they were pressuring us to order the lady asked me at least 4 times are you ready to order. I'm like not yet. Then later on that evening one of my members was warm so she fanned herself with the menu can you believe the waitress came over to her and said I'm sorry but the manger does not like for people to use the menu to fan themselves I was appalled. Next one of our membees asked for her bill because she had to leave and the waitress brought everyones tabs out smh I was only on my 1st drink it felt like they were rushing us out. Then the topping on the cake which really made me decide to never go back was we got our bills and gratuity was added which I'm ok with we had a large group of 15. The waitress tells us while handing us the bills that they don't take change so we have to round up. My bill was 16.12 or something like that with gratuity added so she wanted me to give them 17.00 how absurd is that. Never ever going back they really should be ashamed of themselves. The worst part is my group is well known in the area and we have very good spenders. I'm not sure what is going on with this place but the really need to get it together. read more

Theory Restaurant & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

so this evening around 12:30 me and a friend of mine went out to theory lounge , now mind you we are young I'm 29 and he's 28 so off the bat me and my friend if you can tell are young vibrant black males who are looking just to HAVE A GOOD FUN FRIDAY NIGHT BECAUSE WELL... we are legal! and I thought this club was a 21 up club not just a older vibe . though I understand the crowd. so anyways upon approaching the club me and my friend decided to hang out a couple doors down before we actually decided to go in (reason being because we had a friend take us to the club and were planning to get a Lyft home) so we were contemplating going in, anyways as we approached the door the security guard on duty at the time decided to walk toward us and press us before we got to the door actually (a couple of young guys like we had did something wrong with real aggression towards us) instantly me and my friend are throw off by the sudden change of character he had displayed towards us , so feeling threatened the friend I was with started to retaliate because of that aggression towards us , the security guard went as far as pulling the motion as if he would draw his gun because he tried to say "he felt the energy before we walked in" not having any recognition of what exactly he was saying again , " we are two young black males looking to have a good time out with our compamy " and too have been insulted FOR NO REASON IS DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST US AND CAUSED FOR A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN JUST THIS REVIEW ! I hope you can reach out and contact me on this matter immediately even though I'm a young man I'm not rich or any of that but id like to have my morals and my human being respected by someone twice my age than be disrespectful for trying to have a good time out with friends and this happens. I get the security guard wants to feel like a big man but attempting to pull a gun on couple of kids trying to have a good time is beneath me and should really raise some concern about this establishment. i wish someone could relate really I do because instead of going to the police I decided to write the review hopefully you all get the message and not think this is a game I'll be following up real shortly and have a great night . read more

I have visited this lounge on many occasions. My sister and I love it!!! The food is phenomenal! We always have a great time. It's a mature crowd with no drama. Can't wait to visit again. read more