Welcome back to FoodFriendzy’s third restaurant review! A few of the friendz got together to go to Marlow’s Tavern. Marlow’s is located at 745 Chastain Rd NW #1160, Kennesaw, GA 30144 and is open 11AM-11PM from Monday-Thursday, 11AM-12PM on Friday and Saturday, and 10:30AM-11PM on Sunday.
Marlow’s Tavern is a local bar and grill chain that has an American pub feel to it. They have a wide variety of options to choose from. Pubs are my favorite place to go as there are plenty of options for everyone to get something they are happy about. The categories we will rate in this review are: The appetizer, the main dish (meal), Atmosphere/Service, and then give an overall score. Therefore, each one of the friendz will go over all of those general options and give scores based on how they think everything should be rated. The scores will be out of 5. A 5 is “Best Ever” and a 1 is “Terrible”.
Appetizer: Firecracker Shrimp
Tyler: Firecracker shrimp is one of my favorite appetizers to order. If you catch me at Outback or Bahama Breeze it is something I just have to order. I was surprised that Marlow’s had it, so I had to order it. I will say it was very good, however there is only one thing that I wish they did different. The shrimp was perfect as they sautéed it a little so it had a very nice crisp to it, but the crisp was not too strong and did not affect the shrimp flavor. The one thing that they do different than Bahama Breeze and Outback. Instead of each shrimp being tossed in the shrimp, the special spicy sauce (not sure the name) is just drizzled among the top. The sauce is my favorite part and could have used some more. I would give the firecracker shrimp a 3.7
Logan: Other than the bomb company, I would have to say that the firecracker shrimp was one of the highlights of the meal. I am a big ole wimpy wimp, but these shrimp were heavenly. They were nice, crispy and garnished with tomatoes and peppers. It was cooked so well and the sauce that they used on the shrimp was exquisit and full of flavor. It was nice that it was so robust but not too hot to enjoy. I definitely had to keep my drink nearby, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 4
Main Dish
Tyler: Tavern Burger with Cheddar Cheese
I ordered the Tavern Burger with cheddar cheese with fries. Logan and I were both in the mood for a good burger. We had heard good things about Marlow’s, so decided to finally give it a go. First, I will tell you what I judge in burgers I get. First, I take one or two bites and judge the crispiness of the bun, the taste of the burger, and see if the presence of cheese is easily recognizable. I then also will give a score for the fries along with my signature ranch review.
First, lets start with the burger. You could tell the cook took the time to make sure to give the bun a little toast. Sometimes the appearance of the bun fools you as it looks toasted, but is not. This bun had a nice crunch to it. Not a crunch that you could hear a booth over, but a crunch that you could feel right when you bit into it. No more crunch is needed than that. The Burger was full of flavor, very juicy and cooked perfectly. The cheese was there, but for some reason I could not really taste it. The burger gets a 4.3 from me.
Next, lets move to the fries. I think I have found the best fries. These fries were cooked perfectly. They had the instant crunch to each bite (I am not exaggerating, each fry had crunch). However, the first bite was the crunch and then you got potato/fry goodness in the rest of the chews. I have to know the secret to this. A whopping 4.8!
Lastly, the ranch. Ranch adds on to how good my burger and fries will be, but I try and not let the ranch affect the burger or the fries score. This ranch was also very good. It was the perfect thickness that it coated each fry and did not drip off (I hate runny ranch). The cucumber sweetness taste made me feel as if it is homemade, but I am not positive on that. Anyway, this is a ranch I would want a bottle of in my fridge (too bad all store brand ranch dressings stink). This ranch earns a score of a 4.4.
My main dish (Meal) earns an overall score of a 4.5.
Did I miss anything with not getting the bacon jam on the burger Logan?
Logan: Tavern Burger with Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Jam
So I was the biggest copycat that I’ve ever seen in my entire life and it wasn’t intentional, homie just really got me in the mood for a nice juicy burger. I was glad that I finally got the opportunity to see what Marlow’s is all about. I’ve been here for years and it has just always seemed to slip my mind. But I came for a burger and got exactly what I asked for.
Tyler is going extra hard on this one since he has proven himself a seasoned vet in the burger rating department. I will give it that the burger was very good and that the bun was nice and fresh with some nice crispiness. I got my burger with the additional tomato bacon jam, and let me tell you, Tyler missed out. It was a nice compliment to an otherwise fairly normal burger. It was prepared and cooked very well, a little more cooked than I would’ve cared for, but it was by no means a bad burger. I enjoyed myself and it seemed to be a burger of higher quality, and no disrespect intended, but I think I might’ve enjoyed a Five Guys burger a bit more. Still giving it a nice 3.8
I’m not gonna say that that that this single-handedly saved the meal, because everything was very good, but DANG if those fries weren’t off the chain. They were like a beautiful mix of crispy and floppy? Like, I didn’t think it was possible to achieve that blend, but they sure did it, and Tyler showed no mercy. They were wonderful and I give them a solid 4.7
Service/Atmosphere
Tyler: Now to rate the service and atmosphere. The service was very good. You could tell the waitress had some experience as she knew not to bother us too much, but was refilling our water when needed. The atmosphere was good. The place was full despite it being a Thursday night. The music was at a reasonable sound level and was a good mix of upbeat music. There was multiple TVs on with a mixture of options to watch. I give the service and atmosphere a score of a 4.2.
Logan: I think this place did a very good job of handling themselves in a very upper scale professional manner. It was a dimmer lit place, which welcomed itself to a more personal kind of vibe. It was busy, but not packed or too loud. The server was strictly business, but I’m sure if we would’ve gone to the bar area it could’ve been a little lighter spirited. They were there to make money and I believe that they did that with efficiency and respect, so I have no complaints with the staff. I actually don’t really have any complaints in this section, it had some tvs, was playing killer music, they didn’t bother us. I was very happy. I’m giving it a solid 4.5
Overall
Tyler: Overall, I would definitely come back to Marlow’s for dinner. I am excited to try other food items from their menu. I give an overall score of a 4.2. A very very respectable score!
Logan: I’m excited for the next trip over there, but I gotta make sure my wallet is right first, it’s not the cheapest restaurant around, but they say that you get what you pay for and I think this is another example of that saying being true. Maybe next time I won’t completely copycat Tyler, but he valued his burger a little more, and I valued the atmosphere a little higher, and we both were pretty hyped for the shrimp and fries. So 4.2 for me as well.
Next Review
Check back next week to see what restaurant the friendz went to review! If there are any restaurants that the friendz should reiview, comment them below!
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