Places to Eat in Atlanta- Ray’s in the City

Atlanta is two hours away from me, so I tend to go there often. Chattanooga, where I live, isn’t the greatest place to live if you are an avid consumer of fish. Seafood is really expensive here and the quality is so bad that I can’t even eat it in most places that serve it.

So the first place I go to when I get to Atlanta is Ray’s in the City. The best time to go Ray’s in from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. This is not a drinker’s happy hour (sorry no drink specials), but one for the foodies. All of their appetizers are half off in the lounge only. Once you see the prices, you’ll realize how amazing this is especially if you eat oysters like I do. Appetizers range from sushi rolls, a lobster dish, to mini hamburgers. The quality and the preparation of the fish are great even if this is a land locked town. I go to Ray’s for the oysters (they usually have a great selection), but the spicy tuna tataki is simply amazing. The main menu has a wide variety of excellent seafood dishes, seafood platter combinations, and steak for the people who are allergic to shell fish.

Yes, Ray’s gets many of “out of towners” because it’s downtown near all the hotels, but I love it anyway. The first time I went there, they had a sign outside about their dress code. In TN, where I come from, dress codes only say, “no shirt, no tanks, no shoes, no entry.” Smile. I was wearing my usual, cowboy boots and asked if that was ok. Even though I had a dress on, the boots did not fit “what ladies should be wearing” in their dress code. Now when I go to Ray’s, I see people wearing jeans and tennis shoes…so much for the dress code! I guess they decided they wanted the business of the “fanny packs” (tourists).

Ray’s is a great place to have dinner or appetizers and cocktails, and then head out for the evening. You can make a night of Ray’s by dining and then enjoy listening to the live Jazz that is available on Fridays and Saturdays (front of house only). It’s a very social atmosphere and its low key, just like I like it. Cheers.