Cafe 290

Coworker recommended this place for the music and the wings. Food was okay. Band was great. Service was okay. Next time, I’d have dinner beforehand somewhere else and then finish the night here.

Wanted to hear some music on a Wednesday night not far from Alpharetta… Drove up to this place and as usual, didn’t disappoint, half of the jazz club is a juke joint and it was exactly what we were looking for… Put your money in the juke box and play what you like. The bartender Jazz was on point and the atmosphere was perfect for a little juke spot, dark… Music playing and stiff drink in hand… What more could a girl ask for… Follow me for my next review… Oh yea, my 5^th star reserved for jazz club side… We will see one day if they earn their 5^th star…

My wife and I had a mediocre experience at Café 290 tonight (4÷2÷16). Prior to attending, we were under the impression that it would be upscale, due to the entrance fee of $ 15 per person. Upon arriving, we realized that the reservations that we made were not recorded and we were given a subpar random table. After asking three times to the Hostess for a better table, we were given a table the was adequate. The food was ok, the service was ok, the music was ok, and the drinks were ok. It’s not a place that we would frequently attend or highly recommend; however, it is decent.

Food was ok. First time my dish came out the fish was raw. Second time over cooked. Of course that was to be expected.
But I came for the music which was horrible. Ohh man I paid money for this. Please make it stop. I was married to a fabulous jazz musician in Europe. These guys should be ashamed to call themselves jazz musicians. Awful awful awful I can’t get this check fast enough. Make it stop.

Visited once, alone, and will definitely return. The staff and patrons were warm and friendly and the entertainers were awesome. My Long Island Iced Tea was awesome. :-)
Next time I will try the food.

Came here with my spouse and family. Amazing live performance and great vibe. Service was very slow, but it was extremely packed. Definitely need to make reservations in advance. I think they could use more wait staff to help be more efficient. The food was sub par. I ordered the Shrimp Scampi and wasn’t impressed. They didn’t have many options on the menu either. But overall I did have fun and a great time! It’s a good place for date night, but maybe have dinner somewhere else before hand.

Went to Café 290 on a Saturday night when a saxophonist was playing. It was not what I expected at all– definitely not the classiest or most upscale place, I mean there were handwritten signs all over the place. But other than having the wrong expectation, I enjoyed my visit The food was AMAZING — I had the shrimp florentine and he had chicken marsala with mashed potatoes and collard greens. Everything was super good. The server/​bar tender was pleasant and attentive, the wait was short, and he gave us a free dessert. The music was good. The particular performer wasn’t my favorite, but it was definitely a good band– just not my preference.
Here are my recommendations: 1) Check the website for the act that is performing and the cover charge (it varies). 2) Don’t stress about what to wear. It’s dark and you will see everything from casual dress to full out suits. 3) Don’t come if you don’t love music– it really is the focal point of the venue. 4) Know that if you don’t reserve a table, you will be at the mercy of open seats at the bar.
I’ll definitely go back with my expectations in the right place.

I made a reservation for 8 because I had family in town. I made the reservation on Tuesday. They had no record of my reservation on Friday night. Horrid customer service. Get the name of the person taking your reservation even though it won’t matter. I had to sit 8 people at the bar. Disappointed!

I Loved it brought a out of town friend she loved it too theistic and food are all awesome
…love live poetry and entertainment.

This place definitely delivers in regards to its music! I love great music, food, drinks and atmosphere. This place hit it out of the park with 2 out of 4 with music and drinks! Had a great time but would have had a blast with a much better crowd!

Went and enjoyed the music. Don’t sit near the front. It is a small place and the speakers are so loud
Also be patient. The service is slow. I’m not sure if the didn’t have enough servers because they looked busy but it took forever to get a beer
The food is what you would expect for a small place/​sports bar.

A classy, personable hostess will greet you at the door and collect the $ 12 cover charge.
You will enter and see two rooms. Head to the left. This particular night, I was greeted with Friday night live music. The sound quality is decent. The venue has a dark ambiance with candles lighting each table.
I recommend coming here for the live music to enjoy with friends. The food is ok. Nothing that will wow you but good enough. I got fettuccine with chicken and broccoli. It was so creamy and filling that I was able to eat maybe a third of it. The portion is humongous.
If there’s no parking in the front, follow the road to the back. In the evening, the lot is shared with Punchline.

I will start with the good… their wings are delicious. The décor is absolutely trifling. Café 290 has been around too long to look this poor. The service was beyond slow. I received a menu that had black mold growing between the page and the plastic cover. The band was good. I don’t think that I will be back.

This place means well, for being a place to showcase jazz, but that’s where it ends.
For one the acoustics suck. Second, placement of the stage is terrible. Make that the same for seating.
If you are eating you can be seated at a table, but other than that you have to get there early enough to snag a seat that isn’t reserved.
The $ 10 cover charge and 2 drink minimum is standard, but the barstool seating and weak drinks are unacceptable.
I’m sure there are nice jazz spots in Atlanta, this just isn’t one.

The venue is split up in about 3 sections. A sports bar area, kind of like a lounge area with a bar. Then there is a bar area in the middle which is also the entrance. The front area was for dinning and a close view of the musicians. The service was excellence, the band was very entertaining, the food was way better than reported on Unilocal.
The dining area is small, so you would need reservations and/​or arrive early (8:00) or either late (11:30)… The parking is shared with Punchline, so be prepared to pay.

This place is an incredible experience. The music is incredible!!! You will be in for a real treat. The service is extremely slow so just be prepared for that and enjoy the beautiful music while you wait.

I love live music. When I tell you I have come here almost every night of the week and have found live music! This is one of my favorite places to frequent now that they don’t allow smoking until AFTER 11PM. TOO BAD it can’t be banned all together!

Not bad! Plenty of seats given its Monday. Band is awesome horn section is killing it! Lead singer — Ian Bruh, albeit he looks like Vin Diesel, can blow. Keyboard guy is insane. Bumping The Mango is in the building.
Members:
Ian Michael Bruh, Gary Land, Geoff Gill, Tony Giordano, Frank Lisco, Paul Garrett, Kevin Lyons, Tom Gibson, Gary Paulo, and John Sandfort
Influences:
Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, Commodores, Blood Sweat & Tears, Stevie Wonder, Blues Brothers, James Brown, Average White Band, Chicago… you know, bands that feature horns!!!

I went to Café 290 years ago when I was living in the A. Wanted to hear some live jazz so decided to venture out there while on vacation. I went on a Sunday night, so it wasn’t too packed. I was able to grab a seat at the bar and there were plenty of seats in the establishment.
I had chicken wings and fries to eat. I had chicken wings here when I first came years ago and they were just as good now as they were then. I had lemon pepper and the jerk chicken wings… both were seasoned really well. The drink I had was okay, I ordered a lemon drop martini and I know my lemon drops — this one was made with some sort of premade mixer. I wish places would just use lemons and simple syrup — it makes all the difference and I’m sure it’s cheaper!
The music was good… I enjoyed the band that performed. This is definitely a spot for the «older folks» so you don’t have to worry about young ratchet behavior.
The interior could use a little updating, though. The furniture has definitely seen better days.
All in all, pretty decent — I’d go back.

This 290 place (which the number takes after its address, 290 Hildebrand Dr) is a jazz bar on one side, and a sports on the other. I was waiting for my friends before going to the punchline (a comedy club in the same strip), so I decided to pregame at the sports bar portion.
If you can find a spot, parking is free– if not and its on a weekend, you are better off paying $ 4 (double check the back side first) across the street.
This place you can tell was built in the 70’s, as the only thing that looks updated is the TV behind the bar. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
The bartender was nice, but I am going to go out on a limb and say he may have already started drinking.
I was ordering maker’s n ginger ale, and I tell you what, the second one was mosdef a makers straight up. Not that there was anything wrong with that, I was just expecting something a tad bit smoother when going bottoms up.
There are plenty of pool tables, TV’s, and couches/​tables to accommodate a lot of people, but I think its just the bartender, so I would assume get your drink from the bar.
From a value standpoint, I can’t really remember.
This place is decent if you are a loner, or a local, but It is any place I would go out of my way to get a drink.