Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall

dno about the food but the drinks are strong and the environment is happening on weekend nights. the patio outside is super huge and they give you plastic cups so you can keep walking along the beltline with your old fashioned if you want.

Alright — I’m giving Ladybird 5 stars for IMPROVEMENT.
Way back when: I came to Ladybird for the ambiance, was disappointed with the food. Like — very disappointed. There wasn’t a single thing I wanted to order on the menu.
Now: WOW! Way to kill it. A few months back, they redid their menu, gave it an identity, and flavor. Instead of seeing «Sack lunch» on the menu, I saw Base Camp group dinners. Ever since, this place has become a regular spot. I consider myself a burger master and this burger is one of the best in ATL. It’s unassuming, they’re not known for burgers — but this kills it.
Last night, I had the opportunity to finally try a base camp meal. I usually come with my roommate, who is a vegetarian, but my bf and I decided to make it work! We got the short rib dinner and I could eat this alllllllllllll day, and will be. The food is listed from 3 – 4 people. It could easily feed 5 – 6. We barely made a dent, but will happily be eating leftovers for the next few days. We picked up the bones to cut the meat off and the meat fell off before we could even lift our knife up. BBQ sauce had a good tang to it, coming from someone who is partial to Sweet Baby Rays. I can’t stop talking about this meal.
Service has improved incredibly!!! I used to come here and would be getting up to find my waiter. Now, they seem more attentive and present.
The new field that they opened up with campfire chairs and picnic tables is perfect. I suggest maybe having an abbreviate «snack» menu for those sitting at the picnic table waiting for a full service table — popcorn, fries, bagel bites, idk. This definitely makes the time go faster and keeps people from getting (h)angry.

Super cool vibe and décor. LOVE the flag room. And it’s right on the belt line!
We came for my boyfriend’s birthday brunch, and our phenom server, LA, hooked us up with mimosas! The food was really good and came out rather quickly.
Thanks for a great experience. We’ll definitely be bringing everyone we know.

I had such high hopes for this overpriced place. Eazy breezy Mother’s Day Sunday and a «lovely» brunch. Brunch was not lovely, so thank goodness we weren’t there for Mother’s Day.
This place is right off the belt line and perfect for (limited/​hipster) drinks, and hanging out on the patio and yard. That’s about it. Sadly.
My dining companion had the Avocado Toast which was small, yet tasty. I had the French Toast, and we shared the cheddar and jalapeño grits. The French Toast was tasty and had a garnish of botanicals aka flowers. (You should see how hard my eyes are rolling.) Wait until you see my serving. Our server said it was Artisan. (More eye rolling). The cheese + jalapeño grits had no flavor whatsoever!
I think this place is trying too hard to be hip and trendy. It’s not cute. Stop it.
Ladybird is cute, in a great location, and will cater to the belt line crowd. Will I be back? Don’t know. Maybe if I can get a full stack of French Toast.

Outside Ambience — cool spot
Food (burger) — pretty decent, can definitely compete with some great Atlanta burgers
Service– decent
Drinks– delicious

This will be my first post after joining the elite Unilocalers! Thank you for letting me be part of you!
Back to business. Ladybird is another restaurant my wife has picked for us after a busy Friday. I had a mixed feeling for it before heading over since it has some fairly negative reviews and I know it’s busy this time of the week. But off we go.
We arrived around 7:30 p.m. and the wait for indoor seats for two was 20 minutes while the outdoor wait was 45 minutes. We picked the indoor option. To help you understand why the outdoor seats would take longer, think of the concept of this restaurant is basically a bar (the indoor) built on a camp ground (the outdoor). With direct access to the Beltline’s eastside trail, the outdoor option is naturally the more popular option.
Thankfully, the wait was actually only about 15 minutes and we got a corner table to ourselves with the view of the outdoor seating. Once sat down, we were handed the menu. To be short, if you are looking for healthy food this will NOT be the place for you. It’s mostly upgraded bar food (wings, burger, fried chicken, etc.) with some additional unique items.
We ordered the fried bread with oxtail as the appetizer, burgers as entrees, and my wife ordered a cocktail drink called Lost in Havana. The fried bread was surprisingly crispy and the oxtail (you would not know it is) is just the right amount of vinaigrette. The burger was even better: the bread was soft, the beef patty wasn’t loose, and it actually has beefy flavor. It was so good and I ate it so fast I thought it was too small (it’s actually fairly sizable).
Then we ordered some desert to round up our meal. I had the crème brûlée while my wife had the s’more. My crème brûlée was ok. Not that it was bad but I have had better at Café Alsace and Pasta de pulcinella. The s’more though, according to the wife, was one of a kind. Even though it was not hot off the fire, the chocolate, the gram cracker and the mashmallow were all at their right texture. Yet, when mixed together it was perfect.
Overall, I would say this is a good place to come to but even better if you have at least a party of 4. Some of the items (such as the BBQ) are served in party size only. The menu could be limiting if you just have two people. I can speak for the beer since neither of us drink it but it seems to be a good venue if you just want the atmosphere. If you have access to the beltline, please walk or bike to this place. Parking is very limited (during peak hours) and it’s hard to find street parking since it’s not too far away from Krog Street and it is in the middle of residential complexes.
As far as service goes, our waitress (Grace) was very pleasant and the hostess were very helpful as well. I was somewhat surprised when the chef came out with our burgers and asked us how the appetizer was.
Finally, this is definitely a hip place so the price may not be the lowest, the service can be slow at times, etc. But no restaurant is perfect and for me, it has good food that would make me to come back.

Saturday brunch. this place was packed. A bit of a wait but it can be expected. So we got a drink and sat outside in this little open backyard type area. They sat us (two ppl) at the end of the table with a large group of other women and there was a big pole with a fan on it right in between me and my boo. very odd. the fan had particles coming from it and I could see them falling into my water. The waiter was accomodating and found a lid to my cup. Entrees: woodsman breakfast and the doublestack burger. We came here bc someone told us the burger was the best. It was very good but not the best I’ve ever had. The woodsman breakfast sucked. It had entirely too many potatoes and not enough meat. I had to dig for it to find it. Not impressed.

Amazing brunch! I ordered the biscuits and gravy with an egg on top and it completely satisfied me. They gave me more than enough gravy, which I usually find myself running out of before I finish.
the staff is exceptionally polite and prompt. A must visit if your in the Atlanta area!

Cool restaurant with an amazing porch and great atmosphere!
I have been here twice with friends and had different experiences both times. My favorite thing to do at this restaurant is sit on the porch and order drinks. If you only do that, you will have a positive experience here. The other time I came, I ordered food and was not impressed. The menu is VERY overpriced and the wait time for food is VERY long.
Come here for drinks and enjoy the great outdoor area!

A group of us came here for dinner and drinks on Friday night. We called an hour before we planned on coming and got seated as soon as we had arrived. First of all, this place is all about the location. It’s right on the beltline, their patio is simply beautiful. With that said, the food is very mediocre and a little overpriced. I got the burger which was very average. I will probably come back here again but likely just for drinks next time.

As the saying goes, «with hope comes suffering.»
The hours of operation, for the most part, on the front door say that the joint is open «’til late».
Ooh! I hope I hope I hope…
Bah. The kitchen seems to always close before 11. Bar gives last call before 11.
Service is about as bad as Atlanta can offer; staff are rude, rushed (yet slow!), and disinterested. Manager types stand around, scowl, sip tea, and stare at you coldly until you recognize that you’re unwelcome.
Go here only if you’re too scared to punish your bad self with self-​cutting.
PS:
Draws a huge brunch-​with-​babies crowd. Dante edited that torture out of the Inferno. Just sayin.
PPS:
The kitchen closes in the middle of the day, while the bar stays open, so you can get your drink on with an empty stomach. Fun!

This place was awesome!
Why I went: boyfriend wanted a drink and someplace to just chill and relax after our 3hr bike ride.
When we went: we arrived around 5:30pm
Where is it located: right off the beltline, to the right of the bike shop if you are on the beltline and across the icebox and Kevin Rathbun’s steak restaurant.
Parking: we parked on Sampson street and just walked over, but you could park on John Wesley Dobbs ave which is a side turn around street where the actual place is located but parking there is very limited.
First impression: As we were walking in you walked up the front steps with the words «you are here». Rather interesting choice of words and how to greet someone.
We ordered: We headed towards the bar and got two drinks. I ordered a margarita and it was AMAZING, I gulped it down. My boyfriend’s mixed drink was pretty awesome too.
Pricing: both our drinks were probably around $ 16-​$ 18 total, just your average price for any alcoholic drink around Atlanta.
The setting/​ambiance: they had a bar and bench tables to hangout inside with a screen porch, but if you wanted to hangout outside, you had that option. First when you walk out, there is a wooden area with tables and umbrellas to hangout at, then if you could walk down some steps and enter a beach-​like area. I say this because I literally felt like I was at the beach, it had that vibe. On this beach area, they had these relaxed green lazy chairs that were placed over a pebble like land. Over head outside were these gorgeous cute lights that gave it a hippie vibe. If you have been to Mom’s bar off of Edgewood Ave. and been to the back, they have the similar lights. I loved the setting! Very peaceful and laid back! Great place for just yourself, couples, or groups. They had picnic tables to the right if you did want to sit and eat or place something and not want it to touch the ground. The place was well kept!
Chances of returning: Yes, I would definitely go back to this place! I heard their brunch is amazing, so I would most likely go back and revisit on a Sunday with an empty stomach ready to eat!

$ 75 dollar brunch (pre tip) will get you two entrees, 2 bloody Mary’s, and 3 very very small mimosas. What you need to realize is you’re paying for the atmosphere and convenience of being on the belt line — nothing else. I ordered the shrimp and grits which, although buttered up to the max, was very delicious but portion was incredibly small. Bloody Mary was tasty but I couldn’t taste a hint of any vodka in it. Oh well.
No rush to return but wouldn’t mind going again… just not anytime in the immediate future.

Came on a Friday night with some friends. It wasn’t as packed as I expected, which was a plus, but getting decent service from the bartenders was a near impossible task. I’m all about having a sassy bartender/​server, but ours was just rude. To top it off, the cocktails we wanted to order were not available due to lack of ingredients (not sure how that happens for a bar on weekend service) and ended up getting a seasonal punch that just tasted like watered down soda.

Das Ladybird scheint einer der angesagten hippen Läden in Atlanta zu sein.
An unserem ersten Tag waren wir hier um gegen die Müdigkeit durch die Zeitverschiebung anzukämpfen und den Tag noch etwas in die Länge zu ziehen.
Der Laden war überfüllt und die Menschen drängten sich um die Plätze auf der Terrasse… schließlich war es warm und die Sonne strahlte nur so vom Himmel.
Wir entschlossen uns, auf einen freien Platz auf der Terrasse zu warten und bestellten erstmal was zu trinken. Den Kellnerinnen stand der Stress ins Gesicht geschrieben. Nach einer etwas längeren Wartezeit kamen unsere Getränke. Die Preise sind relativ hoch — einen Cocktail habe ich mir aber dennoch gegönnt.
Etwas später hatten wir dann auch endlich unseren Sitzplatz! Ich hatte einen Ceasar Salad — mein absoluter Lieblingssalat! Er kam in einer großen Metallschüssel und war wirklich gut. Dazu gab es ein paar Süßkartoffelpommes und ich war glücklich.
Wasser wurde nach der ersten Bestellung immer wieder nachgefüllt, was ich wirklich toll fand.
Im Innenraum des Restaurants war es sehr voll. Wahrscheinlich war gerade Feierabend in der Stadt und man trifft sich hier auf ein lockeres Essen mit Freunden und ein kühles Bier. Es lag eine lockere laute Stimmung in der Luft, es wurde an Kickern gespielt und Musik erfüllte den Raum. Angenehm — irgendwie ein Stück Alltags-​Atlanta der jungen Leute.

Ladybird is a good restaurant. Love the location on the belt line.
They change their menu constantly which is cool. But sometimes the item you like won’t be there the next time.
Either way the food is really good.
They have a huge bar and lots of drink options. The ambiance and seating area is great to have a group of friends for drinks and appetizers.
Good items that are always on the menu
–mac n cheese
–burger
Favorite past items
–Caesar salad
— brisket sandwich on Texas toast (amazing)
Their brunch is really good as well.
–The Nashville hot chicken biscuit is awesome.

Ladybird is ok when it comes to stopping by for a breakfasty snack. My friends and I were walking the Beltline and since they were craving bloody marys (and it being a Saturday), Ladybird is right off the path and perfect to get one.
I think the best item we had to snack on was their biscuits and gravy. The gravy was so good that I asked for another order of biscuits and jam so we could polish off the gravy. We also had their grits which was just ok. I’m just not a big fan of grits even though I’ve lived in Georgia for most of my life.
Service was pretty phenomenal on the day we went. I’m not sure if this is always the case, but the space is interesting. The benches on their patio aren’t necessarily the most comfortable seats, but I might be willing to come back to try their other menus. Nevertheless, Ladybird isn’t a restaurant I’d go out of my way to dine.

I only went here for a night cap after emptying my wallet at Rathbuns. I fought hard to get a drink from the bar. It was a combination of the volume of people, insufficient room to egress between the bar eating areas in addition to the bartenders overlooking me on several occasions. Once I got some attention I made my struggle known and the bartender comped me a magnificent whiskey based spirit that I wish I could remanufacture.
The patio or deck is a nice socializing area but not so much for cold weather.
I’ve found it much easier to approach Ladybird from the Beltline rather the driving to the front side of the building.
With the exception of the service I first got, I thought this place was nice. I’ll definitely give brunch a try.

I’ve been to ladybird a few times now, and I’m just not that impressed. Most recently we went for a friend’s birthday brunch. They ran out of biscuits, bacon, jam, jalapeño grits, Bloody Mary mix, and COFFEE. Who runs out of coffee? Mind you, they only have nine things on the menu.
Ordered the brunch skillet with shrimp which was $ 14 and not worth it. Grits were cold and it didn’t fill me up. My friend ordered the chicken biscuit, but they were out of biscuits so they just put a piece of fried chicken on two pieces of toast. AND THEN the table next to us received a biscuit. Because they were out of bacon, my friend ordered sausage to replace it. It took 40 minutes to come and were cold. They did comp them, so at least that was a plus.
Had to keep asking for water refills and everything took a pretty long time.
Our waitress Shelly was nice but that was about the only positive part of the experience. The atmosphere isn’t bad, but not worth all the other hassle. Definitely would not recommend this place unless you just want to stop in for a drink while on the beltline.

This place is so cute. Awesome spot on the beltline with a shared private lot for parking. They have a nice balcony and even though it’s not huge that’s okay bc the I side has plenty of windows.
We got the breakfast skillet with shrimp and a fried egg, bacon pancakes (the bacon is inside), a side of jalapeño grits and a piece of Nashville hot fried chicken (no biscuit). It was all good– especially the chicken (yum!). I like that they were flexible and let me order the chicken as a side. The orange juice was fresh and the tea was nice. The service was great from the host to the waitress.
I literally have no complaints and I will be back. When I passed it up like an hour later something awesome was coming from the grill… like a real one. That’s a sign of good things to come!

Loved this place sooooo much! It’s by the belt line so it’s pretty busy. I ate here on a Friday night with two of my best friends who I haven’t seen in a while. Parking is a little challenging, but totally doable. The outside deck is beautiful but we didn’t get to sit outside because it was full already. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but it’s big enough to hold a lot of people.
The tables are picnic table-​ish so you don’t have separate tables from other groups which isn’t so bad. My server was on point, and she had this cool Keith Haring tattoo on her arm.
As for food, OMG. Great portion sizes. Perfect size. I ordered a burger without bread with Mac and cheese. I can eat that all day. The Mac and cheese was perfect. For dessert, we got a slice of peach pie. At the end of the meal, I wasn’t too stuffed and I still fit in my jeans! That makes it all perfect.