Revival

Food was alright and the service was mediocre. Our waitress was absent minded. She brought out the wrong drinks, didn’t bring the menus until I asked for them specifically, and she wasn’t very attentive or friendly. She recommended the «family style» and we followed her advice, yet that was way too much food for just two people.
However, the cornbread, mac and cheese, grits, and the dill carrots were awesome.
But the entrees were a little lackluster. The fried chicken was alright, nothing to write home about. I got the trout and it was good, but it was a little too salty for my taste.
Overall, don’t get the family styled if it’s just two people and you can safely pass on the fried chicken.

Three of my friends and I decided to venture here for dinner after hearing so many great things about Kevin Gillespie’s newest restaurant. Things I love about this place within the first few minutes: complimentary valet parking (thank goodness!), the southern charm and cultural décor, and the friendly staff. Upon walking in at 8:20 for our 8:30 reservation, the hostess informed us our table is «finishing up» and asked us to wait. Most of our group were able to snag some comfortable seats around the makeshift fireplace. Everyone commented on the comfortable, warm, and welcoming atmosphere.
During our wait, a lady came by and asked if we would like to order drinks during our wait. We were updated on the status of our table a few times at the beginning, and then, as our 20 minute wait turned into 30 and finally into 40 minutes, we were updated more frequently. We were finally seated at 9:10, with 50 minutes of wait time and 40 minutes after our reservation. Immediately after being seated, however, a gentleman stopped by our table, the same gentleman who had been updating us on the status of our wait, and introduced himself as the general manager of the restaurant and offered us a complimentary bottle of wine for our inconvenience. I truly have to marvel at this impressive gesture. It certainly set our experience back to a happy place.
We were greeted immediately by our server and our service throughout the evening was on-​point. Our server knew anything and everything there is to know about the menu, even answering complex questions about peculiar ingredients in some of the dishes. We were very impressed.
For our meal, we decided on the family dinner special, where each guest receives a shared appetizer course, shared salad course, an entrée of your choosing, cornbread, shared sides of nearly all the ones on their menu, an individual dessert, along with tea and coffee. The base price for this is $ 42, with a minimal upcharge for 3 entrée items. I enjoyed the following:
–Toasted deviled ham tea sandwiches
–Local kale salad with apples, artisan cheese, and boiled dressing
–Wood Grilled GA raised ribeye (upcharge $ 5)
–Sides:
**Lemon glazed sweet potatoes
**Revival mac and cheese
**Roasted turnips with apples
**Hickory smoked local greens (collard greens)
**My granny’s pole beans
–Chocolate cake and Lemon icebox pie
My favorites were the deviled ham tea sandwiches, grilled ribeye (definitely worth the $ 5 upcharge), and the mac and cheese. The deviled ham tea sandwiches were probably the most impressive – these was spectacularly flavorful, cut with precision, and grilled perfectly. I also really loved the mac and cheese – this was by far my favorite side item. I’ve never had mac and cheese cooked with ditalini pasta and it made for a very interesting variant! I also loved how creamy and cheesy this was without being overwhelmingly heavy or greasy. The ribeye was large, beautiful, and cooked to a perfect medium. Be prepared to stuff yourself silly with 10 – 12 ounces of meat if you go this route, and it is definitely worth it! The one qualm I have about the ribeye is that I was expecting it to be deliciously seasoned but it seemed very plain.
Overall, we had a very good meal, however, very few things had the wow factor. I do recommend coming here to enjoy the friendly staff and the great atmosphere. I suspect most patrons come here just for that, as there are plenty of places for outstanding southern cuisine in Atlanta if that’s what you’re seeking. Definitely come here with an easy going attitude and good company; our 4.5-course meal lasted 2.5 hours.

I never would have thought I’d like meatloaf. Wow, it was so good. We had a group of three and did family style which I highly recommend. We each ordered an entrée to share which is part of family style. So, I also tried some of the pork chop and the fried chicken. I would rank the meatloaf 1, pork chop 2 and the chicken 3. All the sides were delicious too.

I was invited to go here with a few friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I’d heard the chicken was pretty good, and as a connoisseur of all things chicken, I figured we would give it a shot.
When we got there, valet was nice. The entire place is reminiscent of an old southern plantation, with a large front porch and beautiful flower arrangements smattered about.
Everyone at our table absolutely loved their drinks. I got the Penicillin and while I’m not usually a gin gentleman, I must say that it was delicious. The cornbread was equally delicious.
I’m sad to report that the drinks and the cornbread were the best parts. Our waitress was really aloof, snobbish almost, and was hawkishly watching us as if we were burdening her by sitting at the table. Twice she tried to grab our plates when we were clearly only half way done eating and was condescending anytime someone asked her a question. She couldn’t make eye contact and she was just really strange. Drinks took an absurd about of time to come from the not-​very-​busy bar.
The chicken is overpriced and overrated. It wasn’t awful, it was pretty good, but this is Atlanta. There is delicious fried chicken all over this town– and most of it is better than this and a fraction of the cost (see: Eats on Ponce). $ 14 for what looked and tasted like scraps from the bottom of a KFC bucket and then an additional $ 5-​$ 7 a piece for lackluster appetizers. The chicken and dumplings were drowning in salt.
Between the 4 of us, we spent $ 190 on what we could have paid $ 40 – 60 for anywhere else. I’m going to estimate a lifespan of 2 years on this concept– just not worth it. Go somewhere that has some charm and better food and go home with a thicker wallet.

Underwhelming Saturday lunch at Revival. I wasn’t starving, and all the entrees looked huge. I ended up ordering grandma’s beans, greens and turnips. The beans would have been better without the heavy-​handed application of hot sauce, which masked the flavor of the beans themselves. The greens were okay, but the turnips were almost flavorless.
Added to the meh-​ness was slow, slow service. Long gaps between greeting, order taking, food arrival and bill.
Meh.

I was visiting Atlanta last weekend and, as a huge fan of Kevin Gillespie’s, wanted to try one of his restaurants. Gunshow seemed impossible to get into, so we headed to Revival. I looked at the menu online and got excited.
I wanted to LOVE Revival, but honestly, nothing wow’ed me. The deviled ham tea sandwiches were really good — very original and tasty. For entrees we both got fried chicken and then mac and cheese, greens, and grits. The fried chicken was good, but they said it was rated «top 5 across the country by NY Times.» I’ve had much better fried chicken in NY. Also, what’s up with the plating? Just 3 pieces of chicken rolling around on a plate? That was the weirdest thing.
The mac and cheese was fine, the greens were very good, and the grits were nothing special. All in all, while not a bad meal by any stretch, I expected way more.

Terrific service and food for a late lunch on Sunday. Was initially disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to have the family style dinner, but the ‘blue plate special’s were all fantastic; as was the selection of sides, and some of the best cornbread I’ve ever had.
Add to that some excellently made cocktails, and it made for a great experience.

Where do I begin? I had to ask the waiter if «they had my grandma back there». The food is so amazing and the service as well. The ambiance is very nice. It is a jewel in downtown Decatur. The best best soul food I have had at a restaurant. Everyone needs to experience this food cuisine!

A group of 3 of us decided to hit up Revival last weekend. Making reservations at the last minute, we had to go kind of late, but that was fine with us since a saturday night. We got there a little early and found plenty of space at the bar to accommodate us until our table was ready. Oh, and plenty of delicious strong drinks til then too!
Upon being seated we already had a few appetizers in mind, but our server slowed us down and hipped us to the family style dinner. This is a meal that is a few courses– appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. The chef picks the appetizer and salad, then each person picks their own entrée and dessert, while the chef sends out an assortment of sides to go with the entrees.
Everything was absolutely delicious and the portions were huge. We struggled to finish everything, which we were unsuccessful in doing, but no for lack of trying! Unfortunately I really wanted to try the meatloaf and they were already out of it, but the shrimp entrée I had instead was amazing, so no complaints, I’ll just have to go back for the meatloaf I guess!

The Revival experience is one that doesn’t knock your socks off, but is actually quite polished. From the outside, with it’s large porch and front yard, you would think this was a nice house in the country, which immediately gives you the feeling you’re dining at home. The inside is no different, as it hold the modern country home vibe.
Service was great and our waitress told us about the family style dinner, which allows the table to order an entrée and share several apps and sides. We opted in… bc why WOULDN’T YOU. Seriously. For the entrée, I went for the quail with honey and garlic, which was moist and flavorful. Sides of smoked greens and mac n cheese along with a kale salad with peaches, deviled ham tea sandwiches and corn bread were served. All… wonderful. Probably the best smoked greens I’ve ever had. Overall, a great meal in a very comfortable setting. Def make a stop here when you’re in the ATL!

Great food and home-​style décor/​ambiance. This was great for a group of 8 as we all opted to do family style where you can choose your entrée and dessert, and the chef will bring out the starters and trimmings. We decided to order a few different entrees to try a few things out including the spicy catfish, fried chicken and short rib. Definitely the fried chicken was the best — probably one of the best I’ve had — chicken was moist and juicy, and the skin was nicely fried and crisp, and flavorful. I definitely could have had more! The deviled ham/​egg tea sandwiches were yum along with the kale salad — the boiled dressing was delicious! The roasted turnips were probably one of my favorite sides — you definitely get plenty of trimmings. For the dessert, the chocolate cake and lemon icebox pie were my faves — the cake was extremely moist and not too sweet.
All this for only about $ 45 a person! And that included tax, tip. What a great deal for fabulous southern food!

This restaurant is good. It will be a favorite of yours if you want a Southern meal. If you have a big group, the family style seems like a good deal.
The wine list is a bit thin. There wasn’t even a Cabernet. That said, we did have a nice Zinfandel.
We had the deviled ham sandwich for an appetizer. It was tasty.
My husband had the pork steak as his entrée. It was a little pink for his liking but the onus is on him because he never mentioned it until we had left the restaurant. He liked the flavor of it, though.
I had the fried chicken. It was quite good.
For sides we had macaroni & cheese and pole beans. The pole beans were cooked in pork belly. There was a lot of pork belly in the bowl. Could have used more beans. The mac & cheese was okay. Not my favorite.
Unfortunately we had some issues with service. Some of these are personal pet peeves of mine. First, I ordered the wine after discussion with my husband. The waitress presented the cork and poured the sip to my husband. He passed the glass to me to taste. She didn’t seem to even know that whoever orders the wine (regardless of gender) should be offered the taste. My husband is hard of hearing and we mentioned to her that given the super loud dining room, he wouldn’t be able to hear her. She continued to try even when I was practically shouting across the table to let him know what she said. I could barely hear her. Low talkers + super loud restaurant is not a good combination. Finally, I paid with my credit card. My name can not be misinterpreted to possibly be a male name. Yet she returned the bill to be signed to my husband. It’s 2015… can we correct some of this?
Off my soapbox now. If you are looking for a reasonably priced, good Southern restaurant this should be on your list.

I just want to move into Revival and have it permanently exist as my kitchen and dining room. It’s so elegant, but non-​pretentious and ALL THAT blue.
My husband, dining companions and I participated in the family style menu. It’s a great value because you get a couple pre-​set apps, your own choice of entrée, pre-​set sides (but like, 5 of them) and then everyone gets their own dessert.
You can’t go wrong with what you order, but I loved my pan roasted catfish with tomato gravy. It wasn’t too heavy and was cooked perfectly.
–Get the old fashioned
–Get the lemon icebox pie
–Eat all the carbs

I was politely advised to leave a restaurant. And my first review was an attempt to be nice. But now, I’m being extremely honest.
I guess if you were raised in Maine and moved to Atlanta you would consider this «authentic» southern food. I on the other hand owe it to the people to keep this review 100% real.
The service was excellent. Clearly, the staff and the mgmt were over the top professional. So let me break down the food.
As a child we ate potted meat (look that up), and deviled ham from CANS. That is not worthy of a $ 42/​person meal. So don’t try to serve me deviled ham on toasted WHITE bread as appetizer for a meal. You can’t even spring for a cracker? Yes, waitress, I get how people LOVE your deviled ham but I didn’t want that crap when I was a child. And I CERTAINLY am not paying for it at $ 42/​person as an adult. I suggest you find some meat or veggies that aren’t ground to an unrecognisable existence to serve to me. I was allowed to have the heirloom tomato salad.
Why would you take a something as beautiful as a tomato and mess with it like that? Tomatoes can be eaten and enjoyed off the vine. Now you SAY you marinated it in tomato juices, but my taste buds disagree. Tomatoes are FRUIT. Fruit is generally NOT SOUR. I’m not sure WHAT you had on that tomato but it was bitter. And unappetizing.
So then the waitress starts to advise us that we probably don’t want to pay for dinner. OK, I’ll admit my friend was a bit over the top by asking them to fry her catfish instead of serve it grilled in tomato gravy. After tasting the heirloom tomato salad, I don’t blame her. And I wasn’t having the quail. My Daddy was a hunter and he would shoot quail and that has a TON of little bones to work around and I want chicken. We ate quail when you didn’t have money and someone had to go hunt food. At $ 42/​person, I expect chicken or steak.
And I am NOT a fan of kale salad. I’m sorry. I know everyone loves it, but eating raw kale is like eating raw collard greens. I don’t eat salad dressing to begin with so «massaging» my kale is just not something I’m entertaining. And mac n cheese is NOT included at $ 42/​person.
Clearly, we won’t enjoy our dinner, so maybe we should just go. I booked this (reservations) as a dual birthday dinner celebration. I was very disappointed. In fact, the manager herself told us, no charge, just go.
I appreciate your hospitality and your politeness. I’ll reciprocate by not returning.
P. S. Things that I NEVER saw: cornbread, butter beans, butter, corn, fried chicken, mac n cheese, yams, collard greens, cabbage, etc.

Conceptually, Chef Kevin Gillespie has set the bar exponentially and, on an extreme level, has he and his crew exceeded it. Ever since he was at Woodfire and then on the Gunshow, my wife and I have followed (read: stalked) and so it was a no-​brainer to try his newest brick and mortar, Revival. Gillespie’s play on the meat-​and-​three plate concept and Southern Sunday supper is on point. As with Gunshow, reservations can be had several weeks out, but make them anyway.
The wife and I visited early on a Sunday evening. We were 35 minutes early for our reservation but were seated immediately after taking a seat at the bar. You cannot help but have your head on a swivel, drinking in the décor. It is homey and inviting with family pictures everywhere. There are artifacts on the bookshelves along with books to give the feel of a wood-​paneled study. The waiting area is like a small sitting room; very casual and relaxed. The building is a restored house with a family history dating back to the early 1900s. The story can be found on the website.
Our journey began with cocktails and our server explained all of our dining options. Prior to arriving, we already had decided to try family-​style. As can be read from the other reviews, the family style is an excellent value at $ 42 per person. The wine list is short, but the wine by the glass was very good. So we both selected our entrée and dessert and then, it began.
Up first was the deviled ham on toast with pickled veg. This tasted nothing like the potted meat of my youth. It was hammy and creamy and delicious. Next up was the apparently-​soon-​to-​be-​famous kale salad with caramelized onions, peaches, dressed with southern boiled dressing, and finished with shaved parmesan. This salad looks pedestrian, but it will make your toes curl. I had never heard of southern boiled dressing, but I googled it right there at the table… bookmarked! This completed the hors d’oeuvres. I had hoped to get the marinated heirloom tomatoes, but I was not disappointed with anything.
Out came the cornbread with sweet butter. The wife didn’t really care for the cornbread. She is a southern girl who likes her cornbread sweet. This bread was more like a cornbread-​biscuit. I loved it. The butter added all of the sweetness necessary to me.
Then things began happening. The table was being transformed by a small swarm of servers setting serving spoons and removing dishes. The trimmings were delivered by the same swarming servers in small serving bowls and one mini Dutch oven oozing with cheese from the macaroni and cheese. As soon as my meatloaf was set down in front of me my wife had already stabbed it with her fork. Wow, she says, that’s awesome. So the deal is that the sides, or trimmings, are the chef’s choice, but out of the seven offerings on the menu, we got five. Not mad at all. The wife got the quail as an entrée and it was tender and juicy with just a kiss of smoke. The smoked collards, the mac-​n-​cheese, the fatback fried corn, the butter beans with field peas, were all super delicious. The cabbage was okay, although the piece of ham hock in there was pretty tasty.
When dessert came along, both of us were ready for a serious nap. We persevered because we’re troopers. I made it three-​fourths of the way through the toasted vanilla pound cake with pineapple and cream, and the wife got halfway through the peach pie with almond ice-​cream.
So all tolled the cost was moderate — meaning we can dine here more than once a year. I highly recommend you follow Chef Gillespie to his new concept and do like we did; do not eat anything before coming!

I have never been to Gunshow, but have heard good things about Kevin and his food. So I was very excited to hear about Revival opening. The dinner club I belong to was all on it when we heard when the opening date would be. We were able to grab a reservation within the first few weeks. Located just off Decatur Square which is nice because it isn’t as congested. They have valet parking, but you can also park on nearby streets if you wish.
I have to say, the restaurant did not make a good first impression. The landscaping is not completed yet. All I could smell was manure. Obviously it must have been some kind of fertilizer for the lawn. But not very appetizing.
We were a large group so we were seated at a large table in the back near the kitchen. I had a great view of the goings-​on. Also, the table itself was just awesome. A few of us took pictures of it.
You have the option of doing family style or ordering traditionally. Well, four wanted family style and four wanted to order separately. Unfortunately, all parties at your table must be in agreement. I ordered the southern fried chicken and a side of mac and cheese. I was quite horrified when the chicken arrived. I was quite too dark for my taste. And I wasn’t impressed with the flavor. I thought it was pretty bland. However, others in my party liked it. I have a Southern mama; I guess I must have higher standards. The mac and cheese was OK, but nothing too special. I also tried a bit of the bacon wrapped meatloaf. Didn’t like that at all. I will make it at home myself. I tried a bit of chocolate cake as the table ordered a few desserts just as I was getting ready to go. Again, I was not dazzled at all.
That all being said, I thought that the service was good and that the prices were quite reasonable! I really wanted to like Revival, but reality did not meet expectation. I’ll still give Gunshow a try though.

«Well don’t you expect me to come to one of your churches or one of those tent-​revivals with all those Bible-​beaters doin’ God-​only-​knows-​what! They’d probably make me eat a live chicken!» — Steel Magnolias (1989)
Well, Chef Kevin, you certainly know what the heck you are doing in the restaurant biz. Holy Southern Feast, y’all! This is the place to come for a killer meal. And all I can say is — Family-​style all the way! Highly anticipated by me and my Unilocaliest of mates, we were thrilled when just a week after opening, they were able to accommodate 10 of us for a birthday dinner (to celebrate Trevor W.).
When booking the reservation, as per red beard standards, I was asked about food allergies. Three of the ten of us have major allergies (tree nuts, alcohol and gluten). The woman on the phone noted all three for me. Upon confirmation, I made sure all three were still noted, and we discussed them again upon arrival. Our server, Felicia, was good to explain which dishes I needed to avoid (tree nuts) and which were not okay for the alcohol allergy. For gluten, she was served special dishes when we had gluten in our items (I’m sure she will review).
We were given the dining options and the table opted for Family-​style. Each diner picks an entrée and dessert and the table is served a couple of hors d’oeurves and five or six «trimmings» or sides. This option was only $ 42. How can you not choose this?
I started with the Georgia Mint Julep — properly served in a silver julep cup with crushed ice. A lovely combo of bourbon, peach brandy and mint… who knew?! So refreshing and delicious. Had I not been driving, I’d have had at least one more. Before I could finish my drink, our first app arrived — toasted deviled ham tea sandwiches with pickled veggies. Amazing!!! Like the best creamy ham with a kick on toasted brioche. The acidity from the pickled green tomatoes and celery cut thru the rich spread perfectly. Next, a kale and peach salad with artisan cheese. I’m not usually a big kale eater, but I thought about stabbing my mates with my fork to get a bigger helping. No words can tell you how great these flavor said melded. Genius.
They was a gap between apps and entrées, but to distract us, out came the most delectable, delightful, killer cornbread you’ve ever eaten in your lifetime. No joke. Some kind of biscuit/​cornbread hybrid. I tried to sweet talk Chef Kevin out of the recipe via Instagram but no dice. This is his Great Grandmother’s recipe and he is sworn to protect it. Oh well, I’ll just move into Revival. So… I ordered a second round ($ 1 each, y’all…worth it). Once the entrées came out, the table was overloaded with side dishes and plates.
People, listen. I tried the meatloaf (my dish), fried chicken and quail. All winners in my book. That chicken is THE absolute best I have ever had. Moist (juice dripping down your arms), crispy crust, but not heavy. The meatloaf (albeit some commented it was salty), was moist, tender, with a hint of sweetness from the glaze and saltiness from the bacon wrap. I didn’t feel it was salty at all. The quail was also tender and rich — I would order it.
Sides — all fabulous. Tops in my book were the butterbeans (OMG) and the corn (nothing better than silver queen). The cabbage was good, but probably my least favorite and it was still delicious. Mac and cheese was also on point. By the time dessert rolled around, I needed a second stomach. But I pressed on. I opted for the chocolate cake and I was not disappointed. Soft and creamy dark chocolate frosting perfectly complimented the dense yet light and moist chocolate cake. It was so rich I had to bring half of it home. Luckily I had ordered coffee — and wow! Turns out the coffee is a personal Jittery Joes blend from Chef Kevin. Kudos, sir. By far, the winner on the dessert menu was the Lemon Ice Box Pie — and we ordered everything. Light, tart, refreshing, yet somehow just rich enough to feel decadent.
Overall, the service was excellent. Felicia was on top of mostly everything. A couple of small things were missed/​forgotten, but with a table of 10 and 2^nd week being open, it was still great. She was pretty soft-​spoken which is tough in a louder restaurant when talking to a long table. Again, she managed well. Keeping allergies managed and still having my best meal of 2015 — that’s a 10 in my book. I’ll be back again and again. Must deconstruct how to make that cornbread, Chef!

There’s something special happening at Revival, one of Decatur’s newest additions to the fine dining scene. The service is front and center, starting with the friendly valet and continuing on to warm welcomes as you enter the lovingly restored home on Church Street.
Arrive before your reservation to enjoy a cocktail at the bar, and take in the comfortable, homey décor. I recommend the gin rickey, a bright green and refreshing summer beverage. It’s delicious.
When you’re ready to be seated, you’ll be escorted from the bar (yes, your tab will transfer) and seated in the warm, lively main dining room, where it’s not unusual to strike up a conversation with the guests at the next table. It’s the relaxed atmosphere, paired with exceptional food and service, that really makes Revival work.
I’m happy to report the restaurant can accommodate gluten allergies. Many of the items are already gluten free, and some can be altered. Sadly, the gorgeous-​looking cornbread and the tea sandwiches are verboten for Celiacs.
Our table of two started with an hors d’oeuvres plate of heirloom tomatoes with local cucumbers and sweet onions. Expertly seasoned with fresh herbs, this dish is a fantastic foil for the Atlanta heat. We moved on to enjoy two entrees: Georgia quail glazed with roasted honey and garlic; and the special of the evening, beautiful Georgia shrimp served with tomatoes and rice with one of the most heavenly sauces I’ve had the pleasure of eating. Simply divine. For sides, we opted for the fresh field peas and butter beans served with dill and the old-​fashioned creamed potatoes. Both were excellent and paired well with our main courses. Washed down with a bottle of their Gamay wine, my meal at Revival is one I’ll remember for years to come. I’m already looking forward to my next visit.

Spoilers alert! If you want to be delighted and surprised by the many thoughtful and authentic touches that make Revival special — read no further!
Another GREAT restaurant in City of Decatur — it has some service polishing to go — but not much — to be right up there with Cakes & Ale. It definitely is one of the best restaurants I have been to in a very long time. Absolutely the best restaurant laying claim to being «real Southern food», which initially turned me off — but it’s Kevin Gillespie so I had to at least give it a try. If nothing else, they do have a kale salad anyway.
Pretty much looks the same on the outside (road construction seems to be wrapping up though), but you walk into your grandmother’s lovely home (the grandmother who lives in the country) through the front path surrounded by mulch that smells a bit like the farm (really I now think that’s intentional). There are authentic touches everywhere but they don’t scream at you like Disney perfection or kitsch — it’s more like little hints or clues that start adding up.
Cozy blue walls & ceiling with white beams, molding and dining chair rails. Front porch, screened in side porch, the embroidery pictures in the «powder room», thread spools and sewing machine oil, girly pictures in the men’s room, the servers are all young fellows and ladies who look vaguely like they are ready for church in their neat little plaid shirts and ladylike dresses. The mismatched serving dishes. sepia and b&w family pictures on the walls.
But all of these touches just add to the delights of the food — don’t dismiss the deviled ham tea sandwiches — order them immediately — these little bites are packed with just the right crunch of grilled bread and a zing of? in the ham. The kale salad was soft and flaked with tasty cheese and poached peaches — wonderful flavored in a light dressing.
I am so glad our party of 4 opted for family style meal though it was enough food for 6! If we hadn’t, I would have ordered safe and missed so many amazing dishes — field peas & butter beans with fragrant dill, slightly spicy greens with the exact right texture. I did avoid the fatback fried creamed corn (though 2 of our group pronounced it their hands down favorite) and the creamed potatoes also cleaned out by my companions. I loved the squash pancake and found the light as air cornbread — more like an incredibly light biscuit irresistible. Get that basket away! Of course it’s cooked in a cast iron molded skillet coated with fatback so it has wonderful touch of crispness on every side.
Among our party we chose the catfish in «tomato gravy», truly the best catfish I have ever had either in or on this side of Memphis TN. The menu called it spicy but it was not overly spiced or in any way blackened — just wonderful combination of flavor; fried chicken with a delicious crust (fried in fatback too?) but moist and perfectly cooked chicken inside. Wood-​grilled pork steak. Everyone polished off their entrees and made short work of most of the «trimmings» (sides).
After relaxing with coffee or tea, as civilized Southerners will do after a big dinner (we were there for supper but truly this was a traditional southern dinner for mid-​day Sunday), we enjoyed our choice of desserts — we had the toasted pound cake with «peach fool» (peaches and cream atop), a fruit tart (the promised ala mode missing tonight) and lemon icebox pie. Nothing too sweet, nothing greasy, not heavy — oh the fatback is there but the food is perfection — authentically southern but way better than I have ever had. (Love you mom but I am glad you didn’t cook this way during my formative years or I might be a bit heftier today).
And the cherry, the final sweet touch — a little engraved thank you note from the chef. Kevin Gillespie’s mama raised her boy right!

Got to try Revival on its first day and it rocked! Loved the homey Southern farmhouse décor and the delicious Southern food. Our table had the family style dinner, where each person picks an entrée and a dessert, and you get a bunch of appetizers/​salads/​sides to share. Our table of 3 tried the following (which was almost the entire menu):
Appetizers (called Hors d’oeuvres on the menu):
–toasted deviled ham sandwiches– not my favorite but tasty.
— pickled veggies
–kale salad with old fashioned boiled dressing, peaches, slivers of cow milk cheese, and pickled celery– one of the better salads I’ve eaten in a long time.
–cornbread triangles– YUM… fresh and hot from the oven and probably cooked in bacon fat and a skillet.
Entrees:
–Revival fried chicken– crispy skin, tender chicken meat, worthy of the restaurant namesake.
–Grass fed beef and pork meatloaf wrapped in bacon & molasses– very good, the molasses totally made this dish.
–Wood grilled quail glazed with honey and garlic– While cooked well, this was probably my least favorite of the night.
Sides (called «Trimmings» on the menu): My favorite was surprising not the Mac & cheese (though it came in an adorable little pot) but was the zucchini & squash fritter-​like pancake or the peas/​beans with dill… I don’t think enough menus have veggies have fresh dill and they should because they were summer-​y & delicious.
–creamed corn, local peas & beans w/​dill, Mac & cheese, collard greens, zucchini & squash pancake
Desserts: All were divine… I could have eaten all the desserts for dinner.
–awesome chocolate cake (that’s what it’s called on the menu), lemon icebox pie (more like a tart), butterscotch trifle w/​crumbled blondes & butter pecan cream
— Drinks: both of their punches from the menu, burnt old fashioned. All great drinks that go down way too easily… I could have had double the # of beverages if I didn’t watch myself!
I think the family style meal was $ 32 or $ 42 per person… well worth it, with all the food you get. Lots of old photos and paintings on the walls and antique items on shelves that kept me looking everywhere. The multiple dining rooms were bustling during dinner, and very loud so it was a little hard to hear conversations without shouting. Service was so attentive… water glasses were kept full, plates and silverware were constantly getting switched out. I could tell a lot of care was taken with the menu and the dishes– Very impressive for the opening week!