Rare

I miss the old Rare.
–I miss running into the old crowd and meeting new and interesting people, and hearing the hottest soul-​hip hop-​fusion music around.
–I miss being elbow to elbow with the upwardly mobile buppies in the city.
–I miss eating incredible soul food tapas, so tasty you want to try the entire menu (like the lobster mac and cheese!) without stiling minimum food order placed upon me.
Most of all though, I miss the feeling I always got whenever I walked into Our Kind of People on a Friday night.
I went here post fire, and I was SO disappointed. It felt like its lost its… it factor. The food was wack, and the service was average to poor, not to mention there were only a few people there, not at all what I was used to.
I really hope Rare gets its ‘it’ factor back, because it is (or, was) an old friend, and I pray they do better with Spanish Harlem.

Imagine, you open the door and see a long empty hallway in front of you. Eventually you come out into a larger area and find someone to seat you. They take you to another room and ask whether you would prefer to sit at a table or lounge on the beds. When you choose the beds, they bring you silver platters with your food so that you never have to get close to your table. Sort of an odd experience, but a lot of fun.
Food was quite good, but about what you’d expect for a tapas place: not too cheap prices for not very big dishes. If only it weren’t so enjoyable to try 8 different courses in one sitting! I would not recommend this place for vegetarians. We wanted to try one of the few options, but they were out.

Rare is a substantial MISS in my book!
For someone who used to be an avid fan of this hangout/​eatery it has gone significantly downhill amidst it’s rather frequent closings and launches. After visiting recently with a group of my girls, I was glad to see that the ambiance and menu offerings were very much the same – give or take a few minor things.
Well to my surprise the few «minor things» were just the tip of the iceberg and so here is a snapshot as to how our night went.
Ordered soda… it was disgusting. Clearly it came from a tap (fine!) but I guess the syrup didn’t mix well with the seltzer water and two of our diet coke’s came out tasting like Robitussin.
Service was fair… at best.
We ordered three tapas each and out of the 9 that FIRST came to the table, 3 were OK: shrimp & grits, curry chicken skewer and the cornish hen. EVERYTHING ELSE was horrible! The fried shrimp cocktail tasted sour; the bbq ribs had NO taste; the grilled chicken tasted like water (and was later discovered to be sautéed and not grilled, per the manager’s insight); mussels and collard green potstickers were bland; and the CROWN JEWEL of what used to be a crowd favorite… the chicken & waffles, were completely OFF! The chicken is no longer fried, it’s basted in some type of syrup and even still it has no taste! It’s like a magic trick. How could something with so much sauce have no flavor whatsoever?!
The best thing we had for the night was JUST the waffle. Which we ended up ordering alone simply because we were still hungry after not really eating any of our original plates.
I asked our waitress if there was a new chef because the food is not the same and her answer was, «yeah… for the last four months… you’re not the first person to say that!»
I felt bad because we saw so many people coming in to have a great meal and I really wanted to tell them that the food was subpar, if that. But it was no time before they figured it out for themselves as you saw pushed away plates and faces of discontent spread throughout the room.
Sorry Rare. Whatever you are doing, it’s not working. Just promise me one thing… please don’t become a bad influence on Social House.

This is one of those places that I really wanted to love. But sometimes love don’t work out that way… and in this case… it didnt.
I went to Rare years ago, when the crowd bustling, mature, smart and engaging. A good spot to hit after work/​in the early evening, if you wanted to grab a drink and a light dinner.
Soul food Tapas? Who woulda thunk it would work, but strangely enough the creative menu and interesting space did just that… it worked.
The music was incredible… always featuring a live dj on Friday evenings playing the best in neo soul/​hip hop. It was really an extension of Harlem Bar… but just more mature and cooler.
However, after a debacle in which the restaurant closed for nearly 1.5−2 years… Rare lost its rarity, and got stuck in the no man land that is defined as «forgotten».
Rare is a really interesting business case because for whatever reason they couldnt get that swagger back that they once had… and If they are not closed yet… I am sure it will be soon.
Sucks though– I really enjoyed this spot.

Rare is a hit or miss but still one of those places I will always go and most definitely take out of town folk!
The not so good…(1) WEAK drinks. I mean seriously, I think they put a splash of liquor in the drinks. I think I just won’t order their drinks anymore or just get a glass of wine (2) Spotty service… either slow or forgetful and we got a ‘tude from our drink waitress the other night. In general the staff there are nice but there are always 1 or 2 that aren’t (3) The cartoons are weird. The screen is a nice touch but maybe old school 70’s movies would be better (4) if you go late on a Friday or Saturday they may be out of their best items. Best to go on a weekday or early in the day (5) they charge $ 5 to valet park (6) the wait on a Saturday or Friday is LONG!!! They do not take reservations until after 11pm at night because they are so busy!
The good…(1) Cool spot with a nice urban flair. Not uppity but not hood! A great place to take a visitor. They have live music on the weekend. Not really a date place because the crowd is so thick and the music so loud. The weekdays may be better though (2) Food is GOOD and priced reasonably

First off, we were not expecting the snazzy décor and sort of weird layout (you can sit on couch/​bed things, in case you want that triclinium-​esque experience, which we did). There were old cartoons playing on a wall and a sort of creepy picture… it was a little strange, but funky. The food was good, though they were out of some stuff we wanted (veggie pot pie and cornish hen).
Here’s what we got:
BLT Salad — Delicious and recommended. The fried green tomato was tasty. Blue cheese dressing was a nice touch.
Trio of Deviled Eggs — a little too salty, otherwise bland, not my favorite.
Georgia Street Taco — the fish is crispy as advertised! and the black eyed peas are a great touch. Really really liked it.
Curry Grilled Chicken Kabobs — Very spicy. Tasty.
Lobster Mac and Cheese — Well, I love mac and cheese, and I like lobster. This is fantastic mac and cheese, with lobster. No wonder it is their signature dish! Definitely get this.
Forever Braised Ribs — good, had some nice crunchy bits.
In all, it was a great meal. The service was good, if a little jumbled since two separate people were trying to wait on us simultaneously… I liked it!

I used to love/​hate Rare in the pre-​fire days… it was always a fun spot to take my old college pals, random out of towners, anyone that I thought wouldn’t be into my buford highway sprees, normally only ate at Applebee’s and Chili’s or just wasn’t really into food. They always had a jazzy lounge-​y vibe, and the food was something that we could all agree on.
Guess what… post fire, it’s the same. And it’s the same in all of the ways that used to suck about Rare too. Shitty absentminded or just plain slow and/​or rude service, getting rushed out on Fridays and Saturdays, weak cough syrupy sweet drinks and some teensy weensy tapas if you get the wrong thing. The food can be sorta inconsistent too. Sometimes it’s like «wow…this is really yummy», other times, it’s like «wow…this HAD so much potential.»
Oh well– for certain things, times, groups, I still like it! Rare has its place… and it is often a spot for hilarious people watching. The sofa areas which are sometimes great for large groups, become, on slow spots, makeshift love nests for couples who clearly should spring for a love hotel with hourly rates. Nothing like eating some collard green potstickers and having what appears to be soft core porn auditions over in the corner.
So…what to eat? I always get the BLT salad (i love bacon and I love fried green tomatoes). This dish can be fantabulous, or it can be drowning in dressing, oily… basically a limp lukewarm mess. Pray that you get the great version.
The Cajun Fried Cornish hen has never let me down, usually fried up crispy and delish… well seasoned. I usually am suffering from overkill from the blue cheese on the BLT, I don’t need it on the hen.
Piri Piri Pork again, can be lush, moist and flavorful (it was this time) or the polar opposite. I hate that you never know.
I also love deviled eggs… but don’t do it here. The gulf shrimp are basically frozen salad shrimp from Kroger, bacon means + bacon bits, and the traditional are just meh.
Between me and my friends, I’ve had a taste of most everything on the menu… lobster mac and cheese is an automatic no go. It’s salty, not lobstery, and I think it may come out of a blue box and they add a little more velveeta, you know, to jazz it up. Hey, that’s just what I think.
They have a «2 for 30» deal… which is a deal, but I’m not crazy about their desserts.
Anywho, embrace Rare for what it is, and is not… and go there for some interesting good times, lively people watching, «urban-​chic» ambiance, and usually… good music in the background.

I really wanted to like this place, but the food was just ok. The calamari was extremely salty (my sister, who always overdoes it on salt even thought they were salty), the lobster mac n cheese, crab/​cheese dip, tacos, and salmon croquettes were bland. The ribs were good. My sister liked the cornish game hens and the blt salad.
The service and ambiance were nice. I met some really cool people at the bar before being seated, so I recommend the happy hour.

Food: Okay.
It’s a tapas place, and I have been to some fancy tapas restaurants and never have I seen portions so small! The plate are over-​priced for the food you recieve.
Customer Service: Horrible, HORRIBLE customer service.
My best girlfriends and I were siked about trying Rare for my birthday dinner (we came from all over the country to celebrate in ATL). Not only did they screw up our table reservation and were unapologetic, but the owner himself never came out to resolve the situation upon request.
We waited 20 minutes to finally get out situation resolved and properly seated, still, the owner never came out the back of the kitchen. After all the drama with our reservation, and lack of consideration, our server tried to hit us with a cake-​serving fee for CUPCAKES we brought. –The hell?
I try to give my people shots at business, however, Rare will never receive a reco from me based on their customer service alone.

I didn’t get to check Rare out before the fire, but I’m glad they reopened. Seeing as how my beloved Harlem Bar closed (though I hear Lorenzo’s opening something called «Harlem» soon).
Fortunately, I was there with some experienced regulars, one of whom walked us through every item on the menu. She steered us clear of the tapas that didn’t provide the most value for the buck (the chicken & waffle is one wing & a quarter of a waffle). She also let us in on the best kept secret: Ask if they’re still doing the «2 for $ 30.» You get a salad, 4 tapas and dessert all for $ 30 bucks! Fab for splitting between two people if you get the right ones.
We had the bitter greens salad (refreshing), the Lobster Mac & Cheese (a big dish), Piri Piri Pork, Moroccan Mussels, Collard Greens Potstickers and Peach Cobbler. Everything was solid, although all the choices seemed to have a sweetness to them. This will be my urban-​chic outta town guest spot now that Harlem Bar’s no more!

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend, so i decided to try it out for my birthday. I called 2 weeks ahead to make a reservation for 8 people. I specifically asked for a sofa area. I was excited and amped to try this new restaurant with my girls who came from all over the U. S to celebrate with me. The restaurant called me the day of to confirm my reservation and i thought everything was all set.
When i showed up they escorted me to a table. However, the point of my reservation two weeks ago was to have a sofa area. When i complained, of course i asked to speak to the manager. I was shocked when the hostess told me that he was in the kitchen and was too busy to come out! Too Busy To Come Out!!! Wow, I have never been to a restaurant where the manager refused to talk with customers.
As i continued to probe and ask questions about my reservation, the hostess said that «reservations are not guaranteed.» and since a party of 10 had come they gave our sofa area away. My choice was to sit at a table in the back or wait two hours for a sofa. After 30 minutes of going back and forth with waiters and the hostess they finally sat us at a sofa, perhaps because who ever they were holding it for did not show up.
Still, no manager came out of say sorry for the mix up, nor did he stop by to ask is there anything he could do for the inconvenience. Instead he walked by several times with his Gucci loafers, jeans that were rolled up to the ankle, blazer jacket and big glasses and just kind of glance over to our table as if he didn’t want us to be there. Aside from all that they tried to make us pay a cake fee because we had cup cakes, and warned us of the 3 tapas after 9 rule.
FOOD REVIEW
Everything that we tried was good. My only complaint about the food was that the fried chicken was fried in dirty grease. it was very dark and hard.
Will I go back to this restaurant? NO. I refused to spend money in an establishment where customers are not appreciated.

I wish I could a 2.5, I’m pretty stuck in the middle. The atmosphere, bar, and DJ is great, but my dining experience left much to be desired. Since it is a restaurant though, I’ll rate it on the food.
I went here Friday night with 9 other folks to celebrate a friend’s b-​day. After 3 plates (the minimum for one person on friday or saturday after 9), I must say I was pretty full. I had the jerk tilapia (not enough jerk flavor), bermuda chicken (pretty tasty) and the curry chicken kabobs (not good at ALL).
The food was not as flavorful as I expected. I’m sorry, you can’t have jerk or curry anything that is as bland and the dishes I had were and still label it as such. The service was not that great either. It took us forever to get all of our plates, at least an hour. Granted, we were a large party, but It seemed the waiter was unaware of what came out and what didn’t. We had to constantly ask him where our plates were, and then remind him of what had not came out yet.
I might give Rare another try with different dishes and a smaller group. Hmm…

First impression… WOW! My fiancé’ and I were in town on a mini vacation. It was my 1^st time visiting Atlanta but I wanted to avoid all the trendy restaurants and night spots so I could get a better feel of the city. I actually found RARE on Unilocal and since it was our last night in town and hadn’t had any soul food yet we decided to try it.
It was a little difficult to find seeing as its nestled in between 2 other buildings but they have valet parking available for $ 5. We were greeted at the door by our waiter and the owner and we instantly fell in love with the décor. It had a New Orleans vibe to it with the exposed brick walls and the gorgeous chandeliers. It was pretty empty, which I thought was strange for a Sunday night and our waiter seated us in the back portion all by ourselves which was really nice. He encouraged us to kick off our shoes and relax on the sofa-​style seating.
They had a special that allowed us to pick an appetizer, 4 entrees and a desert for $ 32. Now the entrees are served tappas style, which means they are smaller portions BUT the meal more than filled us up and we were glad we got to taste a bit of everything. The most expensive entrée was $ 8 so youre definitely getting a great deal. Theyre theme behind the meals are soulfood with a contemporary twist. For example we had collard green pot stickers and lobster mac n cheese. Both were amazing. They also had GREAT drinks and drink specials and they had a special drink for mother’s day which my fiancé’ loved. The waiter was awesome and the owner came by and checked on us as well. An overall amazing experience… we have a new fave restaurant!

It is hard to choose which star to place because I have mixed feelings.
2 – 3?
So here is why
The ambiance has very low lights (good for early dating stages lol)
The bar was lively as a Friday should be
The drink selection was alright and 9 bucks is good for a nice mix
So heres the glitch
the food is eh
I had a jerk tilapia bite with plantain, now they say tapas, but this was two bites– However tasty & cheap
now the dessert.
as a sweet tooth fanatic I would never think one could go wrong, until now the banana foster needs to be removed off the menu until they know how to make it not taste stronger than a shot of liquor
so go for drinks and cute date spot and you’ll be ok :)

RARE recently reopened after being closed since 2008 due to a fire. A buddy and I went to RARE for dinner this past Saturday night. We were the only dinner guests there when we arrived around 6:00pm. One problem was that their website contact information hadn’t been updated since they reopened. The phone number on their website is disconnected and the Online Reservations link doesn’t work since the Restaurant is no longer listed on OpenTable​.Com.
When we arrived, the House Manager greeted us promptly and gave us a mini tour of the Dining Areas. They have a traditional Dining Room with your standard dining tables, and a larger dining area with lounge sofas that looked similar to beds lined up along one side of the dining room. Small contemporary cube like coffee tables sat in front of the «beds» with candles. These also served as your dining tables. The wait staff was very polite and attentive.
The menu has a large variety of Tapas (small plate) dishes (priced $ 5 — $ 8) and a small selection of cocktails ($ 9). We started off with two of their fruity cocktails which were very potent. I was tipsy after a few sips.
We then ordered the following small plates:
Lobster Mac and Cheese: I was disappointed. It was macaroni noodles swimming in a Cheez Whiz style Cheese Sauce. I could not taste one morsel of Lobster. I did bite down on a small piece of lobster shell though.
BLT Salad: Made with Crispy Applewood Bacon, Romaine Lettuce, Red Onions, and Blue Cheese Dressing on top of Fried Green Tomatoes. This dish was delicious. The Fried Green Tomatoes were fried well and really tasty.
Cajun Fried Cornish Hen. It was ½ hen fried well, but the Cajun seasoning was way too salty.
Braised Barbeque Baby Back Ribs were really tasty and meaty and topped with a sweet barbeque sauce. This was my favorite dish.
I spoke to the Manager about the contact information being incorrect on the Website, so he handed me his business card with the correct phone number to call: 404−549−9024.
On Sundays they have an All You Can Eat Buffet for $ 21.
The owner of RARE also owns the Harlem Bar downtown and the Social House off of Howell Mill Road. I don’t care for the Harlem Bar, but the Social House is a great Breakfast/​Brunch spot with a tasty Shrimp and Grits dish.

Rare is back and it’s back in a big way. The opening was hot and that Lobster Mac & Cheese is off the chain. I not a fan of the parking. But, I love the couchs and the film being shown on the wall. Glad you guys are back!

— Great place to impress your date
— Great ambiance
— For the Grown and Sexy
— Valet Parking
— Drinks are really fruity
— The environment is juss amazing… neosoul playing in the background
— I would suggest the Lobster macaroni, the cornish hens (amazing), the chicken and waffle (waffle has pecan syrup) chicken not so great…
— Staff is pretty knowledgable and friendly
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The service and the food are great! My only complaint are the drinks. Although there libations are quite tasty and even something you would try to copy at home they need to be more liberal when pouring the alchohol. For $ 9, per drink you would expect to leave the establishment feeling just a little tipsy but unless you have two or three no need to worry about who’s driving home. This is the perfect place if you are looking for a nice place to take a date for dinner or looking for an after hour spot after work to hang out with friends or co-​workers.
They offer a unique twist on tapas by offering creative soulfood selection. Be sure to try the Lobster Mac & Cheese, you want be dissapointed.

On my first visit my wife along with another couple walked through the front door and immediately gave each other looks of skepticism. It was Friday night, before heading out to a Soulive show @ the Loft. The bar was PACKED. I literally had to shove a couple of disrespectful young brothers out of the way to make a path for my queen.
Our group had made reservations. The hostess was a sweetheart and when I walked past the curtain separating the seating area… I was in heaven. A warm, candle-​lit, relaxing atmosphere was spread out in front of us. Hot Afro-​soul blazed from the speakers. This was it. The atmosphere inspires romance and relaxation (with the appropriate company, of course). The food was delicious and the service commendable. I agree whole-​heartedly with Talib K (how’s Mos?) that RARE «is the Harlem Bars older full-​figured sister». That’s a good look… however…
…The second time around was a little different… kind of like seeing that fine girl for the first time and your mind replays the event as if she was the most beautiful child of God you’ve ever layed eyes upon then you see her again and it’s like… that’s it?
The young man at the front reception desk acted like his panties were bunched. Instead of being cordial, he snapped about me taking my cap off, which, by the way, was not a baseball cap, but a dressy tweed — also I intended to take it off once I actually got INSIDE. Whatever. The bar was less populated (it was a Sunday)…that was good. The atmosphere was the same, but different. There were several damp spots in the couches, scraps on the floor, the waiter seemed disinterested and told one in our party that she had to buy water because they weren’t serving complimentary water due to the drought…
Any establishment is bound to have slight inconsistencies. All in all (as my rating reflects) RARE is a good combination of elements to compliment a wonderful evening.
Peace.

I walked in the door with my friend and the bartender immediately held up two Heinekens… huh…what? I wondered, «did we just walk onto the set of a bad commercial or an equally bad cliché?» I don’t even drink Heineken (reminds me of ‘Private Stock’ — remember that stuff… yuck?!?). Anyhow, the joint was buzzin’ that night even though they were closing in 30 minutes.
The best way to describe Rare is that it is the Harlem Bar’s older full-​figured sister. Rare has three distinct areas; a bar with traditional and lounge seating, a café area with an outside patio, and a lounge with what are best described as large day beds. The menu is unique in presentation, they serve «soul food tapas.» But their niche is really the vibe they have created in a city surprisingly bereft (by comparison) of businesses that truly cater to 30 something professional African Americans. The worst part of Rare is the music on some nights; sometimes the DJ goes a little too far underground (considering the audience).

When it comes to soul food, Atlanta is home to some of the best restaurants. If tapas take your taste buds to another place, ATL has no shortage of establishments serving up «small plates.» However, until now, newbies to the edible fantasy that is soul food couldn’t find a place to sample succulent southern dishes, like chicken and waffles or shrimp and grits. Rare, aptly named, brings soul food to a new audience in a space with ambience that embodies all the comfort and relaxation that goes well with this cuisine.
Walking in, you’ll be greeted by the host and have the option of taking a seat in the bar area, reminiscent of the juke joints of times past, or laying back in the lounge, a room that will transport you to an African Kasbah complete with chandeliers, candles and colorful fabrics. Perfect for ladies night out, you can gather around the table in front of your plush pillow laden bed and pick out the dishes that are calling your name from the menu to share. The lobster macaroni will make you want to slap someone and so will any of the desserts. Make sure to keep an eye out for the owners, who keep a low profile, but are often spotted keeping the wheels turning on their new midtown dining destination.
Monday and Friday nights you’ll find Rare is hosting new events for the professional who ponders an hour long drive home in traffic or a sip of his or her favorite spirit poured over ice. Parking in this area of town can give you agita, but you do have the option of using Rare’s valet service for a small fee. Don’t park at the neighboring post office or grocery store, unless you plan on visiting A-​Tow later that night to pick up your ride.