McKinnon's Louisiane Restaurant

10/19/2007 Posted by cathywoods

Its a little hole-in-the-wall but the Manager Aziz makes it all worth your while. Good food and drinks! Romanic and cozy.

Pros: Good Seafood

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

08/08/2007 Posted by a_georgian

I don't think of McKinnon's as a Cajun retaurant, its where we go when we want a quiet, elegantly appointed restaurant with good food (we're especially fond of the seared tuna), professional wait staff, and a full bar at reasonable prices. This is a place where you feel like you're getting real value. It is not a "happening" place, but it is special.

Pros: elegant, quiet, great service, good food, reasonable prices

Cons: ugly on the outside

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

08/05/2007 Posted by atlcuisineguy

We're from Boston, and yes we are pickey when it comes to seafood. We found this little hole-in-the-wall, right in the heart of Buckhead. The moment we entered, the owner Aziz, made us right at home. The martini's were good. But the cajun-style seafood was excellent. We had already been to another well known TV chefs restaurant in Buckhead, but this is the real thing. The gumbo, and the snapper were unreal. And it was free parking, and the staff were longtime employees. This says something about McKinnon's.

Pros: Authentic Creole Dishes! Great Drinks!

03/03/2007 Posted by atlsweett

They have some of the best food....my 2 favorites are the calamari (no one can beat them) and this oriental type fish. I have gone many times w/my husband, friends. This is my favorit restaurant to recommend. On weekends they have a live piano player which enhances the ambience. It's priced above average but defintely worth it.

Pros: Everything Is Great

Cons: N/A

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

12/21/2006 Posted by jadanzzy

the place was definitely warm and inviting, although at first glance, it reminds me of christmas time at an elderly community. good for bringing your good friends, biz partners or a nice romantic dinner. aziz will tell you that all their fish plates are unbeatable. i wouldn't wholeheartedly agree but most of the time they were excellent. the white wine i had there, as recommended by aziz, was very good and supplemented my snapper well. the wait staff are polite and to the point. one very minor thing i found refreshing was that i didn't get 3 different sheets of paper with the amount due, receipt or anything. it was just one bill that i had to fill and sign. done. anyways. go. enjoy.

Pros: Ambience, Food, Parking, Service

Cons: music a little distracting

11/13/2006 Posted by ohmygoddess

There was a time when you could have a nice night out in Atlanta. However, since the growth of hip-hop, there are just too many young people here with lots of money and limited home training! Yeah, I said it! I've worked in rap/hip-hop for the last 16 years. In fact, I moved to the "ATL" from Los Angeles BECAUSE of an untapped potential client base. And the city lived up to my expectations....THEN. NOW, you can't get into a well-publicized or "celeb-locale" (Cheesecake Factory, Justin's, Café Dupri) without dining in a sea of young people with cellphones in their faces. McKinnon's, with it crusty but homey atmosphere, lounge singers belting out tunes like "Zippa Dee Doo Dah", and tenured wait staff, is a welcomed "O-A-S" in a desert of "M-N-M"! In it's effort to be "The NYC of the Dirty South", it's hard to find good southern food in Atlanta. Here, the Seafood Gumbo is some of the best that I've ever tasted that didn't come out of MY kitchen (our family is black Créole from New Iberia, LA). Exhibiting proper grey-brown hue of a Louisiana bayou, the gumbo is perfectly seasoned, surrounding a scoop of rice. Other favorites include the Java Shrimp appetizer, Crab Meat au Gratin, Ginger Crusted Salmon, and the Crawfish Ettoufée. I'm an adult but veggies are still a hard sell for me. Not the crisp green beans and flavorful red potatoes which accompany just about every entrée. Stuffed after appetizer, gumbo AND entrée, I always have a serving of the delicious Bread Pudding to go. Another thing that's nice about McKinnon's is the owner, Aziz Mehram, who takes the time to stop by every table, makiing you feel like family. And the prices are in line with many such restaurants in Buckhead. If you want crowds, a noisy atmosphere, fellow diners more interested in rims than roux and in Cristal than crayfish, then go to Pappadeaux's (or Mardi Gras!). For a great meal with dignified quiet ambiance, McKinnon's Louisiane is the spot!

Pros: Excellent service; Great food; Ambience

Cons: Limited parking early in the evening; Not for kids who don't know how to act in public!

09/22/2006 Posted by jaymaygm

Long before Emeril brought his corporate restaurant to Buckhead, in fact before he moved from Boston to New Orleans, Billy McKinnon opened his little Louisiane place on Cheshire Bridge in 1972. Today, McKinnon's is in Buckhead, and now owned by longtime employee, Aziz Mehram. Gone are the tacky red & white curtains, or other early arifacts of old New Orleans. What has remained is the original receipes, long time employees, and a non commerical feel, found so often in Buckhead restaurants. We went recently for a birthday party, and were personally attended to by Aziz. The food is still the same great items, from the spicy Chicken Livers with Andouille Sausage, to my personal favorite, Blackened Amberjack, topped with BBQ Shrimp. And it's 501 miles closer than New Orleans. It you want the real deal, great Creole/Cajun food, this is the only orginal place in Atlanta. See and be seen types, please stay away, and leave the food to us!

Pros: Orginal Creole/Cajun, Personal Service!

Cons: No Valet Parking, But Who Cares!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

06/17/2006 Posted by eechambers

I have been to McKinnon's dozens of times over the past 9 or 10 years, and am never disappointed. It 's a quiet place that is perfect for a romantic dinner. The service and food are outstanding. Most of the wait staff has been there since I first visited there nearly a decade ago. And Azi always treats you as if you are family. When you have finished your meal, they let you enjoy your wine and atmosphere without immediately bring the check indicating that they want you out. The location and decor are a bit interesting... not the new retro-modern feel of many of the newer restaurants in Buckhead. Nor is it the crowded and over-pretentious place that many other restaurants are. You get to park your own car (no valet parking is required) which I like. The only thing I would improve on is the wine list. The wines on the list are very good and not over priced (average price around $35/bottle), but there just aren't that many on the list. I will say that I have always been able to find a wine that I have really liked. One tip: the parking lot is very small, so if it is full, you can always park in the lot across the street. In summary, I highly recommend this little gem.

Pros: Service, great food, romantic atmosphere

10/06/2004 Posted by panloco

a quiet repose from the hubbub of the working world; friendly, down-to-earth service and treatment. Watched the AL playoffs from the bar and struck up a great conversation with others and there. Crab cakes by Billy were fantastic. Fish was mediocre. Nice place if you've had a long tired day and need a rest from the public. too many people smoking near the front.

Pros: service, people, appetizers

Cons: , smoke

07/23/2002 Posted by lacygirl

From the moment you walk in and are warmly greeted by either Billy or Azi, you will feel welcome. The restaurant is very romantic, with low lighting, flowers & candlelight, and live piano and torch singing in the dark bar. The food is wonderful, especially the oysters rockefeller and the Snapper Patout. A definite respite from the crowded "Buckhead" scene.