The Early Word on Slick Chophouse KR SteakBar

Meaty extravaganza KR SteakBar opened its doors one month ago, introducing the people of Peachtree Hills to the adventurous fare of Chris McDade, the restaurant's chef de cuisine. The place is Kevin Rathbun's first establishment outside of Inman Park. Though early reports generally enjoyed the Italian dishes, many took issue with the poor service and packed out dining area. Conditions have improved since its opening weeks but the local social media still feels it has bumps, like its portion sizes and lack of restroom, to smooth out. Here's the early word on KR SteakBar:

The Good News: A Twitter user evaluates their meal: "Had the pleasure of dining at KR Steak Bar last nt w/ friends- highly recommend! Hanger steak, orrechiette, artichokes, tongue; all divine!" [Twitter]

The Bad News: An AJC commenter feels mislead: "We ate there Friday night and were extremely disappointed because we had such high expectations. They opened this restaurant too early especially considering they did not even have a functioning restroom, just a portapotty outside (it was pouring down rain). The entrees, appetizers & prices were not thought out. The size of the entrees were too small and were priced too high. We enjoyed the drinks and the service but everything else was awful. I hope they turn it around because it has the potential to do very well in this area." [AJC Commenter]

The Food News: Luxe Crush digs the food: "To be fair, the "edgy, hipster" portion of the KR SteakBar menu is mostly relegated to the appetizers section of the menu. The other sections devoted to salumi, sides, pasta and proteins are pretty straight-forward-- but the appetizers seem to set Rathbun's new tone at KR. Should you not like to challenge your tastebuds, you can easily sink your teeth into more conventional fare like a ribeye with aged balsamic and herbs; rapini with cream, garlic, chili; a slightly runny yet delicious polenta marscapone, pappardelle Bolognese or a carbonara-like spaghetti with guanciale, black pepper and egg. But for the foodie-hipster/ extreme eater/ food blogger set, KR SteakBar has it covered!" [Luxe Crush]

The Service News: One Yelp user has a great experience: "We loved our visit to KR Steakbar. We stopped by on Saturday night. The service was attentive and smooth, particularly for the first weekend of operation. Our server was knowledgeable and helpful, although we had to laugh when she prefaced some of her answers with, "I usually tell people that ...,' given that the restaurant has been opened less than a week. Really, though, she was lovely." [Yelp]

The Atmosphere News: The Dry Rub admires the setting: "The ambience is brighter than the Steakhouse and has a more Farm to Table feel as the wait staff is dressed like they are on the way to go milk cows in the 1800's." [The Dry Rub]

The Packed News: Blog The Quick and Dirty Dirty thinks the place is crowded: "We had to pull some strings to get a last minute Saturday night reservation, and as soon as we arrived we knew why the string-pulling was necessary. It was totally packed. Totally. Hardly any space to move. It was quite a scene – particularly around the bar area." [QADD]

The Size News: An AJC commenter wants to portions to be bigger: "Went there Saturday night. Pastas were great. Meat/Fish dishes were cooked perfectly, but WAY too small. Servers need to do a better job explaining that you have to add sides to the main dishes. Overall, the food and drinks hit the spot. We did find the menu to be a bit pricey (given the portion sizes), but its hard to complain about quality of ingridients and prep." [AJC Commenter]

The Bathroom News: A Yelper dishes on some misteps: "This cannot happen at a restaurant of this quality and price point. If the bathrooms don't work, you shouldn't be open." [Yelp]
— Ashley Mason

· All KR SteakBar Coverage [-EATL-]
· All Good News/Bad News Coverage [-EATL-]
· KR SteakBar [Official Website]