I can't remember how I'd heard about Octopus Bar. I remember being intrigued about an establishment that only opened after most places closed, and still sometimes had a line out the door. I immediately fell in love with it. Octopus Bar is "housed" within the Vietnamese pho house So Ba. Owner Nhan Le allegedly set out to do something special for his fellow restaurant industry peers, and Octopus Bar just knocks it right out of the park. Of course, the public now knows of Octopus Bar's greatness and you may or may not be surrounded by industry professionals. I was really pleasantly surprised on a number of different levels. I was expecting pretense. I found none. It wasn't overrun with hipsters. The crowd was really diverse on several dimensions. The atmosphere was paradoxically charged and laid back all at the same time. It felt good to be there. It's going to feel really good to go back. The menu (which changes daily) is an amazing collection of crowd-pleasers, international comestibles, and the occasional culinary mashup. This menu is all about high-quality flavor. If chefs had a playground, this menu would be it. I think the menu is primarily designed for snacking and sharing, though there are meal-sized entrees on deck. And I'm told there are secret items that aren't printed on the menu. I'll certainly be asking more about that next time I go. We shared: The Lobster Roll - Delicious. I can see why it gets some hype. Big, meaty pieces of sweet Maine lobster. This is one of things that needs slow savoring, even though the temptation is there to go all cookie-monster on it and make it disappear. The Ramen - A giant bowl of a fantastic, savory broth with all sorts of ramen goodness in it. REAL ramen. Good for the soul. The Beets. Oh, man. Whatever cheese was on those beets was very, very nice. I'm a huge fan of beets. The current menu seems to change the beets up a bit. I'm just glad beets remain on the menu. Everything we had totally hit the spot. Staff took care of our every desire. I wanted to stay late and continue to sample more things, but that will have to wait for another day. The price point was quite decent for what we had. Overall, I love this place. My friend's only criticism: the napkins we got seemed a bit chintzy next to all the greatness they were serving that night. I'm looking forward to my next trip there. Holler if you're coming with.
(5)
Christy B.
Neat little place! I'd give it a 5th star if it weren't for the smoking inside, really close to where we were eating. Cocktails were what you'd call "artisan" in that they were creative and well-made with nice liquor. Our table shared several small plates, and everyone got a bowl of ramen to cap off the night. I liked the ramen, but the broth was darker than usual- maybe the chef takes the liberty of fish saucing it. The decor and ambiance were very cool, including a large octopus mural that I couldn't stop staring at. I'll come back for sure, and sit farther away from the bar for less smoke in my meal.
(4)
Tracey F.
Let's start with how grateful I was to find this place. I landed in Atlanta at 1am after a 4 hour plane delay, to say I was grumpy is an understatement . My hubby met some nice guy who recommended 4 cool late night places and we chose this one. It's a neat hipstery lil part of town called east Atlanta. Looked like a great night spot for another trip. It has an interesting Asian vibe menu that changes daily. This is a casual very unpretentious place. It's outside covered patio seating with graffiti art on walls. The servers are in shorts and such. That ends the casual part, the menu would look intimidating to some. Mix of small plates and larger bowls and a few big ones. I feel like most of it is designed to be shared ... Kinda like dim sum. We chose a bottle of gruet sparkling which is great, and much appreciated after 10 hours in airports. We started with a white anchovy grapefruit app that was nice and lite. We had a plate of long beans that had the most delish sauce ever. We had ramen with pork belly and egg. Pretty salty but tasted great to us. We slurped it all down. We ended with a whole snapper served with grilled ruby red grapefruit .super fresh and light . All the good uses a unique combo of spices which makes the food great. Keep in mind that all this great food was being served to us at 2am by a super nice server, art student from Cali. Great service and unique food in the middle of the night, unheard of! We would absolutely return bc this was a great experience that turned a horrible day around.
(5)
Alayne H.
When you are craving more than bar food for late night eats, Octopus Bar fits the bill. There is nothing fancy about the space but there is about the food. The sweet corn ravioli with ricotta and basil was scrumptious. I really wanted the lobster roll but I was told that is always on the menu but the sweet corn ravioli is temporary, thus my pick. At 1a, this dish and a glass of Prosecco was a perfect finish to a great night out. The service was less than stellar, the atmosphere is less than stellar but the food - stellar!
(3)
Candice J.
Five stars for the Octopus Bar! The food and drinks were amazing. I would recommend the ramen noodles for first timers they were outstanding!
(5)
Sara L.
Ordered the Ramen and the broth was saltier than the Dead Sea. No joke. The noodles and pork belly were good...but that salty broth ruined everything. Not sure if I'll be back.
(2)
D K.
This place opens at 10:30pm. We got their a little early on a weekday night so we were the first ones there. They also let us in a little early which was nice. The restaurant is cozy, but as soon as the place started filling up, it got pretty loud. If I recall correctly, the place is pseudo-outdoorsy with wooden walls and plastic flaps covering the windows. During our stay it rained pretty hard. I got rain on my face, but they soon had extra rain covers out as soon as the storm hit. However, the roof had leaks in several places throughout the restaurant. While I was unaffected by the dripping water other than the occasional drip on my head if I leaned the wrong way, I'm unsure of the fate of my fellow patrons at the octopus bar. We ordered the ramen which was pretty good. The egg and pork were some of the best I had. The broth was pretty salty, but I guess that's expected of ramen. Noodles reminded me of a more upscale version of the instant noodles you can buy at the supermarket; they weren't bad - I guess I'm spoiled by umaido's handmade noodles. I also had their special that day (I don't remember the name) which was essentially a tartar dish. The dish took a lot longer than I thought it would take - apparently the chef prepares it from scratch. It was small portioned, good, very flavorful with rosemary and black pepper. Of note, I saw a lot of people ordering their salt and pepper shrimp. Also, apparently they only take 25 orders of ramen a night? Not sure if I would come back again. I think it was nice to try once, but the place is too out of the way for me and the food not special enough for me to dream about.
(4)
Michael S.
Great octopus, great sake. Cool atmosphere.
(5)
Abhi K.
I like this neighborhood. I had never been to East Atlanta before, but it is a happening spot. Octopus Bar opens at 10:30 at the spot So Ba occupies during the day. There are no markings. We just waited at the front for a couple minutes until someone pointed us in the right direction. Drinks were good. I had a margarita adjacent mezcal drink. It was smooth and simple. Sometimes the best drinks are not messing with a combo that works. Mezcal and lime is where it's at. The food was so-so. I tasted the broth from the ramen, and it was spectacular. Just loaded with flavor and the egg was cooked perfectly. The side of baby leeks left a lot to be desired. They were mushy and topped with hard cheese and shaved shrimp. The three ingredients together married into sort of a goop. Looking through the rest of the menu, I was not impressed with any of the other offerings. I do want to come back and try a full bowl of the ramen, though.
(3)
Joshua H.
There's no better later night food (in my humble opinion) than soup. Whether it be pho, ramen, or chicken noodle, soup is good for the soul. The pork belly ramen at Octopus Bar has it all the flavorful broth, perfectly cooked noodles, soft egg, and crispy pork belly straight rock the taste buds. On the other end of the spectrum, the octopus carpaccio was slightly acidic and tasted of the sea. The oil and roe gave it enough to fat to balance it out perfecyly.
(5)
Natasha S.
Awesome - late night swank spot. For us northerns a breath of fresh air. Loved the menu because I live Korean food. They offered saki instead of soju.
(4)
John W.
Honestly I was disappointed. The food was only OK. The service was very good but the food was only OK
(2)
Sarah D.
Octopus Bar topped off an amazing evening out in Atlanta. I've been wanting to go for awhile, but being the lame person I am, am rarely out and about for their late night hours. You'll head into So Ba Restaurant, which will look closed - hang a left out onto the patio and voila! You're at Octopus Bar. The ambiance is really neat and funky with graffiti art on the walls. Service is a tad slow, but nothing out of the ordinary for a bar on a Friday night. There isn't a ton of seating, but luckily being a party of two were able to sit down immediately. It seemed to be seat yourself, but the server was very helpful and friendly in directing us. I hear the drinks are amazing but didn't try any this visit so can't comment personally. We both ordered the lobster roll, and I have to admit I balked at the $20 price tag until our order came out. Wow. You seriously get an entire lobster stuffed into an amazing, perfectly crisp, butter soaked roll. I can't even. It was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that at first I had asked if we could share one but fortunately my friend had been there before and knew we both needed our own! I believe it is just street parking in the area, and it's a little sketch so I wouldn't recommend walking the area alone at night. There were a bunch of people out and about, but I am just super careful as a single female. I highly recommend trying it out of you aren't in getting your beauty sleep!
(4)
Whitney H.
The red snapper that my friend ordered was delicious. It's nice that the kitchen is open till 2:30am- we made it just in time after several hours of dancing. The food was fantastic -really spectacular. The staff and the atmosphere is nice enough but nothing that is so remembering that I'm going to travel to East Atlanta every other Friday night to go there
(4)
J C.
My expectations for this place were pretty high given the amount of publicity and praise it received after opening, as well as based on the menu posted online. We arrived very soon after it opened on a Saturday night and were able to get a table for 8 immediately. By about 11:30 most of the tables were full and the place was loud and energetic. Unfortunately the online menu bears no resemblance to the brief one actually handed to you in the restaurant. While there are some interesting options, many seemed to be lacking either in the quality or quantity suggested by the prices. The ramen looked like the best thing on the menu but since I don't eat pork I didn't try it. Having just returned from Cape Cod the lobster roll wasn't an option. The octopus carpaccio was interesting to look at but the slices so incredibly thin that there really wasn't much there. It was tasty but again, barely a sharable dish. The ravioli was nothing special but the whole sardines were pretty tasty. If I returned there were some other options I'd try. They have several good beer options as well as sake and other cocktails. Expect drinking to be the main event here with a few expensive snacks thrown into the mix. I guess the most unique thing about Octopus Bar is that you have to stay awake and sort of hungry until 10:30 to even try it, and that it does stay open very late. Having experienced it I'm not sure it's worth the effort again. I like my sleep.
(3)
Mahtab R.
This is a shotty review, but they ran out of ramen :( However, this place smells sooooo fucking good, I love the smell of everything in here. The food is pretty solid. Will update review when I'm sober and can try the ramen.
(4)
Kat C.
Oh my. Octopus Bar is a place I am thankful to live almost literally next door to. The food is incredible, the drinks are fantastic and the hours are perfect for anyone looking for a late night spot to wind down and eat some seriously tasty, unique dishes. The drink menu is one I can't argue with- their wine and champagne selection constantly changes and always lists intriguing and delicious options. I think the word's out at this point that Octopus Bar is one of the places for chefs and industry folk to hang out and enjoy unique and flavorful food creations. That's really what they are. You order yourself the salt and pepper shrimp, or the family style Korean pork, or the ramen, or any of the seasonal dishes and argue with me on that. You just can't. I recommend skipping Friday and Saturday nights (as a somewhat jaded neighborhood resident)- all the bars in the area get pretty crowded and loud, but really, it's even worth it to deal with the Weekend Warriors for Octopus Bar. Go, eat and have yourself a nice strong drink.
(5)
Loren B.
Let's start off with the food rating from the Health Department at an 88. Then let's go to the hype of this place.....where the industry people go. The drinks weren't great and the food was worse. The fish was soft but it tasted like someone squeezed a lime all over it. Not for me.
(1)
Alex P.
From veal cheeks to lobster rolls, this is a late night eater's paradise. They are open very very late and have quite a lot of customers even when you do stumble in at 2am. Service was phenomenal and our waitress was very attentive. Order breakdown: Veal cheeks were the highlight for me. Bursting with flavor and tender. Lobster roll was ok. Of course, hard to complain about eating lobster in the middle of the night, but it was very plain. Salt and Pepper shrimp was a bit of a pain to eat. You do get nice big shrimp and presentation was nice, but your potentially drunk self will have to peel the thing and skin was very hard to get off with the way they cooked it. It's garnished with lightly simmered onions and jalapenos, which are delicious but keep in mind the onion breath that will haunt you the rest of the night. Spectacular beer selection is also on the menu, served with proper glassware for different bottles beers.
(4)
Mariel J.
I visited Octopus Bar on a Saturday night after a late dinner out. We were too full to try any of the food on the late-night menu (though it's supposed to be great), but the cocktails were pretty good (though there were fewer options than I would have expected). The atmosphere of the place was cool, though - it's definitely a place, and a general neighborhood, that I'd like to head back to in the future.
(4)
Blair T.
Me and my boyfriend have been searching for a place that serves a delicious lobster roll all week long.... Most places only serve them on the weekends or for lunch only, or only in the summer. We really lucked out with this place, they serve AMAZING lobster rolls all week AND until 2:30 in the AM. So happy we found this place !!! Yum !
(5)
Tiff H.
After a full meal at Craft Izakaya, we ventured deeper into East Atlanta as we were already on this side of town. I'd heard good things about the Octopus Bar, and read about it in articles, too, so this place was definitely way over-hyped when we entered the bar. After parking a while away down the street (good thing I decided to wear heels... I never wear heels...) I lifted hair off my neck to relieve the humid effect of the outdoor weather. I was looking forward to some air conditioning. Anything more than this. We walked into So Ba, the restaurant connected to the bar. Instantly after walking into the nice cool restaurant, we were led back outside into the humidity. The air seemed to not move at all (no fans) and the candle lit tables only seemed to make it hotter, although I'm sure it was all in my mind. I'm a Florida girl so I thought I could handle it, but maybe a little relief here! I can't deny the decor was beautiful. The wall art was modern and hip. The bar seemed like the place to be. The metal chairs and tables, not so much. However, it was quieter and cooler at the table we chose, far away from the loudest speaker and noise. The server took her time getting to us, but we eventually got menus and sat around taking in the atmosphere in the time it took for her to take our orders, bring us water, bring our food order, and then bring out our drinks. I ordered a signature cocktail and we also ordered a Caprese salad to share. Service was super slow. All in all, overrated. I wasn't feeling it. Other guests seemed to be trying too hard to fit into the atmosphere. But still. Just wasn't feeling it. Maybe next time I'll come straight here for food and drink so I'm not so tired and jaded from the first meal...
(3)
Shawn H.
Not terrible but menu was quite different than from what I had seen online. No sea urchin, no oyster, no monkfish liver, no dumplings. Was excited about the concept of a late night dining experience with innovative food. Settled for a slightly better than average salt and pepper shrimp. They were served with tails, shells, and heads on...which is a nice touch and only amateurs try to peel them or leave the delicious heads on the plate. Had read that the lobster roll was "great", "amazing", and "spectacular". I found it as I find most lobster, pedestrian and over rated. Service was solid. Prices are not cheap but I'd say they're reasonable. Crowd could definitely be defined as "hipster". It's on an outdoor patio so on hot nights you might be sweating while you eat. Wanted so badly to like this place, just didn't happen. Even stayed up late on a tuesday just to eat here.
(2)
Rahul P.
One of the best late night haunts in Atlanta. It's typically crowded so expect to wait for a table if you go thurs-sat. My two cents - it's way easier to go in groups of 4 or less The tapas are delicious but small so expect to order more than one. The bulgogi is amazing. - definitely try this
(4)
Mary Margaret B.
Sarah was AMAZING! She was at our service for every whim. We had oysters option of east coast and west coast (which we mixed) however they don't serve horseradish or crackers or hot sauce-- so it needed bread or crackers--Sarah was super accommodating and brought us amazing parmesan bread!! We also ordered the delicious Lobster roll! I have no negative comments about this roll. Buttery, soft bread- fresh lobster and yummy sauce and seasoning--a true winner! Lobster was chunky fresh and abundant. My honey also ordered the seared catfish entree. It had an organic caramel sauce with shallot butter and steamed organic long rice and pan seared pork pelly. Very fresh, a little spicy--perfect kick for a non-fried catfish dish. She brought us a Gin Daqurri-- Ransom Gin with fresh squeezed lime and topped with ginger beer-shamed served in a champagne flat. Very very good, compliments to the bartender! I'll be back when I can, recommended to all!
(4)
Andrew W.
I was severely disappointed in this "bar" I ordered the lobster roll and my girlfriend ordered the spanish octopus, both dishes were extremely bland, the sapporo my girlfriend ordered was warm. Also for the above plus a hot tea the tab was $50. If you don't mind tiny bland portions at exorbitant prices and warm beer at reasonable prices, I guess this could be the place for you........
(1)
DeVena S.
I'm a regular here, love this place. Although I did find an ant in my cocktail once. Waitress kindly replaced it...
(4)
Heather H.
Food was decent, flavor wise, but overpriced and tiny. Tried to go on a date with my husband, and our food didn't come out at anything resembling close together. He actually had to stop eating halfway through his meal, and neither of us are fast eaters, to wait for my meal to arrive. I received something larger than a side portion, but far smaller than a dinner portion of my linguine. Flavors were nice, but 1oz of pasta with too much sauce and ikura, and almost no fish was a waste of both our time and money. Cocktails were fine. Go for drinks, don't bother with dinner unless you're dining alone and not hungry.
(1)
Natalie S.
I would definitely recommend coming here for a late night dinner that is way better than your normal late night dinner. They're open really late supposedly for people in the service industry who get off late. I came here with my boyfriend after getting in at midnight on a late night flight. It was really good and a great atmosphere. You sit outside in the back patio which is heated. There is grafiti painted on the walls which gives it a very East Atlanta feel to it and a bar towards the back where people are drinking. Order Breakdown Salt and Pepper Shrimp: good but not great and kinda spicy if you get one of the peppers Miso: GET THIS! really good but also kinda salty Octopus: Good in terms of octopus which im only sometimes a fan Overall I would say go, its a great late night option with a great ATL feel
(4)
Robert F.
Cool pop up restaurant with late hours, interesting menu items, and reasonable prices. I had the Korean BBQ and the skirt steak. Both were decent but not amazing. The main draw of this place to me is the late hours. No one else with this kind of menu is open this late.
(3)
Tanna L.
Ridiculously nice that we have a place like this we can patronize at 2 in the morning. The ramen was fantastic. Great broth, nice noodles and pretty spicy for the average palate (not me). Amazing late night food. Nice size. Get it. Also got the salt and pepper shrimp. I was with my bro-in-law who eats everything on every animal. Normally I don't eat the shell but as crispy and delicious these looked, even I started digging into the whole crustacean. I did draw the line at the head. Soooo good, well seasoned, not overcooked. Staff recommended the catfish. Universally we thought this was too salty. I think it was the sauce/glaze because the catfish itself I thought tasted fine. It was not crazy salty--we still ate all of it--but salty enough to notice. We got some oysters. Yum. Pork belly. Delicious. Great drinks, nice staff. Maybe my standards are too low but we all had a great time at this joint. Go to late night place.
(5)
Carlos M.
Very cute spot, outside with dim lighting, great vibe and awesome wait staff. The food was good, simple, modern and very simple Japanese fusion.
(4)
Dio S.
I didn't like Octopus Bar when I ate here shortly after it first opened, but now it's a couple years and a couple chef changes later, and the last several tries have all been pretty solid. It's just one of the better options for food and drinks past midnight, what with many fine eating and drinking establishments intown actually close surprisingly early. What we have here is a place popular with industry folks and some of the hip EAV/Edgewood type crowd, serving pretty diverse range of gastro-pub, izakaya, and Asian street food inspired dishes, plus a range of mixed drinks and with flourish almost half a dozen sakes which is nice. You wouldn't say that any of the dishes is the best version of that dish in Atlanta but damn if it isn't convenient to be able to order a good lobster roll, hamachi kama, a Chinese steamed fish, and a porterhouse steak all at the same time, at one o'clock in the morning, sometimes with cool live music performance. The quality and selection of raw oysters have improved somewhat as well now so kudos to that. The mixed drinks are somewhat derivative but not bad and nothing if not "current". Think about the competition at this kind of hours if you don't want to go up Buford Highway to grace the likes of El Rey Del Taco, okay Cantonese greasy spoon, 24 hour Vietnamese: middling diners, Vortex burger, Victory Sandwich, maybe Top Flr and Bookhouse, R Thomas, maybe Ammazza. Nothing really quite like Octopus Bar in terms of uniquely diverse offerings and atmosphere/energy. So, literally, at the end of the day, the niche appeal combined with the solid quality allow Octopus Bar to excel. I'll inevitably end up here again in the near future, and be satisfied.
(4)
Jason F.
Octopus Bar is one of those places that has a lot of hype, but for me just didn't live up to it. I had their ramen which given the rarity of ramen in the Atlanta area was about average (3 Stars, but 2.5 when compared to similarly priced ramen joints in NYC, DC, and Honolulu) and I tried a few other dishes from friends. Nothing blew me away. I think for the amount of time it took me to get here and find a parking spot + the price tag, I would have been better off going elsewhere, perhaps Buford. The friend of mine that took me here told me that the prices were higher since her first visit 6+ months ago. mostly a meh experience for me.
(3)
Yasmin H.
Keep in mind it has the word bar in the name and it is in East Atlanta. So for a bar in EAV, I give it four stars.The food is not mind blowing 5 star restaurant quality but that's not the point here. It's fresh, seasonal, and the chef makes runs to the farmers market for the next day's dinner and for late night (after 10 pm) bar food it's pretty freakin great. For the serving size you get on some dishes it is pricey but on others it is pretty fair. My only star docked is bc even though it is a bar, I asked for two drinks I've ordered at plenty of other bars and I was told the bar tender is "too busy to make it". Squeeze me? Thou art a bar, no? Ps the drink I had ordered was a Remember the Maine 2 ounces rye whiskey 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth 2 teaspoons Cherry Heering liqueur 1/2 teaspoon absinthe Shake. Takes 30 seconds to make and it's a classic and half the tables in here are empty. *head scratch* You're lucky you have KBBQ on the menu otherwise I would have docked another star. I kid. Go here. It's fun. Just order a beer.
(4)
Kimberly L.
Theres a reason Rock Chefs eat here. Consistent food with quality ingredients come to mind. Or perhaps the lobster roll, Raman noodles, crafted drinks or the cool crowd? Either way you cut it, you get late nite, world class, 4-food. After partying like a young'in, I get to eat like a grown- woman. Thank Gawd!
(5)
James P.
This place was awesome. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was good with large portions. The oysters had me like.. this shi right here!!! and that is all I will say about that...
(4)
Max P.
Cool place to chill with friends, enjoy quality drinks and some awesome fusion tapas.
(5)
Ha N.
We went there with some of my girlfriend's family a while ago, but I never got around to writing a review for this place. I can't remember everything that we got, but I do still remember the highlights--which I think is a great indication of what they did right. If I still remember it a couple of months later, then it must've been memorable. Out of what we ate that night, what I remember most was were the salt and pepper shrimp and the ramen. The shrimp was crunchy, well-seasoned, and tasted very fresh. The ramen was a little on the salty side, but the noodles themselves were pretty delicious. My girlfriend and her brother and cousin are pretty picky about Chinese food having grown up on good Chinese food, but they would all say that it was super delicious salt and pepper shrimp. I think that this place is good if you get the right thing. In terms of pricing...I think that's where it can fall apart a bit for most people. The ramen was the only thing that I remember being filling, but each dish was very similarly priced and you can probably get something pretty good/decent for a much cheaper price elsewhere. I think it's a one-time experience, and I would definitely not say that I regret it, but it's kinda iffy if I'll return unless it was a group consensus situation.
(4)
Allyson B.
late late night + cocktails + amazing menu = perfect date night. If you've been to So Ba, Octopus Bar is like their older more refined but still edgy older sister. I love the unassuming setting. It's in a side room/covered patio space with sweet graffiti decor. If it weren't for Anthony Bourdain's Atlanta Layover episode I think I would have never come across this incredible establishment. When we first walked in I spotted a couple DEVOURING a bowl of noodles and I had to have it. Oh god. It was good. It was spicy (I'm not a fan of spicy) but I really enjoyed it! May have gotten drunk shortly after on a cocktail and stopped eating. But I am kicking myself for not ordering the chanterelle mushrooms. It is an indulgence that you MUST splurge on. $20+ for a tiny serving of chanterelles? Just say yes. My boyfriend and I are regretting not getting it. Instead of eating it like we should have, we watched the table next to us indulge their palates with luxurious chanterelles. Their menu is always changing so don't live in regret like I am! Order up because it may not be there next time. Looking forward to coming back!
(5)
Yvan H.
Favorite date night spot with the ever changing menu. Service is usually a little slow at first but always pleasantly satisfied. Exciting and delectable treats for late night munchies.
(4)
Sean H.
Salt and Pepper Shrimp was perfectly seasoned and cooked with the accompanying veggies capping it off immaculately and then, the head explodes... spraying red juices everywhere as you bite into it... positively perfect. My boyfriend's Trout was well balanced and the tomatoes added that extra punch, resulting in him putting the bowl to his lips so he could consume every morsel possible. My Goat Ragu was heavenly; absolute perfection. Each bite made me just as, if not even, happier than the last. I could eat this everyday. And finally, the Banana and Nilla Wafer Milkshake was awesome. I am a chocolate shake nut but this was so satisfying. Amazing food, atmosphere and speedy service. I shall return.
(5)
Rebecca S.
This place brought slow service to a whole new level. Of course it was a Friday night and the place was crowded so I understand but I would have to wait 20 minutes just for another can of beer. Which was overpriced. I didn't eat so I can't comment on the food but I heard it was pretty good. We went with a big group for a birthday and it was a great setting for it. Except that they told us they couldn't separate the bill which is completely ridiculous in 2014 not to be able to separate a bill. We had a blast. Just the service was incredibly slow. So as long as you have no where else to be, and order multiple rounds at a time so you don't sober up waiting for your drink - it's an alright place.
(3)
Elle G.
Thouroughly dissatisfied. After viewing the menu online and reading several excellent reviews, not to mention food network showcases, I was very excited to give The Octopus Bar a try. The food was over cooked. Both of our dishes hard a charred taste almost like a smoky barbaque which may be acceptable for pork belly but it is not the case for Spanish octopus, which ended up tasting like some kind of weird over cooked and again charred sausage. Moreover, when I expressed my discontent with my dish the waitress pretty much shrugged her shoulders with no attempt to even offer a replacement, complimentary bevarge or credit. The only thing they got right was a nice atmosphere and some tasty beers. We will not be returning.
(2)
Tom E.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would give this place 5 stars- and it was all because of last night. I went actually right when they opened (SoBa still had customers, a first for me seeing that)- as I usually go around 12A or later. The music was not as loud, the crowd wasn't too heavy, and I got my favorite server there. It's nice to go to a place and you can get your normal drink order brought to you before you get your menu (for me, I start off with a Villager and a PBR, what an irony). Yeaaa! I love the ever changing menu too. I finally tried the fettuccine with the sea urchin last night (I so forgot to take the pic, I wolfed that shit down!), and I won't lie- it's genius! My buddy got the sea urchin sashimi, and for a sometimesthepickiesteateryoucouldeversitwith, he wouldn't shut up about how tasty it was. Score! I got a complex version of a grilled cheese, egg and tomato open faced sandwich (I did manage to post a pic). I am not a big fan of goat cheese (but I willingly knew it had it), but the flavors of the tomato helped mellow it out. A bold late night snack! My server told me about the evening's dessert (yes, they do have it :) )- which was a peach pastry with vanilla bean ice cream and basil. I wanted to order a whole tray of that stuff, some of the better/freshest dessert I have had in the city. Throughout the night, it didn't seem as busy as usual (maybe since I did get there earlier), and the noise didn't shell shock me like on previous visits. Moral of the story- I ordered a bunch of stuff with ingredients I usually do not enjoy. This place helps me enjoy and appreciate those items more and more with each visit.
(5)
Michelle K.
Thanks to our friend Tom. E, we were introduced to this lovely bar. I had zero expectations going in but my boyfriend and I truly enjoyed our experience last Saturday night. Our servers were great and the food was delicious! I love how the entire bar is cozy and outdoors. It's the perfect spot for a late night drink or dessert. Speaking of dessert, their lavender custard with blueberry gin glaze is absolutely AMAZING! Highly recommended. They've got some unique cocktails on the menu and their lobster rolls are pretty darn tasty. I would even say that their version is pretty competitive with the ones you'd find in the east coast! If you haven't been to this bar, be sure to make a visit. You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Kim N.
I've been wanting to try Octopus Bar for awhile now but their odd hours have always been a problem since I'm such a grandma these days. I finally made it out to OB this past weekend after a concert at Aaron's Lakewood Amphitheater. Food and service were great. My only problem is that the desserts ran out about 3 hours before they're supposed to close, which seems pretty silly to me. -hamachi belly sashimi: fresh and delicious, melts in your mouth -arugula, avocado, grapefruit, cilantro salad: simple enough, fresh ingredients -lobster roll - AMAZING!! I will stay up late and come out to OB just for this I really wanted to try the beignets but like I mentioned above this was sold out about 2 hours after they open. Bummer! Parking has always been a problem for me around East Atlanta. Street parking. Octopus Bar is attached to So Ba and surrounded by graffiti walls.
(4)
Allen M.
Sake, oysters, and something nice. I like the energy here - most of the time.
(4)
Daniel B.
I checked out Octopus Bar late Saturday night/early Sunday morning ( yelp.com/events/atlanta-… ). Octopus Bar opened Fall 2011 inside So Ba Vietnamese Restaurant in East Atlanta Village. It's a small restaurant/bar that offers an eclectic seasonal menu of farm-fresh foods at relatively affordable prices. The menu is a collaboration between So Ba's chef Nhan Le and ex-Miller Union chef Angus Brown. Octopus Bar is open late night only, beginning nightly at 10pm and closing around 3-3:30am. Not really my ideal dinner time, but it's definitely nice to have a late night option like this. Where else are you going to find oysters, caviar, sea urchin, and lobster rolls after midnight in Atlanta? When you walk into So Ba, make a left to get to Octopus Bar. The first thing you'll notice is it's dark, very dark. And loud, from both the music blaring over the speakers and the patrons trying to talk over one another. The restaurant fits the mold of the neighborhood (EAV): alternative style, grungy, and hipster-ish. Creative, original, and colorful art covers almost every wall, most notably the one behind the bar: it's an intimidating painting of a giant reddish-purple octopus. The place was packed during our visit. The atmosphere was lively and casual. The space isn't terribly big. There are approximately a dozen or so tables of varying sizes. I'd guess tables + bar space could comfortably accommodate 50 people max. Maybe less. There are a couple candle-lit tables outside too. The number of people coupled with the open windows and humid weather didn't create the most ideal dining conditions. I don't know if the building has air conditioning, but quite frankly, it got hot and stuffy inside. The rickety and wobbly ceiling fans didn't help much. As previously noted, it was dark -- so dark that some of my tablemates had to use the flashlight apps on their phones to even read the menu and see their food. I definitely had to step into a more well-lighted area to read the menu. Suffice it to say, I wasn't crazy about the eating environment. It's certainly unique, though. The small menu is a mixture of Asian and American foods and changes periodically. This past weekend's menu had 16 different items, most priced at $10 or less, a good value considering the offerings. Some examples: Shigoku, Beausoleil and Bras D'Or oysters - $2.50 each Bras D'Or sea urchin with quail egg and ponzu sauce - $10 Farro, peaches, squash, basil, and mint - $7 Hamachi kama (Japanese yellowtail collar) - $10 Bo la lot - Vietnamese grape leaf rolls with beef - $7 Salt and pepper shrimp with chili, sweet onion, and jalapeno - $9 The lobster roll ($14) seemed pretty popular. The more expensive items looked the most appealing, though -- pasta with sea urchin ($16), 8-oz ribeye with roasted okra, ham, sweet corn, green tomatoes, and shallots ($25), and daeji bulgogi (spicy Korean pork) with kimchi and pickled radishes ($24). Despite a busy night and our large group, service was very good. Friendly too. Octopus Bar doesn't have a parking lot, so street parking on Gresham and surrounding neighborhood streets is your only option.
(3)
Jason C.
This is a nighttime ramen place with a long wait. They ran out of ramen half an hour into being open. So we ordered the salt and pepper shrimp. It was cooked and battered IN THE SHELL. We had to peel the shell off along with the batter. If you like to wait and expensive drinks, give it a try.
(1)
Conley P.
5 stars is not enough! This place is awesome, from the drinks, food, ambiance, and friendly staff! I met up with some friends here one night and honestly didn't think much of the place when they said 'get some late night food and have a few drinks'. But boy did my opinion change when I saw the menu! The food (all of it) was amazing! I'm a sushi eater and I never quite acquired the taste for octopus, but this place does it right! Seriously, order anything at all off of the menu (I'm pretty sure our large crew did order everything on the menu) and you will not be disappointed. The staff was great and the specialty drinks were fabulous too! Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a laid back 'late night eatery' with 5 star menu!
(5)
Alex C.
The execution of the dishes are pretty good. However, having experienced each of these dishes in their native restaurants for double the portion sizes, I can't justify giving Octopus bar any more than 3 stars. Now, if you dare not venture into Buford Highway, then I can definitely see how this is some of the best tasting and unique Asian food around, other than maybe Miso Izakaya.
(3)
Asma A.
I love the fact that this is open late night! Sometimes, when u come back from a long flight late night, you want something other than what the Atlanta airport can offer you. A friend and I decided to head up to octopus bar to try and eat something other than the usual panera bread. I don't know if it was their style, but I just didnt understand the way the food came out. we ordered our food all at once, but it all came out randomly. The oysters, which by the way, I don't recommend ordering, came out last. We ordered the grilled tuna, halibut--a bit disappointed that it was fried--, and sashimi. Everything we ordered, besides oysters, tasted good! I would love to come back but order the halibut grilled. The sashimi was great, but a bit pricey for the type of restaurant this is. I took a star away cause of the unorganized way the food came out. Our entrees came out at different times so we couldn't even Enjoy eating our food together cause by that time one of our entrees would have been super cold.
(3)
Carlos O.
Definitely a great late night spot for the weekday (or any other time at that)... First time here and the vibe of the place is super chill. Atmosphere is great, bartender is attentive and on point and that lobster roll... I've seen pictures and had to experience it myself... Two thumbs up. Plates are a bit pricey but I do not regret the lobster roll one bit. Will definitely check out again.
(4)
Shirley C.
Only reason why I was here, my sister took me. She said she saw it on travel channel. Well it took us time to look for parking spot and the prices was outrageous! The beer (made in Vietnam) was not so great, better off with Heineken. I would have settled somewhere else. The plus: food presentation was nice. Btw, the entrance -glass door to the right going out was cracked -needs fixing :(
(3)
Gene G.
I went here after seeing an episode of the Layover with Anthony Bourdain, since my first visit I've been several times after that. One of the chefs hosting Bourdain took him there, declaring it an industry bar since restaurant employees can visit there after work. Really it's the only place to go at 12:00 a.m. for good food, that's not greasy and low quality. Well done on carving out a under served niche'. Overall the food is not extraordinary, but solid except for one item, the damn lobster roll. The thing must be laced with an addictive narcotic, because I want to get one every Friday night at 1:00 a.m. It's honestly the best lobster roll I've ever had. I've had them in Maine, New York, and Boston. Holy cow it's amazing. The bread, the lumps of lobster, it's perfect. We had someone from Boston try it and they gave their approval! Do not get the Salt and Pepper shrimp. Both the misses and I are adventurous eaters and we both didn't care for it one bit. You eat the shrimp with the shell on, crunching it's exoskeleton in your mouth. It's just not right. The cocktails are mediocre and the prices are on the high end. Well on the high end for everything, but especially drinks. I get it though, they can charge a little more because they have little competition in their segment and they might have to pay their employees a little more to work such late hours. It's an East Atlanta spot so you probably get the atmosphere, it's the mature older and cleaner hipster spot though. Verdict: It's 12:00 a.m. where the hell else can you go for a meal like this? Pros: Open until 2:00 a.m. Lobster Roll Laid back Atmosphere Cons: Prices Salt and Pepper Shrimp Not conducive to extremely cold weather, low 30's. Small Portions (However high Quality and no one should have massive portions this late.)
(4)
Paige E.
Slooooooooow service, but hey, I don't go out to eat in a rush.... Nor did I go to East Atlanta village for the outstanding service (just sayin). Really great, fresh food. Good oysters. Nice chef. A good place to go if you're looking to eat somewhere with decent food for a fourth meal.
(5)
William M.
Good luck finding it. Good luck finding it open. Slow service, small over priced drinks. But they are open late!
(2)
Chelsea M.
Way understaffed. I ordered a drink when my friend got his main dish. It came long after he finished - when we were ready to leave. Server was great but it appears there is only one during a busy shift.
(2)
Foodie Buddha F.
Second visit was far worse than the initial visit was good. I posted a full update on my blog but the super super short version is as follows: The menu changes a good bit and for a restaurant that's only operational a few hours a day, that's a lot to take on. This is complicated by the fact that the menu is extremely diverse. Lobster roll, curried beef, and salt & pepper shrimp are well worth the money ... everything else seems ... well ... not good.
(1)
Kevin K.
I seriously don't understand the review that people wrote and how you could give this place a 4-5 stars. This place sucks. Positive: Open til 2am and has nice small vibe inside where you can socialize with your friends without any loud music or drunkards. Negative: Good luck parking. It's hot as crap inside. No A/C. Took about 15 min just to get our drinks and all we had was 2 beers, and 3 drinks. Service sucked. Felt like there was only one server working when they actually had 3. So slow and forgetful. Had to ask for napkin 3x but server forgot about it every time so had to get it myself at the bar. Food sucks taste wise, portion amount, and price. Even if the food was discounted by half I would not bother eating here again. Drinks are really expensive too. More expensive than clubs or other bars. Fried salt n pepper shrimp ($16) : Taste was ok. Comes with grilled onions and jalapenos. Shell was intact and personally not a fan. Canton Cooks has the best salt and pepper shrimp. Maine Lobster roll ($18) : Bread was toasty and good. Lobster is chilled and ok. Portion was very small. When eating a lobster roll, the taste and quality of the LOBSTER is what defines it, not the bread. Shoyo Ramen ($16) : WORST ramen I had in GA. It makes Umaido's Ramen a delicacy. Broth is very oily and has a cheap beefy taste like the brand Ichiban where you can buy at Kroger for like 30 cents. Roasted pork (forgot but $15-20 range) : Best item. Comes with 3 small pork served with rice and cilantro. You can honestly go to any Vietnamese restaurant and get the same thing for $6-8. There was nothing special about this place to warrant such a review and price on the food. Drinks are drinks. Food is not great. If you want to socialize, there are plenty of other bars you could go to. Will not come back and recommend.
(2)
Steve M.
Perfect, perfect, perfect--that is, if you want mediocre food and watery, bottom shelf well drinks at top shelf prices. Octopus bar is an after hours hipster joint, plain and simple. If you don't have scraggly facial hair (ladies included), wear a wool ski cap in the middle of sweltering July heat, have a large raven chest piece, or don't enjoy discussing Kafka or the fact David Foster Wallace's 'Infinite Jest" wasn't nearly long enough* then don't bother with Octopus Bar. In the wise words of The inimitable Flavor Flav: 'don't believe the hype' about Octopus Bar. (*included for effect. I'm confident most of the mouth-breathing crowd here is barely literate, nor aware of Kafka or David Foster Wallace)
(1)
Rasheeda S.
So a few friends and I decided to venture out for a small pre-birthday gathering. Since 3 of us had never been and was told how great it was, we decided to go for it. I honestly don't think I would have found the place on my own because its seems so ducked off but then again we came through the back entrance which looks like there may be several bodies buried near all of the broken down/abandoned vehicles. I was disappointed that they had 2 sections but were only using 1 side by the time we got there which was around 12:15. this in turn caused us to wait 45 min. to an hour for seats. I was literally starving at this point. The drinks were good. The food was delicious but I hate that I order the tortellini for $15 only to find that it was a small plate/tapas size. I also had some of my friends shrimp but had to let her take the head off first as I just couldn't get past that it was the entire shrimp head/shell and all. Overall it was ok...not sure I will venture back anytime soon but it was worth it to try.
(3)
Jang C.
Luckily, I ran into Melissa M. on my way to the Octopus Bar. If I didn't run into her, I would have never found this place. I knew Octopus Bar was inside of Soba. But I didn't know where Soba was. Soba doesn't have a big sign, you have to pay attention to find it. So if I haven't met Melissa, I would've wandered all around EAV for a while. It would've been bad since I left my skinny jeans, thick rimmed glasses, and ironic T-shirts at home. Octopus Bar looked like a trendy bar in EAV. It also had some interesting menu items. Too bad everything seemed overpriced. I tried their Hamachi Kama. It did not smell or taste fresh. The ponzu sauce needed more flavor. The only thing it got me was the strong fish odor it had. I love seafood and can handle all seafood. But this Hamachi Kama was making me gag. What a waste of $10. Their famous lobster roll at least hit home for me. It had good portion of lobsters and had a nice, buttery taste. It tasted good. I liked it a lot better than Bocado's version. So this dish seemed like a win. So one dish bad, one dish good. I also liked the scene and the overall atmosphere of the place. I give this place 3.5 stars.
(3)
Dimitri P.
So yes, it has a hipster vibe! Tried a number of menu items--one thing they had in common, whether I liked them or not, was superior craft and execution.
(4)
Jon W.
I was quite impressed with Octopus bar, partly because the environment is a little bit high class and the menu always has something interesting to try. I feel a little bit classier when I am here, and not in a snooty way. For late night drinks and some light food for a date, you can't go wrong with Octopus Bar.
(4)
Kristine N.
Solid place for a late night bite to eat if you're out in East Atlanta. I had one of each oyster on the menu--delightful to do as you can compare the taste of each oyster. The Octopus carpaccio and the Lobster Roll were solid. Not as good as everyone raves, but definitely tasty. I felt that the food was a bit over-priced, especially for the portions that you get. Everything could've been knocked down a couple of dollars.
(4)
Seung Hoon Y.
Went to Octopus Bar with my friends and tried the food out. We got the ramen, pork bun, lobster roll, and salt & pepper shrimp. Ramen was very oily and the broth was very beefy. Took over the ramen. Pork bun was pretty good and authentic. Lobster was just ok. Salt and pepper shrimp was good. Highlight of the night I guess. Drink are normal. Nothing special. Andrew Zimmerman made this place sound awesom. At the end, just an another place in East Atlanta.
(2)
Kathy C.
We had a party of seven visiting Atlanta and knowing that we won't arrive until 11 PM, I was searching for a late night establishment serving interesting food. Thanks to Yelp, I found the Octopus Bar. After reading the reviews, we were able to find this place and know that it is located within another restaurant. The funny thing was, when we first walked in, I think the server was more surprised than we were. After seating us, she asked how we knew about the place because she didn't recognize us. We were eager to try many items on the menu and between the 7 of us, we ordered ... a lot. Most everything were great. I especially love the salt and pepper shrimp, the bulgogi, and the whole fish special the server recommended. We walked out full and satisfied, and I have a feeling that I'll be back again the next time I come to Atlanta.
(5)
Jamie H.
I've been wanting to try Octopus Bar for a while because of the lack of ramen in Atlanta. I had the shoyo ramen, which normally isn't my favorite. This was spicy, salty, and the pork belly was definitely the star of the dish. The noodles were cooked to a pleasing al dente. Unfortunately all of my friends also tried this dish, so we were unable to test the menu much further. We did share the hand pie dessert which I found to be quite interesting. The pink peppercorns were a nice addition in my opinion, however that was not the consensus of the table. One thing everyone could agree on was the fabulously buttery and flaky crust that enclosed the pie. I'll be making my way back to explore the menu further!
(4)
Ashley S.
Yes you can't eat here until 10pm but I assure you it's worth it. The menu changes daily but there are a few items that always stay such as the Lobster Roll which is a cold chopped up lobster on a amazing hoagie. I couldn't believe how exciting such a simple sandwich could be.... I want one right now. Two words: LOBSTER ROLL (if you don't try this you will REGRET it for the rest of your life) There oysters are great and fresh too, you don't get crackers or hot sauce and you don't need em! If they have the mussels on the menu definitely get them because their sauce is so good. You can't go wrong with anything here...trust me. Just go, take a nap and set your alarm for 9:30pm lol.
(5)
Anthony L.
Great place. It's getting late now guess ill burn off the energy & good food from here with a late nite workout. Octopus left me satisfied.
(3)
Dave S.
Three of us rolled in around 11pm, ravenous; ordered literally every dish on the menu and one+ of each featured cocktail over the course of the night. Nothing disappointed. Octopus carpaccio was especially good, as was the bucatini with mussels. And the ramen. And the lobster roll. And the...you get the picture. Service was amazing, Sara(h?) is good people and exactly why industry folks are so great to hang with. Approach this place like having a late snack at a friend'a place, not like going out to a restaurant, and the vibe will make sense. I'll be back.
(5)
Rene F.
My favorite late night spot - EVER. That lobster roll is off the chain.
(5)
Eliz E.
I came here for the iron pour and didnt make it past the menu. Pork belly and shrimp dish was a amazing. I also had a couple of their samish oyesters and they were on point. Service was good, even when the server mistakenly brought me the wrong drink she immediatly corrected it, and brought my hitachino. In her defense the saki she brought had an almost identical name to my beer.
(5)
Amanda P.
The lobster roll, porkbelly, salt n pepper shrimp were all amazing. service was painfully slow due to lack of wait staff. All in all, we would come back but not at that time period.
(4)
Paul S.
Initial visit was just for drinks. I've been told the draw is that the service industry can get off of work and enjoy a real meal. Me personally at 10:30pm and later into the morning don't really want a full meal. I'd prefer more snacky items. When i used to get off of work from the service industry I wanted beer and munchy items. We came for a drink and to munch a little and left only having a drink. The menu looks nice and has a few gems that stuck out, but we weren't eating to eat.... only to keep our hands busy while we talked. The atmoshpere is nice with the interesting graffiti on the wall, but they need to figure out how to completely seal in the widows so one can relax and not be so cold. It is COLD in January at midnight. Prices seem good, and the food interesting, I'll have to come back when I"m craving dinner at midnight.
(3)
Alice W.
The place was on a residential street. Luckily we didn't have to park and walk from too far away. Our party of 2 didn't have to wait, and the servers were helpful when we had questions about the menu. The menu seems to vary, but I highly recommend the wonton soup. I appreciated the fact that they offered a number of pescatarian-friendly items on their menu. I wouldn't say that every dish was outstanding. Minus a couple stars as they permit smoking in the dining area, as well as for the temp- I went on a winter night, and was freezing, never took off my coat. There's a small fire place in a corner, and the seats near it were taken.
(3)
Cherry L.
not sure im quite a fan fan fan..... the flavors were solid, but not surprising/innovative/different than any cheaper alternatives: -like all the previous reviews, i think the lobster roll was the highlight! it was fresh, had big chunks of lobster, just the right amt of mayo, and a buttery roll. while it's quite pricey, i would def get this again! -shaved brussel sprouts with apple and....cheese? the flavor was bad....just wasnt great. maybe i don't like sweet and crisp apple with salty parm shavings. -salt and pepper shrimp had good flavor, as good as chinese restaurants on buford hwy and in duluth. good spice and flavor with scallion, onion, and jalepeno. warning, shrimp come head on! -wings in [i forgot the name] sauce. the wings itself were big and juicy and the sauce was tasty....but VERY similar to wingnuts sweet thai chili...hmm.... some things i wouldve liked to try: -mussels that come in a coconut curry sauce -uni pasta (if I didnt cost an arm and a leg) all in all, cool concept, late night eats....but not sure i'd be back
(3)
Barbara D.
Great service and delicious food. On the pricier side for not huge portions, but it's a nice place for a late night snack and drinks. The S&P shrimp is a sure thing, but if you want a truly magical night, get the lobster roll. It appears to be dipped whole in butter and filled with butter, but doesn't only taste like butter. It tastes like amazing. The place is small but cozy (not literally, I was a little chilly while there) with a hearth in the corner and dim lighting. The bar seating is tiny and there are mostly tables for seating. Can go either way - friends or friendsandthensome.
(4)
Catina T.
Decided to try this place a few nights ago. It was late. We were hungry and didn't want waffle house. The reviews were decent and we were close. I have never been to eat Atlanta village. It was a bit sketchy for my comfort level. However we decided to be adventurous. It's hard to find the place. It's connected to another restaurant and the name isn't on the front. Some folks were kind enough to point us in the right direction. I ordered the light and sunny drink. It was light but had a serious punch. I had 2. We also ordered the lobster roll and salt and pepper shrimp. The lobster roll was good. However it was a cold sandwich. I was expecting a hot one. The shrimp is good. However it's made in a way that you are expected to eat the shell and head. It was a bit spicy which I loved. The restaurant is definitely in an interesting part of town. Once I got over that we had a good time.
(4)
Vanessa T.
In Which Squid Can Inseminate Your Gums* And I Would Gladly Have Octopus Bar's Tentacled Babies. I was really happy to hear about Octopus Bar's arrival on the Intown late night dining scene. And by late night dining scene, I mean The Majestic and the Chevron gas station. I have long pined for a place aligned with my Espanish dining itinerary. Dining locally post 11 pm and it not involving pancakes or bar food is a living dream. Initially, I kept hearing bad things about Octopus Bar's service. So it took me a while to get there. But ever since darkening its door in a full face of pop art clown makeup and not having anyone beat me with a tattooed mallet, I've been back on a nearly weekly basis. Service has been friendly and wonderful, particularly when Chanel has been our server. I am especially fond of the head to tail salt and pepper shrimp, the mussels, and the pasta dishes. I approve of the fact they often change the menu but they always keep the salt and pepper shrimp on it. I adore that they carry Mexican Coke. I really dig not having to trek to BuHi to sate my poorly timed cravings. Also? I can totally afford it. In the wake of hearing about cooked squid inseminating some lady's tongue, cheek and gums, I haven't curbed my devotion to ripping heads off with my teeth at Octopus Bar. The possibility of orally birthing more things they can cook up for me is a win/win. * io9.com/5918453/cooked-s…
(5)
Monroe H.
Came in at 10:30 when they opened and were not busy at all. Service was still deplorable. The waitress had maybe four tables and couldn't keep up with it. The food taking a while is one thing. But our drinks sat at the bar for at least ten minutes if not more, and she was nowhere to be seen. One of our beers took 30 minutes to get delivered to the table. My friend sent a salad back to get fixed, and never received another. And we were there an hour and a half. Our waitress clearly had little to no training. When I asked to speak to management about it, they were assholes. This place obviously only cares about the food, and it wasn't even that great. Gato Arigato's ramen is hands down much better, and I can bring my own alcohol. Won't ever go back.
(1)
Paul M.
Had drinks & a late night dinner at Octopus Bar on Sat., 02/23/13.... Food: Me and my friend ordered the following: uni | hamachi belly sashimi - the hamachi (yellowtail) was succulent, the uni (sea urchin) was OK, being served in a hollowed out lime shell, which I felt was a wrong matchup with the uni - the two distinct flavors did not seem to complement each other salt and pepper ga shrimp | chili | sweet onion | jalapeno - served similar to Japanese-style fried sweet shrimp, these were medium size (U-20-ish) shrimp, fried whole, served with sauteed (or fried) onions and jalapenos - both my friend & I agreed this was the highlight of the food we ordered - top notch! rabbit and shrimp wonton | gai lan | noodle soup - this was a well executed wonton soup, with the wontons being filled with rabbit & shrimp, as opposed to a traditional pork/spices filling, notes of ginger were prominent in the broth maine lobster roll | drawn butter | tomalley mayo - other Yelpers seem to rave about this dish, but to me, it was underwhelming... it was a mini lobster poor boy, the lobster served cold.... it was merely OK brisket & trotter gear curry | house-made tagliatelle | turnips - beef brisket over noodles is what you have here, and it was indeed tasty daeji bulgolgi | kimchi | pickled daikon radish + 6 oysters - the bulgolgi (korean-style bbq pork) & kimchi were top-notch, much like you would expect at a Buford highway Korean joint... the oysters were small pacific varieties, and to me, lacked the kind of pungent flavor & freshness I associate with the fresh-off-the-boat oysters I enjoyed when I lived in Seattle some years back So, food-wise overall: 4 stars Service: The place was packed at ~midnight when we arrived, and the staff did a decent job, considering the volume of clientele 4-stars Atmosphere: Unique.... Octopus Bar adjoins So-Ba restaurant in East Atlanta Village, and when So-Ba shuts down (on certain nights - call ahead to verify they are open), then Octopus Bar opens up.... Inside Octopus is a tarp ceiling, plastic windows, concrete floor gastropub, dimly lit, and with moderately loud music playing, ranging from electronica to 60's & 70's rock to alt rock, et al. And it was a very diverse crowd - racially, demographically, age-wise - you name it - a true melting pot..... The only quibble I had was about the plastic stool bar chairs at the particular section of the bar area that we were seated at... THEY SUCKED.... they were VERY UNCOMFORTABLE and seemed VERY UNSTURDY... However, I can't let one thing like this tarnish the excellent atmosphere of the Octopus Bar, so.... Atmosphere rating: 5 stars Overall: Food-wise, there were some major highlights, and a few disappointments... but, overall, a solid showing from the kitchen. Service & atmosphere were both very good to excellent, and this certainly enhanced our dining/drinking experience.... Overall rating: 4 stars.... Recommended!
(4)
ATL n.
5 stars for the cardamon cheesecake - potentially the best cheesecake I've ever had. Pork buglogi was excellent, too. A welcome late-night snack shift from WaHo or Righteous Room.
(5)
Kathleen M.
Late night higher end dining, be still my heart. Those who know me well know I'm basically a vampire. My most productive hours are from 6pm to 3am: work contacts often comment on my late night emails. I don't know what it is, but this is how I operate. So yeah, I'm often hungry in the wee hours of the morning, and after years of being left with fatty overpriced mediocrity in terms of late night dining, I finally have a place to call home. Octopus Bar serves up an impressive variety of seafood in the wee hours, as well as a great drink list (yay for the Nature Boy cocktail) and super friendly service. On the balmy night I hit them up, the semi-enclosed patio was absolute perfection. The menu is heavy on Asian flavors and they're all used in interesting ways. It's not Buford Highway but it certainly isn't Buckhead, and I love everything about it. A diverse crowd, a welcoming but interesting atmosphere, and a unique concept for Atlanta. I'm more than a fan.
(5)
Jonathan D.
The food here verges on the devastatingly good, and it's amazing there's a place serving nice stuff this late. Pair it with a rock show at The Earl or 529, and you have a great evening lined up. In fact, both places let you leave and re-enter the venue so Octopus bar is a great place to duck into if you want to wait out an undercard band that's not doing it for you. I frequently get the salt and pepper shrimp, which are amazing drunk food. You're supposed to eat the head, the shell and everything. If you're in kind of a shrimp funk, these are different enough to snap you out of it. I've had the lobster roll several times, and you always get a ton of well-dressed lobster for a reasonable price. The pork bugolgi is also outstanding _ love the way the sauce caramelizes. I decided to update this review because my previous one reflected one evening of subpar service. I've been back several times, and the servers couldn't be more attentive, on top of their game and generally fun to talk to.
(5)
Broderick S.
I really really want to like this place. Great concept, creative menu. My dish, which was braised rabbit over cavatelli in cauliflower cream * curry oil was a tad chewy but pretty good. I tried other items which were nice as well. Unfortunately the extremely slow/erratic service really irritated me. Somehow with an enclosed patio, they're able to allow smoking, (no ventiliation), which ruined things for me. I ll try it again when they're a little less green and the patio isn't enclosed. I enjoy So Ba so I'm sure things will only get better.
(2)
Kate D.
I just really love this place. I love the vibe, great for a late night snack. The interior is awesome and the staff was friendly. I can't wait to eat here after drooling over the menu several times.
(4)
Mel G.
If this was a true dinner restaurant, I'd probably rate it lower. The food isn't particularly interesting or complex. But for late night dining, it's a refreshing escape from standard bar food. Service was fairly awful.
(3)
Franklin C.
How My Car Was Hit (Part 1 of 4) This is the story of a guy that really wanted a lobster roll at 10 pm on a Friday night. That guy was me. Late on a Friday night, that craving for a midnight snack hit. Having been to the Octopus Bar a few weeks earlier, the thought of having another one of their lobster rolls seemed perfect. I called up two of my friends who were willing to indulge my late night antics and drove off towards East Atlanta. As we sat in traffic, a mere one block away from the Octopus Bar, I could feel that lobster roll getting closer and closer. That is, until a guy decided to turn out of a parking lot and drive straight into my car. Suddenly that lobster roll seemed so far away. Thankfully, everyone was okay. But, instead of satisfying our taste buds, we were forced to spend an agonizing two hours waiting for the police to come. After everything was sorted out though, we were finally free to head into Octopus Bar. While I can't say that the meal was "worth the wait", everything was incredibly delicious. We had originally intended to order a light snack in the form of a lobster roll and the bulgogi. After what we just went through, we decided to order: two lobster rolls, bulgogi, mussels, lobster pasta, and all three of the desserts on the menu. The lobster rolls were amazing. They are very generous with the amount of lobster meat, and seem to have found the perfect seasoning and garnish for it. The bulgogi is yum. Lots of pork that comes served with lettuce, rice, kimchi, and other goods for you to mix and match to your liking. The mussels and lobster pasta were good as well, although not as memorable or as "must get" as the previous two items. Of the three desserts, the most memorable one was the brie cheesecake. Something about the texture of the cheesecake, and the brie flavor, and the slices of fruit that it comes with really makes this dessert standout. Another dessert we had was a raspberry and wasabi flavored cake. Putting wasabi in a cake probably seems a bit strange, but it did give the dessert a bit of a unique kick. As for the third dessert, it wasn't all that remarkable, and I can't really remember what it was! So, if the meal was that great, why only 4 stars and not 5? Well, service here tends to be a hit or miss. On this trip, the service was fantastic. We had an amazing waitress who was knowledge about the menu, friendly and attentive, without being overbearing. This isn't always the case though. On a previous trip, the waitress we had was very absent minded. Also, when our food came and we asked for forks, we were told that they were out of forks. Really?! A restaurant that is out of forks??! Crazy. The menu at the Octopus Bar changes fairly often. Chances are, by now some of the dishes and desserts I mentioned are no longer offered. The lobster roll and bulgogi do seem to be the mainstays of the menu, and I highly recommend them. They also have some interesting cocktails, although I didn't get to try them. When I asked for "just water", the waitress said "aw, you're the driver aren't you?" Yes. Yes, I really am.
(4)
Megan M.
So good. Definitely a late night industry type of place. Food is great. Lovely cocktails!
(5)
gabriel m.
I've been to this locale for many of it's incarnations. So ba is a great Vietnamese place with good Pho. Why do I speak of So ba whilst reviewing Octopus bar? Well, because Octopus bar is tucked away within So ba. Once So ba "closes" it's doors to the regular patron, The Octopus crawls out of its dwelling and starts serving the night people with after-hours eats and cocktails. I sat at the bar with a buddy of mine and got a couple drinks. The bar tender was professional, knew his drinks, and was very attentive. We ask for a menu and start having a look. As expected, there is a lot of fish to choose from. They have a small yet choice list of oysters to choose from and only $2 a pop! Super cheap for Kooshi and Kumimoto's. (trust me) Got some of those and they were super fresh. Also got some garlic shrimp that are super deep fried and you can eat them in their entirety, including the heads. Brought me back to my days in Vancouver at Happy Izakaya. We also got a pear and brussel sprouts salad which was tasty yet tough to complete since the brussel sprouts were shaven too fine. The place started bumping as we were finishing up the food. It's got a great vibe. We met one of the mastermind behind the place and can see why it's such a great place. Loves to cook and is always trying something new. He mentioned that we missed out on the Korean BBQ pork and should come back for it. As we were paying, the bartender offered a shot of Benedictine to help with digestion gratis. Places like this will continue to get my business. 1. Simple seasonal menus 2. Great customer service 3. Tasty food 4. Great Drinks.
(4)
Jinny Y.
Eatlanta Staycation Restaurant #6 Maybe it was the hype, maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I was super disappointed with Octopus Bar. =( We had three dishes plus a cocktail: Uni - Santa Barbara sea urchin sashimi ($12) Mirugai - live giant clam sashimi ($13) Hamachi kama - grilled Japanese yellowtail collar with ponzu sauce ($10) Blue moon cocktail - small's American dry gin, creme de violette, lemon juice The uni came in a hollowed out lemon. Note to uni lovers, usually when it's served with lemon it's not at its freshest, the lemon juice masks any not-fresh flavors. I'm not saying the uni at Octopus Bar wasn't fresh, I'm just saying the lemon gave me a bad impression. In the end it was still good textured uni, just lemony uni. I love mirugai. It was really good, but we didn't get a lot of bang for the buck. Hamachi kama - i like that it was grilled. I usually have fried or pan fried. However, Sushi Huku's hamachi kama definitely wins over Octopus Bar Blue moon cocktail - totally gross. I'll probably try it out one more time and order non-Asian stuff. We'll see~
(2)
Ramon D.
This place kicks a##! Service was great and the food was even better. I'll be honest that when my buddy recommended the place to me I had very (well extremely) low expectations but I was absolutely wrong. I didn't order any drinks so I can't speak to their drinks but I ordered every single thing on the menu (literally in one seating) so I can without a doubt recommend the food here. My favorite dish was probably the Sea Urchin or the Salt and Pepper GA Shrimp.
(5)
Julian G.
We stopped by Octopus Bar last night. It's been on our to-do list for a few months and we finally made it there. We thought the restaurant had a great atmosphere. From the graffiti art on the walls to the music. The food lived up to the hype. We had already ate dinner so we only ordered two small dishes. We started off with the salt and pepper Georgia shrimp ($10). We finished with the Maine lobster roll ($17). I highly recommend both of these dishes, but the lobster roll stole the show. There were a few cocktails on the menu that sounded good (each were $11), but we decided to order beer ($5). We were impressed with the wait staff. They were very prompt and checked on us several times. Overall, I'd definitely recommend the Octopus bar, if you're in EAV or craving a late night snack.
(4)
j l.
Octopus Bar is a welcome addition to Atlanta's repertoire of late-night snack options, and those of us in the service industry certainly appreciate being able to go somewhere cool to hang and eat and drink when we get done serving the rest of you people dinner! So it goes in some restaurants, service sucks when the place is empty and service is great when it's packed. A strange phenomenon... but when you're one of 2 tables in the place and you see your 10$ drinks sit on the bar for 10 minutes...ehhh not so much. Things on the kitchen's end are a lot speedier, and thank goodness--because the vittles are good. The whole flounder is one of the tastier dishes I've encountered lately, and though it's family style i pretty much demolished it on my own! The bulgogi pork is INSANE--crispy, sweet-spicy addictive goodness. They always have a nice selection of fresh oysters--and I love those briny little critter as much as anybody, but it would be an improvement if they came with some kind of accompaniment. (Call me crass, but I firmly believe that if you're going to serve raw oysters, you better have a stash of saltines and hot sauce on hand for cretins like me.) Coconut mussels are delish, but where's the crusty bread to soak up all the good stuff? I don't even need to mention the lobster roll that's seemingly dipped in glorious butter. Try it with a date, or with a group of rowdies, either way it's a good bet for a swell time.
(3)
Cat D.
I hope I came on a bad night or ordered the wrong thing. I've read so many good things about this place, but I was thoroughly disappointed on my visit. The bulgolgi was awful - super chewy, no flavor to the meat and drowning in sauce. I would not recommend this dish to anyone. The hamachi kama was alright, but you can get it much better elsewhere. I might try Octopus Bar again, just because there are so many good reviews, but I will definitely be trying something different.
(2)
Xteethx B.
Great place for late night snacks although it can get busy pretty quickly and harder to flag down a server. Regardless, mussels in lemongrass broth and the crispy shrimp were both great. If you're looking for a loud, lively dive bar with interesting eats in East Atlanta, this is a good option.
(4)
Michele C.
This place is a gem. The atmosphere is great. One of EAV's best kept secret. Oysters and Duck at 2 am? Yes, please. The food is great. I love their ever-changing menu. And I love the fact that you can get great food, at a great price - this late at night. Kick. Ass.
(5)
Hadi I.
It is always a great culinary adventure. The food is very innovative.
(5)
Mary C.
Atmosphere CHECK! Food CHECK! Drinks CHECK! Open late night CHECK! You absolutely can't go wrong with this place. I'm a New Yorker and as soon as I land I'm heading to Octopus Bar. The lobster roll is just as good as Lukes, or Red Hook or Ed's. The salt-n-pepa shrimp are perfect AND they've recently switched to local GA shrimp that are perfect and sweet. The uni pasta (only on the menu sometimes) works so perfectly. The uni kind of melts and blends with the very light sauce on the homemade pasta. The buttercrunch salad is the best salad I've ever had. Octopus Bar has the best food in ATL. GO THERE! Opens at 10-10:30. Oh and there's no sign, it's in SOBA!
(5)
Reba Jean B.
Well, well, well... Octopus Bar, you have impressed. I like the idea of opening late and staying open even later. This experience was far better than what I thought it could be. $2 awesome oysters and Prosecco is just what the doctor ordered when I get off at work at midnight on a Friday. We were fortunate to get to play around with the menu a bit. The chef is super knowledgeable. The server/ bartender was surprisingly just as into the menu as the chef. Everything was perfectly *cool*. I'm thinking that we're gonna see a lot more from this young chef in the future...
(5)
Melissa B.
Had a nice time here on a super late night. Not sure where else I could have enjoyed oysters and mussels at 2am so that's pretty awesome. Although, why so secret and hidden? Put a sign up people, too cool for a sign? That's lame. Anyway, great service, and a little 2-person band quietly jamming in the corner was a nice addition to the atmosphere. I think the uniqueness of this spot is what makes it so great. The mussels were fantastic as well.
(4)
Veronica M.
This is a really laid back, relaxing atmosphere type bar that is open only after 10:30pm. The food was outstanding, very tasty and very fresh ingredients. The drinks were just good. I didn't think they were anything special, but they weren't bad. If i were ever in the area again past 10:30pm, I would consider returning. Service was outstanding!
(4)
Allen S.
This place is awesome, the service was impeccable and the food was delicious. They change there menu frequently but the Salt and Pepper Shrimp was very tasty. We also had chantrelle mushroom pasta with Ramps which I could eat everday. Anytime Im in Atlanta I try to make a trip here this resturant is a jewel and I am honored to have been here twice both times were memorable experiences.
(5)
paulita b.
Not interested in ever going back. Too much emphasis on the style factor (which they fail horribly at) and not enough on taking the food seriously. The deserts are made by one of my favorite pastry chefs and even those were nuked and gross. That's all, Octopus Bar, please don't.....
(2)
Will H.
Awesome late night restaurant. The fried oysters were the best I have ever had. The korean pork was tasty as well. Really friendly staff and the food came out quick! Highly recommend
(5)
Monica C.
I love this neighborhood and will always hang around in the area. In fact, I lived catty-corner to this location a number of years ago, so it's really cool to see this place change from Casa La Cantina when I lived there. Menu changes daily, so everything on the menu is a special. Went last night and ordered three types of oysters (one house choice, two beausoleil), snapper, mussels in coconut-lemongrass broth with basil, shredded brussels sprouts, and a lobster roll. I wasn't crazy for the brussels sprouts, but I wasn't in the mood for veggies that night, so I don't fault the recipe - cooked well, had nuts and a vinaigrette, not terrible by any means, just not what I was there for. Was not impressed with the lobster roll - it came on some kinda fancy toasted hot dog bun - I wasn't expecting the bread and I don't remember it being mentioned in its description. I dunno, maybe lobster "roll" assumes bread, not to me. The lobster itself, since it was wedged between two slices of buttered roll with a mayonnaise-like substance and shredded lettuce, ended up feeling... creamy in a bad way. I would have liked the dish better without the bread and without the mayo-type stuff. I was hoping for a cleaner dish - more simple & straightforward, and I did not get that - what I got felt like street food in Maine. My homegirl loved the bread & was perfectly satisfied with it, but the presentation was blah, and the mayo-butter bread detracted from the sweetness of the lobster. I wanted more color. Mussels were perfect, and that's where I wanted bread - a baguette to sop up some of that broth would have been most excellent - a very well-balanced dish, and a simple people-pleaser. The snapper was perfectly cooked but under-seasoned and a really cheap cut of fish. If I had to guess it would have been a... shoulder/fin combo that looked really beautiful but had lots of bone that was sort of a pain in the ass to eat around. I don't think the chef put any salt & pepper on the fish - and there may be different ideas on whether that's necessary or not, so I'm not mad about it; like I said, the fish was prepared perfectly, however I would have enjoyed some salt & pepper, maybe a marinade or something. There was a lemony-floral sauce to accompany it that was very nice, and we nicked some Sriracha from the server stand and that did the trick. The beausoliel oysters were great: mild and with the perfect amount of acid to balance out the oysters. The house-style oyster was $8 and for just one. That's kinda sucky, because I wanted to try it too. She said it was great, lol. Overall, the dining experience was nice. Our server knew a lot about wine and got excited when she talked about the menu and the wine selections. It's always great to experience someone who cares about what they're going to put on your table. Because the menu changes pretty much everyday, I will most certainly come back to try more dishes, and I feel confident they will not disappoint. One thing: the food runner in charge of the music selection was playing really obnoxious, obscure music - and way too loud. Our server said she would turn it down, but I don't think that happened. The music sounded like 1/2 cirque du freak, 1/2 the mars volta - too cerebral and almost assaulted my brain. Don't wanna hear that crap when I'm eating. I think it made me tired. At one point, I heard one of the servers saying "WHAT IS THIS MUSIC? I'm turning this off..." But he didn't turn it off! Maybe because no one complained. I didn't see our final bill, but I have a feeling two people could dine here comfortably for $50 or less. Next time, instead of trying several small dishes, I'll go for a big meal for two - that night they had a 24oz steak ($35) and a pan-fried whole flounder ($30)- we made the mistake of eating small that night, but could have gotten more for our money with the entrees. There was also a pasta dish with crab that we should have gone for. Better luck next time.
(3)
D.L H.
The Octopus bar, has it's pros and cons. The format and formula seems to be lifted a bit from Holeman and Finch, however executed not poorly, but according to the neighborhood and it's energy. The Octopus bar starts out with a single page small format, late night menu meant for after regular hour patrons. In this theme, they succeed. What I tried: The Curry with Brisket and Pasta, The Maine Lobster Roll, Farm Egg, The Jumbo Shrimp, Congee with Eel, 2 deserts. I'll go ahead and say the deserts were excellent. I would suggest some accompaniments with the deserts however very good on their own. As far as the food is concerned I'll start with the Curry.. The texture was unique, the dish a little bland, but the idea was well received. I almost asked for some salt and thought that could have salvaged the dish. The Maine Lobster, this is the staple dish at the Octopus bar. For 15 dollars I was expecting a bit more, however I was very much enjoying the dish, and the butter it was pre-soaked in. The lobster was a little tougher than I would prefer, yet a good dish none the less. I would have it again. The Shrimp seemed to be standard. If you like Shrimp you should enjoy this. As an Eel addict I would say I had my highest expectations for the Congee/Eel dish. It was served a bit cold and that was disappointing. I felt the need for it to be hot would probably help out. The consistency was a bit unusual and the congee was a bit more liquified than what I am used to. I wouldn't say it was off-putting altogether, just different. If it was called a soup I would have been a bit more prepared. I went with 5 other patrons and it was agreed that some dishes were hits and some misses. I'd recommend you getting the Maine Lobster Roll.. It is consistently good. As well, if you want a late night desert, go for it. The waitress was great. Short, cute of Asian decent. Great job
(3)
Emily D.
Really fun experience. Recommend the lobster roll and fried oysters. There are a lot of items that aren't on the menu- so ask. Loved the saki called- crazy milk.
(4)
Haiku Y.
Slippery oyster You travel around the world Just to be swallowed ~A Yelp Haiku
(5)
kate a.
this past saturday was our second trip to octopus bar and i haven't stopped thinking about it. i believe that means it's time for a review. the service is great- friendly and helpful- very different from most other restaurants that can bost this awesome of a menu. do not miss the family style bulgogi- it's to die for- sweet and savory with excellent korean accompaniments. we also enjoyed a flavorful brussel sprout/apple slaw, creamy crab pasta, salt&pepper whole fried shrimp and a lobster roll. between 4 of us there was not a crumb left and everything was delicious. we also tried several of the cocktails- very intricate and packed with curious and delighting flavors. nothing like what we've tasted anywhere else. also, there was really great live music (i think they called themselves the hick hops?). can't wait to return!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Mick D.
I can't remember how I'd heard about Octopus Bar. I remember being intrigued about an establishment that only opened after most places closed, and still sometimes had a line out the door. I immediately fell in love with it. Octopus Bar is "housed" within the Vietnamese pho house So Ba. Owner Nhan Le allegedly set out to do something special for his fellow restaurant industry peers, and Octopus Bar just knocks it right out of the park. Of course, the public now knows of Octopus Bar's greatness and you may or may not be surrounded by industry professionals. I was really pleasantly surprised on a number of different levels. I was expecting pretense. I found none. It wasn't overrun with hipsters. The crowd was really diverse on several dimensions. The atmosphere was paradoxically charged and laid back all at the same time. It felt good to be there. It's going to feel really good to go back. The menu (which changes daily) is an amazing collection of crowd-pleasers, international comestibles, and the occasional culinary mashup. This menu is all about high-quality flavor. If chefs had a playground, this menu would be it. I think the menu is primarily designed for snacking and sharing, though there are meal-sized entrees on deck. And I'm told there are secret items that aren't printed on the menu. I'll certainly be asking more about that next time I go. We shared: The Lobster Roll - Delicious. I can see why it gets some hype. Big, meaty pieces of sweet Maine lobster. This is one of things that needs slow savoring, even though the temptation is there to go all cookie-monster on it and make it disappear. The Ramen - A giant bowl of a fantastic, savory broth with all sorts of ramen goodness in it. REAL ramen. Good for the soul. The Beets. Oh, man. Whatever cheese was on those beets was very, very nice. I'm a huge fan of beets. The current menu seems to change the beets up a bit. I'm just glad beets remain on the menu. Everything we had totally hit the spot. Staff took care of our every desire. I wanted to stay late and continue to sample more things, but that will have to wait for another day. The price point was quite decent for what we had. Overall, I love this place. My friend's only criticism: the napkins we got seemed a bit chintzy next to all the greatness they were serving that night. I'm looking forward to my next trip there. Holler if you're coming with.
(5)Christy B.
Neat little place! I'd give it a 5th star if it weren't for the smoking inside, really close to where we were eating. Cocktails were what you'd call "artisan" in that they were creative and well-made with nice liquor. Our table shared several small plates, and everyone got a bowl of ramen to cap off the night. I liked the ramen, but the broth was darker than usual- maybe the chef takes the liberty of fish saucing it. The decor and ambiance were very cool, including a large octopus mural that I couldn't stop staring at. I'll come back for sure, and sit farther away from the bar for less smoke in my meal.
(4)Tracey F.
Let's start with how grateful I was to find this place. I landed in Atlanta at 1am after a 4 hour plane delay, to say I was grumpy is an understatement . My hubby met some nice guy who recommended 4 cool late night places and we chose this one. It's a neat hipstery lil part of town called east Atlanta. Looked like a great night spot for another trip. It has an interesting Asian vibe menu that changes daily. This is a casual very unpretentious place. It's outside covered patio seating with graffiti art on walls. The servers are in shorts and such. That ends the casual part, the menu would look intimidating to some. Mix of small plates and larger bowls and a few big ones. I feel like most of it is designed to be shared ... Kinda like dim sum. We chose a bottle of gruet sparkling which is great, and much appreciated after 10 hours in airports. We started with a white anchovy grapefruit app that was nice and lite. We had a plate of long beans that had the most delish sauce ever. We had ramen with pork belly and egg. Pretty salty but tasted great to us. We slurped it all down. We ended with a whole snapper served with grilled ruby red grapefruit .super fresh and light . All the good uses a unique combo of spices which makes the food great. Keep in mind that all this great food was being served to us at 2am by a super nice server, art student from Cali. Great service and unique food in the middle of the night, unheard of! We would absolutely return bc this was a great experience that turned a horrible day around.
(5)Alayne H.
When you are craving more than bar food for late night eats, Octopus Bar fits the bill. There is nothing fancy about the space but there is about the food. The sweet corn ravioli with ricotta and basil was scrumptious. I really wanted the lobster roll but I was told that is always on the menu but the sweet corn ravioli is temporary, thus my pick. At 1a, this dish and a glass of Prosecco was a perfect finish to a great night out. The service was less than stellar, the atmosphere is less than stellar but the food - stellar!
(3)Candice J.
Five stars for the Octopus Bar! The food and drinks were amazing. I would recommend the ramen noodles for first timers they were outstanding!
(5)Sara L.
Ordered the Ramen and the broth was saltier than the Dead Sea. No joke. The noodles and pork belly were good...but that salty broth ruined everything. Not sure if I'll be back.
(2)D K.
This place opens at 10:30pm. We got their a little early on a weekday night so we were the first ones there. They also let us in a little early which was nice. The restaurant is cozy, but as soon as the place started filling up, it got pretty loud. If I recall correctly, the place is pseudo-outdoorsy with wooden walls and plastic flaps covering the windows. During our stay it rained pretty hard. I got rain on my face, but they soon had extra rain covers out as soon as the storm hit. However, the roof had leaks in several places throughout the restaurant. While I was unaffected by the dripping water other than the occasional drip on my head if I leaned the wrong way, I'm unsure of the fate of my fellow patrons at the octopus bar. We ordered the ramen which was pretty good. The egg and pork were some of the best I had. The broth was pretty salty, but I guess that's expected of ramen. Noodles reminded me of a more upscale version of the instant noodles you can buy at the supermarket; they weren't bad - I guess I'm spoiled by umaido's handmade noodles. I also had their special that day (I don't remember the name) which was essentially a tartar dish. The dish took a lot longer than I thought it would take - apparently the chef prepares it from scratch. It was small portioned, good, very flavorful with rosemary and black pepper. Of note, I saw a lot of people ordering their salt and pepper shrimp. Also, apparently they only take 25 orders of ramen a night? Not sure if I would come back again. I think it was nice to try once, but the place is too out of the way for me and the food not special enough for me to dream about.
(4)Michael S.
Great octopus, great sake. Cool atmosphere.
(5)Abhi K.
I like this neighborhood. I had never been to East Atlanta before, but it is a happening spot. Octopus Bar opens at 10:30 at the spot So Ba occupies during the day. There are no markings. We just waited at the front for a couple minutes until someone pointed us in the right direction. Drinks were good. I had a margarita adjacent mezcal drink. It was smooth and simple. Sometimes the best drinks are not messing with a combo that works. Mezcal and lime is where it's at. The food was so-so. I tasted the broth from the ramen, and it was spectacular. Just loaded with flavor and the egg was cooked perfectly. The side of baby leeks left a lot to be desired. They were mushy and topped with hard cheese and shaved shrimp. The three ingredients together married into sort of a goop. Looking through the rest of the menu, I was not impressed with any of the other offerings. I do want to come back and try a full bowl of the ramen, though.
(3)Joshua H.
There's no better later night food (in my humble opinion) than soup. Whether it be pho, ramen, or chicken noodle, soup is good for the soul. The pork belly ramen at Octopus Bar has it all the flavorful broth, perfectly cooked noodles, soft egg, and crispy pork belly straight rock the taste buds. On the other end of the spectrum, the octopus carpaccio was slightly acidic and tasted of the sea. The oil and roe gave it enough to fat to balance it out perfecyly.
(5)Natasha S.
Awesome - late night swank spot. For us northerns a breath of fresh air. Loved the menu because I live Korean food. They offered saki instead of soju.
(4)John W.
Honestly I was disappointed. The food was only OK. The service was very good but the food was only OK
(2)Sarah D.
Octopus Bar topped off an amazing evening out in Atlanta. I've been wanting to go for awhile, but being the lame person I am, am rarely out and about for their late night hours. You'll head into So Ba Restaurant, which will look closed - hang a left out onto the patio and voila! You're at Octopus Bar. The ambiance is really neat and funky with graffiti art on the walls. Service is a tad slow, but nothing out of the ordinary for a bar on a Friday night. There isn't a ton of seating, but luckily being a party of two were able to sit down immediately. It seemed to be seat yourself, but the server was very helpful and friendly in directing us. I hear the drinks are amazing but didn't try any this visit so can't comment personally. We both ordered the lobster roll, and I have to admit I balked at the $20 price tag until our order came out. Wow. You seriously get an entire lobster stuffed into an amazing, perfectly crisp, butter soaked roll. I can't even. It was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that at first I had asked if we could share one but fortunately my friend had been there before and knew we both needed our own! I believe it is just street parking in the area, and it's a little sketch so I wouldn't recommend walking the area alone at night. There were a bunch of people out and about, but I am just super careful as a single female. I highly recommend trying it out of you aren't in getting your beauty sleep!
(4)Whitney H.
The red snapper that my friend ordered was delicious. It's nice that the kitchen is open till 2:30am- we made it just in time after several hours of dancing. The food was fantastic -really spectacular. The staff and the atmosphere is nice enough but nothing that is so remembering that I'm going to travel to East Atlanta every other Friday night to go there
(4)J C.
My expectations for this place were pretty high given the amount of publicity and praise it received after opening, as well as based on the menu posted online. We arrived very soon after it opened on a Saturday night and were able to get a table for 8 immediately. By about 11:30 most of the tables were full and the place was loud and energetic. Unfortunately the online menu bears no resemblance to the brief one actually handed to you in the restaurant. While there are some interesting options, many seemed to be lacking either in the quality or quantity suggested by the prices. The ramen looked like the best thing on the menu but since I don't eat pork I didn't try it. Having just returned from Cape Cod the lobster roll wasn't an option. The octopus carpaccio was interesting to look at but the slices so incredibly thin that there really wasn't much there. It was tasty but again, barely a sharable dish. The ravioli was nothing special but the whole sardines were pretty tasty. If I returned there were some other options I'd try. They have several good beer options as well as sake and other cocktails. Expect drinking to be the main event here with a few expensive snacks thrown into the mix. I guess the most unique thing about Octopus Bar is that you have to stay awake and sort of hungry until 10:30 to even try it, and that it does stay open very late. Having experienced it I'm not sure it's worth the effort again. I like my sleep.
(3)Mahtab R.
This is a shotty review, but they ran out of ramen :( However, this place smells sooooo fucking good, I love the smell of everything in here. The food is pretty solid. Will update review when I'm sober and can try the ramen.
(4)Kat C.
Oh my. Octopus Bar is a place I am thankful to live almost literally next door to. The food is incredible, the drinks are fantastic and the hours are perfect for anyone looking for a late night spot to wind down and eat some seriously tasty, unique dishes. The drink menu is one I can't argue with- their wine and champagne selection constantly changes and always lists intriguing and delicious options. I think the word's out at this point that Octopus Bar is one of the places for chefs and industry folk to hang out and enjoy unique and flavorful food creations. That's really what they are. You order yourself the salt and pepper shrimp, or the family style Korean pork, or the ramen, or any of the seasonal dishes and argue with me on that. You just can't. I recommend skipping Friday and Saturday nights (as a somewhat jaded neighborhood resident)- all the bars in the area get pretty crowded and loud, but really, it's even worth it to deal with the Weekend Warriors for Octopus Bar. Go, eat and have yourself a nice strong drink.
(5)Loren B.
Let's start off with the food rating from the Health Department at an 88. Then let's go to the hype of this place.....where the industry people go. The drinks weren't great and the food was worse. The fish was soft but it tasted like someone squeezed a lime all over it. Not for me.
(1)Alex P.
From veal cheeks to lobster rolls, this is a late night eater's paradise. They are open very very late and have quite a lot of customers even when you do stumble in at 2am. Service was phenomenal and our waitress was very attentive. Order breakdown: Veal cheeks were the highlight for me. Bursting with flavor and tender. Lobster roll was ok. Of course, hard to complain about eating lobster in the middle of the night, but it was very plain. Salt and Pepper shrimp was a bit of a pain to eat. You do get nice big shrimp and presentation was nice, but your potentially drunk self will have to peel the thing and skin was very hard to get off with the way they cooked it. It's garnished with lightly simmered onions and jalapenos, which are delicious but keep in mind the onion breath that will haunt you the rest of the night. Spectacular beer selection is also on the menu, served with proper glassware for different bottles beers.
(4)Mariel J.
I visited Octopus Bar on a Saturday night after a late dinner out. We were too full to try any of the food on the late-night menu (though it's supposed to be great), but the cocktails were pretty good (though there were fewer options than I would have expected). The atmosphere of the place was cool, though - it's definitely a place, and a general neighborhood, that I'd like to head back to in the future.
(4)Blair T.
Me and my boyfriend have been searching for a place that serves a delicious lobster roll all week long.... Most places only serve them on the weekends or for lunch only, or only in the summer. We really lucked out with this place, they serve AMAZING lobster rolls all week AND until 2:30 in the AM. So happy we found this place !!! Yum !
(5)Tiff H.
After a full meal at Craft Izakaya, we ventured deeper into East Atlanta as we were already on this side of town. I'd heard good things about the Octopus Bar, and read about it in articles, too, so this place was definitely way over-hyped when we entered the bar. After parking a while away down the street (good thing I decided to wear heels... I never wear heels...) I lifted hair off my neck to relieve the humid effect of the outdoor weather. I was looking forward to some air conditioning. Anything more than this. We walked into So Ba, the restaurant connected to the bar. Instantly after walking into the nice cool restaurant, we were led back outside into the humidity. The air seemed to not move at all (no fans) and the candle lit tables only seemed to make it hotter, although I'm sure it was all in my mind. I'm a Florida girl so I thought I could handle it, but maybe a little relief here! I can't deny the decor was beautiful. The wall art was modern and hip. The bar seemed like the place to be. The metal chairs and tables, not so much. However, it was quieter and cooler at the table we chose, far away from the loudest speaker and noise. The server took her time getting to us, but we eventually got menus and sat around taking in the atmosphere in the time it took for her to take our orders, bring us water, bring our food order, and then bring out our drinks. I ordered a signature cocktail and we also ordered a Caprese salad to share. Service was super slow. All in all, overrated. I wasn't feeling it. Other guests seemed to be trying too hard to fit into the atmosphere. But still. Just wasn't feeling it. Maybe next time I'll come straight here for food and drink so I'm not so tired and jaded from the first meal...
(3)Shawn H.
Not terrible but menu was quite different than from what I had seen online. No sea urchin, no oyster, no monkfish liver, no dumplings. Was excited about the concept of a late night dining experience with innovative food. Settled for a slightly better than average salt and pepper shrimp. They were served with tails, shells, and heads on...which is a nice touch and only amateurs try to peel them or leave the delicious heads on the plate. Had read that the lobster roll was "great", "amazing", and "spectacular". I found it as I find most lobster, pedestrian and over rated. Service was solid. Prices are not cheap but I'd say they're reasonable. Crowd could definitely be defined as "hipster". It's on an outdoor patio so on hot nights you might be sweating while you eat. Wanted so badly to like this place, just didn't happen. Even stayed up late on a tuesday just to eat here.
(2)Rahul P.
One of the best late night haunts in Atlanta. It's typically crowded so expect to wait for a table if you go thurs-sat. My two cents - it's way easier to go in groups of 4 or less The tapas are delicious but small so expect to order more than one. The bulgogi is amazing. - definitely try this
(4)Mary Margaret B.
Sarah was AMAZING! She was at our service for every whim. We had oysters option of east coast and west coast (which we mixed) however they don't serve horseradish or crackers or hot sauce-- so it needed bread or crackers--Sarah was super accommodating and brought us amazing parmesan bread!! We also ordered the delicious Lobster roll! I have no negative comments about this roll. Buttery, soft bread- fresh lobster and yummy sauce and seasoning--a true winner! Lobster was chunky fresh and abundant. My honey also ordered the seared catfish entree. It had an organic caramel sauce with shallot butter and steamed organic long rice and pan seared pork pelly. Very fresh, a little spicy--perfect kick for a non-fried catfish dish. She brought us a Gin Daqurri-- Ransom Gin with fresh squeezed lime and topped with ginger beer-shamed served in a champagne flat. Very very good, compliments to the bartender! I'll be back when I can, recommended to all!
(4)Andrew W.
I was severely disappointed in this "bar" I ordered the lobster roll and my girlfriend ordered the spanish octopus, both dishes were extremely bland, the sapporo my girlfriend ordered was warm. Also for the above plus a hot tea the tab was $50. If you don't mind tiny bland portions at exorbitant prices and warm beer at reasonable prices, I guess this could be the place for you........
(1)DeVena S.
I'm a regular here, love this place. Although I did find an ant in my cocktail once. Waitress kindly replaced it...
(4)Heather H.
Food was decent, flavor wise, but overpriced and tiny. Tried to go on a date with my husband, and our food didn't come out at anything resembling close together. He actually had to stop eating halfway through his meal, and neither of us are fast eaters, to wait for my meal to arrive. I received something larger than a side portion, but far smaller than a dinner portion of my linguine. Flavors were nice, but 1oz of pasta with too much sauce and ikura, and almost no fish was a waste of both our time and money. Cocktails were fine. Go for drinks, don't bother with dinner unless you're dining alone and not hungry.
(1)Natalie S.
I would definitely recommend coming here for a late night dinner that is way better than your normal late night dinner. They're open really late supposedly for people in the service industry who get off late. I came here with my boyfriend after getting in at midnight on a late night flight. It was really good and a great atmosphere. You sit outside in the back patio which is heated. There is grafiti painted on the walls which gives it a very East Atlanta feel to it and a bar towards the back where people are drinking. Order Breakdown Salt and Pepper Shrimp: good but not great and kinda spicy if you get one of the peppers Miso: GET THIS! really good but also kinda salty Octopus: Good in terms of octopus which im only sometimes a fan Overall I would say go, its a great late night option with a great ATL feel
(4)Robert F.
Cool pop up restaurant with late hours, interesting menu items, and reasonable prices. I had the Korean BBQ and the skirt steak. Both were decent but not amazing. The main draw of this place to me is the late hours. No one else with this kind of menu is open this late.
(3)Tanna L.
Ridiculously nice that we have a place like this we can patronize at 2 in the morning. The ramen was fantastic. Great broth, nice noodles and pretty spicy for the average palate (not me). Amazing late night food. Nice size. Get it. Also got the salt and pepper shrimp. I was with my bro-in-law who eats everything on every animal. Normally I don't eat the shell but as crispy and delicious these looked, even I started digging into the whole crustacean. I did draw the line at the head. Soooo good, well seasoned, not overcooked. Staff recommended the catfish. Universally we thought this was too salty. I think it was the sauce/glaze because the catfish itself I thought tasted fine. It was not crazy salty--we still ate all of it--but salty enough to notice. We got some oysters. Yum. Pork belly. Delicious. Great drinks, nice staff. Maybe my standards are too low but we all had a great time at this joint. Go to late night place.
(5)Carlos M.
Very cute spot, outside with dim lighting, great vibe and awesome wait staff. The food was good, simple, modern and very simple Japanese fusion.
(4)Dio S.
I didn't like Octopus Bar when I ate here shortly after it first opened, but now it's a couple years and a couple chef changes later, and the last several tries have all been pretty solid. It's just one of the better options for food and drinks past midnight, what with many fine eating and drinking establishments intown actually close surprisingly early. What we have here is a place popular with industry folks and some of the hip EAV/Edgewood type crowd, serving pretty diverse range of gastro-pub, izakaya, and Asian street food inspired dishes, plus a range of mixed drinks and with flourish almost half a dozen sakes which is nice. You wouldn't say that any of the dishes is the best version of that dish in Atlanta but damn if it isn't convenient to be able to order a good lobster roll, hamachi kama, a Chinese steamed fish, and a porterhouse steak all at the same time, at one o'clock in the morning, sometimes with cool live music performance. The quality and selection of raw oysters have improved somewhat as well now so kudos to that. The mixed drinks are somewhat derivative but not bad and nothing if not "current". Think about the competition at this kind of hours if you don't want to go up Buford Highway to grace the likes of El Rey Del Taco, okay Cantonese greasy spoon, 24 hour Vietnamese: middling diners, Vortex burger, Victory Sandwich, maybe Top Flr and Bookhouse, R Thomas, maybe Ammazza. Nothing really quite like Octopus Bar in terms of uniquely diverse offerings and atmosphere/energy. So, literally, at the end of the day, the niche appeal combined with the solid quality allow Octopus Bar to excel. I'll inevitably end up here again in the near future, and be satisfied.
(4)Jason F.
Octopus Bar is one of those places that has a lot of hype, but for me just didn't live up to it. I had their ramen which given the rarity of ramen in the Atlanta area was about average (3 Stars, but 2.5 when compared to similarly priced ramen joints in NYC, DC, and Honolulu) and I tried a few other dishes from friends. Nothing blew me away. I think for the amount of time it took me to get here and find a parking spot + the price tag, I would have been better off going elsewhere, perhaps Buford. The friend of mine that took me here told me that the prices were higher since her first visit 6+ months ago. mostly a meh experience for me.
(3)Yasmin H.
Keep in mind it has the word bar in the name and it is in East Atlanta. So for a bar in EAV, I give it four stars.The food is not mind blowing 5 star restaurant quality but that's not the point here. It's fresh, seasonal, and the chef makes runs to the farmers market for the next day's dinner and for late night (after 10 pm) bar food it's pretty freakin great. For the serving size you get on some dishes it is pricey but on others it is pretty fair. My only star docked is bc even though it is a bar, I asked for two drinks I've ordered at plenty of other bars and I was told the bar tender is "too busy to make it". Squeeze me? Thou art a bar, no? Ps the drink I had ordered was a Remember the Maine 2 ounces rye whiskey 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth 2 teaspoons Cherry Heering liqueur 1/2 teaspoon absinthe Shake. Takes 30 seconds to make and it's a classic and half the tables in here are empty. *head scratch* You're lucky you have KBBQ on the menu otherwise I would have docked another star. I kid. Go here. It's fun. Just order a beer.
(4)Kimberly L.
Theres a reason Rock Chefs eat here. Consistent food with quality ingredients come to mind. Or perhaps the lobster roll, Raman noodles, crafted drinks or the cool crowd? Either way you cut it, you get late nite, world class, 4-food. After partying like a young'in, I get to eat like a grown- woman. Thank Gawd!
(5)James P.
This place was awesome. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was good with large portions. The oysters had me like.. this shi right here!!! and that is all I will say about that...
(4)Max P.
Cool place to chill with friends, enjoy quality drinks and some awesome fusion tapas.
(5)Ha N.
We went there with some of my girlfriend's family a while ago, but I never got around to writing a review for this place. I can't remember everything that we got, but I do still remember the highlights--which I think is a great indication of what they did right. If I still remember it a couple of months later, then it must've been memorable. Out of what we ate that night, what I remember most was were the salt and pepper shrimp and the ramen. The shrimp was crunchy, well-seasoned, and tasted very fresh. The ramen was a little on the salty side, but the noodles themselves were pretty delicious. My girlfriend and her brother and cousin are pretty picky about Chinese food having grown up on good Chinese food, but they would all say that it was super delicious salt and pepper shrimp. I think that this place is good if you get the right thing. In terms of pricing...I think that's where it can fall apart a bit for most people. The ramen was the only thing that I remember being filling, but each dish was very similarly priced and you can probably get something pretty good/decent for a much cheaper price elsewhere. I think it's a one-time experience, and I would definitely not say that I regret it, but it's kinda iffy if I'll return unless it was a group consensus situation.
(4)Allyson B.
late late night + cocktails + amazing menu = perfect date night. If you've been to So Ba, Octopus Bar is like their older more refined but still edgy older sister. I love the unassuming setting. It's in a side room/covered patio space with sweet graffiti decor. If it weren't for Anthony Bourdain's Atlanta Layover episode I think I would have never come across this incredible establishment. When we first walked in I spotted a couple DEVOURING a bowl of noodles and I had to have it. Oh god. It was good. It was spicy (I'm not a fan of spicy) but I really enjoyed it! May have gotten drunk shortly after on a cocktail and stopped eating. But I am kicking myself for not ordering the chanterelle mushrooms. It is an indulgence that you MUST splurge on. $20+ for a tiny serving of chanterelles? Just say yes. My boyfriend and I are regretting not getting it. Instead of eating it like we should have, we watched the table next to us indulge their palates with luxurious chanterelles. Their menu is always changing so don't live in regret like I am! Order up because it may not be there next time. Looking forward to coming back!
(5)Yvan H.
Favorite date night spot with the ever changing menu. Service is usually a little slow at first but always pleasantly satisfied. Exciting and delectable treats for late night munchies.
(4)Sean H.
Salt and Pepper Shrimp was perfectly seasoned and cooked with the accompanying veggies capping it off immaculately and then, the head explodes... spraying red juices everywhere as you bite into it... positively perfect. My boyfriend's Trout was well balanced and the tomatoes added that extra punch, resulting in him putting the bowl to his lips so he could consume every morsel possible. My Goat Ragu was heavenly; absolute perfection. Each bite made me just as, if not even, happier than the last. I could eat this everyday. And finally, the Banana and Nilla Wafer Milkshake was awesome. I am a chocolate shake nut but this was so satisfying. Amazing food, atmosphere and speedy service. I shall return.
(5)Rebecca S.
This place brought slow service to a whole new level. Of course it was a Friday night and the place was crowded so I understand but I would have to wait 20 minutes just for another can of beer. Which was overpriced. I didn't eat so I can't comment on the food but I heard it was pretty good. We went with a big group for a birthday and it was a great setting for it. Except that they told us they couldn't separate the bill which is completely ridiculous in 2014 not to be able to separate a bill. We had a blast. Just the service was incredibly slow. So as long as you have no where else to be, and order multiple rounds at a time so you don't sober up waiting for your drink - it's an alright place.
(3)Elle G.
Thouroughly dissatisfied. After viewing the menu online and reading several excellent reviews, not to mention food network showcases, I was very excited to give The Octopus Bar a try. The food was over cooked. Both of our dishes hard a charred taste almost like a smoky barbaque which may be acceptable for pork belly but it is not the case for Spanish octopus, which ended up tasting like some kind of weird over cooked and again charred sausage. Moreover, when I expressed my discontent with my dish the waitress pretty much shrugged her shoulders with no attempt to even offer a replacement, complimentary bevarge or credit. The only thing they got right was a nice atmosphere and some tasty beers. We will not be returning.
(2)Tom E.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would give this place 5 stars- and it was all because of last night. I went actually right when they opened (SoBa still had customers, a first for me seeing that)- as I usually go around 12A or later. The music was not as loud, the crowd wasn't too heavy, and I got my favorite server there. It's nice to go to a place and you can get your normal drink order brought to you before you get your menu (for me, I start off with a Villager and a PBR, what an irony). Yeaaa! I love the ever changing menu too. I finally tried the fettuccine with the sea urchin last night (I so forgot to take the pic, I wolfed that shit down!), and I won't lie- it's genius! My buddy got the sea urchin sashimi, and for a sometimesthepickiesteateryoucouldeversitwith, he wouldn't shut up about how tasty it was. Score! I got a complex version of a grilled cheese, egg and tomato open faced sandwich (I did manage to post a pic). I am not a big fan of goat cheese (but I willingly knew it had it), but the flavors of the tomato helped mellow it out. A bold late night snack! My server told me about the evening's dessert (yes, they do have it :) )- which was a peach pastry with vanilla bean ice cream and basil. I wanted to order a whole tray of that stuff, some of the better/freshest dessert I have had in the city. Throughout the night, it didn't seem as busy as usual (maybe since I did get there earlier), and the noise didn't shell shock me like on previous visits. Moral of the story- I ordered a bunch of stuff with ingredients I usually do not enjoy. This place helps me enjoy and appreciate those items more and more with each visit.
(5)Michelle K.
Thanks to our friend Tom. E, we were introduced to this lovely bar. I had zero expectations going in but my boyfriend and I truly enjoyed our experience last Saturday night. Our servers were great and the food was delicious! I love how the entire bar is cozy and outdoors. It's the perfect spot for a late night drink or dessert. Speaking of dessert, their lavender custard with blueberry gin glaze is absolutely AMAZING! Highly recommended. They've got some unique cocktails on the menu and their lobster rolls are pretty darn tasty. I would even say that their version is pretty competitive with the ones you'd find in the east coast! If you haven't been to this bar, be sure to make a visit. You won't be disappointed.
(4)Kim N.
I've been wanting to try Octopus Bar for awhile now but their odd hours have always been a problem since I'm such a grandma these days. I finally made it out to OB this past weekend after a concert at Aaron's Lakewood Amphitheater. Food and service were great. My only problem is that the desserts ran out about 3 hours before they're supposed to close, which seems pretty silly to me. -hamachi belly sashimi: fresh and delicious, melts in your mouth -arugula, avocado, grapefruit, cilantro salad: simple enough, fresh ingredients -lobster roll - AMAZING!! I will stay up late and come out to OB just for this I really wanted to try the beignets but like I mentioned above this was sold out about 2 hours after they open. Bummer! Parking has always been a problem for me around East Atlanta. Street parking. Octopus Bar is attached to So Ba and surrounded by graffiti walls.
(4)Allen M.
Sake, oysters, and something nice. I like the energy here - most of the time.
(4)Daniel B.
I checked out Octopus Bar late Saturday night/early Sunday morning ( yelp.com/events/atlanta-… ). Octopus Bar opened Fall 2011 inside So Ba Vietnamese Restaurant in East Atlanta Village. It's a small restaurant/bar that offers an eclectic seasonal menu of farm-fresh foods at relatively affordable prices. The menu is a collaboration between So Ba's chef Nhan Le and ex-Miller Union chef Angus Brown. Octopus Bar is open late night only, beginning nightly at 10pm and closing around 3-3:30am. Not really my ideal dinner time, but it's definitely nice to have a late night option like this. Where else are you going to find oysters, caviar, sea urchin, and lobster rolls after midnight in Atlanta? When you walk into So Ba, make a left to get to Octopus Bar. The first thing you'll notice is it's dark, very dark. And loud, from both the music blaring over the speakers and the patrons trying to talk over one another. The restaurant fits the mold of the neighborhood (EAV): alternative style, grungy, and hipster-ish. Creative, original, and colorful art covers almost every wall, most notably the one behind the bar: it's an intimidating painting of a giant reddish-purple octopus. The place was packed during our visit. The atmosphere was lively and casual. The space isn't terribly big. There are approximately a dozen or so tables of varying sizes. I'd guess tables + bar space could comfortably accommodate 50 people max. Maybe less. There are a couple candle-lit tables outside too. The number of people coupled with the open windows and humid weather didn't create the most ideal dining conditions. I don't know if the building has air conditioning, but quite frankly, it got hot and stuffy inside. The rickety and wobbly ceiling fans didn't help much. As previously noted, it was dark -- so dark that some of my tablemates had to use the flashlight apps on their phones to even read the menu and see their food. I definitely had to step into a more well-lighted area to read the menu. Suffice it to say, I wasn't crazy about the eating environment. It's certainly unique, though. The small menu is a mixture of Asian and American foods and changes periodically. This past weekend's menu had 16 different items, most priced at $10 or less, a good value considering the offerings. Some examples: Shigoku, Beausoleil and Bras D'Or oysters - $2.50 each Bras D'Or sea urchin with quail egg and ponzu sauce - $10 Farro, peaches, squash, basil, and mint - $7 Hamachi kama (Japanese yellowtail collar) - $10 Bo la lot - Vietnamese grape leaf rolls with beef - $7 Salt and pepper shrimp with chili, sweet onion, and jalapeno - $9 The lobster roll ($14) seemed pretty popular. The more expensive items looked the most appealing, though -- pasta with sea urchin ($16), 8-oz ribeye with roasted okra, ham, sweet corn, green tomatoes, and shallots ($25), and daeji bulgogi (spicy Korean pork) with kimchi and pickled radishes ($24). Despite a busy night and our large group, service was very good. Friendly too. Octopus Bar doesn't have a parking lot, so street parking on Gresham and surrounding neighborhood streets is your only option.
(3)Jason C.
This is a nighttime ramen place with a long wait. They ran out of ramen half an hour into being open. So we ordered the salt and pepper shrimp. It was cooked and battered IN THE SHELL. We had to peel the shell off along with the batter. If you like to wait and expensive drinks, give it a try.
(1)Conley P.
5 stars is not enough! This place is awesome, from the drinks, food, ambiance, and friendly staff! I met up with some friends here one night and honestly didn't think much of the place when they said 'get some late night food and have a few drinks'. But boy did my opinion change when I saw the menu! The food (all of it) was amazing! I'm a sushi eater and I never quite acquired the taste for octopus, but this place does it right! Seriously, order anything at all off of the menu (I'm pretty sure our large crew did order everything on the menu) and you will not be disappointed. The staff was great and the specialty drinks were fabulous too! Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a laid back 'late night eatery' with 5 star menu!
(5)Alex C.
The execution of the dishes are pretty good. However, having experienced each of these dishes in their native restaurants for double the portion sizes, I can't justify giving Octopus bar any more than 3 stars. Now, if you dare not venture into Buford Highway, then I can definitely see how this is some of the best tasting and unique Asian food around, other than maybe Miso Izakaya.
(3)Asma A.
I love the fact that this is open late night! Sometimes, when u come back from a long flight late night, you want something other than what the Atlanta airport can offer you. A friend and I decided to head up to octopus bar to try and eat something other than the usual panera bread. I don't know if it was their style, but I just didnt understand the way the food came out. we ordered our food all at once, but it all came out randomly. The oysters, which by the way, I don't recommend ordering, came out last. We ordered the grilled tuna, halibut--a bit disappointed that it was fried--, and sashimi. Everything we ordered, besides oysters, tasted good! I would love to come back but order the halibut grilled. The sashimi was great, but a bit pricey for the type of restaurant this is. I took a star away cause of the unorganized way the food came out. Our entrees came out at different times so we couldn't even Enjoy eating our food together cause by that time one of our entrees would have been super cold.
(3)Carlos O.
Definitely a great late night spot for the weekday (or any other time at that)... First time here and the vibe of the place is super chill. Atmosphere is great, bartender is attentive and on point and that lobster roll... I've seen pictures and had to experience it myself... Two thumbs up. Plates are a bit pricey but I do not regret the lobster roll one bit. Will definitely check out again.
(4)Shirley C.
Only reason why I was here, my sister took me. She said she saw it on travel channel. Well it took us time to look for parking spot and the prices was outrageous! The beer (made in Vietnam) was not so great, better off with Heineken. I would have settled somewhere else. The plus: food presentation was nice. Btw, the entrance -glass door to the right going out was cracked -needs fixing :(
(3)Gene G.
I went here after seeing an episode of the Layover with Anthony Bourdain, since my first visit I've been several times after that. One of the chefs hosting Bourdain took him there, declaring it an industry bar since restaurant employees can visit there after work. Really it's the only place to go at 12:00 a.m. for good food, that's not greasy and low quality. Well done on carving out a under served niche'. Overall the food is not extraordinary, but solid except for one item, the damn lobster roll. The thing must be laced with an addictive narcotic, because I want to get one every Friday night at 1:00 a.m. It's honestly the best lobster roll I've ever had. I've had them in Maine, New York, and Boston. Holy cow it's amazing. The bread, the lumps of lobster, it's perfect. We had someone from Boston try it and they gave their approval! Do not get the Salt and Pepper shrimp. Both the misses and I are adventurous eaters and we both didn't care for it one bit. You eat the shrimp with the shell on, crunching it's exoskeleton in your mouth. It's just not right. The cocktails are mediocre and the prices are on the high end. Well on the high end for everything, but especially drinks. I get it though, they can charge a little more because they have little competition in their segment and they might have to pay their employees a little more to work such late hours. It's an East Atlanta spot so you probably get the atmosphere, it's the mature older and cleaner hipster spot though. Verdict: It's 12:00 a.m. where the hell else can you go for a meal like this? Pros: Open until 2:00 a.m. Lobster Roll Laid back Atmosphere Cons: Prices Salt and Pepper Shrimp Not conducive to extremely cold weather, low 30's. Small Portions (However high Quality and no one should have massive portions this late.)
(4)Paige E.
Slooooooooow service, but hey, I don't go out to eat in a rush.... Nor did I go to East Atlanta village for the outstanding service (just sayin). Really great, fresh food. Good oysters. Nice chef. A good place to go if you're looking to eat somewhere with decent food for a fourth meal.
(5)William M.
Good luck finding it. Good luck finding it open. Slow service, small over priced drinks. But they are open late!
(2)Chelsea M.
Way understaffed. I ordered a drink when my friend got his main dish. It came long after he finished - when we were ready to leave. Server was great but it appears there is only one during a busy shift.
(2)Foodie Buddha F.
Second visit was far worse than the initial visit was good. I posted a full update on my blog but the super super short version is as follows: The menu changes a good bit and for a restaurant that's only operational a few hours a day, that's a lot to take on. This is complicated by the fact that the menu is extremely diverse. Lobster roll, curried beef, and salt & pepper shrimp are well worth the money ... everything else seems ... well ... not good.
(1)Kevin K.
I seriously don't understand the review that people wrote and how you could give this place a 4-5 stars. This place sucks. Positive: Open til 2am and has nice small vibe inside where you can socialize with your friends without any loud music or drunkards. Negative: Good luck parking. It's hot as crap inside. No A/C. Took about 15 min just to get our drinks and all we had was 2 beers, and 3 drinks. Service sucked. Felt like there was only one server working when they actually had 3. So slow and forgetful. Had to ask for napkin 3x but server forgot about it every time so had to get it myself at the bar. Food sucks taste wise, portion amount, and price. Even if the food was discounted by half I would not bother eating here again. Drinks are really expensive too. More expensive than clubs or other bars. Fried salt n pepper shrimp ($16) : Taste was ok. Comes with grilled onions and jalapenos. Shell was intact and personally not a fan. Canton Cooks has the best salt and pepper shrimp. Maine Lobster roll ($18) : Bread was toasty and good. Lobster is chilled and ok. Portion was very small. When eating a lobster roll, the taste and quality of the LOBSTER is what defines it, not the bread. Shoyo Ramen ($16) : WORST ramen I had in GA. It makes Umaido's Ramen a delicacy. Broth is very oily and has a cheap beefy taste like the brand Ichiban where you can buy at Kroger for like 30 cents. Roasted pork (forgot but $15-20 range) : Best item. Comes with 3 small pork served with rice and cilantro. You can honestly go to any Vietnamese restaurant and get the same thing for $6-8. There was nothing special about this place to warrant such a review and price on the food. Drinks are drinks. Food is not great. If you want to socialize, there are plenty of other bars you could go to. Will not come back and recommend.
(2)Steve M.
Perfect, perfect, perfect--that is, if you want mediocre food and watery, bottom shelf well drinks at top shelf prices. Octopus bar is an after hours hipster joint, plain and simple. If you don't have scraggly facial hair (ladies included), wear a wool ski cap in the middle of sweltering July heat, have a large raven chest piece, or don't enjoy discussing Kafka or the fact David Foster Wallace's 'Infinite Jest" wasn't nearly long enough* then don't bother with Octopus Bar. In the wise words of The inimitable Flavor Flav: 'don't believe the hype' about Octopus Bar. (*included for effect. I'm confident most of the mouth-breathing crowd here is barely literate, nor aware of Kafka or David Foster Wallace)
(1)Rasheeda S.
So a few friends and I decided to venture out for a small pre-birthday gathering. Since 3 of us had never been and was told how great it was, we decided to go for it. I honestly don't think I would have found the place on my own because its seems so ducked off but then again we came through the back entrance which looks like there may be several bodies buried near all of the broken down/abandoned vehicles. I was disappointed that they had 2 sections but were only using 1 side by the time we got there which was around 12:15. this in turn caused us to wait 45 min. to an hour for seats. I was literally starving at this point. The drinks were good. The food was delicious but I hate that I order the tortellini for $15 only to find that it was a small plate/tapas size. I also had some of my friends shrimp but had to let her take the head off first as I just couldn't get past that it was the entire shrimp head/shell and all. Overall it was ok...not sure I will venture back anytime soon but it was worth it to try.
(3)Jang C.
Luckily, I ran into Melissa M. on my way to the Octopus Bar. If I didn't run into her, I would have never found this place. I knew Octopus Bar was inside of Soba. But I didn't know where Soba was. Soba doesn't have a big sign, you have to pay attention to find it. So if I haven't met Melissa, I would've wandered all around EAV for a while. It would've been bad since I left my skinny jeans, thick rimmed glasses, and ironic T-shirts at home. Octopus Bar looked like a trendy bar in EAV. It also had some interesting menu items. Too bad everything seemed overpriced. I tried their Hamachi Kama. It did not smell or taste fresh. The ponzu sauce needed more flavor. The only thing it got me was the strong fish odor it had. I love seafood and can handle all seafood. But this Hamachi Kama was making me gag. What a waste of $10. Their famous lobster roll at least hit home for me. It had good portion of lobsters and had a nice, buttery taste. It tasted good. I liked it a lot better than Bocado's version. So this dish seemed like a win. So one dish bad, one dish good. I also liked the scene and the overall atmosphere of the place. I give this place 3.5 stars.
(3)Dimitri P.
So yes, it has a hipster vibe! Tried a number of menu items--one thing they had in common, whether I liked them or not, was superior craft and execution.
(4)Jon W.
I was quite impressed with Octopus bar, partly because the environment is a little bit high class and the menu always has something interesting to try. I feel a little bit classier when I am here, and not in a snooty way. For late night drinks and some light food for a date, you can't go wrong with Octopus Bar.
(4)Kristine N.
Solid place for a late night bite to eat if you're out in East Atlanta. I had one of each oyster on the menu--delightful to do as you can compare the taste of each oyster. The Octopus carpaccio and the Lobster Roll were solid. Not as good as everyone raves, but definitely tasty. I felt that the food was a bit over-priced, especially for the portions that you get. Everything could've been knocked down a couple of dollars.
(4)Seung Hoon Y.
Went to Octopus Bar with my friends and tried the food out. We got the ramen, pork bun, lobster roll, and salt & pepper shrimp. Ramen was very oily and the broth was very beefy. Took over the ramen. Pork bun was pretty good and authentic. Lobster was just ok. Salt and pepper shrimp was good. Highlight of the night I guess. Drink are normal. Nothing special. Andrew Zimmerman made this place sound awesom. At the end, just an another place in East Atlanta.
(2)Kathy C.
We had a party of seven visiting Atlanta and knowing that we won't arrive until 11 PM, I was searching for a late night establishment serving interesting food. Thanks to Yelp, I found the Octopus Bar. After reading the reviews, we were able to find this place and know that it is located within another restaurant. The funny thing was, when we first walked in, I think the server was more surprised than we were. After seating us, she asked how we knew about the place because she didn't recognize us. We were eager to try many items on the menu and between the 7 of us, we ordered ... a lot. Most everything were great. I especially love the salt and pepper shrimp, the bulgogi, and the whole fish special the server recommended. We walked out full and satisfied, and I have a feeling that I'll be back again the next time I come to Atlanta.
(5)Jamie H.
I've been wanting to try Octopus Bar for a while because of the lack of ramen in Atlanta. I had the shoyo ramen, which normally isn't my favorite. This was spicy, salty, and the pork belly was definitely the star of the dish. The noodles were cooked to a pleasing al dente. Unfortunately all of my friends also tried this dish, so we were unable to test the menu much further. We did share the hand pie dessert which I found to be quite interesting. The pink peppercorns were a nice addition in my opinion, however that was not the consensus of the table. One thing everyone could agree on was the fabulously buttery and flaky crust that enclosed the pie. I'll be making my way back to explore the menu further!
(4)Ashley S.
Yes you can't eat here until 10pm but I assure you it's worth it. The menu changes daily but there are a few items that always stay such as the Lobster Roll which is a cold chopped up lobster on a amazing hoagie. I couldn't believe how exciting such a simple sandwich could be.... I want one right now. Two words: LOBSTER ROLL (if you don't try this you will REGRET it for the rest of your life) There oysters are great and fresh too, you don't get crackers or hot sauce and you don't need em! If they have the mussels on the menu definitely get them because their sauce is so good. You can't go wrong with anything here...trust me. Just go, take a nap and set your alarm for 9:30pm lol.
(5)Anthony L.
Great place. It's getting late now guess ill burn off the energy & good food from here with a late nite workout. Octopus left me satisfied.
(3)Dave S.
Three of us rolled in around 11pm, ravenous; ordered literally every dish on the menu and one+ of each featured cocktail over the course of the night. Nothing disappointed. Octopus carpaccio was especially good, as was the bucatini with mussels. And the ramen. And the lobster roll. And the...you get the picture. Service was amazing, Sara(h?) is good people and exactly why industry folks are so great to hang with. Approach this place like having a late snack at a friend'a place, not like going out to a restaurant, and the vibe will make sense. I'll be back.
(5)Rene F.
My favorite late night spot - EVER. That lobster roll is off the chain.
(5)Eliz E.
I came here for the iron pour and didnt make it past the menu. Pork belly and shrimp dish was a amazing. I also had a couple of their samish oyesters and they were on point. Service was good, even when the server mistakenly brought me the wrong drink she immediatly corrected it, and brought my hitachino. In her defense the saki she brought had an almost identical name to my beer.
(5)Amanda P.
The lobster roll, porkbelly, salt n pepper shrimp were all amazing. service was painfully slow due to lack of wait staff. All in all, we would come back but not at that time period.
(4)Paul S.
Initial visit was just for drinks. I've been told the draw is that the service industry can get off of work and enjoy a real meal. Me personally at 10:30pm and later into the morning don't really want a full meal. I'd prefer more snacky items. When i used to get off of work from the service industry I wanted beer and munchy items. We came for a drink and to munch a little and left only having a drink. The menu looks nice and has a few gems that stuck out, but we weren't eating to eat.... only to keep our hands busy while we talked. The atmoshpere is nice with the interesting graffiti on the wall, but they need to figure out how to completely seal in the widows so one can relax and not be so cold. It is COLD in January at midnight. Prices seem good, and the food interesting, I'll have to come back when I"m craving dinner at midnight.
(3)Alice W.
The place was on a residential street. Luckily we didn't have to park and walk from too far away. Our party of 2 didn't have to wait, and the servers were helpful when we had questions about the menu. The menu seems to vary, but I highly recommend the wonton soup. I appreciated the fact that they offered a number of pescatarian-friendly items on their menu. I wouldn't say that every dish was outstanding. Minus a couple stars as they permit smoking in the dining area, as well as for the temp- I went on a winter night, and was freezing, never took off my coat. There's a small fire place in a corner, and the seats near it were taken.
(3)Cherry L.
not sure im quite a fan fan fan..... the flavors were solid, but not surprising/innovative/different than any cheaper alternatives: -like all the previous reviews, i think the lobster roll was the highlight! it was fresh, had big chunks of lobster, just the right amt of mayo, and a buttery roll. while it's quite pricey, i would def get this again! -shaved brussel sprouts with apple and....cheese? the flavor was bad....just wasnt great. maybe i don't like sweet and crisp apple with salty parm shavings. -salt and pepper shrimp had good flavor, as good as chinese restaurants on buford hwy and in duluth. good spice and flavor with scallion, onion, and jalepeno. warning, shrimp come head on! -wings in [i forgot the name] sauce. the wings itself were big and juicy and the sauce was tasty....but VERY similar to wingnuts sweet thai chili...hmm.... some things i wouldve liked to try: -mussels that come in a coconut curry sauce -uni pasta (if I didnt cost an arm and a leg) all in all, cool concept, late night eats....but not sure i'd be back
(3)Barbara D.
Great service and delicious food. On the pricier side for not huge portions, but it's a nice place for a late night snack and drinks. The S&P shrimp is a sure thing, but if you want a truly magical night, get the lobster roll. It appears to be dipped whole in butter and filled with butter, but doesn't only taste like butter. It tastes like amazing. The place is small but cozy (not literally, I was a little chilly while there) with a hearth in the corner and dim lighting. The bar seating is tiny and there are mostly tables for seating. Can go either way - friends or friendsandthensome.
(4)Catina T.
Decided to try this place a few nights ago. It was late. We were hungry and didn't want waffle house. The reviews were decent and we were close. I have never been to eat Atlanta village. It was a bit sketchy for my comfort level. However we decided to be adventurous. It's hard to find the place. It's connected to another restaurant and the name isn't on the front. Some folks were kind enough to point us in the right direction. I ordered the light and sunny drink. It was light but had a serious punch. I had 2. We also ordered the lobster roll and salt and pepper shrimp. The lobster roll was good. However it was a cold sandwich. I was expecting a hot one. The shrimp is good. However it's made in a way that you are expected to eat the shell and head. It was a bit spicy which I loved. The restaurant is definitely in an interesting part of town. Once I got over that we had a good time.
(4)Vanessa T.
In Which Squid Can Inseminate Your Gums* And I Would Gladly Have Octopus Bar's Tentacled Babies. I was really happy to hear about Octopus Bar's arrival on the Intown late night dining scene. And by late night dining scene, I mean The Majestic and the Chevron gas station. I have long pined for a place aligned with my Espanish dining itinerary. Dining locally post 11 pm and it not involving pancakes or bar food is a living dream. Initially, I kept hearing bad things about Octopus Bar's service. So it took me a while to get there. But ever since darkening its door in a full face of pop art clown makeup and not having anyone beat me with a tattooed mallet, I've been back on a nearly weekly basis. Service has been friendly and wonderful, particularly when Chanel has been our server. I am especially fond of the head to tail salt and pepper shrimp, the mussels, and the pasta dishes. I approve of the fact they often change the menu but they always keep the salt and pepper shrimp on it. I adore that they carry Mexican Coke. I really dig not having to trek to BuHi to sate my poorly timed cravings. Also? I can totally afford it. In the wake of hearing about cooked squid inseminating some lady's tongue, cheek and gums, I haven't curbed my devotion to ripping heads off with my teeth at Octopus Bar. The possibility of orally birthing more things they can cook up for me is a win/win. * io9.com/5918453/cooked-s…
(5)Monroe H.
Came in at 10:30 when they opened and were not busy at all. Service was still deplorable. The waitress had maybe four tables and couldn't keep up with it. The food taking a while is one thing. But our drinks sat at the bar for at least ten minutes if not more, and she was nowhere to be seen. One of our beers took 30 minutes to get delivered to the table. My friend sent a salad back to get fixed, and never received another. And we were there an hour and a half. Our waitress clearly had little to no training. When I asked to speak to management about it, they were assholes. This place obviously only cares about the food, and it wasn't even that great. Gato Arigato's ramen is hands down much better, and I can bring my own alcohol. Won't ever go back.
(1)Paul M.
Had drinks & a late night dinner at Octopus Bar on Sat., 02/23/13.... Food: Me and my friend ordered the following: uni | hamachi belly sashimi - the hamachi (yellowtail) was succulent, the uni (sea urchin) was OK, being served in a hollowed out lime shell, which I felt was a wrong matchup with the uni - the two distinct flavors did not seem to complement each other salt and pepper ga shrimp | chili | sweet onion | jalapeno - served similar to Japanese-style fried sweet shrimp, these were medium size (U-20-ish) shrimp, fried whole, served with sauteed (or fried) onions and jalapenos - both my friend & I agreed this was the highlight of the food we ordered - top notch! rabbit and shrimp wonton | gai lan | noodle soup - this was a well executed wonton soup, with the wontons being filled with rabbit & shrimp, as opposed to a traditional pork/spices filling, notes of ginger were prominent in the broth maine lobster roll | drawn butter | tomalley mayo - other Yelpers seem to rave about this dish, but to me, it was underwhelming... it was a mini lobster poor boy, the lobster served cold.... it was merely OK brisket & trotter gear curry | house-made tagliatelle | turnips - beef brisket over noodles is what you have here, and it was indeed tasty daeji bulgolgi | kimchi | pickled daikon radish + 6 oysters - the bulgolgi (korean-style bbq pork) & kimchi were top-notch, much like you would expect at a Buford highway Korean joint... the oysters were small pacific varieties, and to me, lacked the kind of pungent flavor & freshness I associate with the fresh-off-the-boat oysters I enjoyed when I lived in Seattle some years back So, food-wise overall: 4 stars Service: The place was packed at ~midnight when we arrived, and the staff did a decent job, considering the volume of clientele 4-stars Atmosphere: Unique.... Octopus Bar adjoins So-Ba restaurant in East Atlanta Village, and when So-Ba shuts down (on certain nights - call ahead to verify they are open), then Octopus Bar opens up.... Inside Octopus is a tarp ceiling, plastic windows, concrete floor gastropub, dimly lit, and with moderately loud music playing, ranging from electronica to 60's & 70's rock to alt rock, et al. And it was a very diverse crowd - racially, demographically, age-wise - you name it - a true melting pot..... The only quibble I had was about the plastic stool bar chairs at the particular section of the bar area that we were seated at... THEY SUCKED.... they were VERY UNCOMFORTABLE and seemed VERY UNSTURDY... However, I can't let one thing like this tarnish the excellent atmosphere of the Octopus Bar, so.... Atmosphere rating: 5 stars Overall: Food-wise, there were some major highlights, and a few disappointments... but, overall, a solid showing from the kitchen. Service & atmosphere were both very good to excellent, and this certainly enhanced our dining/drinking experience.... Overall rating: 4 stars.... Recommended!
(4)ATL n.
5 stars for the cardamon cheesecake - potentially the best cheesecake I've ever had. Pork buglogi was excellent, too. A welcome late-night snack shift from WaHo or Righteous Room.
(5)Kathleen M.
Late night higher end dining, be still my heart. Those who know me well know I'm basically a vampire. My most productive hours are from 6pm to 3am: work contacts often comment on my late night emails. I don't know what it is, but this is how I operate. So yeah, I'm often hungry in the wee hours of the morning, and after years of being left with fatty overpriced mediocrity in terms of late night dining, I finally have a place to call home. Octopus Bar serves up an impressive variety of seafood in the wee hours, as well as a great drink list (yay for the Nature Boy cocktail) and super friendly service. On the balmy night I hit them up, the semi-enclosed patio was absolute perfection. The menu is heavy on Asian flavors and they're all used in interesting ways. It's not Buford Highway but it certainly isn't Buckhead, and I love everything about it. A diverse crowd, a welcoming but interesting atmosphere, and a unique concept for Atlanta. I'm more than a fan.
(5)Jonathan D.
The food here verges on the devastatingly good, and it's amazing there's a place serving nice stuff this late. Pair it with a rock show at The Earl or 529, and you have a great evening lined up. In fact, both places let you leave and re-enter the venue so Octopus bar is a great place to duck into if you want to wait out an undercard band that's not doing it for you. I frequently get the salt and pepper shrimp, which are amazing drunk food. You're supposed to eat the head, the shell and everything. If you're in kind of a shrimp funk, these are different enough to snap you out of it. I've had the lobster roll several times, and you always get a ton of well-dressed lobster for a reasonable price. The pork bugolgi is also outstanding _ love the way the sauce caramelizes. I decided to update this review because my previous one reflected one evening of subpar service. I've been back several times, and the servers couldn't be more attentive, on top of their game and generally fun to talk to.
(5)Broderick S.
I really really want to like this place. Great concept, creative menu. My dish, which was braised rabbit over cavatelli in cauliflower cream * curry oil was a tad chewy but pretty good. I tried other items which were nice as well. Unfortunately the extremely slow/erratic service really irritated me. Somehow with an enclosed patio, they're able to allow smoking, (no ventiliation), which ruined things for me. I ll try it again when they're a little less green and the patio isn't enclosed. I enjoy So Ba so I'm sure things will only get better.
(2)Kate D.
I just really love this place. I love the vibe, great for a late night snack. The interior is awesome and the staff was friendly. I can't wait to eat here after drooling over the menu several times.
(4)Mel G.
If this was a true dinner restaurant, I'd probably rate it lower. The food isn't particularly interesting or complex. But for late night dining, it's a refreshing escape from standard bar food. Service was fairly awful.
(3)Franklin C.
How My Car Was Hit (Part 1 of 4) This is the story of a guy that really wanted a lobster roll at 10 pm on a Friday night. That guy was me. Late on a Friday night, that craving for a midnight snack hit. Having been to the Octopus Bar a few weeks earlier, the thought of having another one of their lobster rolls seemed perfect. I called up two of my friends who were willing to indulge my late night antics and drove off towards East Atlanta. As we sat in traffic, a mere one block away from the Octopus Bar, I could feel that lobster roll getting closer and closer. That is, until a guy decided to turn out of a parking lot and drive straight into my car. Suddenly that lobster roll seemed so far away. Thankfully, everyone was okay. But, instead of satisfying our taste buds, we were forced to spend an agonizing two hours waiting for the police to come. After everything was sorted out though, we were finally free to head into Octopus Bar. While I can't say that the meal was "worth the wait", everything was incredibly delicious. We had originally intended to order a light snack in the form of a lobster roll and the bulgogi. After what we just went through, we decided to order: two lobster rolls, bulgogi, mussels, lobster pasta, and all three of the desserts on the menu. The lobster rolls were amazing. They are very generous with the amount of lobster meat, and seem to have found the perfect seasoning and garnish for it. The bulgogi is yum. Lots of pork that comes served with lettuce, rice, kimchi, and other goods for you to mix and match to your liking. The mussels and lobster pasta were good as well, although not as memorable or as "must get" as the previous two items. Of the three desserts, the most memorable one was the brie cheesecake. Something about the texture of the cheesecake, and the brie flavor, and the slices of fruit that it comes with really makes this dessert standout. Another dessert we had was a raspberry and wasabi flavored cake. Putting wasabi in a cake probably seems a bit strange, but it did give the dessert a bit of a unique kick. As for the third dessert, it wasn't all that remarkable, and I can't really remember what it was! So, if the meal was that great, why only 4 stars and not 5? Well, service here tends to be a hit or miss. On this trip, the service was fantastic. We had an amazing waitress who was knowledge about the menu, friendly and attentive, without being overbearing. This isn't always the case though. On a previous trip, the waitress we had was very absent minded. Also, when our food came and we asked for forks, we were told that they were out of forks. Really?! A restaurant that is out of forks??! Crazy. The menu at the Octopus Bar changes fairly often. Chances are, by now some of the dishes and desserts I mentioned are no longer offered. The lobster roll and bulgogi do seem to be the mainstays of the menu, and I highly recommend them. They also have some interesting cocktails, although I didn't get to try them. When I asked for "just water", the waitress said "aw, you're the driver aren't you?" Yes. Yes, I really am.
(4)Megan M.
So good. Definitely a late night industry type of place. Food is great. Lovely cocktails!
(5)gabriel m.
I've been to this locale for many of it's incarnations. So ba is a great Vietnamese place with good Pho. Why do I speak of So ba whilst reviewing Octopus bar? Well, because Octopus bar is tucked away within So ba. Once So ba "closes" it's doors to the regular patron, The Octopus crawls out of its dwelling and starts serving the night people with after-hours eats and cocktails. I sat at the bar with a buddy of mine and got a couple drinks. The bar tender was professional, knew his drinks, and was very attentive. We ask for a menu and start having a look. As expected, there is a lot of fish to choose from. They have a small yet choice list of oysters to choose from and only $2 a pop! Super cheap for Kooshi and Kumimoto's. (trust me) Got some of those and they were super fresh. Also got some garlic shrimp that are super deep fried and you can eat them in their entirety, including the heads. Brought me back to my days in Vancouver at Happy Izakaya. We also got a pear and brussel sprouts salad which was tasty yet tough to complete since the brussel sprouts were shaven too fine. The place started bumping as we were finishing up the food. It's got a great vibe. We met one of the mastermind behind the place and can see why it's such a great place. Loves to cook and is always trying something new. He mentioned that we missed out on the Korean BBQ pork and should come back for it. As we were paying, the bartender offered a shot of Benedictine to help with digestion gratis. Places like this will continue to get my business. 1. Simple seasonal menus 2. Great customer service 3. Tasty food 4. Great Drinks.
(4)Jinny Y.
Eatlanta Staycation Restaurant #6 Maybe it was the hype, maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I was super disappointed with Octopus Bar. =( We had three dishes plus a cocktail: Uni - Santa Barbara sea urchin sashimi ($12) Mirugai - live giant clam sashimi ($13) Hamachi kama - grilled Japanese yellowtail collar with ponzu sauce ($10) Blue moon cocktail - small's American dry gin, creme de violette, lemon juice The uni came in a hollowed out lemon. Note to uni lovers, usually when it's served with lemon it's not at its freshest, the lemon juice masks any not-fresh flavors. I'm not saying the uni at Octopus Bar wasn't fresh, I'm just saying the lemon gave me a bad impression. In the end it was still good textured uni, just lemony uni. I love mirugai. It was really good, but we didn't get a lot of bang for the buck. Hamachi kama - i like that it was grilled. I usually have fried or pan fried. However, Sushi Huku's hamachi kama definitely wins over Octopus Bar Blue moon cocktail - totally gross. I'll probably try it out one more time and order non-Asian stuff. We'll see~
(2)Ramon D.
This place kicks a##! Service was great and the food was even better. I'll be honest that when my buddy recommended the place to me I had very (well extremely) low expectations but I was absolutely wrong. I didn't order any drinks so I can't speak to their drinks but I ordered every single thing on the menu (literally in one seating) so I can without a doubt recommend the food here. My favorite dish was probably the Sea Urchin or the Salt and Pepper GA Shrimp.
(5)Julian G.
We stopped by Octopus Bar last night. It's been on our to-do list for a few months and we finally made it there. We thought the restaurant had a great atmosphere. From the graffiti art on the walls to the music. The food lived up to the hype. We had already ate dinner so we only ordered two small dishes. We started off with the salt and pepper Georgia shrimp ($10). We finished with the Maine lobster roll ($17). I highly recommend both of these dishes, but the lobster roll stole the show. There were a few cocktails on the menu that sounded good (each were $11), but we decided to order beer ($5). We were impressed with the wait staff. They were very prompt and checked on us several times. Overall, I'd definitely recommend the Octopus bar, if you're in EAV or craving a late night snack.
(4)j l.
Octopus Bar is a welcome addition to Atlanta's repertoire of late-night snack options, and those of us in the service industry certainly appreciate being able to go somewhere cool to hang and eat and drink when we get done serving the rest of you people dinner! So it goes in some restaurants, service sucks when the place is empty and service is great when it's packed. A strange phenomenon... but when you're one of 2 tables in the place and you see your 10$ drinks sit on the bar for 10 minutes...ehhh not so much. Things on the kitchen's end are a lot speedier, and thank goodness--because the vittles are good. The whole flounder is one of the tastier dishes I've encountered lately, and though it's family style i pretty much demolished it on my own! The bulgogi pork is INSANE--crispy, sweet-spicy addictive goodness. They always have a nice selection of fresh oysters--and I love those briny little critter as much as anybody, but it would be an improvement if they came with some kind of accompaniment. (Call me crass, but I firmly believe that if you're going to serve raw oysters, you better have a stash of saltines and hot sauce on hand for cretins like me.) Coconut mussels are delish, but where's the crusty bread to soak up all the good stuff? I don't even need to mention the lobster roll that's seemingly dipped in glorious butter. Try it with a date, or with a group of rowdies, either way it's a good bet for a swell time.
(3)Cat D.
I hope I came on a bad night or ordered the wrong thing. I've read so many good things about this place, but I was thoroughly disappointed on my visit. The bulgolgi was awful - super chewy, no flavor to the meat and drowning in sauce. I would not recommend this dish to anyone. The hamachi kama was alright, but you can get it much better elsewhere. I might try Octopus Bar again, just because there are so many good reviews, but I will definitely be trying something different.
(2)Xteethx B.
Great place for late night snacks although it can get busy pretty quickly and harder to flag down a server. Regardless, mussels in lemongrass broth and the crispy shrimp were both great. If you're looking for a loud, lively dive bar with interesting eats in East Atlanta, this is a good option.
(4)Michele C.
This place is a gem. The atmosphere is great. One of EAV's best kept secret. Oysters and Duck at 2 am? Yes, please. The food is great. I love their ever-changing menu. And I love the fact that you can get great food, at a great price - this late at night. Kick. Ass.
(5)Hadi I.
It is always a great culinary adventure. The food is very innovative.
(5)Mary C.
Atmosphere CHECK! Food CHECK! Drinks CHECK! Open late night CHECK! You absolutely can't go wrong with this place. I'm a New Yorker and as soon as I land I'm heading to Octopus Bar. The lobster roll is just as good as Lukes, or Red Hook or Ed's. The salt-n-pepa shrimp are perfect AND they've recently switched to local GA shrimp that are perfect and sweet. The uni pasta (only on the menu sometimes) works so perfectly. The uni kind of melts and blends with the very light sauce on the homemade pasta. The buttercrunch salad is the best salad I've ever had. Octopus Bar has the best food in ATL. GO THERE! Opens at 10-10:30. Oh and there's no sign, it's in SOBA!
(5)Reba Jean B.
Well, well, well... Octopus Bar, you have impressed. I like the idea of opening late and staying open even later. This experience was far better than what I thought it could be. $2 awesome oysters and Prosecco is just what the doctor ordered when I get off at work at midnight on a Friday. We were fortunate to get to play around with the menu a bit. The chef is super knowledgeable. The server/ bartender was surprisingly just as into the menu as the chef. Everything was perfectly *cool*. I'm thinking that we're gonna see a lot more from this young chef in the future...
(5)Melissa B.
Had a nice time here on a super late night. Not sure where else I could have enjoyed oysters and mussels at 2am so that's pretty awesome. Although, why so secret and hidden? Put a sign up people, too cool for a sign? That's lame. Anyway, great service, and a little 2-person band quietly jamming in the corner was a nice addition to the atmosphere. I think the uniqueness of this spot is what makes it so great. The mussels were fantastic as well.
(4)Veronica M.
This is a really laid back, relaxing atmosphere type bar that is open only after 10:30pm. The food was outstanding, very tasty and very fresh ingredients. The drinks were just good. I didn't think they were anything special, but they weren't bad. If i were ever in the area again past 10:30pm, I would consider returning. Service was outstanding!
(4)Allen S.
This place is awesome, the service was impeccable and the food was delicious. They change there menu frequently but the Salt and Pepper Shrimp was very tasty. We also had chantrelle mushroom pasta with Ramps which I could eat everday. Anytime Im in Atlanta I try to make a trip here this resturant is a jewel and I am honored to have been here twice both times were memorable experiences.
(5)paulita b.
Not interested in ever going back. Too much emphasis on the style factor (which they fail horribly at) and not enough on taking the food seriously. The deserts are made by one of my favorite pastry chefs and even those were nuked and gross. That's all, Octopus Bar, please don't.....
(2)Will H.
Awesome late night restaurant. The fried oysters were the best I have ever had. The korean pork was tasty as well. Really friendly staff and the food came out quick! Highly recommend
(5)Monica C.
I love this neighborhood and will always hang around in the area. In fact, I lived catty-corner to this location a number of years ago, so it's really cool to see this place change from Casa La Cantina when I lived there. Menu changes daily, so everything on the menu is a special. Went last night and ordered three types of oysters (one house choice, two beausoleil), snapper, mussels in coconut-lemongrass broth with basil, shredded brussels sprouts, and a lobster roll. I wasn't crazy for the brussels sprouts, but I wasn't in the mood for veggies that night, so I don't fault the recipe - cooked well, had nuts and a vinaigrette, not terrible by any means, just not what I was there for. Was not impressed with the lobster roll - it came on some kinda fancy toasted hot dog bun - I wasn't expecting the bread and I don't remember it being mentioned in its description. I dunno, maybe lobster "roll" assumes bread, not to me. The lobster itself, since it was wedged between two slices of buttered roll with a mayonnaise-like substance and shredded lettuce, ended up feeling... creamy in a bad way. I would have liked the dish better without the bread and without the mayo-type stuff. I was hoping for a cleaner dish - more simple & straightforward, and I did not get that - what I got felt like street food in Maine. My homegirl loved the bread & was perfectly satisfied with it, but the presentation was blah, and the mayo-butter bread detracted from the sweetness of the lobster. I wanted more color. Mussels were perfect, and that's where I wanted bread - a baguette to sop up some of that broth would have been most excellent - a very well-balanced dish, and a simple people-pleaser. The snapper was perfectly cooked but under-seasoned and a really cheap cut of fish. If I had to guess it would have been a... shoulder/fin combo that looked really beautiful but had lots of bone that was sort of a pain in the ass to eat around. I don't think the chef put any salt & pepper on the fish - and there may be different ideas on whether that's necessary or not, so I'm not mad about it; like I said, the fish was prepared perfectly, however I would have enjoyed some salt & pepper, maybe a marinade or something. There was a lemony-floral sauce to accompany it that was very nice, and we nicked some Sriracha from the server stand and that did the trick. The beausoliel oysters were great: mild and with the perfect amount of acid to balance out the oysters. The house-style oyster was $8 and for just one. That's kinda sucky, because I wanted to try it too. She said it was great, lol. Overall, the dining experience was nice. Our server knew a lot about wine and got excited when she talked about the menu and the wine selections. It's always great to experience someone who cares about what they're going to put on your table. Because the menu changes pretty much everyday, I will most certainly come back to try more dishes, and I feel confident they will not disappoint. One thing: the food runner in charge of the music selection was playing really obnoxious, obscure music - and way too loud. Our server said she would turn it down, but I don't think that happened. The music sounded like 1/2 cirque du freak, 1/2 the mars volta - too cerebral and almost assaulted my brain. Don't wanna hear that crap when I'm eating. I think it made me tired. At one point, I heard one of the servers saying "WHAT IS THIS MUSIC? I'm turning this off..." But he didn't turn it off! Maybe because no one complained. I didn't see our final bill, but I have a feeling two people could dine here comfortably for $50 or less. Next time, instead of trying several small dishes, I'll go for a big meal for two - that night they had a 24oz steak ($35) and a pan-fried whole flounder ($30)- we made the mistake of eating small that night, but could have gotten more for our money with the entrees. There was also a pasta dish with crab that we should have gone for. Better luck next time.
(3)D.L H.
The Octopus bar, has it's pros and cons. The format and formula seems to be lifted a bit from Holeman and Finch, however executed not poorly, but according to the neighborhood and it's energy. The Octopus bar starts out with a single page small format, late night menu meant for after regular hour patrons. In this theme, they succeed. What I tried: The Curry with Brisket and Pasta, The Maine Lobster Roll, Farm Egg, The Jumbo Shrimp, Congee with Eel, 2 deserts. I'll go ahead and say the deserts were excellent. I would suggest some accompaniments with the deserts however very good on their own. As far as the food is concerned I'll start with the Curry.. The texture was unique, the dish a little bland, but the idea was well received. I almost asked for some salt and thought that could have salvaged the dish. The Maine Lobster, this is the staple dish at the Octopus bar. For 15 dollars I was expecting a bit more, however I was very much enjoying the dish, and the butter it was pre-soaked in. The lobster was a little tougher than I would prefer, yet a good dish none the less. I would have it again. The Shrimp seemed to be standard. If you like Shrimp you should enjoy this. As an Eel addict I would say I had my highest expectations for the Congee/Eel dish. It was served a bit cold and that was disappointing. I felt the need for it to be hot would probably help out. The consistency was a bit unusual and the congee was a bit more liquified than what I am used to. I wouldn't say it was off-putting altogether, just different. If it was called a soup I would have been a bit more prepared. I went with 5 other patrons and it was agreed that some dishes were hits and some misses. I'd recommend you getting the Maine Lobster Roll.. It is consistently good. As well, if you want a late night desert, go for it. The waitress was great. Short, cute of Asian decent. Great job
(3)Emily D.
Really fun experience. Recommend the lobster roll and fried oysters. There are a lot of items that aren't on the menu- so ask. Loved the saki called- crazy milk.
(4)Haiku Y.
Slippery oyster You travel around the world Just to be swallowed ~A Yelp Haiku
(5)kate a.
this past saturday was our second trip to octopus bar and i haven't stopped thinking about it. i believe that means it's time for a review. the service is great- friendly and helpful- very different from most other restaurants that can bost this awesome of a menu. do not miss the family style bulgogi- it's to die for- sweet and savory with excellent korean accompaniments. we also enjoyed a flavorful brussel sprout/apple slaw, creamy crab pasta, salt&pepper whole fried shrimp and a lobster roll. between 4 of us there was not a crumb left and everything was delicious. we also tried several of the cocktails- very intricate and packed with curious and delighting flavors. nothing like what we've tasted anywhere else. also, there was really great live music (i think they called themselves the hick hops?). can't wait to return!
(5)