Corner Cafe & Buckhead Bread Co.
Had brunch here last Sunday with my mom and sister. My sister booked priority seating on Open Table but did not really have a need to use it when we arrived at 1PM. The place was full but the tables were turning over so quickly. Incidentally, this is not a chain. This is part of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group (of Chops, Kyma, Nava, etc). It should not be confused with Corner Bakery Cafe which is a chain.
We started with mimosas and coffee. While the mimosas tasted of fresh orange juice, they came at room temperature. Not exactly how mimosas should be served, but, oh well.
I chose the Braised Short Rib Benedict which I have never had before. It came served on a toasted brioche with a poached egg drizzled with Bearnaise sauce and a side of thin green beans. I found this dish very rich and as much as I have a big appetite, I could not finish it despite all efforts. The pulled meat was just too heavy for the very thin piece of brioche and the Bearnaise sauce added more unnecessary richness to the dish. There was also too much meat for such a small piece of brioche — a half and a cup of shredded meat for a 4-inch square toast.
My sister had the Vegetarian Three-Egg Omelet made with egg whites. It was filled with broccoli, onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese. It was okay. Nothing really jumped at me in terms of flavors. Besides, it’s really hard to mess up a veggie omelet to begin with. I did like the Italian toast that came with the dish although it was so thinly sliced that it fell apart on the first bite.
The oatmeal that came with our meals were also just okay. The texture was right but the consistency isn’t. Mine turned watery as soon as I added brown sugar. I love Murphy’s oatmeal and theirs can’t compare.
My mom wasn’t very happy with her Roasted Chicken Breast sandwich and I can understand why. The chicken meat was so dry that no amount of dijon mayo could save it. She did appreciate the fact that there were a good amount of chicken breast chunks in the sandwich. But… meh. Her vegetable soup wasn’t as bold and hearty as she would have wanted it to and I agree.
We shared a stack of pancakes. They were so chewy that we didn’t like them at all. We’ve had pancakes everywhere and we order them whenever they’re on the menu. Sad to say but fast food joints have better versions.
We weren’t really satisfied with our meal. To top it off, our server was not very attentive. We had to ask for every single thing — water refills, spoons for our soup or oatmeal, sweetener for coffee (which never came so I had to steal from the next table), extra plates (yes, we told her we were sharing the pancakes — did she expect us to eat off of one plate), maple syrup, clean silverware. A good server can make or break a great dining experience and ours definitely made our visit a mediocre one.
Corner Cafe isn’t really a favorite of ours. I liken it to an upscale Panera except Panera actually has better sandwiches. I do like the bakery here and the Italian loaves and baguettes are a must-buy.
Insider tip:
A plate of warm blueberry mini muffins are served at each table.
The scoop:
Corner Cafe & Buckhead Bread Co.
3070 Piedmont Rd,
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 240-1978
