My husband, friends, and I have enjoyed dining at the Gabe’s in downtown Villa Rica for several years. You just can’t beat the ambience – old brick interior walls, low lighting, and a rustic feel in a quaint downtown area. And the food is out of this world.
I was incredibly excited when I first heard that Gabe’s would be expanding and opening a location in downtown Douglasville. Now I wouldn’t have to drive 30 minutes for a first-class dining experience. After several delays, Gabe’s opened on May 19, and Kirk and I joined two other couples and one of their college-age daughters to try it out on Friday, May 29. Yippee!
We were thrilled that we were able to be seated right away. Gabe’s doesn’t take reservations, and we’ve always had to wait at the Villa Rica location, sometimes for an hour or more. (Honestly, I never minded too much because we looked at it as our entertainment for the night and enjoyed a cocktail and conversation with our dining partners.) Anyway, after being seated, we perused the menu which offers the same yummy dishes as the original location. After hearing the specials, which are always truly special, I decided to go light and ordered the Maytag salad and a crab cake. They have the best crab cakes I’ve had anywhere. Kirk ordered the redfish special. Every entrée that was ordered at our table was wonderful, just as we would expect at the original Gabe’s. The service, however, left a little something to be desired.
While we were thrilled to be seated right away, it took quite a while to have our order taken, and then much longer to have dinner delivered to our table. I always order the Maytag salad because it has blue cheese; however my salad had none. After I asked about it, our waiter brought me blue cheese dressing (not what I wanted) but then returned with the blue cheese crumbles. It was yummy. I’m sure the service will improve as the kitchen and servers settle into a routine. While waiting for dinner, I had a cocktail. The cosmo was fine but nothing special. (Sam & Rosco’s mixes the best cosmo in Douglasville. I know about this.)
I have to say I was a little disappointed in the décor at our new Gabe’s. I knew it wouldn’t have the rustic, small feel of the original Gabe’s, but I was disappointed that it wasn’t special in any way. I took a peek into the bar area which is long and narrow. I’m not sure I’d enjoy having a cocktail in there while waiting for a seat, but we’ll see. I also peeked upstairs at the rooftop deck where you can dine. I love the idea of outside seating, but this area needs a little attention also – Potted plants? Umbrellas? A fountain? I don’t know. It needs something to warm it up. There is also an enclosed banquet room with seating upstairs. I didn’t venture in there, but I guess it’s nice that there’s the possibility of reserving a private room.
To sum it up, I highly recommend a trip to the new Gabe’s Downtown in Douglasville. The food is superb, and I’m sure the service will be first rate once they have a few more weeks under their belt. I think they’ve got a ways to go with the ambience. They at least need to get some more art on the walls. I’m sure I’ll enjoy many fabulous meals at the Douglasville location, and I’m so happy they’re here. For a special night out, however, I may venture back to Villa Rica where I can feast on the ambience as well as the food.
The Happy Empty Nester 