Marlow’s Tavern now boasts 20 locations spanning metro-Atlanta and Orlando, but after 20 years in business, the polished-casual concept still considers itself a neighborhood hangout. Even chef-co-founder John C. Metz calls it a “restaurant collection” rather than a chain, and he and his team infuse each location with its own personality.
That, and a passion to continually make the menu fresh and exciting, are what has kept Marlow’s thriving for over two decades, Metz believes.
“There's only one dish that we haven’t touched since day one,” he said. “Everything else has been updated, modified, tweaked or reinvented over the course of time with better ingredients or the ideal flavor profile or something to that effect.” The Shrimp & Crab “Nacho” Plate remains the same, made with “really delicious, beautiful crab,” some rock shrimp, a cheese blend and some fresh herbs and fresh jalapeño. It's not the expected pile of nacho chips and toppings, but rather individually cut tortillas to create composed nachos, so the presentation is a selling point, too.
Shrimp & Grits has also been a Marlow’s Tavern classic for a long time, but Metz elevates the presentation here, too. Instead of a mound of mushy grits, the item’s base is a white cheddar grits cake. Both the composed nachos and grits cake have operational benefits over their traditional counterparts as well—those preps simplify execution in a high-volume kitchen.
Other signatures that have been around for years have been upgraded with new ingredients or techniques to keep them fresh. An appetizer of Firecracker Shrimp, for example, includes tempura shrimp, carrots and roast peanuts, but it used to come with a dip. Now it’s napped with a crackling spicy and sweet chili sauce sprinkled with cilantro and scallions. Fresher, colorful and “more fun,” said Metz.
A grits cake elevates the presentation of Shrimp & Grits and eases operations.| Photo by Brandon Amato.
Burgers are a must-have on a tavern menu, and Marlow’s offers a best seller in its Royale with Cheese. “It’s not original to our menu but we have perfected it over time,” said Metz. Marlow’s uses Wagyu patties seared in a smashburger style, then stacked and topped with American cheese and dill pickles on a buttery sesame brioche bun. For $19 it comes with a side of Tavern Fries, but guests sometimes swap in signature Asparagus Fries for an extra charge.
Asparagus Fries are another one of those items that haven’t changed a lot over the years, said Metz. The tempura-battered fresh asparagus sell for $8 and are part of the Side Bars menu section of 17 or so chef-driven items that differentiate Marlow’s in the casual dining space. Like the Asparagus Fries, choices like Chickpea Fries, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, Tavern Onion Rings and Fresh Fried Okra can be ordered as sides or shareable starters, and their gentle price tags of $6-$8 reinforce the restaurants as neighborhood spots.
Metz likes to play around with standbys like grilled chicken and grilled salmon, changing them up seasonally with different vegetables and garnishes. Right now, the salmon is sided by jumbo pearl couscous, Tuscan kale, grapes and toasted almonds, then flavored with a red wine reduction ($22.50.) “We don't want to get lost in chasing trends,” he said. “Instead, we try to stay ahead of the trends and make simple ingredients unique in their own right.”
Two areas that have gotten more attention recently are shareables and vegetarian dishes. The Tavern Favorites section now includes a V&G Buddha Bowl with farro, quinoa, cucumber, edamame, radish, cauliflower, tomato, avocado, pickled red onion and rice wine herb vinaigrette ($14); for an additional $9, guests can add tuna poke. “That really expanded our reach, as did an upscale miso black cod,” said Metz. “Neither were expected at a neighborhood restaurant and I think we surprised some of our guests. But they’ve learned to trust us because over the years we've delivered on our quality, freshness and consistency and that gives us the ability to have neighborhood diners come try something they might not take a risk at in another restaurant.”
The drinks side of the menu has both evolved and remained consistent. “Twenty years ago, Marlow’s Tavern was one of the first places to have every wine on the menu available by the glass,” said Metz. “Back then, there weren't many people doing that and we were leading the charge and it was really fun.”
Today, there are close to 35 wines by the glass ranging from an $8 Chardonnay to an $18 sommelier selects Cabernet. The restaurants got into craft cocktails early on as well, with the goal of coming up with killer cocktails for every season. “Now we’re making awesome non-alcoholic versions, making sure they're in the same class and style as the spirited versions,” Metz said.
In fact, the spirit-free list has expanded to over 10 selections and Metz and the team are having some fun with the names. There’s a Phony Negroni, Ginless & Tonic and Black & Blue Mojito with blackberry, blueberry and mint.
Although every Marlow’s Tavern location has the same core elements, each has its own personality, and the staff is able to personalize the guests’ experience at a high level, said Metz. He operates with the same ethos as he did when he started 20 years ago. “We've got three guests at Marlow's: our employees, our vendor partners and our guests that come in to spend money on our food and beverage. Taking care of all our people is the most important thing.”
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