Atlanta Improv: The Food Is Nothing To Laugh At

Two things we really enjoy are a good laugh and a good meal; the combination of both makes for a perfect evening! We were very excited when we were invited to the Atlanta Improv with the other members of the AFBS to experience their ambitious menu.

Photo credit: Eskimo Advertising

With Buckhead traffic, we arrived in what we thought would be plenty of time, but the actual theater can be a bit tricky to locate as it is nestled deep in the bowels of the Andrews Entertainment District. Once found, we were guided to our table by a charming hostess. The 6-seat tables are not spacious (a vast understatement,) perhaps tiny would be a better descriptor with adorable little beaded lamps for just a touch of light. Servers immediately brought menus and began taking orders.
To save time and because I was curious, I had reviewed the Improv menu online before we attended. It became clear that Stout Irish Pub (right next door) provides many of the dishes on the Improv menu. Before the lights went down, we ordered the Headliner appetizer platter which calamari, fried green tomatoes and BBQ eggrolls as well as some hot chicken wings for the table, a classic burger for Dom and the grilled lamb “Pops” for me.
The calamari was good but was a bit cool, the fried green tomatoes with goat cheese were excellent and the BBQ eggrolls served with a sweet raspberry chipotle sauce were exceptional. The wings were exactly what you would expect – wings in hot sauce – nothing remarkable, but good just the same! Dom who is very picky about his burgers, found his to be good, but not extraordinary. I, on the other hand, ordered the best item on the menu! The lamb chops were cooked a perfect medium rare served with a drizzle of a balsamic vinegar reduction. They were plated atop a creamy wild mushroom risotto and served with sautéed green beans on the side. Truly delicious.
We were also impressed with the servers. Dressed in black they quietly and seamlessly moved through the tight room to deliver food and drinks. Just before last call, we put in an order of the dessert trio for the table. More rapid than an eagle, our server swooped in with a plate with Krispy Kreme Doughnut Bread Pudding with white Valrhona chocolate and Maker’s Mark caramel sauce; Coconut Cream Pie made with coconut cream cheese filled pastry, fresh whipped cream, and toasted coconut; and, Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake concocted of four imported Italian chocolates with raspberry coulis and topped with whipped cream.

Oh and in case you forgot, it is a comedy club. The comedian on stage for the evening was none other than Andy Sandford of Adult Swim fame and formerly Creative Loafing Magazine’s “Best Atlanta Comedian.” His dry humor and deadpan delivery were an excellent accompaniment to the food and the atmosphere.
Overall, this was a wonderful evening of entertainment and food. As a food blogger, food is typically the primary focus of our dining encounters. It was nice to step outside of that emphasis for a change and enjoy a meal in tandem with a theater experience. However, as with any theatric event, courtesy comes first. While we nodded and used hand gestures to communicate our impressions of the food, we all tried very hard to be respectful of the artists and the theater rules by not using flash photography, thus we have very few pictures and those we do have are quite dark. Thus we ask your forgiveness for the lack of quality pictures of our evening.
While most people do not go to a comedy club for the food, we would recommend that you make an exception in this case and head over to The Atlanta Improv for a show AND a great meal.