Before Reconstruction
After Reconstruction_____________________________
I have discovered that there appears to be an "Old Mill" restaurant in every town - if I go to enough towns I can make a brand new spot on the Dew.... "Old Mill Reviews". :)Old Mill Restaurant
4271 Southside Drive
Historic Downtown Acworth, GA
678-388-1630
I watched this old mill sit stagnant for years. Every time I visited this small, empty town I saw the mill and wandered what happened to it and why it was not torn down. One whole side was burnt.
Then a wonderful thing started happening to that town. One day I drove thru it on the way to somewhere else and noticed there were shops opening and small restaurants popping up in the refreshed main street. It was starting to look like it used to. Then I noticed there was something going on at the mill! It was also going to be restaurant.
Now I have stood on that street when the trains go by and the entire street rattles and rumbles. No way could a restaurant hold up against that when the tracks are literally a foot away. I pretty much assumed they could only serve drinks in sippy cups!
Last week I was in the area again and visited with friends. Dinner time came around and they asked what I wanted. I said I wanted to see how the mill turned out. So off we went.
First off, they did a beautiful job restoring it. It's a wonderful building to look at, inside and out. They left it "mill like" and rough, which truly gives it charm.
They have valet only parking, which I do not like and I highly suggest you park on Main Street and walk over the tracks. The parking lot is tiny and watching those "kids" race cars backwards between other cars nearly gave me a heart attack!
We were seated with little to no wait and there's not a bad seat in the restaurant. Now there is the main room, which was much more attractive than the outer room where we were - but we also got the piano so that was nice.
They have your typical Southern style foods, kicked up a notch to reflect a higher quality restaurant. The basics were ribs, Mountain Trout, Catfish, Chicken fried Steak, etc. with the occasional pasta, steak and lobster dish thrown in. I could not have any Fried Green Tomatoes because of the Salmonella outbreak going on right now, the chef refused to serve them, even though at that time Georgia was clear. Shrimp and Cheese Grits were available though - yum!
One thing that particularly pleased me was that the kid's meals were kid-priced. $4.95 for the meal, drink and ice cream. It was a small menu for them, three or four items, but fried Shrimp was on it which was a big hit.
The service was good, we didn't feel rushed and the food was described clearly when we had questions.
I will also add that most surprisingly, a 100 car train went by while I was eating and though we heard it and felt a mild vibration, those thick mill walls kept the noise nicely muffled and not a thing on the table shook. Amazing!
Overall, I say it was a nice place and I'm happy to see that town coming alive again. Next time I'm in the area I'm going to try some of the other new restaurants I saw.
The mill has a video on their site showing the construction. If you're in the area, it's worth the visit.