Is Ford Fry's Inman Park restaurant BeetleCat worth coming ashore for?
After spending 5 minutes inside BeetleCat, I found myself expecting to run into Julie McCoy, Capt. Merrill Stubing and bartender Isaac Washington carrying one of his froufrou tiki drinks.
“Love, exciting and new / Come aboard. We’re expecting you.”
Entering Ford Fry’s new Inman Park restaurant is like being transported to an episode of ’70s sitcom “The Love Boat.” The set is replete with sails and ropes, plus nautically-themed nonserious stuff like bathroom wallpaper.
Walking down the wide white stairwell that connects the upstairs dining room to the low-ceilinged, lower-level bar area is a lot like descending into the berth of a ship. But, whereas a beetle cat is a small, single-mast sailboat, the design and atmosphere of this restaurant is throwback Pacific-Princess-luxe, down to the shag carpet hanging on the bar wall.
The anticipation of a fun-filled food adventure was high. After all, BeetleCat is located in one of the hottest dining areas in town. And it’s Fry’s fourth concept (and third in Atlanta) to open in the past six months.
Scroll down to get a look at what to expect if you go:
About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
