BIG SKY BUCKHEAD
Rating: 0 of 5 stars
Food: Latin fusion
Service: inexcusably poor and mismanaged
Best dishes: Cubano coconut bun
Vegetarian selections: very few
Price range: $
Credit cards: all major credit cards
Hours: 6-10 p.m. Mondays, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays
Children: not recommended after dark
Parking: almost nonexistent; most will have to park in adjacent lots
Reservations: no
Wheelchair access: yes
Smoking: no
Noise level: moderate to deafening
Patio: yes
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 3201 Cains Hill Place, Atlanta, 404-481-5168
Website: www.bigskybuckhead.com
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IF YOU LIKE …
Havana Restaurant
One of Atlanta's oldest institutions for Cuban cuisine, Havana on Buford Highway has been serving some of the city's favorite Cuban sandwiches since 1976. After moving to its new location in 2008 following a fire at its old spot, the new and improved Havana still cranks out more than just Cuban sandwiches — its arroz con pollo is not to be missed. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. 3979 Buford Highway #108, Atlanta. 404-633-7549, www.havanarestaurantatlanta.com. $
Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill
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Arepa Mia
An unassuming counter in the bustling Sweet Auburn Curb Market, Arepa Mia is a consistently impressive little gem. Liz Hernandez whips up some of the city's best arepas, based on her mother's old recipes from Venezuela. You can't really go wrong, but first-timers should try the beef and plantain stuffed Pabellon or the shredded chicken stuffed Sifrina. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. 209 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta. 404-880-8575, www.arepamiaatlanta.com. $
IF YOU LIKE …
Havana Restaurant
One of Atlanta's oldest institutions for Cuban cuisine, Havana on Buford Highway has been serving some of the city's favorite Cuban sandwiches since 1976. After moving to its new location in 2008 following a fire at its old spot, the new and improved Havana still cranks out more than just Cuban sandwiches — its arroz con pollo is not to be missed. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. 3979 Buford Highway #108, Atlanta. 404-633-7549, www.havanarestaurantatlanta.com. $
Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill
Fans of an authentic Cuban sandwich should make their way to the closest Papi's Cuban & Caribbean Grill. Owner Reynaldo Regalado fled Cuba in 1990 with only the clothes on his back and his father's pork marinade recipe, and he has since realized his dream of bringing the taste of Cuba to America. With locations including Midtown, Stockbridge, Lawrenceville and Kennesaw, a taste of Cuba isn't very far away no matter where you live. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-10 p.m. Saturdays, noon-7 p.m. Sundays. 216 Ponce de Leon Ave., Midtown. 404-607-1525, www.papisgrill.com. $
Arepa Mia
An unassuming counter in the bustling Sweet Auburn Curb Market, Arepa Mia is a consistently impressive little gem. Liz Hernandez whips up some of the city's best arepas, based on her mother's old recipes from Venezuela. You can't really go wrong, but first-timers should try the beef and plantain stuffed Pabellon or the shredded chicken stuffed Sifrina. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. 209 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta. 404-880-8575, www.arepamiaatlanta.com. $
IF YOU LIKE …
Havana Restaurant
One of Atlanta's oldest institutions for Cuban cuisine, Havana on Buford Highway has been serving some of the city's favorite Cuban sandwiches since 1976. After moving to its new location in 2008 following a fire at its old spot, the new and improved Havana still cranks out more than just Cuban sandwiches — its arroz con pollo is not to be missed. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. 3979 Buford Highway #108, Atlanta. 404-633-7549, www.havanarestaurantatlanta.com. $
Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill
Fans of an authentic Cuban sandwich should make their way to the closest Papi's Cuban & Caribbean Grill. Owner Reynaldo Regalado fled Cuba in 1990 with only the clothes on his back and his father's pork marinade recipe, and he has since realized his dream of bringing the taste of Cuba to America. With locations including Midtown, Stockbridge, Lawrenceville and Kennesaw, a taste of Cuba isn't very far away no matter where you live. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-10 p.m. Saturdays, noon-7 p.m. Sundays. 216 Ponce de Leon Ave., Midtown. 404-607-1525, www.papisgrill.com. $
Arepa Mia
An unassuming counter in the bustling Sweet Auburn Curb Market, Arepa Mia is a consistently impressive little gem. Liz Hernandez whips up some of the city's best arepas, based on her mother's old recipes from Venezuela. You can't really go wrong, but first-timers should try the beef and plantain stuffed Pabellon or the shredded chicken stuffed Sifrina. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. 209 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta. 404-880-8575, www.arepamiaatlanta.com. $
There is a formula in the restaurant world that is so common that it almost qualifies as a universal truth: Big-name chef + fast-casual concept + slick branding = Payday. Just ask the likes of Richard Blais or Shaun Doty. But these chefs put in their time in the kitchen, whipping the concept into shape. I wonder if chef Hector Santiago has done likewise.
Even before his run on “Top Chef,” Santiago earned a loyal following among Atlanta foodies for his unique pan-Latin cuisine at Pura Vida and Super Pan. And though he is now doing strong work running the kitchen at Abattoir, many long to see him return to cooking his style with total freedom, rather than adapting it to an established menu.
So, when word got out that Santiago was behind a new fast-casual concept in Buckhead, many rejoiced that he could once again build a menu from the ground up. However, Santiago is only a consulting chef, and helped design the bulk of the menu, while Super Pan alum Pedro Matos helms the kitchen as executive chef.
Behind the venture is the Cains Hill Group, a trio of partners who met at the University of Georgia. But what this team put together as its debut into the Atlanta scene is a far cry from what many of Santiago’s fans probably imagined.
The newly constructed two-story space, smack in the middle of the cluster of post-college frat-boy bars in the Buckhead triangle, impresses as much as it stands out. The decor, like much of Big Sky, is an exercise in incongruence. While I appreciate the “Montana mountain lodge” look, complete with two stacked-stone bars and thick wooden columns, I struggle with reconciling that against a decidedly Latin-inspired menu.
Santiago’s famous coconut steamed buns take center stage here, and prove to be the highlight. His riff on Chinese-style steamed buns, Santiago infuses them with a hint of coconut, adding just a hint of sweetness that lingers on the back of the tongue. The pork belly bun here ($5.50/each) includes slow-cooked and then flash-fried pork belly, topped with a tamarind habanero sauce, sambal, and a cilantro cabbage slaw. Essentially the same as the original version from Pura Vida, the flavors still work well together, but the addition of flash frying proves to be a misstep. Instead of the extra layer of texture they hoped to add, I find a chewy toughness imparted to the meat.
Instead, try the Cubano ($5.50/each), a twist on the traditional Cuban sandwich. Between the crunchy pressed coconut buns, you find juicy slices of roasted pork, clove-infused ham, and the requisite Swiss, mustard and pickles. While delicious, this is sadly the only coconut bun I’d order again.
Beyond the coconut buns, it becomes clear that most of the menu is an exercise in mediocrity, barely qualifying as decent bar food. I didn’t hate the fried chicken tender tips ($8.95), but I saw nothing that justified the price tag versus a trip to Zaxby’s. And as a devout fan of all things Sriracha, I found little more than disappointment in the chicken wings ($9.95). If I concentrate, I pick up hints of that signature Sriracha flavor. And I’m not the type to complain about portion sizes, but it’s clear that some cost-cutting went into the meat sourcing here — the wings are some of the puniest I’ve seen.
My adobo roasted pork bowl ($10.95) falls flat, offering little more than an unappetizing pile of pork chunks atop mushy mounds of rice and black beans, with a barely noticeable sour orange mojo sauce. Nor am I taken with the pork belly green bowl ($10.95), which is essentially the pork belly bun innards served on a sad, wilted mixed greens salad. At least the belly isn’t flash-fried, so the meat remains tender and juicy, but it’s not enough to salvage the dish.
But my greatest frustration with Big Sky is the service. Over multiple visits, the most consistent part of my experience is the general indifference of the staff, from front of the house to the bartenders. Everyone seems to be in a state of constant confusion or indifference — barely excusable even if it were opening night — despite the restaurant having been open for over a month.
One evening, we make the mistake of showing up for dinner on trivia night to find the downstairs a frenetic mess, pumping music a few hundred decibels too loud. After the fifth or sixth staff member ignores us, someone finally asks if we would like to be seated, only to offer a table that is awkwardly wedged between a boisterous group of trivia players and the hostess stand. Once she clears her purse and jacket from the table, we would have the pleasure of being so close to the front door that we could check IDs instead of the immensely bored-looking security guards. We opt for the empty upstairs bar instead.
Big Sky suffers from an identity crisis and an overall lack of cohesion. They need to decide what they want to be. Is the vision for another generic Buckhead watering hole with forgettable food? Or do they strive to offer unique Latin-inspired fusion cuisine in a low-pretense, comfortable setting? The current tightrope act between the two concepts causes both to falter.
I can’t imagine that when Santiago agreed to attach his name to Big Sky, he envisioned that his menu would simply help the owners pass the daylight hours until the early 20s set could swarm in to drown themselves with buckets of beer. He is better than this.
Hopefully, Big Sky can iron out all of these issues and bounce back, but currently, it fails to live up to the hype.
