The new Nowak’s Sandy Springs seems made for people who dislike the state of modern restaurants.
It often makes good business sense to zig when everyone else zags, and Nowak’s is sure to find some fans with its approach. White tablecloths and wisecracking servers complement the straightforward, steak-focused menu. The meat and seafood are painstakingly sourced and clearly are high quality. The dining room is quiet, and parking is easy and free.
Owner Blaiss Nowak, a longtime Sandy Springs resident, grew up in the hospitality industry. His father owns the legendary Buckhead steakhouse Hal’s on Old Ivy, and he ran a seafood distribution company before deciding to open the first Nowak’s location in Morningside in 2018.
Credit: Nowak's
Credit: Nowak's
Nowak gets his Black Angus beef from the same Nebraska stockyard as Hal’s does. The beautiful steaks develop extra flavor from a 45-day wet-aging process, and each one we ordered hit the table cooked to a perfect medium-rare.
What could be seen as a lack of creativity elsewhere on the menu tends to benefit the seafood. Under Nowak’s discerning eye, excellent salmon and branzino are allowed to shine through their simple preparation. An appetizer featured plump, juicy shrimp in a decadently savory New Orleans-style sauce that was impossible not to mop up with the included side of French bread.
Credit: Nowak's
Credit: Nowak's
The chilled combination remoulade, with those same perfect shrimp and lump crab meat slathered in two different sauces, felt fresh in a vintage way, like a dish resurrected from the menu of a luxury dining car during the golden age of railroads. Thinly sliced, beautifully fried potato chips generously dripped with blue cheese fondue might as well have shouted, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
While Nowak’s is comfortable and unchallenging, the approach can wear thin. The restaurant’s dimly lit, windowless dining room cocoons customers from the anonymous strip mall setting and acres of parking outside, but the space lacks the neighborhood feel of the warm, welcoming Morningside location.
Credit: Nowak's
Credit: Nowak's
The uncomplicated philosophy that worked so well for the steaks and seafood left most of the salads and sides bland and forgettable. And the emphasis on high-quality ingredients seemed to have gone out the window with the fried artichoke appetizer, which tasted like it was made with overly salty artichoke hearts straight from a can or jar.
The Manhattan, listed among Nowak’s specialty cocktails, was inappropriately shaken, rather than stirred, giving it a frothy, jagged texture. Only a handful of the most popular wines are offered by the glass. Nowak said they keep the selection small to avoid wasting wine, but the lack of choice seems antithetical at a steakhouse.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
Nowak’s leaves the impression that it’s a bit rudderless. While it has the general feeling of a throwback, it’s unclear to what era. The steak is very good, but we are lucky that great steak is not a rarity in Atlanta. Otherwise, what sets the restaurant apart? Nowak’s has the ingredients to be a very good restaurant, but first it needs to be able to answer that question.
NOWAK’S SANDY SPRINGS
1 out of 4 stars (good)
Food: steak and seafood
Service: very good, if a little chatty
Noise level: low
Recommended dishes: blue cheese chips, Nowak’s shrimp, combination remoulade, salmon, branzino, Kansas City strip, filet mignon Oscar
Vegetarian dishes: blue cheese chips, artichoke hearts, Caesar salad, Jenni’s salad, fettuccine Alfredo, mashed potatoes, french fries, truffle parm fries, sauteed mushrooms, french green beans, grilled asparagus
Alcohol: full bar
Price range: $$-$$$$
Parking: free lot
MARTA: no
Reservations: yes
Outdoor dining: no
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 6690 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-980-3638
Website: nowaksrestaurant.com
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