The Forgotten Atlanta Steakhouse That Had Lobster 'Even A New Englander Would Approve'

Atlanta is the beating heart of Southern comfort food, with an increasingly thriving international culinary scene. Of all the dishes it's commonly associated with, lobster and steak is not one of them — a delicious surf-and-turf pairing, like steak strips and bouillabaisse butter. That is, aside from one Underground Atlanta restaurant — W.D. Crowley's Steak and Lobster House — that would have impressed even the most discerning New England food purists back in the 1970s.

Located in the historic downtown Atlanta shopping district, W.D. Crowley's served steak charcoaled on a hearth along with lobster of the sort "which even a New Englander would approve," as claimed in a 1971 piece in The Atlanta Journal. For a Southern city, this was a unique selling point, making the establishment a beloved spot in the downtown Atlanta food scene. Unfortunately, its closure a mere few years later reflects the decline of Underground Atlanta, as well as a shift in the city's urban patterns.

In the years immediately after its opening in 1969, Underground Atlanta — which saw lower-level historic streets reconverted into an entertainment district — was a buzzing hotspot. W.D. Crowley's was part of the district's vibrant scene and became so popular that the company behind it, Downside Risk, Inc., turned it into a franchise. Other locations opened across the city, as well as in Savannah and Columbus.

Its fortunes, however, turned by the mid-1970s, when sales started declining, and the original restaurant closed by 1979. The owner, Don Sharp, blamed the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), and attempted to sue the agency, which had started demolishing buildings in Underground Atlanta. A Georgia court, however, was unconvinced, citing changing tastes and rising crime in Underground Atlanta — which eventually closed in 1982 — as the reasons for its demise. W.D. Crowley's continued to operate in other locations, but those, too, gradually closed over the following decades.

W.D. Crowley's may be a thing of the past, but that does not mean all hope is lost when looking for a good surf and turf in the Georgia capital. Among the range of deliciously diverse foods to try in the city, there is a wonderful selection of Atlanta restaurants serving lobster and steak.

One high-end example is Ray's in the City, located on the city's famous Peachtree Street. With decidedly upscale decor and weekly live jazz performances, diners can choose from a variety of prime beef cuts accompanied by lobster tail. 

Over at the Atlanta Fish Market in the leafy Garden Hills neighborhood, you can order a whole 1-pound lobster surf and turf. Just remember that it's not always worth ordering seafood at a steakhouse — make sure the restaurant you patronize has fresh fish that it moves through often to guarantee peak quality.