I heard about Peckish from an Instagram post and videos that popped up in my timeline. I looked into the restaurant and learned that it was basically afternoon tea with a Jamaican twist. Think of it as traditional Jamaican dishes, but presented in new and different ways and served tapas small-plate style. 

The chef and owner of Peckish, Tamara Hewitt, is known for creating very innovative desserts. The current restaurant is located at Pullman Yards and has an industrial/modern vibe with a bit of a Caribbean twist. And front and center are the desserts but more on that later as you also see her creativity extending to the other dishes. A prime example is their eye-catching afternoon tea tower, a tower of small bites that blend traditional brunch dishes with fresh takes on Jamaican dishes.

We visited Peckish with a large group but my mom and I ordered together. We decided to pass on the afternoon tea tower because some of the items were a bit basic. Instead we decided to order a la carte so we could try all of the most interesting dishes. 

Small Plates

Oxtail Empanadas

After a very brief wait, the first dish to come out was the oxtail empanada. You can think of this as a beef patty. But instead of regular beef inside, it’s oxtail. Fancy. Fancy because oxtail is expensive. You have a nice, crispy, flaky crust on the outside, dusted with I don’t even know what. There were also some little fix-ins, a little bit of tomato, purple onion, and scallion. 

The empanada was about two bites. On the inside, you have this really nice, tender oxtail meat. The outside was not overly thick, just right. Flaky crust. Flavor throughout the crust and the meat. A great combination of flavors and a nice presentation. 

Shrimp & Grits

Next up was the shrimp and grits. I’m not the biggest fan of shrimp and grits and I was going to pass on it. We decided to get it, because my mom loves shrimp and grits. But when it came out, it wasn’t what I was expecting as far as your traditional grits which look like porridge. 

Instead, it was a grit cake with a really nice texture. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and great flavor throughout. So you have this grit cake that has a bunch of flavor on its own. And then it’s topped with these pieces of nice, tender, well cooked shrimp. I was definitely happy that I decided to get this because it more than exceeded expectations. I loved every bite. 

Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit

The hot honey chicken biscuit is basically a chicken biscuit with honey. No surprise there but these were good. (A sidenote: I’m always thrown off by hot honey dishes because I expect the honey to be spicy, but it’s never hot enough for me.) 

The biscuit was nice and fluffy with a slight crust on the outside, which I liked. The meat was very lightly breaded and the inside was tender and juicy. The chicken had a nice flavor, not at all bland, just the right amount of seasoning. And the little bit of honey drizzled over made for a nice combination of savory and sweet. However, I would have liked a bit more spice. Overall, it was a great choice. 

Seafood Hushpuppies

The seafood hushpuppies are hushpuppies but with seafood in them. What I appreciated is that there wasn’t a whole bunch of filler where you just taste flour. There was a really nice blend of cornmeal and seafood, actually a great ratio between the two. It had a nice crisp exterior without being overly hard. The dough inside was light and fluffy, with a good dose of seafood flavor throughout. Combining it with the sauce, which I think was a remoulade, was an absolute chef’s kiss.

Ackee & Saltfish

Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica’s national dish and one of my top three favorite breakfast meals. At Peckish, the dish is almost unrecognizable because it looks very different from what you might be used to. Admittedly, the portion is pretty small, so you’re just going to get a few bites out of this. It’s not the thing to share with your greedy friend. 

When I tasted the dish, I was surprised that, despite the very different presentation, this was ackee and saltfish. The ackee had been made into a mousse and piped onto the plate. Then there was this cracker-type situation that was shaped into a fishbone that had a nice texture to it. It was a light and airy presentation of ackee and saltfish with a cute, crispy type of cracker. Again, a great blend of flavors and textures.

Stuffed Waffles

For breakfast, especially if I’m not the one making it, waffles, French toast, and pancakes are some of my favorite things to have. The peach-stuffed waffles were a perfect option for me. I liked the different spin on what you might get at other restaurants. Think about when you go out and order waffles. They might be served with butter, syrup, and maybe fruit. But here you have peaches, which are a big thing in Georgia. And then you have these waffles that are familiar but different. 

The exterior is crisp. The interior, is thick and fluffy, and then they’re topped off with peaches and whipped cream. Typically, you have waffles; you might have them with syrup and a little bit of butter. But here, instead of butter, you have this whipped cream that has an ever-so-slight vanilla flavor. A small but slightly different detail. 

And then there are the peaches. They seem like they’re probably cooked for just a little bit, which helps to bring out the flavor and softens them. And then you have these incredible waffles that are stuffed with peaches. 

The waffles themselves remind me of fall. There’s no pumpkin but it has that pumpkin spice type flavor. The taste of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warm spices. Combined with the fruit, cream, and just a little sprinkle of syrup made for an incredible fusion of flavors. I especially liked that while they had a good amount of flavor, the waffles weren’t overly sweet, just perfect.

Smoked Jerk Wings

Wings seem to be a really big thing in Atlanta. But unless I’m watching sports, wings are not something that I would order when I go out. A few other people in my party ordered the smoked jerk wings, and they looked really great. They marinate them in jerk seasoning for 24 hours before smoking them. 

Desserts

The dining room at Peckish features a large case with desserts on display. Let me start off by saying that I loved how cute the desserts looked, and so did everyone else in my party. There is a white full moon and a chocolate teddy bear. A red velvet flower, a miniature fruit tart, and a Nutella cube. There are also traditional items like lemon pound cake and creative takes like a Twinkie inspired by fruity pebbles. The Fruity Pebbles inspiration also extended to a double doozy. And taking inspiration from the “peach state,” there’s a peach pecan crumpet with peach and bourbon inside the croissant itself. 

I loved all of it. Sometimes you get super cute desserts that are very pretty but with no flavor. That’s not at all the case at Peckish. The desserts were all extremely cute with a very creative presentation but the flavors absolutely lived up to their appearance. 

Caramel Mocha Latte & Potted Plant

The coffee cup is extremely creative, though it didn’t make it very long at the table. The potted plant is really cute. I love the presentation and just how creative it looks. It’s a chocolate shell that’s made to look like a terracotta plant pot. Inside the pot is a chocolate cake or brownie crumble that’s made to look like dirt or soil. Beneath that is a caramel filling. When you break into the pot, the caramel just oozes out. So cute, so creative, absolutely impressed. 

Baby Banana & Pina Colada

I ordered the pina colada and baby banana as dessert. The pina colada and baby banana are creative presentations of ingredients. 

The baby banana is banana pudding but instead of being served in a cup or a bowl, it’s shaped to look like a little banana. Super cute. The soft exterior is shaped and painted perfectly to look like a banana. 

You then have the pina colada, which is coconut panna cotta topped with pineapple and served in a chocolate shell that’s made to look like a coconut. You break into it, and the interior has a nice creamy texture that’s not overly sweet. Combined with the chocolate shell and the additional flavor of pineapple on top, it tastes exactly like pina colada. The only difference is that there’s no alcohol in it which was fine with me. 

The Verdict

Pekish is located in a pretty busy area, but there’s ample onsite parking which can be validated for up to two hours. The dining room is quite small and can only accommodate small parties. There is additional seating on the patio and larger groups will be seated there by default. I was part of a group of about 13 people and we visited on a sweltering July Sunday. Even with the shades drawn the heat was still a bit much. But the service at Peckish was great and everything arrived quickly. With 90’s dancehall and reggae playing at a low volume in the background, the vibe was perfect for a Sunday brunch. My experience at Peckish was wonderful, and we had a great time.