Somewhere between Sandy Springs and Roswell lies a really bad section of Roswell Road. You wouldn’t expect it near these big-bucks neighborhoods, but this area has seen better days and is ripe for redevelopment. Across the street from an abandoned shopping center lies Hammocks Trading Company.

This building has housed many an eatery. Hammocks has been here since 2012. They make you valet park, and we watch the Date Night Prius get parked ten steps from the front door, next to two Mercedes. It’s that kind of clientele.

Managing partner Jason Sheetz is in the house tonight and he explains the many nuances of the building. There used to be a drive-in window and the building has been added onto many times. The Jamaican restaurant was responsible for the tiled floors. But enough about history. We are here for dinner in the present tense.

The bar is a happening area, and we order a couple of Reformation Unions, a fine white Belgian ale from Woodstock, Georgia. We love this brewery and they are so close to our headquarters. Note to restaurant bartender: serve the low-alcohol Belgian whites in the proper big glass, not the tiny glass used for high-alcohol Belgian beers.

The menu is heavy on seafood. There are a lot of choices, and it doesn’t look like you can go wrong. Tonight we are joined by the parents because it’s getting near my birthday and this is the first of our celebration dinners. You do this when you are approaching the end of your fifties. Anyway, you get bonus food pics in tonight’s review. Like this one:

Ken-Bob orders the carnitas burrito. It’s got crispy pork shoulder, salsa, and radishes inside. I don’t get a taste, but it’s looks like a nice pile of pork.

Grammy Boots would like to point out that Hammock’s lobster special on Tuesday nights is a great deal. You get a nice-sized lobster and two sides for around $25. Since it’s not Tuesday, she opts for the shrimp tacos, which, like almost anything on the menu, you can get grilled, fried, or blackened.

Let’s keep wth the seafood theme. Eve orders the rainbow trout from North Carolina.

There is no truth to the rumor that the North Carolina trout does not know which bathroom to use. (Obscure political jokes are provided by this blog at no extra charge.) The trout is served upside down, which fans of “Stranger Things” will enjoy (another obscure reference, this time a Netflix show filmed in Georgia!), but may be the first time we have seen it served skin-side up. Here it is flipped over:

You get to pic two sides. Check out those baseball bat-sized asparagus. The trout is moist, but not the best she has ever had. She raves about the green beans, though, and wants me to point out how much she enjoys them.

My blackened tuna is very photogenic.

Fortunately, it tastes as good as it looks. You get to pick two sides as well. The fried okra is hot, crispy, and very fresh. It’s an excellent side dish for those who like okra. I only got one biscuit, so I feel like they shortchange me on that front. That’s what I get for wanting carbs.

We are too full for dessert, but as we leave, we see someone making s’mores at their table. They bring you everything you need to make them–marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate. They even give you a flaming grill so you can cook them yourself. We’re trying that next time.

The bottom line on Hammock’s Trading Company: Very enjoyable. From the valet to the owner, everyone was friendly and the food was quite good. If this place were in Buckhead, the foodies would be all over it. It is where it is, and we can’t do much about that except enjoy the laid-back atmosphere. It will continue to be the hangout for those brave enough to venture onto this part of Roswell Road.