The Depot

"The Depot restaurant in Auburn, AL is one of my favorite restuarants in Auburn, AL. The Depot is a modern grilled gulf-coastal brasserie in Auburn’s Historic Train Depot. With a globally inspired menu by Executive Chef & Co­-Owner, Scott Simpson, The Depot is elevating the cuisine in Auburn. The Depot is the first restaurant in the State of Alabama to receive the prestigious James Beard Smart Catch Leader Award for their commitment to serve sustainable and responsibly harvested seafood. Six year winner of the Wine Spectator Excellence award, The Depot features an internationally recognized wine program featuring award-winning varieties from around the globe. The food echoes from the past also honoring Alabama’s southern heritage and is cooked simply and spectacularly. Simple and spectacular, these are the principles of the Depot. I have always had a wonderful experience at this restaurant."

"Fresh is by far the first thought, but man the prices are a bit much. We had to sit at the bar and the server was helpful and attentive. The train depot atmosphere was fun. When I went to school there it was still dilapidated, so it's nice to have some business in that space. Had the stone crab claws and shrimp which was very protein filling. Your entre comes with nothing else so you'll be tacking on for simple salads as well (and I mean small and simple). Wife had the crispy fried parmesan grouper and collard greens which she said even though her initial thought was that it was a weird pairing said it was on par and complementary. A couple with us got 2 different servings of oysters, but a dozen depending on the type is going to run you $30, don't go for an eating contest on these. But having said that, they were plump and super fresh like pulled out of the sea that morning. Good draft beer selection and cocktails, the Azalea drink was stellar."

"The Oysters were so fresh and the food was on point. There is a great attention to detail in plating. The sauce, seafood and accompaniments were well thought through and complimentary. Delicious food, well staffed and an enjoyable experience all the way around."

"The owner's statement here is on point, plating up Auburn's finest. No argument about that, but compared to my fine dinning experiences, this is at the most 3 stars. I liked the train depot vibe though. The wine menu is limited, mostly domestic Nappa Valley type of line up, very little imports and wine pairing. Only 3 appetizer items? A tiny 4 bite $14 Harvest salad which I thought was half sized, the crab dip, and the oyster rockefeller. The seafood was fresh, good size oysters, standard vinegar, horseradish, seafood sauce dipping. Clean. The famous crab dip, to me was too salty and lack depth, overpowered the crab meat taste. The duck breasts with Asian flair my friend ordered shouldn't be on the menu, the sauce was overly reduced, and the meat was overly done for duck. The steaks on the other hand were OK, temperature was right. But the meat quality is far from what it should be. The Waygu New York Strip cut that I had was no where near the marbling and tenderness a Waygu should be, it is just a normal New York Strip to me. Finally the service was mostly ok but the servers got confused over the steaks because the sizes were all over the place. The 12oz Waygu that I had was a same size as the 16oz Rib Eye that my friend ordered and the other 12oz Waygu was more like 16oz. For the area, not much to choose from so this is probably the best you can get."