Okaloona, X-rays, Thaw Out April 25, 2003

The Somber ReptileApril 19, 2003
9:00 p.m

What started out as a dark, dingy punk club is now an excellent, inexpensive Cajun restaurant and a dark, dingy club featuring not only punk, but DJs, techno, blues, afro-beat, and rock acts. An unassuming exterior conceals a vast, bright upper room known as the Lizard Lounge, filled with suits, cops, students and music-biz types, and a smallish side stage where "experimental" performers are presented. The bigger, heavier bands play downstairs in what can best be described as dungeon-like conditions, surrounded by misfits of every persuasion.

Review:

Bigger Reptile Keeps Funky Cajun Attitude
Atlanta Journal – Constitution 10/22/1999 
By: KRISTA REESE 

Hatched as a rock ‘n’ roll nightclub, The Somber Reptile was also known for years for its good Cajun food. Recently, this amphibian showed that it could submerge itself into the nightlife and surface to breath air during the day, by taking over the big street-level storefront next door and adding a bona fide restaurant to its live-music venue. (OK, so an amphibian isn’t really a reptile - you get the idea.) Don’t worry, though: the Somber Reptile hasn’t sold its soul. It’s still plenty funky in this cavernous space, with odd constellations of tables and recycled booths, big canvases by local artists and a feeling that the place isn’t quite finished yet. Your waiter is likely to assure you, “You got it, baby!” throughout the meal and, at the end, announce that your credit card has been refused just to watch you squirm. (It’s his idea of a joke.) 

Recent lunchtimes have been packed with Georgia Tech students and faculty, a downtown bohemian crowd and businesspeople. On two visits, management asked for patients as the kitchen struggled to fill orders in 30 minutes or less. (Go early in the day when you’re not in a hurry, and order immediately. The food, however, is better than ever, and the merry-prankster staff works hard to get it to you quickly. Our cornmeal-encrusted oyster po boy sandwich was a good standard rendition, but we were more impressed with the smokey-rouxed gumbo and an excellent bowl of salad greens and vegetables topped with fat grilled shrimp and a side of remoulade. 
 

Try some offbeat side orders such as fried okra nuggets (we couldn’t stop eating them) or “Cajun Toothpicks”: deep-fried, julienned jalapeno and onion. Red beans and rice were substantial and fortifying. If this is another sign of downtown’s rejuvenation, we’re all for it. It’s sure a lot more fun than this industrial strip’s fast-food joints. After all, even a cold-blooded reptile has a heart.