204 East Main Street
Marshalltown, IA 50158
Marshall County
Phone: (641) 753-0284
Fax: unknownWebsite: no website on fileEmail: no email on fileHours: unknown
by Efrain Elmblad on Maybe I'm missing something. I admit it - I very well could be. I'm not local to Atlanta, and didn't go to college here. This is the first time I've visited the city, and I went to the Varsity because my wife (who lived here for 2 years) told me it was an essential part of the Atlanta experience. So, what I'm saying is, I don't have any Atlanta civic pride, and I'm not a fan of any Georgia Tech athletics. So keep that in mind. Before going, I checked the Wikipedia entry on it. Interesting stuff. I got to know the Varsity's history, and learned it's the largest drive-in in America. Now, the building is gorgeous. It's right out of the 50's, and pretty darn neat. (I approached from the southeast - so didn't even see the extensive drive-in area and parking deck. I only saw that later when passing by.) I was very ready to love this place. Inside, I found ... CHAOS! This place is HUGE. There's dozens of lines, all with groups of people, leading up towards more cashiers than I've ever seen in one place. The kitchen is behind them, and it's very cool to be able to see in it. I'd never been in a restaurant anything like this. It's certainly not what I expected. When I ordered, my food came quickly. I ordered the Chili Dog / Chili Burger combo, with onion rings and a fried apple pie. This came to right around $10. I found myself a place to sit, and ate. It was a quick meal. My chili dog and chili burger were fairly tasty, but I've had better. Neither one was very large or really very remarkable. My onion rings were a step up - they were pretty excellent. The fried apple pie was absolutely delicious, and I would be tempted to come back just for one of them. And... that was pretty much it. If I were going on food alone, I'd have given the place 2 stars. For its historical value and the experience, I added another star. If I judged it only as "fast food" I'd give it another star; it's certainly better than any McDonald's or Wendy's I've ever had. On its own merits, though, I can't rate it any higher. Sorry, Georgia Tech.
by Michael S. H. on 4 stars for decor. The interior of this place is amazing! It kinda reminds me of a really really creepy dark cabaret. I'm sure there have been some interesting performances here that pertain to cabaret. Now if only The Dresden Dolls preformed here... Would of fit the profile completely! We came here for a photo shoot, because, well, look at it! This place is total eye candy. Incredibly vintage, and very... just literally what I said. Like a dark cabaret, very cirque du soliel... I'm not sure how else to throw that in there. Its beautifully dimmed, the seating is very loungy and comfortable. Very old and antiqued looking. It makes me drool... My room needs to look like this place.
by Satoru Y. on Wandering down some small alley off 6th St usually sounds like a bad idea; but not here. Who would've thought that tucked behind a small alleyway off of one of the worst streets in San Francisco would lie a big warehouse club? The Mezzanine lies behind the old Mint building. It has provided a fun venue for a variety of different music scenes. Mezzanine has a great lay-out if you ask me. The dancefloor is spacious, and it is fairly easy to get around (considering it is a big club). There is also a large stage area for live shows. Besides having a fairly large dancefloor and stage area, it also has about 4 bars scattered throughout the venue. It is pretty easy to get a drink in the place no matter where you are; even for the worst impulsive drinker. Besides the lay-out, the venue brings in a diverse array of quality talent. The acts range from Mickey Avalon to DJ Richie Hawtin to KMFDM to Jurassic 5. I remember two events vividly from my times at the Mezzanine: Derrick Carter and Mark Farina playing for an OM recording, and Mos Def/Talib Kweli along w/Pharoah Monch, Jean Grey, and the immensely talented K'Naan. The sound is absolutely fantastic in this place: but only when it is calibrated correctly - there were some nights that the sound was off and echoed in areas. But when the sound system is adjusted right, it's one of the best in the city. Hell, probably the best. No matter what the 'scene' a person is from, they will be at the Mezzanine at some time or another. If not, they should go at least once. Mezzanine rocks!
