Rena's Italian Fishery and Grill

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Restaurant Born from Family

Rena's Italian Fishery and Grill on South Main Street in Alpharetta started with a personal promise. The chef built the restaurant as a tribute to his wife of 25 years, Rena — drawing on their shared Italian heritage, her spirit, and her love of family. That origin shapes everything here, from the warmth of the room to the generational recipes on the plate.

The Food: Meat, Seafood, Pasta

The kitchen runs on three pillars: quality meats hand-cut in house, responsibly sourced seafood, and pasta made fresh by hand every single day. Sauces and marinades follow family recipes, and two pieces of equipment define the cooking style — a wood-burning grill that lends a quiet smokiness to proteins, and a restored vintage Berkel slicer used for the meats and cheeses on the Tagli Misti. Ravioli and pasta shapes are rolled and formed daily, then tossed in sauces made to order.

Walk in and the kitchen is immediately in front of you — an open setup where guests can watch flames from the wood-assist grill, see steam rise off freshly cooked pasta, and follow dishes from preparation to plate. It's transparency as hospitality.

The Italian menu covers the full arc of a traditional dinner: antipasta including Burrata with buffalo milk mozzarella and Crab Cakes with jumbo lump crab, a pasta section built entirely on those daily hand-made preparations, fish and meat mains, and dessert. The wine program has earned Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence for 2024 — recognition that reflects genuine depth and curation rather than a list assembled for show.

Upstairs at Rena's

The second floor adds a distinct dimension to the restaurant. Three thousand square feet of exposed brick, stained concrete floors, and chandelier lighting make it a serious venue for private events — seated dinners for up to 50 guests or cocktail-style gatherings up to 200. A dedicated events team handles everything from menu customization to bar packages, with the full Italian menu available for any occasion.

The Atmosphere

Rena's presents itself as a neighborhood meeting place that can flex between a casual weeknight dinner with friends and a formal celebration. Outdoor seating extends the options further. The Italian cooking here is grounded in authenticity — daily fresh pasta, open-fire grilling, family sauces — without pretension, in a room designed to feel like a dinner table worth returning to.