About Us

From the owners of the nationally acclaimed Rathbun's, and Krog Bar, comes a steakhouse for the new generation.  

The owners - Kevin Rathbun - Clifford Bramble - Kirk Parks

Kevin & Melissa Rathbun (accolades on Kevin Rathbun)

KEVIN RATHBUN:

Kansas City has been known as a cow town and is known for its large stockyards.  It has the reputation as being the home of barbecue and the birthplace of jazz. It has a history of stockyards being constructed as early as 1871. This is what Kevin Rathbun grew up in and around and it is the reason he decided to open a steakhouse as his next venture.

Growing up in Kansas City has allowed Kevin to learn about beef from some of the best and biggest meat packing areas in the country.  Memories of standing inside of a meat packing district with the smells of beef and the large carcasses hanging from the ceiling, made way for the Rathbun family’s daily beef dinners.  Kevin’s dad would take him to the local meat factory and hand pick the pieces of steak to later be used for his Dad’s dinners with friends during the jazz sessions in the basement.  Kevin's Mom was presenting Steak Diane tableside at some of the finest restaurants in Kansas.  From beef brisket to the big juicy rib-eye steaks, Kevin was fortunate to taste it all at an early age.

Now, at Kevin Rathbun Steak, Kevin will recreate some of his favorites as a child.  The memories of a big juicy rib-eye steak and the smoky beef brisket continue to make him try to recreate that taste that he has experienced since childhood. That is what continues to drive him to the perfect steak, the perfect brisket, and the perfect sauce that will eventually accompany the steak.

Kevin entered the restaurant scene working as a young apprentice at age 14.  Shortly after, he received the calling from renowned chef, Bradley Ogden, of The American Restaurant in Kansas City. At the age of 17, Kevin’s ambition and drive was noticed and he was quickly promoted to a Sous Chef.  Developing his talents for the next three years, he was then offered another Sous Chef position at the renowned Brennan’s of Houston, Texas. There, Kevin continued to hone his skills and was then noticed and chosen by Executive Chef, Emeril Legasse, to relocate to Commanders Palace in New Orleans and work under him. Kevin kept pushing for that taste of perfection. He watched, duplicated and created new and exciting dishes that energized not only the guests, but critics alike.

He was then invited to become Chef at the noted Baby Routh in Dallas with Chef Stephen Pyles.  While Kevin was Chef at Baby Routh in Dallas, it was named “one of America’s 25 best restaurants” by Mimi Sheraton of Travel & Leisure and received the DiRona award for dining excellence. His drive and passion continued to push for the next level and he was soon the Executive Chef of NAVA in Atlanta where he brought Southwestern cuisine to the city. NAVA became an instant hit and was noticed both local and nationally and since 1995 has been continuously voted one of the top five restaurants in the city.

Then in 1999, Kevin introduced Atlanta to Asian fusion as the opening chef for Bluepointe.  Bluepointe has received local and national recognition in Esquire Magazine as a “top new restaurant” as well as being voted one of the top five restaurants in the city.

From 1999-2003, Chef Kevin was the Corporate Executive Chef for the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, and oversaw many of the restaurants.  He updated and reviewed the menus at Chops, Atlanta Fish Market and the Buckhead Diner. Eventually, he landed at the Buckhead Diner to overhaul the menu and bring life back into this fifteen-year old restaurant.  The Buckhead Diner has received local and national praise for its menu and service.

Now, in 2004, Chef Kevin brings his own signature restaurant, Rathbun’s, to Atlanta. Opening in Inman Park at The Stove Works, Chef Kevin will be involved in another exciting stylish restaurant, creating “Seasonally and Globally Driven Food”. Kevin says, “I love this city and Inman Park provides everything I was looking for in developing a new restaurant.  A hip, re-generated area with a tremendous growth potential.  I have been watching Inman Park for years and I love the atmosphere of the small neighborhood, yet still close enough to everybody in the city.”

Kevin resides in Atlanta with his wife, Melissa.  In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, golfing and deep sea fishing.

Cliff Bramble

CLIFF BRAMBLE: Cliff Bramble is the General Manager and Partner of Rathbun's & Krog Bar.  A native of Coventry, Rhode Island, he is a 26 year veteran to the hospitality industry.  Cliff brings along a drive and passion for the restaurant and business side of the operation.

From 1985 to 1991, Cliff worked for the Marriott Corporation.  In 1985, he opened the La Jolla Marriott then went on to open the Mobil four-star Desert Springs Marriott in Palm Desert, California.  He was then sent to the San Diego Marriott & Marina and was the General Manager of a high-volume seafood restaurant until returning back to Palm Springs to work at the Marriott’s Rancho Las Palmas Resort.  From 1991 to 1995, Cliff operated his own café until he was asked to join in the opening team of NAVA (Buckhead Life Restaurant Group) in Atlanta. Ultimately, Cliff became the General Manager of NAVA and then the Operations Director for Buckhead Bread Company and Corner Café. (Buckhead Life Restaurant Group). 

Originally from Rhode Island, where he attended Johnson & Wales University,  Cliff resides in Norcross with his wife Kyra and their daughter, Stevie. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, computers, marketing, financial and business planning.

Kirk Parks

KIRK PARKS: Born, raised and educated in a small farming community in the Midwest, Kirk worked at the local steel mill until he acted on his love for the culinary field by taking a job at a local restaurant.  In the mid eighties, Kirk moved to Houston, Texas and began working at the Brennan’s of Houston Restaurant.  From there, Chef Parks moved on and became the Pastry chef of Baby Routh in Dallas, Texas under Chef Stephan Pyles.  During this time, Chef parks contributed to Pyles’ first cookbook “The New Texas Cuisine”.

 In 1993, Chef Parks became the Executive Pastry Chef at Jumby Bay Island Resort, an exclusive resort in the British West Indies, until 1995 when Executive Chef Kevin Rathbun lured him away to work at NAVA in Atlanta. For the past nine years, Pastry Chef Kirk Parks has continued to create incredible desserts for NAVA. NAVA is owned by the prestigious Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, which includes: Bluepointe, Pano and Paul’s, 103 West, Buckhead Diner, Chops, Pricci, Veni Vidi Vici, Atlanta Fish Market, Kyma, Bluepoint, Buckhead Bread Company and Corner Café.While at NAVA, Chef Parks completed his degree in the culinary arts program with honors from the Art Institute of Atlanta.

Chef Parks has garnered many awards, including in 1993, The James Beard Foundation, Baker of the Year of the Southwest.  Chef Parks has been published in Southern Living Magazine, Food and Wine, Bon Appetite, Gourmet, Atlanta Magazine, as well as appearances on many local TV stations.  Chef Parks has won awards and honors for such acclaimed desserts as his B&B Cube, Banana Quesadilla, Apple Pinon Enchilada and the Chocolate Pecan Pie.  He teaches cooking classes at local cooking schools such as Cooks Warehouse and The Kroger Cooking School and has consulted on various area restaurant dessert menus.  Chef Parks is in the process of writing a pastry cookbook that will demonstrate the ease of preparing restaurant desserts at home. Kirk resides in Marietta, Georgia with his wonderful wife, Freida and step-daughter, Kimberly.

General Manager - Coming Soon

Sous Chef - Coming Soon