Busy Bee
West End
There is no soul-food joint as beloved as the Bee, and it is often rumored to have the best fried chicken in town. Opened by self-taught cook Lucy Jackson in 1947,...
- Family style
- Local Cuisine
Joe's on Juniper
Midtown
A popular gay locale with a patio to rival the one at Einstein's down the street. Drinks, basic bar food and one of the more popular trivia nights in the city.
- Casual
- Pub
Soul Vegetarian No. 2
Poncey-Highland
Soul Vegetarian is one of the more unusual places to grab a bite to eat in Atlanta, and it has nothing to do with the pale yellow light or the servers' white robes...
- Café or Bistro
- Local Cuisine
Staplehouse
Old Fourth Ward
A one-time grocery in the Old Fourth Ward and nominated for the James Beard Award Best New Restaurant 2016, Staplehouse is a comfortable cross between fine dining...
- Casual
- American
The Colonnade Restaurant
Midtown
A true fossil of the Good Old Days, when country comfort and mildly boozy, church-going snobbery packed into the same vinyl booth, The Colonnade has been in business...
- Family style
- Local Cuisine
The Varsity
Midtown
The Varsity has been serving Atlantans greasy, delicious hot dogs and onion rings for as long as anyone can remember. The awe-inspiring double-decker drive-in in the...
- Fast Food
- American
- 1
The Vortex
Little Five Points
Unfortunately, because of its classification as a bar, kids aren't allowed inside the gaping mouth of the laughing skull that serves as the Vortex's entrance. But,...
- Pub
- American
Eats
Midtown
Long serving the city's cheapskates, Eats is a bare-boned eatery offering meat and vegetable plates for those willing to brave its punkmospherics. Though the prices
- Casual
- Local Cuisine
Atlas
Buckhead
Atlas is the great new hope of the Atlanta dining scene: seasonal American cuisine from Executive Chef Christopher Grossman, who partners with more than a dozen...
- Fine Dining
- Fusion
Cracker Barrel
Marietta
It may be a highway chain, but this mash-up between restaurant and country store is an essential one. Put a name down for a table and wander through the cheap...
- Casual
- Local Cuisine
Daddy Dz BBQ Joynt
Midtown
In Atlanta, the BBQ-algorithm is usually such that the more suspicious it looks, the better it tastes, and Daddy Dz is one fine example. The ramschackle, run-down...
- Casual
- Local Cuisine
DeKalb Farmer's Market
Decatur
Glorious enough to count as a wonder of the world, this mega-sized farmers market will make any foodie go weak in the knees. Even if you leave empty handed (good...
- Market
- International
Einstein's
Midtown
A long-running casual dining establishment in the heart of Midtown, Einstein's serves up basic, well-prepared and none-too-expensive fare. The patio is especially...
- Casual
- Fusion
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
West End
This much-coveted 'cue joint is sort of "third-wave" barbecue, a more refined, boutique-style restaurant with recipes that are honed and consistent. But despite the...
- Casual
- Local Cuisine
Green Sprout
Lenox Park
Tucked away in a shopping center off of Piedmont, Green Sprout is a faux meat extravaganza that should be on the not-to-miss list for any veg-head. Vegetarian...
- Casual
- Chinese
Highland Bakery
Old Fourth Ward
Though this lesbian-owned chain has now expanded all throughout the city, the original location in the Old Fourth Ward is still full of charm. Party bake shop, part...
- Bakery
- American
Home Grown
Cabbagetown-Reynoldstown
Home Grown has steadily risen to become one of the most popular brunch places in the city. It combines eclectic decoration, the on-site keyboard and vocal stylings...
- Family style
- Local Cuisine
Houston's
Lenox
To view a cross-section of Atlanta's diverse, middle- and upper-middle-class, go to Houston's . Long the more affordable fine-dining alternative for special...
- Fine Dining
- American
King of Pops
Old Fourth Ward
It wasn't long before King of Pops slowly took over the cart-shy city with its rolling popsicle stands, selling gourmet mostly fruit-based pops for three bucks a...
- Specialty Shop
- Sweets
Krog Street Market
Inman Park
One of the new attempts to "revitalize" the inner-city area, the Krog Street Market is much like a pre-fab Pike's Place. Found in a lofty reappropriated industrial...
- Market
- International
Las Margaritas
Midtown
For Spanish and Latin American fare that gets better with every margarita, start with tapas and end with "Mama's Signature Dish," a classic Cuban ropa vieja. For...
- Café or Bistro
- Fusion
LottaFrutta
Old Fourth Ward
An elaborate riff on the central-American fruit stand, Myrna Perez has been serving, often in person, her sumptuous fruit cups in MLK Jr.'s old neighborhood for over...
- Market
- Mexican
Mamak
Chamblee-Doraville
A great excuse to venture out into Atlanta's diverse Buford Highway area, Mamak is an increasingly popular Malaysian street food restaurant that serves beautiful,...
- Café or Bistro
- International
Mary Mac's Tea Room
Midtown
Mary Mac's rivals the Colonnade for the southern-style meat-and-three dining, in both charm and staying power. Fill out the small forms at the table with mains and...
- Family style
- Local Cuisine
Octane Coffee
Midotwn
One thing Atlanta has a scarcity of is decent, independent coffee shops, making Octane the easy favorite in the java-deprived city. This sun-drenched location right...
- Coffee shop
- American
OK Café
Buckhead
The classic American diner comes with wine-red booths, checkered vinyl floor, and blouse-and-skirt uniformed waitresses. Yet the OK is not touristy, rather a popular...
- Family style
- Local Cuisine
Proof Bakeshop
Inman Park
With quality baked goods at refreshingly low prices, Proof is without a doubt one of Atlanta's favorite bakeries. A rotating daily menu offers full meals, but the...
- Bakery
- American
Radial Café
Candler Park
One of the first farm-to-table restaurants in Atlanta, Radial has been serving standard but well-prepared breakfast and lunch since 1999. It is also right beside the...
- Café or Bistro
- American
Revolution Doughnuts
Decatur
"Poised to revitalize the American doughnut," this boutique doughnut store in Decatur is a haven for sweet-fiends. With combinations such as Caramel Bacon and French...
- Coffee shop
- American
Ria's Bluebird
Midtown
Ria's Bluebird is an Atlanta institution located across from the Oakland Cemetery, in a gorgeous old building full of original Bluebird-inspired art. The café has...
- Café or Bistro
- American
