Atlanta Food Guide: Best Restaurants & Southern Cooking

Atlanta has one of the more dynamic restaurant scenes in the American South, built on a foundation of genuine soul food institutions and expanded by a generation of chefs working with Georgia’s exceptional agricultural output — Georgia peaches, Sea Island red peas, Vidalia onions, Georgia shrimp, and a strong cattle and poultry farming tradition. The city’s diversity also produces serious Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and West African cooking that rarely gets mentioned in national food coverage but is among the best in the country.

Soul Food and Southern Classics

Busy Bee Cafe (810 Martin Luther King Jr Dr SW, Vine City) — the oldest soul food restaurant in Atlanta, open since 1947. The building and the food have both remained largely unchanged: fried chicken, smothered pork chops, candied yams, collard greens slow-cooked with smoked turkey, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread. Lunch plates with two sides approximately $14–$18 (as of 2026). Martin Luther King Jr. ate here during the Civil Rights Movement. Cash preferred; open for lunch only (11am–4pm, closed Sunday).

Mary Mac’s Tea Room (224 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Midtown) — opened in 1945 and still operating as a full-service Southern dining room. The menu covers almost every canonical Southern dish: fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, Brunswick stew, turnip greens, and the best sweet iced tea in the city. Lunch and dinner mains approximately $14–$22. Large portions; the combination plate approach (one protein, three sides) is the correct way to order.

South City Kitchen (multiple locations including 1144 Crescent Ave NE, Midtown) — upscale Southern cooking with a white-tablecloth sensibility. Georgia shrimp and grits approximately $26; she-crab soup approximately $12; fried chicken approximately $26. Sunday brunch is a popular reservation; book 2–3 weeks ahead.

The Colonnade (1879 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, Morningside) — a long-running institution (open since 1927) with a devoted neighbourhood following. Fried chicken, beef tenderloin, and a prime rib special on weekends. Mains approximately $18–$28. The dining room retains original wood paneling and tablecloth service; the bar is one of Atlanta’s most old-school.

Chef-Driven and Contemporary

Staplehouse (541 Edgewood Ave SE, Old Fourth Ward) — the most acclaimed restaurant in Atlanta and one of the most discussed in the South. Chef Ryan Smith’s tasting menu changes weekly based on Georgia seasonal produce and its producers. Six to nine courses approximately $95–$115 per person (as of 2026); wine pairing available. The restaurant donates profits to The Giving Kitchen, which provides emergency assistance to food service workers. Reservations open 30 days in advance and go quickly; book online at 10am on the dot.

Empire State South (999 Peachtree St NE, Midtown) — Hugh Acheson’s Georgia cooking, rooted in the state’s agricultural identity. The charcuterie platter is made in-house; the pimento cheese with crackers is a starter worth ordering. Dinner mains approximately $26–$42; weekend brunch approximately $14–$24. The bar programme is one of the best in Midtown.

Gunshow (924 Garrett St, Cabbagetown) — Kevin Gillespie’s dim-sum-style restaurant: servers circulate with trays of small dishes and you accept or decline each as it passes. No printed menu; the kitchen decides the selection each evening. Budget approximately $40–$65 per person including a few drinks. Dinner only, Wednesday–Saturday. The room is an old garage; it’s casual and loud.

Kimball House (303 E Howard Ave, Decatur) — a 1891 train depot converted into one of Atlanta’s best bars and restaurants. The raw bar programme is exceptional for an inland city: oysters from the Gulf and East Coast, ceviche, and a Sunday oyster happy hour (discounted oysters all afternoon). Mains approximately $26–$44. Strong absinthe and cocktail programme. Decatur is 6 miles east of downtown on the MARTA Blue Line.

Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall (684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE, Old Fourth Ward) — a BeltLine-adjacent restaurant with outdoor seating, a wood-fired menu, and views of the Eastside Trail. The focaccia, wood-roasted chicken, and whole fish are the anchor dishes. Mains approximately $18–$32. Good for a long lunch or early dinner.

International and Neighbourhood Dining

Atlanta has one of the largest Ethiopian diaspora communities in the United States; the area around Clarkston (15 miles east of downtown) is home to significant refugee communities from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Burma. The city’s Ethiopian restaurants are among the best in the country.

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen (3086 Briarcliff Rd NE, Briarcliff) — a straightforward, well-regarded Ethiopian restaurant with a full injera menu. Combination platters (tibs, lentils, collards, ayib cheese) approximately $16–$24 per person. Open for lunch and dinner; friendly service and large portions.

El Super Pan (675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Ponce City Market) — Jose Enrique’s Puerto Rican sandwich counter in PCM’s food hall. The Cubano and the jibarito (plantain bread sandwich) are approximately $12–$15. One of the best lunch options in the market.

Little Bear (71 Macdonough St SE, Summerhill) — a restaurant focused on fermented and preserved flavours: seasonal vegetables, cured proteins, and pickled accompaniments. Small plates approximately $12–$20; tasting menus available at approximately $75. Dinner Tuesday–Saturday.

Chai Pani (406 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur) — the James Beard Award-winning Indian street food restaurant. Bhel puri, papdi chaat, dosas, and excellent lassis. Dishes approximately $8–$18. The Decatur location is the original; there is also a newer Midtown location. Often busy at lunch.

Gato Bizco Cafe (1660 McLendon Ave NE, Candler Park) — a neighbourhood café with strong breakfast tacos, migas, and lunch sandwiches. Counter service; dishes approximately $8–$14. The back patio is one of the better outdoor spots in Inman Park/Candler Park.

Breakfast and Brunch

The Crack Biscuit (multiple locations) — a food truck turned brick-and-mortar operation making Southern biscuits with various fillings. The original biscuit with scrambled eggs and cheddar is approximately $7; with chicken approximately $9. Opens 7am; often sold out by 10am on weekends.

Ria’s Bluebird (421 Memorial Dr SE, Grant Park) — a beloved neighbourhood breakfast and lunch spot with one of the best pancake menus in the city. Plates approximately $10–$16. Expect a wait on weekend mornings.

West Egg Café (675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Ponce City Market) — a full diner inside the PCM food hall. Breakfast and lunch plates approximately $12–$18; the Cajun scramble and Benedicts are frequently ordered. Open 7am–3pm.

Markets

Krog Street Market (99 Krog St NE, Inman Park) — a food hall with a more neighbourhood, less tourist-oriented feel than PCM. Vendors include Buteco (Brazilian), Spiller Park Coffee, Little Tart Bakeshop, and The Cockentrice (charcuterie and cured meats). On the BeltLine Eastside Trail.

Sweet Auburn Curb Market (209 Edgewood Ave SE, Sweet Auburn) — a public market operating since 1918, rebuilt after the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot. Local produce, prepared food vendors, and a few restaurants under one roof. Open Monday–Saturday. Located in the Sweet Auburn neighbourhood, adjacent to MLK sites.

Drinks

Ticonderoga Club (99 Krog St NE) — one of the city’s best cocktail bars; the menu is organised by style (sour, stirred, fizz) rather than by base spirit. Cocktails approximately $12–$15. Good bar snacks.

Polaris (255 Courtland St NE, Downtown Hyatt Regency) — the rooftop revolving restaurant and bar with panoramic Atlanta views. Cocktails approximately $14–$18; worth one visit for the view. Open evenings.

Wild Heaven Beer (135 Arizona Ave NE, Avondale) and Monday Night Brewing (670 Trabert Ave NW, Westside) — the two most notable craft breweries with significant taproom presences. Both open daily; pints approximately $7–$9.