EXPERIENCES FAMOUS, TRIED-AND-TRUE IN DINING

FAMOUS, TRIED-AND-TRUE DINING EXPERIENCES

It's impossible to miss these tried and true dining destinations if you're in Atlanta.

 

Restaurants like these can be found in every major city. You know what we're talking about. Locals consider them to be the place where they experience the flavors and vibes that make a city what it is. Dining destinations residents say it's impossible to visit a city like Atlanta without eating at some of its well-known and time-tested restaurants. ATL being one of the country's foodiest cities, we have a lot of places worth checking out. A list of Atlanta restaurants, ranging from soul food haunts to barbecue joints and fine dining outlets.

 

With a deep love and connection to the Atlanta dining and nightlife scene, Chris Watkins is an Atlanta-based content creator. Thrillist Atlanta editor, Jezebel Magazine, Mens Book Atlanta, Where Atlanta, and Jezebel Magazine contributor. As a digital marketing and social media agency focused on restaurant and hospitality businesses, Watkins Branding is owned and operated by him.

 

CASUAL

MARY MACS TEA ROOM

WHERE: MIDTOWN

From the time it opened its doors in 1945, Mary Mac's Tea Room served up down-home favorites like fried green tomatoes, fried chicken and copious amounts of sweet tea (you shouldn't order unsweet here; it's blasphemy). This Ponce de Leon icon has been a culinary legend in Atlanta for 75 years, and if anyone asks where to get proper Southern cooking, this is the first place they'll point.

 

THE COLONNADE

WHERE: BUCKHEAD

Even though The Colonnade looks less appealing from the outside, with its vintage wood paneling and retirement community vibes, it is exactly what lies inside that counts. In the Atlanta institution founded in 1927, a lively, loyal crowd lives by its stellar fried chicken and soothing nightly specials.

 

THE BUSY BEE CAFE

WHERE: VINE CITY

There is nothing better than dining at ATL's Busy Bee Cafe. No pretense. Served up consistently, time-tested recipes for more than 70 years with great food you won't soon forget. There's no mistaking this West End soul food diner's fried chicken, vegetables, and other Southern comfort foods, which have been favorites of celebrities and politicians alike over the years.

 

PASCHALS

WHERE: CASTLEBERRY HILL

In its long history dating back to 1947, Paschals has cemented a legacy in Castleberry Hill as one of Atlanta's premier destinations for fall-out-of-your-seat fried chicken. Upon picking yourself up from the floor and calming your nerves with the award-winning peach cobbler, or take a step back in the restaurant's civil rights history where it once served as a central meeting place for Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson and more leaders of the movement.

 

PITTYPATS PORCH

WHERE: DOWNTOWN

Downtown staple Pittypats Porch has changed little since opening in 1967. A key factor in its mystique is its location in the heart of Atlanta. Taking you back in time, Pittypats is named after Scarlett Ohara's aunt in Gone With the Wind. The days were a time of prim and proper Southern dining adorned with pewter and floral plates piled high with Georgia catfish, Southern sides, and pecan pie. Their vintage rocking chairs on the second floor would make a great backdrop for sipping stiff mint juleps. Its what Pittypat wouldve wanted.

 

EATS

WHERE: PONCEY-HIGHLAND

It's obvious why Eats is named that way. Founded in 1993, the casual Ponce de Leon cafeteria offers a no-nonsense break from the day's concerns. The restaurant's jerk chicken, meatloaf, and veggies are known for their uncompromising taste since then. Cheap prices and comforting dishes made it a hit with the nearby college community and workers looking for value. Even today, that message rings true.

 

MANUELS TAVERN

WHERE: PONCEY-HIGHLAND

Beers and bright conversations have always been a big draw at Manuel's Tavern. Having opened in 1956, it became a meeting place for politicians, journalists, and locals to watch sports games or discuss current politics. One of its most famous features was the latter. Former president Jimmy Carter dined there often, and the walls are festooned with nostalgia, so you can see why it's so loved. This Poncey Highland mainstay has been added to the National Register of Historic Places (if that tells you anything).

 

FAT MATTS RIB SHACK

WHERE: MORNINGSIDE

As a staple on residents' lists of favorite barbecue spots in Atlanta restaurants, Fat Matt's Rib Shack is more than just a rib shack. As soon as you pull up to the neon-lit Morningside cue house, you know you're going to enjoy a variety of saucy, savory ribs, pulled pork sandwiches and comforting sides.

 

JOHNNYS HIDEAWAY

WHERE: BUCKHEAD

A staple of Buckhead's older crowd for marathon dancing, bar-driven eats like tater tots, nachos and wings, Johnny's Hideaway spans over 40 years. There has been a mix of classic hits and modern tunes played at the old school disco with no pretense over the years, making it a favorite of countless celebrities and Hollywood movies. With its long reputation as a place you can dance like nobody's watching and soak up nostalgia and great vibes, it's a crucial piece of Atlanta's past.

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