Plenty of tourists flock to Atlanta for attractions like the Georgia Aquarium or the World of Coca-Cola, but the city’s food scene is compelling enough to plan a trip around all on its own. The next time you’re playing host, point visitors toward these restaurants—we’ve put together a list that’ll get you exploring every part of Atlanta.
From dim sum in Duluth to Buckhead brunches, and from a restaurant above a strip club to one tucked beside a sex shop, the lineup balances tourist-loved, photo-worthy spots with the trendy spots locals love too.
The Varsity
Family owned and operated since 1928, the Varsity remains an iconic Atlanta must-do; its 45-foot-tall red “V” sign over the interstate beckoning visitors up to North Avenue for chili dogs, cheeseburgers, and frosted orange milkshakes. First-timers quickly learn the drill at the counter as employees greet every guest with “What’ll ya have?”, a call-and-response rite of passage that most Atlantans have experienced at least once. 61 North Ave. NW, Atlanta, thevarsity.com
Tiny Lou’s
Floral wallpaper and pastel pink accents form the backdrop for comforting French-American fare that the Tiny Lou’s website calls “food one might cook for a lover.” While the sweet potato miso purée turns the grilled pork chops into a dish infinitely more romantic than it sounds, it’s Tiny Lou’s location inside the 100-year-old Hotel Clermont that makes it worth the trip. Beneath the restaurant is Atlanta’s oldest strip club, the Clermont Lounge; above is a rooftop bar with a perfect view of Ponce City Market. It’s up to you where to go after dinner. 789 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, tinylous.com
Delbar
Iran-born chef Fares Kargar’s eclectic Persian menu is a mainstay in competitive Inman Park, an area already crawling with excellent restaurants. It’s hard to one-up Delbar’s shareable meats, like a whole branzino stuffed with pomegranate or lamb kebab enhanced by a delicate mint yogurt marinade. (The za’atar-dusted fries are also technically shareable, but far too addictive to split among a larger group.) Buckhead’s location offers the same great food among a scenier crowd. 870 Inman Vlg. Pkwy., Ste. 1, Atlanta, delbaratl.com
Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Get a taste of Southern hospitality in “Atlanta’s Dining Room,” where first-timers receive a complimentary cup of pot likker and cornbread to enjoy before digging into down-home classics like fried green tomatoes and peach cobbler. Like other female proprietors who weren’t allowed to open restaurants, founder Mary MacKenzie gave the space its more refined “Tea Room” moniker to become one of 16 in 1945 Atlanta; today, it’s the only original tearoom remaining. 224 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, marymacs.com
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q
Georgia may not hold a candle to Texas when it comes to BBQ, so we’re forever grateful that twin brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox brought their Fort Worth flavors to Candler Park in 2007. Today, the OG DeKalb Avenue location’s patio is the perfect place to enjoy pulled pork by the pound or the “Big Tex,” a nod to the Foxes’ roots that sandwiches fatty brisket between two slices of Texas toast. Fox Bros even sells merchandise superimposing the Texas flag onto the Georgia state outline, a proud reminder of how their Texas-style BBQ has become “ATL-style” in its own right. 1238 DeKalb Ave. NE, Atlanta, foxbrosbbq.com
Busy Bee Cafe
Founded in 1947 by self-taught cook Lucy Jackson and frequented in the 1960s by civil rights leaders, Busy Bee still serves fried chicken and old-fashioned soul food to a new generation of Atlantans who consider it the city’s best. The recognition is national, too—Busy Bee received a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation and James Beard American Classics award in 2023. Today, it’s takeout-only, but in the years ahead, it’ll have a home at Atlantic Station and Centennial Yards. 810 M.L.K. Jr. Dr. SW, Atlanta, thebusybeecafe.com
El Rey Del Taco
A guest seeking global flavor in Atlanta need look no further than Buford Highway. Long known as the city’s international corridor, the eateries in this linear community come from every corner of the world. El Rey Del Taco represents Mexico well, claiming to offer the metro’s most authentic take on tacos, quesadillas, and seafood specialties like shrimp and octopus ceviche. While they don’t claim to offer Atlanta’s strongest margaritas, they deserve that title too. 5288 Buford Hwy., Doraville, elreydeltacoatl.com
Home Grown
While the menu at Home Grown is Michelin-recommended, the atmosphere and offerings are refreshingly unpretentious. Whether perched on a vinyl barstool or sitting at a booth in the wood-paneled dining room, eating your country-fried steak biscuit or fried chicken livers here feels like having Saturday brunch at home with your family. Just arrive early to avoid the walk-in only wait time. 968 Memorial Dr. SE, Atlanta, homegrownga.com
no. 246
No. 246 first opened in downtown Decatur as a “Cal-Ital” restaurant, but has since evolved into a more classic Italian concept. The reimagined menu from chefs Drew Belline and Ford Fry sacrifices no flavor even in its new simplicity: eight variations on pizza and pasta alongside classic secondi like eggplant parmesan and shrimp scampi. Pasta purists should plan to come on Tuesdays and Thursdays for house specials of fettuccine alfredo and a famed lasagna-like rotolo di bolognese. 129 E. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur, no246.com
The Garden Room
If your visitor wants to see the side of the A where celebrities live and play, only Buckhead will do, and if they want the picture to prove it, you’ll need a reservation at the Garden Room. No tagging necessary when you post your caviar-topped buttermilk blini or Westholme wagyu cuts soaked in black garlic jus to social media; the glass-roof floral-accented dining room is instantly recognizable to those who spend enough time in the heart of Atlanta’s wealthiest neighborhood. 88 W. Paces Ferry Rd. NW, Atlanta, thegardenroomatlanta.com
The Local
There’s no shortage of great wings in Atlanta, but locals really do love the Local. No to-go orders are allowed, and wings aren’t served on Mondays, so plan to linger any other day of the week and savor fall-off-the-bone goodness in a classic dive bar setting. Devoted fans also claim that the Local serves Atlanta’s best lemon pepper wings, aka the unofficial food of the city. Pair with the house jerk-seasoned BBQ sauce or the mystery sauce of the month. 758 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, instagram.com/thelocalonponce
Pink Lotus
Though the West Midtown neighborhood is home to some of the city’s most acclaimed (and most expensive) new restaurants, Pink Lotus fits right in without breaking the bank. It’s got the trending-in-West-Midtown look down with colorful, oversized lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and tapas-style regional Thai dishes that live up to the photos. 976 Brady Ave. NW, Ste. 110, Atlanta, pinklotusthai.com
Kimball House
Decatur Square is a lot like West Midtown, packing some of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants—like The White Bull and no. 246—into just a few walkable blocks. Kimball House, the would-be crown jewel of both this little square and urban-suburban Decatur, serves farm-to-table, French-infused flavors. But we’re really recommending it for the cocktail enthusiast in your visiting party, who’s sure to appreciate the extensive list of creative concoctions including a fun garden kiwi gimlet and metro Atlanta’s best French 75. 303 E. Howard Ave., Decatur, kimball-house.com
Gunshow
Gunshow’s chefs present dishes tableside and prepare cocktails on a rolling bar cart for a dining experience that’s interactive and intimate, but by no means moody; the interior is brightly lit and bare of mood-setting decor, instead favoring cafeteria-like tables that encourage conversation. No menu for this “dinner and a show” is available online, and a single dish only stays on the menu for about three weeks. 924 Garrett St., Atlanta, gunshowatl.com
TWO urban licks
Live blues music, a 26-foot-tall wine-on-tap barrel wall, and Beltline views make this restaurant’s atmosphere one of Atlanta’s best for entertaining a tourist. From Blue Ridge trout to lamb sirloin, wood-fired and -grilled cuisine is the name of the game here. You can even watch your wood-fired chicken cook in real time on the live rotating rotisseries. 820 Ralph McGill Blvd. NE, Atlanta, twourbanlicks.com
The Colonnade
Atlanta’s second-oldest restaurant celebrates its 100th birthday in 2027 and is working to publish a book chronicling its history. Bring an out-of-towner and make yourselves a part of its story, alongside a crowd of fiercely loyal daily regulars who come from near and far for hearty pot roast and fried chicken. It’s walk-in only, so you might spend your wait exploring famously seedy Cheshire Bridge Road—just down the road is Tokyo Valentino, Atlanta’s most infamous adult entertainment store. 1879 Cheshire Bridge Rd. NE, Atlanta, thecolonnadeatl.com
Polaris
Since 1967, this rotating restaurant perched atop Downtown’s Hyatt Regency Hotel has offered panoramic views with a trim menu of small plates, entrees, and fun cocktails, like a peanut butter cup martini easily enjoyed in lieu of dessert. The Hyatt remains proud of the “Hotel of Hope” nickname it gained during the Civil Rights movement and makes good on a pledge to continue this legacy today by sourcing wines, spirits, and food from Black-owned businesses. 265 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, polarisatlanta.com
9 Mile Station
Tourist-loved Ponce City Market is probably already on your list if you’ve got a guest in town. Take the elevator from the ground floor of this Sears-warehouse-turned-food-hall to arrive at 9 Mile Station on the rooftop. The menu is all over the place—ranging from bar-food starters like fried calamari to more elevated filet mignon—but everything pairs well with the city views. Stay out after you eat for Coney Island-style boardwalk games and rides. 675 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, 9milestation.com
Canoe
Consistently named among Atlanta’s best restaurants, Canoe is famous for offering a view on par with its New American fare, looking directly out onto manicured gardens and the banks of the Chattahoochee River from its cozy brick dining room. The restaurant serves brunch and lunch, too, but dinner is the time to enjoy hard-to-find meats like kangaroo loin, cocoa-crusted venison, and braised Blue Ridge rabbit. 4199 Paces Ferry Rd. SE, Atlanta, canoeatl.com
Toast On Lenox
Instagram-ready neon signs against faux greenery might indicate brunch trends gone by in any other city, but they’re still going strong in Atlanta, where going to restaurants that feel like the club is our favorite thing to do besides actually going to the club. Toast on Lenox is the undisputed queen among them, with indulgent menu standouts including strawberry shortcake French toast and chicken and waffles glazed with caramel rum sauce. Enjoy an icy frosé while listening to the best playlist you’ll hear at any brunch in this city. 2770 Lenox Rd. NE, Atlanta, toastonlenoxatl.com
Royal China Restaurant
Home to some of metro Atlanta’s best Asian eats, suburban Duluth is the place to take a dim sum fanatic. Start with chrysanthemum tea, then let carts laden with chicken feet, shumai, and har gow roll up to you. Massive chandeliers and a cavernous, ballroom-like interior also make this an excellent venue for hosting a foodie wedding (and several Google reviewers have already done so!) 3960 Venture Dr., Duluth, royalchina.kwickmenu.com
