Illegal Food Is Moving Into the Former Bar Meatball Space

Illegal Food, the popular former pop-up from partners Steven Lingenfelter, Laurie Dominguez, and Didier Stahl, hopes to move into its new brick-and-mortar home this November. Stahl told Zagat Atlanta the team has signed an agreement at the Virginia-Highland space that was previously home to Bar Meatball.

"We're hoping to be up and running in four to six weeks," says Stahl, depending on the build out and the permitting process. "We spent five minutes considering a few other options, but we found an investor and the perfect space at just the right time," says Stahl, adding that Illegal sent the landlord samples of their food and he "fell in love."

Illegal Food began as a pop-up in the kitchen at Edgewood Avenue's Joystick Gamebar, and immediately received accolades for its burger menu, particularly "The Hank," featuring iceberg lettuce, American cheese, pickles, sweet onion, "special sauce," and a Holeman & Finch bun. Zagat recently chose it as the best burger in Atlanta.

Joystick and Illegal Food parted ways at the end of August.

Bar Meatball announced on Facebook Wednesday that it was closed for good. Cousins Joe Maci and Joey Federici teamed up for the Italian restaurant, but it was open for less than seven months in the building at 1044 Greenwood Avenue. Before opening Bar Meatball, Maci operated his Mexican concept, Pozole, in the same space.