Tupelo Honey Cafe Is Certified Open in Sandy Springs; Here's the Menu

Spreading like kudzu across the country, Tupelo Honey Cafe has officially arrived in Georgia. The Asheville-based chain opened for dinner Monday night in Sandy Springs, showcasing what ownership calls "Southern Appalachian cuisine". The Sandy Springs Gateway space that houses the restaurant features an open-air kitchen, lots of local, artwork, and an overall ambiance that won't let diners forget they're eating in the South.

The star of the menu is Tupelo Honey's shoo mercy pancake, a sweet potato pancake topped with whipped peach butter, spiced pecans, buttermilk fried chicken, apple cider bacon, and maple syrup. Other dinner entrees include slow-roasted wampus cat ribs smothered in a maple pepper bourbon glaze and pan-seared sea scallops served over ancient grains and wilted kale and arugula, drizzled with an apple cider reduction. At the bar, look for Southern twists on classic cocktails such as the watermelon mule, made with Old Forester bourbon, fresh pressed watermelon juice, and ginger syrup.

Tupelo Honey is starting off with dinner service only, Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight. Weekend brunch will debut on Saturday, July 16, and weekday lunch will follow on Monday, July 18. Take a look at the full dinner menu below.