Last Word Has Closed, Will Be Replaced by Evan Cordes’s Cast Iron

After a series of changes, departures, and pop-ups, Last Word’s run on Highland Avenue has come to an end. Owner Bernard Moussa confirmed over the weekend he has officially closed the Old Fourth Ward restaurant, and a replacement for the space is already on board.

“It is with great sadness that we have to close the doors for our restaurant,” Moussa said in an email to Eater Atlanta. “It has been a privilege to be part of a great neighborhood. We thank every person who worked there, all family and friends who helped along the way, and above all every guest that came through our doors.”

Last Word originally opened in November 2014, helmed by co-chefs Matt Palmerlee and Eddie Russell. By April 2015, Palmerlee and Russell were out, replaced by Layla Walk. Walk and beverage director Cole Younger Just left in March 2016 as the restaurant’s future became murky. A few pop-ups, including chef Andy Tran’s Ramen Crush and Marco Serrano’s Taco Night, took over Last Word in spring and early summer, but the space has been quiet in recent weeks.

Now, chef Evan Cordes will open a new restaurant called Cast Iron at 701-5 Highland Ave. NE. Slated to begin service sometime this fall, Cordes tells Eater Atlanta his menu will feature “seasonal dishes for all occasions or no occasion at all, nothing too fancy.” Initial plans call for dinner service Tuesday through Sunday, complemented by weekend brunch.

Cordes’s prior kitchen experience includes time under Billy Allin at Cakes & Ale and Scott Serpas at Serpas True Food, and he held a six-month stint running the kitchen at H. Harper Station in 2011. More recently, Cordes says he has spent the last year in Savannah, and Cast Iron marks his return to the kitchen after three years away from restaurants.

• Layla Walk and Cole Younger Just Are Out at Last Word [EATL]

• All Last Word Coverage [EATL]

• All Shutters [EATL]