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How to Eat Through Atlanta in One Day

Make that one day in Atlanta count with this 24-hour guide to dining and drinking in and around Georgia’s capital city

Sydney Foster

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Atlanta’s population is booming as people discover there’s more to this Southern city than conferences, Coca-Cola, sports, and traffic. Months-long warm weather conducive to outdoor dining and a diverse culinary scene mean endless eating options, from French fare, soul food, and Brazilian dishes to Korean cuisine, barbecue, and all-day brunch. Atlanta also features a thriving pop-up food scene that shouldn’t be missed and is the driving force behind the next generation of restaurants opening here.

In Atlanta for a short stay or visiting for a holiday and looking for places to eat? Consider this 24-hour food tour as merely an introduction to the South’s gateway city, and get to know ATL in the best way possible — through food. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of other restaurants to explore during that next visit to Atlanta.

It’s best to take MARTA (rail or bus) whenever possible or to travel by Lyft or Uber.

8 a.m. - Comfy biscuit at Home Grown

Start the day off with one of Atlanta’s most iconic (and super filling) dishes, the comfy biscuit at Home Grown in the Reynoldstown neighborhood. This Memorial Drive restaurant is a breakfast favorite among locals and chefs. The biscuit is topped with fried chicken and smothered in sausage gravy. There’s almost always a wait on the weekends, but it’s definitely worth it. Take a post-breakfast stroll through the beautiful and historic Oakland Cemetery, one mile west on Memorial in Grant Park. Read more about the comfy chicken biscuit and its cult status in Atlanta. Located within walking distance of the Eastside Beltline. Accessible via MARTA buses 21 and 107.

BREAKFAST ALTERNATIVES: Lee’s Bakery on Buford Highway for an early morning bowl of hot pho (and maybe some crispy spring rolls) and jasmine tea. Java Jive on Ponce De Leon Avenue is a longtime institution in Atlanta with its retro decor and hearty diner breakfast dishes like the Sante Fe scramble and delicious biscuits. West Egg Cafe at Westside Provisions District for sour cream pancakes with spiced honey butter or the blue plate (eggs, biscuit, breakfast meat, roasted garlic grits or skillet potatoes). Julianna’s in Inman Park for Hungarian-style crepes and coffee. Le Petit Marche in Kirkwood for breakfast scrambles, grit stacks, and even seafood gumbo.

10:30 a.m. — Lattes and scones Garnet Gal’s Coffee Shop & Bakery

Pat Azogu opened this coffee shop and bakery in 2019 at Lenox Village, bringing Buckhead a place to grab organic coffee and crafty lattes and pastries, baked goods, and sandwiches all made from scratch using local and healthful, wholesome ingredients. Many food items on this menu are vegan, too. Order a smoothie or seasonal latte paired with a citrus cardamom scone. Or try a sweet potato biscuit or the vegan apple carrot muffin. Accessible via MARTA bus 27 .

Garnet Gal’s Coffee Shop

MID-MORNING ALTERNATIVES: Buzz Coffee and Winehouse on Cascade for nitro coffee on draft and macarons or a daily pastry (wine and wine cocktails served later in the day, alongside sandwiches and sharable snacks). Larakin in Midtown for no-nonsense coffee and espresso paired with biscuits and focaccia, tinned fish, and cheese and charcuterie with wine in the afternoons and evenings (currently BYOB). Golden Drops Cafe in Decatur for Latin American pastries and sandwiches, including guava and cheese empanadas, and coffee. The Daily in Berkeley Park or Inman Park for a black sesame latte and seasonal salad filled with local greens and grains.

1:00 p.m. — Lunch at Daily Chew

This cafe from chef Julia Kesler Imerman features coffee, protein breakfast bowls, and shakshuka in the morning, followed by rotisserie chicken pitas and salad and grain bowls in the afternoon all leaning into Imerman’s Jewish and South African roots. For lunch, order the vegan rotisserie cauliflower and eggplant bowl mixed with house-made hummus, local greens, sumac onions, and avocado tossed in a lemon herb dressing and green tahini. Or try the generously stuffed rotisserie chicken pita with hummus, local greens, Calabrian aioli, red pepper sauce, tahini, and green onions. Make sure to order the za’atar fries and one of the cafe’s fresh-pressed juices. Accessible via MARTA bus 27.

Daily Chew

LUNCH ALTERNATIVES: Lan Zhou Ramen for hand-pulled noodles and dumplings on Buford Highway. Busy Bee Cafe on the edge of Vine City for some of Atlanta’s most iconic fried chicken served with an assortment of Southern and soul food sides. Wagaya in Home Park or Emory Village for jewel boxes featuring sashimi or teriyaki or katsu proteins with rice, greens, edamame, pickles, cucumbers, baby radishes, and miso soup. Fishmonger in Poncey-Highland for one of the city’s best blackened grouper sandwiches and other daily seafood specials. BonaFide Deluxe in Edgewood for seriously legit deli sandwiches, like the chopped chicken or porchetta melt. Get the pickled beets.

3:30 p.m. - Exploring Sweet Auburn Curb Market

Grab a snack from one of the many food stalls at the Municipal Market (Sweet Auburn Curb Market) in downtown Atlanta, like Jamaican beef patties from Afrodish or poke and egg rolls from O’ Mi Ga. Wash it down with a cold-pressed juice or smoothie from Rawesome Juicery or order coffee and gelato from Three Peaches. Then explore the market’s produce, meat, and seafood vendors. Make sure to pick up some pralines from Miss D’s. Accessible via the Atlanta street car and MARTA bus 3.

The Municipal Market known locally as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market offers a variety of food stalls alongside its meat, seafood, and produce vendors.
The Municipal Market known locally as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market offers a variety of food stalls alongside its meat, seafood, and produce vendors.
Ryan Fleisher

MID-AFTERNOON ALTERNATIVES: Just Add Honey for tea service and light snacks on John Wesley Dobbs. Bread and Butterfly for coffee, wine, or an aperitif and a scone, a slice of quiche du jour, or rice croquettes. Yay Beignet at Irwin Street Market for beignets dipped in praline sauce and a cup of Ethiopian coffee. Explore the many food stalls at Plaza Fiesta on Buford Highway.

5:30 p.m. — Garden patio happy hour at Staplehouse

Before heading to dinner, grab a charcuterie and cheese spread and a bottle of wine to share with friends at Staplehouse, an Edgewood Avenue neighborhood market offering a menu of daily dishes from its back counter. Food here ranges from meaty grinders and perfectly smoked pork tacos to wood-fired pizzas and burrata and farro bowls topped with a jammy egg. Order cocktails, wine, or beer and head out back to the covered patio or find a seat at one of the tables in the garden. Accessible via the Eastside Beltline trail.

The newly opened Staplehouse market on Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta with two people ordering meats and cheese at the counter from a masked employee during the pandemic of 2020 Ryan Fleisher

HAPPY HOUR ALTERNATIVES: Located next door to Staplehouse, Biggerstaff Brewing Co. is a brewpub serving shareable snacks, like smoked Vidalia onion rings and crispy cornbread bites, paired with pale ales, pilsners, lagers, and sours. Martinis and shrimp cocktail or cheesy bread at LLoyd’s on DeKalb Avenue. Poor Hendrix in East Lake for cocktails, wine, or beer and basket of sticky sesame wings. Happy hour at Thai restaurant Talat Market in Summerhill should include shrimp chips and wine or a martini made with vodka, gin, or pisco. Ranger Station in the Old Fourth Ward above Ladybird Mess Hall for snacks and national park-themed cocktails like the El Capitan made with sage and cardamon-infused gin.

7:45 p.m. - Dinner at Gigi’s Italian Kitchen and Restaurant

Chefs Eric Brooks and Jacob Armando transformed their former pop-up into a permanent restaurant in Candler Park in 2022. A cozy Italian bistro with tables draped in red checkered linens set off by candlelight and flowers, this now award-winning restaurant serves a menu of traditional red sauce classics made with in-season produce and fresh-made pastas. Expect dishes like rigatoni fazool with cowpeas replacing cannellini beans and chicken marsala served with daily-baked focaccia. Dessert features Gigi’s popular tiramisu, and a tight list of cocktails includes the Dirty Gigi martini and a rye Old Fashioned punched up with espresso and coffee bitters. Limited reservations due to small dining room. Prepare to wait or get here early to be seated quickly without a reservation. Accessible via Candler Park MARTA station.

Sydney Foster

DINNER ALTERNATIVES: Lucian Books and Wine for seasonal dishes (try the duck) and a carefully curated wine list by co-owner and sommelier Jordan Smelt. Peruse the shelves to purchase books thoughtfully selected by co-owner Katie Barringer with titles on art, food, and architecture. Highland Tap, a local hangout in Virginia-Highland for below-street-level steaks, martinis, and chill vibes. Little Bear in Summerhill for a low-key meal of wildly creative food, drinks, and natural wine from chef Jarrett Stieber. OK Yaki in East Atlanta for great takes on Japanese street food, like okonomiyaki, and cocktails leaning into ingredients and flavors from Japan. Check out Laotian pop-up So So Fed at OK Yaki on Sunday and Monday evenings.

10:30 p.m. - Drinks and snacks or dessert Whoopsie’s

Head over to Reynoldstown and the delightfully unpretentious bar and restaurant Whoopsie’s for late-night snacks and bites from chef and co-owner Hudson Rouse and outstanding takes on classic cocktails from barman and co-owner Tim Faulkner. Order the snack tray of deviled eggs, house-made chow chow, pimento cheese, and pickled vegetables with toast points or the Tarzan’s Delight, based on Rouse’s grandmother’s chocolate mousse ice box pie. There’s also prime rib dinners, meaty sandwiches, and fresh seasonal salads for hungry night owls. Pair with an amaretto sour or an El Presidente from Faulkner, or try one of the fun and funky wines on the daily specials menu. Whoopsie’s is only 40 seats, so prepare to wait for a table or bar seat during prime hours. Accessible via MARTA busses 4, 32, 74.

Matt Wong
The Southern snack tray with pickled vegetables, pimento cheese, olives, deviled eggs, and toast points from Whoopsie’s in Atlanta sits in a plastic partitioned cafeteria tray. Matt Wong

LATE-NIGHT ALTERNATIVES: Led by longtime Atlanta bartender Kysha Cyrus, Mambo Zombi resides just above Georgia Beer Garden. Step into a space (via a neon-lit pink coffin) themed after celebrations like Día de los Muertos for Caribbean-style drinks and classic cocktails. La Pastorcita for late-night tacos on Buford Highway. Local haunt Octopus Bar in East Atlanta Village for drinks and snacking into the wee hours. Our Bar ATL on Edgewood for drinks, dancing, and late-night wings or food from an automat. Northside Tavern for cheap beer, shots, and Blues music. Grab a King slice from Edgewood Pizzeria on Edgewood Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward. Midtown Bowl for late-night bowling, snacks, and close to 200 local, domestic, and imported craft beers.

1 a.m. - Beer and a show at the Clermont Lounge

Hit up the infamous Clermont Lounge in the basement of the Hotel Clermont on Ponce, directly beneath restaurant Tiny Lou’s (another great option for dinner in Atlanta.) This iconic strip bar is a frequent stop for both tourists and locals, and has been for over 50 years. The dubious vice den is where to head for PBR and a peep show filled with aging strippers, including beloved Atlanta icon, Blondie. Watch the Atlanta living legend crush a few beer cans between her breasts. Absolutely no photos allowed. Lyft or Uber. Buses tend to stop running after 1 a.m.

Signage at the Clermont Lounge. Clermont Lounge

8 a.m. - Redemptive breakfast at R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill

Seek out the comfort foods found on the menu R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill on Peachtree Street in Brookwood Hills. After more than 30 years, R. Thomas’ is still bringing a healthy dose of breakfast and brunch paired with strong coffee and power smoothies. The menu here caters to folks living vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free lifestyles, too. Try the breakfast quesadilla in a sun-dried tomato tortilla filled with eggs, cream cheese, basil, cheddar, bacon, peppers, and onions or the breakfast stew with red potato corn chowder, quinoa, and veggies topped with dulse and nori. Accessible via MARTA bus 110.

R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill R. Thomas Deluxe Grill [Official]

BREAKFAST ALTERNATIVES: Bomb Biscuit for chicken biscuits and a cinnamon bun at the restaurant on North Highland Avenue. Panaderia Karina for a bean and cheese pupusa and a side of plantains and coffee in Forest Park. Mount Paran Country Store in Buckhead for gas station biscuits and biscuit sandwiches. Sublime Doughnuts on 10th Street for an A-Town Cream, a chocolate-glazed, A-shaped doughnut filled with custard. Omni Coffee and Eggs in Castleberry Hill for creative lattes like sweet potato, dulce apple, and blueberry lavender, as well as cortados, strong cold brews, and frozen coffee. Pair with a BEC or one of the daily breakfast burritos or bowls. A popular destination for breakfast, Petit Chou serves up French bistro-style dishes with a Southern spin in Cabbagetown.

Northside Tavern

1058 Howell Mill Road Northwest, , GA 30318 (404) 874-8745 Visit Website

Home Grown

968 Memorial Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 404-222-0455 Visit Website

Staplehouse

541 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30312 (404) 524-5005 Visit Website

Georgia Beer Garden

420 Edgewood Avenue Northeast, , GA 30312 (404) 458-5690 Visit Website

Talat Market

112 Ormond Street Southeast, , GA 30315 (404) 257-6255 Visit Website

Lan Zhou Ramen

5231 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA 30340 678-691-2175

Hotel Clermont

789 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (470) 485-0485 Visit Website

Southern Belle

1043 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (404) 698-3961 Visit Website

Georgia Boy

1043 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (404) 698-3961 Visit Website

Mambo Zombi

420 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30312

Ticonderoga Club

99 Krog Street Northeast, , GA 30307 (404) 458-4534 Visit Website

So Ba

560 Gresham Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 404 627 9911 Visit Website

West Egg Cafe

1100 Howell Mill Road, , GA 30318 (404) 872-3973 Visit Website

Momonoki

95 8th Street Northwest, , GA 30309 (404) 390-3025 Visit Website

8ARM

710 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 Visit Website

Java Jive

790 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (404) 876-6161 Visit Website

LLoyd's Restaurant & Lounge

900 DeKalb Avenue Northeast, , GA 30307 (404) 228-7227 Visit Website

El Tesoro

1374 Arkwright Place Southeast, , GA 30317 (470) 440-5502 Visit Website

Con Leche

181 Flat Shoals Avenue Southeast, , GA 30316 Visit Website

Yay Beignet

660 Irwin Street Northeast, , GA 30312 (470) 289-1613

Ranger Station

684 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue Northeast, , GA 30312 (925) 989-0076

Octopus Bar

560 Gresham Avenue Southeast, , GA 30316 (404) 627-9911 Visit Website

Krog Street Market

99 Krog Street Northeast, , GA 30307 Visit Website

Brush Sushi Izakaya

316 Church Street, , GA 30030 (678) 949-9412 Visit Website

Le Petit Marche

1984 Hosea L Williams Drive Northeast, , GA 30317 (404) 371-9888 Visit Website

Atlanta Breakfast Club

249 Ivan Allen Junior Boulevard Northwest, , GA 30313 (470) 428-3825 Visit Website

Edgewood Pizzeria

478 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30312 (404) 522-5512 Visit Website

La Pastorcita

3304 Buford Highway Northeast, , GA 30329 (678) 705-8162

Panaderia Karina

541 Forest Parkway, , GA 30297 (678) 927-9188

Lucian Books and Wine

3005 Peachtree Road Northeast, , GA 30305 (404) 549-2655 Visit Website

BUZZ Coffee and Winehouse

2315 Cascade Road, , GA 30311 (404) 748-4114 Visit Website

Fishmonger

674 North Highland Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (678) 705-9538 Visit Website

Gato

1660 McLendon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30307 (404) 371-0889 Visit Website

Busy Bee Cafe

810 Martin Luther King Junior Drive Southwest, , GA 30314 (404) 525-9212 Visit Website

Poor Hendrix

2371 Hosea L Williams Drive Southeast, , GA 30317 (404) 549-8756 Visit Website

Petit Chou

662 Memorial Drive Southeast, , GA 30312 (470) 270-8996 Visit Website

Westside Provisions District

1198 Howell Mill Road, , GA 30318 (678) 974-1940 Visit Website

Highland Tap

1026 North Highland Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (404) 875-3673 Visit Website

Our Bar ATL

339 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30312 (678) 929-8380 Visit Website

Daily Chew

2127 Liddell Drive Northeast, , GA 30324 (404) 600-4155 Visit Website

Kimball House

303 East Howard Avenue, , GA 30030 (404) 378-3502 Visit Website

Euclid Avenue Yacht Club

1136 Euclid Avenue Northeast, , GA 30307 (678) 973-0427 Visit Website

Sublime Doughnuts

535 10th Street Northwest, , GA 30318 (404) 897-1801 Visit Website

The Clermont Lounge

789 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

Rawesome Juicery

209 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30303 (404) 996-6698 Visit Website

Momo Cafe

95 8th Street Northwest, , GA 30309 (404) 390-3025 Visit Website

Buteco

1039 Grant Street Southeast, , GA 30315 (404) 963-2929 Visit Website

Midtown Bowl

1936 Piedmont Circle Northeast, , GA 30324 (404) 874-5703 Visit Website

The Municipal Market

209 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30303 Visit Website

OK YAKI

714 Moreland Avenue Southeast, , GA 30316 (404) 999-9254 Visit Website

Larakin

208 12th Street Northeast, , GA 30309 Visit Website
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