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Brian Lewis closes his westside Atlanta restaurant Bocado on Saturday, March 27, after 12 years at the corner of Howell Mill Road and 8th Street. An email sent to the restaurant’s newsletter subscribers does not provide a reason for the closure on Howell Mill Road but indicates Lewis plans to reopen Bocado elsewhere.
“We’re looking forward to what’s in store for our new location. Stay tuned for an announcement about our move,” the statement reads in part. When reached for comment, a representative speaking on behalf of Lewis declined to disclose the reason behind the closure of the restaurant, but says Lewis definitely plans to reopen in the city, possibly in one of Atlanta’s westside neighborhoods.
The restaurant’s closure on Howell Mill Road comes as development booms from 14th Street to Northside Drive along the corridor. The property on which the restaurant resides is currently undergoing transformation into a 200,000-square-foot development dubbed 8West that appeared to incorporate Bocado in previous renderings.
Bocado, known for its double-stack burger, has seen several notable Atlanta chefs lead its kitchen over the years, including Todd Ginsberg (The General Muir, Wood’s Chapel BBQ), who first created the popular Bocado burger. It’s a perennial favorite on most Atlanta “best of” burger lists. Ginsberg came up with a new version of the burger for the General Muir, and later Fred’s Meat and Bread, featuring shaved onions, American cheese, bread and butter pickles, and mayo on a toasted bun. There’s an option to add a slab of pastrami at the General Muir, too.
Lewis opened a second location of Bocado in 2015 centered around the restaurant’s famed burger — aptly named Bocado Burger — at Avalon in Alpharetta. Bocado Bar and Diner opens this summer in Charlotte, North Carolina.
