The Birria Taco Craze Hits Lindbergh This Fall

The Pineda family, the owners behind Marietta restaurant Birria el Gordo and its line-inducing birria tacos, open El Gordo across the street from 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar and the Lindbergh MARTA station this fall.

Part of the redevelopment by Rubenstein Partners of the Lindbergh City Center (rebranded to Uptown Atlanta,) the menu for El Gordo centers on Mexico City-style street tacos, including al pastor carved from a spit called a trompo. Also expected on the menu here are the family’s popular birria tacos, along with tequila cocktails from the bar.

Design plans call for table seating inside and at the small bar as well as a patio where live music from local DJs and mariachi bands will play throughout the week.

Joining El Gordo later this year is a yet-named restaurant from chef Vincent Jung and the owners of Korean barbecue restaurant Miss Gogi. Look for an a la carte menu of Korean dishes and barbecue meats served at Jung’s new Uptown Atlanta restaurant, which includes a dry-aging room, patio, and an indoor-outdoor bar flanking Main Street.

The owners of 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar are also in the process of renovating the patio at the Lindbergh restaurant located at the corner of Main Street and Lindbergh Lane, across from the Lindbergh MARTA station.

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Rubenstein Partners purchased Lindbergh City Center in 2019 for $187 million. According to Urbanize ATL, nearly half of the commercial spaces at the development were vacant by last summer. Longtime restaurant Taco Mac departed Uptown Atlanta last August, citing “safety challenges,” an “uptick in crime,” and other recent restaurant closures at the development as factors in the decision to leave.

Concerning the vacancies at Uptown Atlanta, Rubenstein told Urbanize ATL at the time that the company wanted to “appeal to younger, more tech-focused tenants” going forward to help reinvigorate the struggling development. Those plans include the opening of new restaurants offering more patio space and sidewalk dining and fresh facades on existing buildings along Main Street.

In addition to the Main Street revamp, the 47-acre mixed-use development should eventually feature connections to future portions of the BeltLine and South Fork trails, several community gathering spaces hosting events and art installations, and a large park.

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• Taco Mac Closes Its Longtime Lindbergh Location, Citing ‘Safety Challenges’ [EATL]
• An Edgewood Neighborhood Sandwich Shop Opens This Fall, Adding to Atlanta’s Growing Sandwich Culture [EATL]