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Juniper Cafe Bows Out of Westside Village in Northwest Atlanta

Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips plan to relocate Juniper Cafe further into town and open a new restaurant at Westside Village

A tray of spinach turnovers, egg tarts, and Georgia egg bread from Vietnamese cafe and bakery Juniper Cafe in Atlanta. Eric Sun
Beth McKibben is the editor and staff reporter for Eater Atlanta and has been covering food and cocktails locally and regionally for 12 years.

Just over a year after opening Juniper Cafe at Westside Village, chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips closed the Vietnamese cafe and bakery January 1, 2023, with plans to relocate the restaurant further into town. But Hsu and Phillips will continue operating the wholesale bakery arm of Juniper Cafe from the Marietta Boulevard location and are opening a new restaurant there later this year.

Hsu declined to provide further details on what led to the closure of Juniper Cafe and its relocation, or just what will replace the restaurant at Westside Village in 2023. However, Juniper Cafe’s relocation may come down to lack of foot traffic and street visibility. Despite praise from both local and national press for its food and cocktails, the restaurant didn’t quite capture the attention from diners it deserved at the northwest Atlanta development, a complex set along a busy four-lane road and heavily traveled truck route. Westside Village is also home to the Woodall, backed by the team behind Marlow’s Tavern, and a location of Ted’s Montana Grill.

Sausage bánh mì with chicken pate from Juniper Cafe in Atlanta. Eric Sun
Pho with oxtail broth and herbed tallow and rare beef from Juniper Cafe in Atlanta. Eric Sun

Named for Hsu’s niece and the tree-lined street populated with historic homes and restaurants in Midtown, Juniper Cafe serves pho, bún, bánh mì, spicy fried chicken, Vietnamese sausages, and summer rolls, along with fresh pastries baked daily.

The chefs, who first met while working at Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in New York, opened tasting menu restaurant Lazy Betty together in 2019. The name of the restaurant pays tribute to Hsu’s late mother Betty, a longtime Atlanta restaurateur. Hsu’s siblings, Howard and Anita, own Sweet Auburn BBQ in Poncey-Highland and are partners in neighboring Peruvian restaurant Tio Lucho’s.

Hsu and Phillips and Lazy Betty general manager and beverage director Carl Van Tyle Gilbert open Humble Pie at the Interlock on Howell Mill Road this winter, serving wood-fired pizzas and dessert pies. Gilbert is also a partner in Juniper Cafe.

The Interlock

1115 Howell Mill Road Northwest, , GA 30318 Visit Website

Juniper Cafe

2260 Marietta Boulevard Northwest, , GA 30318 (470) 427-3057 Visit Website

Lazy Betty

1530 DeKalb Avenue Northeast, , GA 30307 (404) 975-3692 Visit Website

Sweet Auburn BBQ

656 North Highland Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (678) 515-3550 Visit Website