Muss and Turners is now considered a staple on the Smyrna-Vinings dining scene, and a restaurant typically crowded on weekends with casual date nights and families enjoying a meal together after a long week. But head here on Mondays for a quiet bite to eat, before slipping behind the cooler door for a drink after dinner at Eleanor’s, the restaurant’s intimate cocktail bar. Outdoor seating available.

People seeking Gullah- and Lowcountry-style dishes on a Monday, like crab rice, Gullah egg rolls stuffed with red rice, cabbage, and shrimp, and bowls of she-crab soup, can now find it all and more at Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen in College Park. Make sure to finish a meal here with the Chucktown Chewie sundae. Outdoor seating available.

Open daily in College Park for lunch and dinner, this area favorite is a great option for vegetarians seeking a hearty, meatless meal on a Monday. However, Bole is still accommodating for meat lovers. Order lamb and beef to scoop into injera and a glass of honey wine here.

Lines for fried chicken and other soul food classics tend to get long at this Vine City restaurant institution, especially on the weekends. The move is to head here on a Monday for some of the city’s best fried chicken, alongside an assortment of other Southern meat-and-three staples. The fried chicken at Busy Bee is marinated for 12 hours, hand-breaded, and fried. If that isn’t enticing enough, get the smothered version, which is topped with pan gravy. 

Getting a reservation at chef Steven Satterfield’s award-winning west side restaurant can be challenging on busy dining days. Head in on a Monday for a quieter meal filled with fresh Southern cooking using locally grown vegetables and sustainable meats. The farm egg baked in celery cream with grilled bread is a must-try Atlanta dish. Miller Union also has one of the best vegetable plates in town and offers a killer wine list, too. Reservations encouraged. Outdoor seating available.

All four locations of Malaysian restaurant Food Terminal leave no stone unturned in terms of the food offered on the multi-page menu. Order everything from chicken curry, five-spice shrimp rolls, and spicy wontons to Hainanese chicken, mango tofu, and Cheese n Cheese with tomato braised fried rice topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, bacon, spam, corn, and onions. Locations in Atlanta, Chamblee, Sandy Springs, and Alpharetta.

This Midtown staple is where owner and chef Nan Niyomkul showcases her passion for cooking the foods of her native Thailand in beautifully presented dishes. Expect panang talay with jumbo prawn, sea scallops, and calamari, Thai barbecue lamb chops (geah yang) in a kaffir lime honey glaze, and a sampler platter called Nan’s Tasting Tree, which comprises nearly every appetizer offered. Reservations encouraged.

Looking for a tasting menu experience or a fancy dinner on a Monday evening? Atlas, located inside the swanky St. Regis Hotel in Buckhead, offers a tasting menu with wine pairings alongside the restaurant’s a la carte dishes and decadent desserts. Reservations highly encouraged.

Storico Fresco in Buckhead is likely one of the best places in Atlanta to buy and consume fresh-made pastas. But getting a seat at this restaurant and Italian market can be difficult without a reservation, especially on the weekends. Head in on a Monday for lunch or dinner and pasta dishes like Storico’s popular cacio e pepe, squid ink ravioli with salmon belly, or lasagna alla bolognese. Outdoor seating available.

Mondays are likely the best day of the week to grab a seat at the bar or meet up with friends for dinner at this popular Krog Street Market restaurant. Weekends here tend to be packed with patrons and with folks waiting for seats to become available in the small dining room or at the eight-seat bar. The New England-style tavern is where to head for an Ipswich clam roll, vegan noodle bowl, veal sweetbreads, or the crowd-pleasing (and feeding) chuckwagon steak platter paired with some of the city’s best cocktails or a top-notch glass of wine. Reservations highly encouraged.

Mondays at this DeKalb Avenue pizzeria include platters of giant crab legs on special served with butter and lemon and a side corn cobs and biscuits. Make sure to pair dinner with an ice cold martini, too. A dirty martini here often comes with extra cocktail in a shaker for topping off. Outdoor seating available.

Every Sunday through Tuesday, the petite Candler Park restaurant transforms into Gigi’s Italian Kitchen. Expect “New York-style Italian food” on the menu here, including dishes like chicken marsala, marinated mussels, fritto misto, and buttermilk panna cotta with Georgia peaches. Gigi’s: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Follow on Instagram for menu updates. Outdoor seating available.

This congenial neighborhood restaurant and bar typically closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and tends to get busy on weekends. But come in on a Monday evening for a quiet dinner of spicy peanut cold noodles, grilled cheese on sourdough with tomato jam, or marinated mussels served with a side of focaccia. If the sesame wings are on the menu here, order a basket of drums and flats immediately. Pair dinner with an ice cold tallboy, a cocktail, or a glass of wine. Outdoor seating available.

Just south of Buford Highway Farmer’s Market, this Korean restaurant serves up traditional meaty grilled delights in its sprawling dining room paired with plenty of banchan on the side. Make sure to keep an eye out for lunch specials here, too. The restaurant also offers a variety of other Korean fare on the menu, including kimchi-jjigae, japchae, seafood pancakes, and bibimbap.

Matthew’s Cafeteria has been slinging Southern favorites since 1955. This family-owned restaurant in Tucker remains one of the best spots in metro Atlanta for meat-and-three platters and fried chicken that tastes like granny made it. Diners travel from around ATL to eat at this old school cafeteria, and it rarely disappoints with its array of Southern comfort foods. Drive-thru service available.