10. Spicy Southern BBQ
The food at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q (with three locations throughout Atlanta) has been nationally recognized on several lists of the best BBQ in the U.S. While the place, which was founded by a pair of Texas twins who grew up with barbeque and thought the Peach State lacked the famous Texas flavors. The dishes are pretty sizable with a variety of proteins to pick for your sandwiches – smoked chicken, brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey and smoked oyster mushrooms. You'll also find an array of delicious sides the South is know for – macaroni and cheese, cornbread and spicy green beans. The place is casual with a fun atmosphere.
1. Funky southern comfort
Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson just opened his first restaurant in Atlanta, Marcus Bar and Grille. Located in the Old Fourth Ward, it's a vibrant and funky neighborhood bar and grill serving up southern comfort with flavors that Samuelsson is known for. They've got a giant wood oven and wood-fired grill at the heart of the restaurant, which is serving up brown sugar wings, Old Bay crab cakes and brisket over fries.
2. Downtown's iconic rotating restaurant
Resembling a flying saucer and 22 stories atop the Hyatt Regency – it's a legendary rooftop rotating restaurant and lounge called Polaris, newly reopened after closing at the start of the pandemic. The menu features sharable plates filled with meats, cheeses and produce from 70 area farms and food purveyors – and plenty of libations.
3. Fluffy, comforting biscuits
A quaint biscuit spot located in the Highland neighborhood, Bomb Biscuit Atlanta is the perfect place to pop in if you crave one of the best biscuit sandwiches in town. Some sandwich options include Lemon Pepper Chicken Biscuit, Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit, Carolina's Finest, and more. The full-fledged restaurant offers Council's fluffy buttermilk biscuit sandwiches, including her signature Glori-Fried chicken biscuit and breakfast standards like the BEC topped with American cheese.
4. Tapas on the rooftop
With a beautiful rooftop space overlooking Buckhead, Gypsy Kitchen is a must-visit restaurant with a view. Situated inside Buckhead Village District, the Pan-Mediterranean restaurant that serves up an eclectic mix of tapas with flavors from Spain, Greece and Lebanon to Morocco, Israel and beyond. You'll find lesser-known palate pleasers like Turkish coffee-rubbed brisket on the menu of shared plates.
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5. Chicken & waffles, and Ne-Yo
It's an original concept – Johnny's Chicken & Waffles – introduced to metro-Atlanta in 2020 by singer Ne-Yo and celebrity chef Crystal Smith. The restaurant is an 85-seat indoor dining space provide full-menu with booths, tables, high tops and bar seating. A take-out counter will serve pies baked fresh daily and a selection of café goods. The restaurant's signature menu item is the most popular brunch food in Georgia: chicken & waffles. The hybrid dish that combines breakfast and lunch is made with crispy and juicy fried chicken paired with fluffy and golden waffles. Other sweet, savory and satisfyingly good grub include party starter Cheddar Drop Biscuits with whipped honey butter and strawberry preserves.
6. Vegan burger joint
Bringing vegan options and food awareness to Atlanta's West End has always been a life dream of Pinky Cole, founder of The Slutty Vegan. She has built an empire dedicated to reinventing vegan food culture, where vegans can break free from kale and quinoa salads. The restaurant serves up Sloppy Toppy (plant-based patty loaded with jalapenos, vegan cheese on a vegan Hawaiian bun), Big Dawg (plant-based bratwurst on a vegan pretzel bun), Tenderonis (Crispy, plant-based Chick'N tenders served hot & ready for dipping). It seemed to have worked because Slutty Vegan now has five existing locations Atlanta (and five in other cities).
7. Giant steaks from a 'Chopped' winner
After years of building blockbuster restaurants for other entrepreneurs, chef and TV personality Kevin Rathbun decided to make his long-time dream a reality. Now, Kevin Rathbun Steak has two locations (also KR Steakbar) in Atlanta, serving filet mignon, ribeye and wagyu beef, as well as chilled seafood (such as oysters on the half shell) and hot appetizers like baked escargot.
8. Hearty Southern breakfast
Celebrity hairstylist turned restaurateur Gocha Hawkins opened the upscale, friendly spot in the Cascade area called Gocha's Breakfast Bar in 2018 and was an instant hit. The menu includes hearty options like the Salmon Grit Cake, Shrimp and Grits, Georgia Peach Stack and Krunch-tastic French Toast. The restaurant, which stays open until 3 p.m., also serves lunch fare, like Impossible Sweet Potato Nachos, Black Bean Energy Bowl and Crabcake Sliders.
9. Fine dining al fresco
If you're looking for a place to have a great night and great food, Aria in Buckhead has been a fine dining staple for 20+ years. The restaurant, which has a covered and heated patio, offers visually striking dishes in an elegant yet comfortable setting, which appeals to a younger generation of diners. The beef short rib has been on the menu since day one is highly recommended, along with the butter braised lobster, slow braised pork and lump crab cakes. There's also a walk-in ready bar and lounge for drinks and snacks.
Advertisement
10. Spicy Southern BBQ
The food at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q (with three locations throughout Atlanta) has been nationally recognized on several lists of the best BBQ in the U.S. While the place, which was founded by a pair of Texas twins who grew up with barbeque and thought the Peach State lacked the famous Texas flavors. The dishes are pretty sizable with a variety of proteins to pick for your sandwiches – smoked chicken, brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey and smoked oyster mushrooms. You'll also find an array of delicious sides the South is know for – macaroni and cheese, cornbread and spicy green beans. The place is casual with a fun atmosphere.
1. Funky southern comfort
Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson just opened his first restaurant in Atlanta, Marcus Bar and Grille. Located in the Old Fourth Ward, it's a vibrant and funky neighborhood bar and grill serving up southern comfort with flavors that Samuelsson is known for. They've got a giant wood oven and wood-fired grill at the heart of the restaurant, which is serving up brown sugar wings, Old Bay crab cakes and brisket over fries.
2. Downtown's iconic rotating restaurant
Resembling a flying saucer and 22 stories atop the Hyatt Regency – it's a legendary rooftop rotating restaurant and lounge called Polaris, newly reopened after closing at the start of the pandemic. The menu features sharable plates filled with meats, cheeses and produce from 70 area farms and food purveyors – and plenty of libations.
3. Fluffy, comforting biscuits
A quaint biscuit spot located in the Highland neighborhood, Bomb Biscuit Atlanta is the perfect place to pop in if you crave one of the best biscuit sandwiches in town. Some sandwich options include Lemon Pepper Chicken Biscuit, Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit, Carolina's Finest, and more. The full-fledged restaurant offers Council's fluffy buttermilk biscuit sandwiches, including her signature Glori-Fried chicken biscuit and breakfast standards like the BEC topped with American cheese.
4. Tapas on the rooftop
With a beautiful rooftop space overlooking Buckhead, Gypsy Kitchen is a must-visit restaurant with a view. Situated inside Buckhead Village District, the Pan-Mediterranean restaurant that serves up an eclectic mix of tapas with flavors from Spain, Greece and Lebanon to Morocco, Israel and beyond. You'll find lesser-known palate pleasers like Turkish coffee-rubbed brisket on the menu of shared plates.
Advertisement
5. Chicken & waffles, and Ne-Yo
It's an original concept – Johnny's Chicken & Waffles – introduced to metro-Atlanta in 2020 by singer Ne-Yo and celebrity chef Crystal Smith. The restaurant is an 85-seat indoor dining space provide full-menu with booths, tables, high tops and bar seating. A take-out counter will serve pies baked fresh daily and a selection of café goods. The restaurant's signature menu item is the most popular brunch food in Georgia: chicken & waffles. The hybrid dish that combines breakfast and lunch is made with crispy and juicy fried chicken paired with fluffy and golden waffles. Other sweet, savory and satisfyingly good grub include party starter Cheddar Drop Biscuits with whipped honey butter and strawberry preserves.
6. Vegan burger joint
Bringing vegan options and food awareness to Atlanta's West End has always been a life dream of Pinky Cole, founder of The Slutty Vegan. She has built an empire dedicated to reinventing vegan food culture, where vegans can break free from kale and quinoa salads. The restaurant serves up Sloppy Toppy (plant-based patty loaded with jalapenos, vegan cheese on a vegan Hawaiian bun), Big Dawg (plant-based bratwurst on a vegan pretzel bun), Tenderonis (Crispy, plant-based Chick'N tenders served hot & ready for dipping). It seemed to have worked because Slutty Vegan now has five existing locations Atlanta (and five in other cities).
7. Giant steaks from a 'Chopped' winner
After years of building blockbuster restaurants for other entrepreneurs, chef and TV personality Kevin Rathbun decided to make his long-time dream a reality. Now, Kevin Rathbun Steak has two locations (also KR Steakbar) in Atlanta, serving filet mignon, ribeye and wagyu beef, as well as chilled seafood (such as oysters on the half shell) and hot appetizers like baked escargot.
8. Hearty Southern breakfast
Celebrity hairstylist turned restaurateur Gocha Hawkins opened the upscale, friendly spot in the Cascade area called Gocha's Breakfast Bar in 2018 and was an instant hit. The menu includes hearty options like the Salmon Grit Cake, Shrimp and Grits, Georgia Peach Stack and Krunch-tastic French Toast. The restaurant, which stays open until 3 p.m., also serves lunch fare, like Impossible Sweet Potato Nachos, Black Bean Energy Bowl and Crabcake Sliders.
9. Fine dining al fresco
If you're looking for a place to have a great night and great food, Aria in Buckhead has been a fine dining staple for 20+ years. The restaurant, which has a covered and heated patio, offers visually striking dishes in an elegant yet comfortable setting, which appeals to a younger generation of diners. The beef short rib has been on the menu since day one is highly recommended, along with the butter braised lobster, slow braised pork and lump crab cakes. There's also a walk-in ready bar and lounge for drinks and snacks.
Advertisement
10. Spicy Southern BBQ
The food at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q (with three locations throughout Atlanta) has been nationally recognized on several lists of the best BBQ in the U.S. While the place, which was founded by a pair of Texas twins who grew up with barbeque and thought the Peach State lacked the famous Texas flavors. The dishes are pretty sizable with a variety of proteins to pick for your sandwiches – smoked chicken, brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey and smoked oyster mushrooms. You'll also find an array of delicious sides the South is know for – macaroni and cheese, cornbread and spicy green beans. The place is casual with a fun atmosphere.
Related: Futurist Jeffrey C. Bauer announced as a 2023 Expo keynote
If you haven't made your travel plans yet, we recommend adding an extra day or two and treating yourself to a taste of everything the city has to offer. Check out the slideshow above for some recommendations.
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Lynn Cavanaugh
Lynn Varacalli Cavanaugh is Senior Editor, Retirement at BenefitsPRO. Prior, she was editor-in-chief of the What's New in Benefits & Compensation newsletter. She has worked for major firms in the employee benefits space, Vanguard and Willis Towers Watson, as well as top media companies, including Condé Nast and American Media.
