Best places to eat in Atlanta - from southern charms to the best take-out - travel blog

One of the advantages of repeat visits to a city is really learning where to eat (and where to avoid *looks at Waffle House*).

Atlanta is known for traditional southern food. Peanuts are one of the most famous crops in Georgia (think Jimmy Carter, the Peanut Farmer) and Peaches are also abundant (the Peach State). For traditional food, think biscuits (not what British people think of), shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, oysters, mac and cheese. It is hearty comfort food, with a lot of flavour.

Restaurants in Atlanta have played an important part in the history of the city, especially in the Civil Rights Movement, providing meeting places for civil rights campaigners and becoming the front line in the fight against the Jim Crow laws and the fight against discrimination.

Today the different influences on the city make for a vibrant food scene that has really come into its own in the last 10 years. Like many cities in southern states, Atlanta boasts its unique food heritage and has a fantastic range of Tex-Mex food. The variety of food including the different takes on bean-based meals are stunning.

Having spent a fair amount of time with locals, many of these are places I’ve found by word of mouth or, from wandering around a neighbourhood and stumbling in.

South City Kitchen

With four locations in Atlanta, South City Kitchen gives diners a high-end and contemporary taste of the south. South City also gave me my first encounter with “biscuits” (not what we think of in Britain, but something closer to a scone). The image on the right is probably one of the best prawn dishes I have ever eaten. In a hot tomato sauce, served with a wedge of bread and a crisp rose, I can still remember the meal well. The staff here were super-friendly and loved the British accent (it’s a bit of a rarity in the depths of Atlanta).

South City Kitchen isn’t the cheapest meal out you will find in Atlanta and certainly isn’t the most cost-effective way of trying southern food, but trust me, it is worth it.

Superica

3 burritos with refried beans on a plate

A Tex-Mex joint with four locations in Atlanta, Supercia offered one of the strongest margaritas I have found in the US and was paired with delicious guacamole and nachos and a simple chicken wrap that was full of flavour and really filling. I took away a piece of dulce de leche cake, not something I would have chosen without a push, but totally worth it. The whole restaurant had a great vibe – super relaxed and full of laughter.

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

Hattie B’s is a small chain of southern-style chicken, located in key cities in the south – from Atlanta to Birmingham, you will find a Hattie B’s.

We discovered Hattie B’s by chance – a desire for a takeaway and it being on Uber eats and were overwhelmed. It wasn’t an outlandish portion size – unusual for a takeaway in the US, wasn’t too greasy and wasn’t too heavy. The peach cobbler for dessert was a real treat too.

Cheesecake Factory

a piece of cheesecake with cream on the site.

No American I have met understood why I wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory! However as a huge fan of the Big Bang Theory as soon as I spotted a branch, I knew I had to go. In true American style, the pasta dishes we had were enough for a second dinner each. The best decision we made however was the Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake. Half a piece each (yes that photo is HALF) was enough and my.oh.my. I NEED it again!

Seven Lamps, Buckhead

Seven Lamps was an unexpected surprise. A treat of a team night out, with fantastic rosé and these small plates of grilled octopus, courgette fries, burrata, grilled salmon with veg, finished off with a chocolate-peanut butter brownie.

Chick-Fil-A

I feel as if I can claim Chick-Fil-A in this post as it’s one of the many gems in the US that was founded in Atlanta. It’s possibly some of the best takeaway chicken you could hope for – and the salads are fantastic as well.

What’s more, I was really impressed by the fact Chick-Fil-A has quite strict opening hours and has stuck to the founders belief in not opening on a Sunday. In this 24-hour world it would be so profitable to change this, however they believe their employees should have one day for family and worship. In this ever-connected world, I love that they continue to enforce this. I just need to not focus on some of the views of the management that come with this commitment to sunday closing.

The Flying Biscuit, Midtown.

I cannot remember much about this, except for it being a perfect final meal of the trip I had in June and really want to go back.