You are currently viewing 49 Best Places to Eat in Atlanta Food Bucket ListPin

49 Best Places to Eat in Atlanta Food Bucket List

When people ask us where we’re from, we usually say Atlanta. Even though we move around quite a bit, Jacob was born and raised here, I lived here more years than any other city, plus our parents still live in Atlanta. Though Local Adventurer has us eating through many other cities in the US, we’ve always had a deep appreciation for the food in Atlanta.

Best Places to Eat in AtlantaPin

This post may contain affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. All opinions are always our own. Read our full disclosure for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

Last Updated: September 25, 2021

Unlike Portland, which we think is overrated for their food, Atlanta is quite the opposite. There is also so much more diversity in the types of cuisine you can get here and it’s authentic since Atlanta is such a melting pot.

For Korean food especially, LA is the only city in the US that does it better. You can even forget NYC. The one downside is that you don’t have as many healthy options as the West Coast cities, so we gain weight every time we visit. That’s what vacays are for right?

I like to cross-reference hundreds of lists to find the best spots in each city. Have you watched Master of None? I will spend so much time researching the restaurants that by the time I get there, they are closed. 😂😭  Since we’ve done the work for you, you won’t have to worry about that.

Every time we come back to visit family and friends, we always make it a point to try a new spot, so we’ll keep updating this list as new spots pop up!

49 Best Places to Eat in Atlanta GA Food Bucket List

BUFORD HWY

  1.  Pho Dai Loi 2 (Buford Hwy, Vietnamese, 💰) – If you’re craving pho, this is our regular spot.
  2.  Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl (Buford Hwy, Korean, 💰💰) – Their ingredients taste way fresher than other Korean restaurants and the grandma is so nice. I usually order the tofu soup or kimchi jjigae, which I almost never order at restaurants since it’s so easy to make at home. Hate to admit it, but theirs is just better.
  3.  Sushi Hayakawa (Buford Hwy, Japanese, 💰💰💰) – They now only serve traditional Japanese food. It’s probably the best sushi in town, and we always love ordering the Ikura Don.

BUCKHEAD

  1.  Atlas (Buckhead, New American / Cocktail Bar, 💰💰💰)
  2.  Bones (Buckhead, Steakhouses, 💰💰💰💰)
  3.  Holeman and Finch (Buckhead, Gastropub, 💰💰) – Burger and spell island clams
  4.  King & Duke (Buckhead, New American, 💰💰💰)
  5.  Umi Sushi (Buckhead, Sushi, 💰💰💰💰)

DECATUR

  1.  Brick Store Pub (Decatur, Pubs / American, 💰💰) – Great beer selection and good food. I almost always order the Brunswick Stew, but everything we’ve tried has been good.
  2.  Chai Pani (Decatur, Indian, 💰💰)
  3. Leon’s Full Service (Decatur, Gastropubs, 💰💰)
  4.  The Iberian Pig (Decatur, Spanish, 💰💰💰) – great date spot, don’t forget to get the bacon wrapped dates
  5.  Kimball House (Decatur, New American / Cocktail Bar, 💰💰💰)
  6.  Revival (Decatur, Southern, 💰💰💰) – need to try the fried chicken and also the toasted deviled ham tea sandwiches.

DOWNTOWN

  1.  Busy Bee Cafe (Downtown, Soul Food, 💰💰)
  2.  Gunshow (Downtown, New American / Southern, 💰💰💰)

INMAN PARK

  1.  BoccaLupo (Inman Park, Italian / American, 💰💰)
  2.  Bread & Butterfly (Inman Park, Cafes / French, 💰💰)
  3.  Fox Bros Bar-B-Q (Inman Park, BBW, 💰💰)
  4.  Kevin Rathbun Steak (Inman Park, Steakhouse / Seafood, 💰💰💰💰)
  5.  Sotto Sotto (Inman Park, Italian / Wine Bar, 💰💰💰)
  6.  Ticonderoga Club (Inman Park, Cocktail Bar / American, 💰💰💰💰)

MIDTOWN

  1.  Mary Mac’s Tea Room (Midtown, Southern, 💰💰)
  2.  South City Kitchen (Midtown and Buckhead, Southern, 💰💰)

MISCELLANEOUS

  1.  Ann’s Snack Bar (Kirkwood, Burgers / Hot Dogs, 💰) – Try the ghetto burger.
  2.  Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks (Dunwoody, Cheesesteaks, 💰) – a hidden gem hidden on the side of a Shell gas station with the best philly cheesesteaks in town.
  3.  Desta Ethiopian Kitchen (Briarcliff, Ethiopian, 💰💰)
  4.  The General Muir (Emory, Breakfast & Brunch, 💰💰)
  5.  Heirloom Market BBQ (Cumberland, Barbeque, 💰💰) – love their kimchi coleslaw.
  6.  Home Grown (Reynoldstown, Southern, 💰) – comfy chicken biscuit
  7.  Mac Lab Bakery & Cafe (Duluth, Bakery / Coffee & Tea, 💰💰) – Their unicorn macarons were all over Instagram. They’re not only pretty but taste great too. They also have a mint coffee that comes pretty close to a Mint Mojito from Philz.
  8.  Poor Hendrix (East Lake, New American, 💰💰)
  9.  Queen of Cream (Old Fourth Ward, Ice Cream, 💰) – Dying to try the Georgia peach cobbler!
  10.  Spring (Marietta, New American, 💰💰💰)
  11.  Staplehouse (Old Fourth Ward, New American, 💰💰💰) – They were Bon Appetit’s #1 best new restaurant of 2016 and the chef was nominated for a James Beard award in 2017.
  12.  Talat Market (Candler Park, Thai / Pop-Up, 💰💰)
  13.  We Suki Suki (East Atlanta, Vietnamese / Asian Fusion, 💰) – try their bbq pork banh mi

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

  1.  King of Pops (Multiple Locations, Popsicles, 💰)
  2.  Morelli’s (Multiple Locations, Ice Cream, 💰)

WESTSIDE

  1.  Antico Pizza (Westside, Pizza, 💰💰) – People rave about the San Gennaro pizza, but we like the standard Margherita pizza. They have fresh basil on the side so you can add tons of basil and it’s BYOB. The downside is that it gets really crowded and sometimes you have to hover for tables.
  2.  B’s Cracklin Barbeque (Westside, Barbeque / Southern, 💰💰)
  3.  Bacchanalia (Westside, New American, 💰💰💰💰) – They ditched their tasting menu recently it for a la carte. It’s the quintessential spot for special occasions in Atlanta, and we went here for two of our anniversaries. If you watched Baby Driver they mentioned it was the best wining and dining in town multiple times.
  4.  Cooks & Soldiers (Westside, Spanish / Basque, 💰💰💰)
  5. Flip Burger (Westside, Burgers, 💰💰) – Known for their burger and milkshakes. 
  6.  JCT Kitchen & Bar (Westside, Southern, 💰💰)
  7.  Miller Union (Westside, Southern / New American, 💰💰💰) They’re closed on Sundays. Chef Steven Satterfield won the James Beard best chef award in the Southeast in 2017 and they were nominated for their wine program. They are also practically on every list including the Eater 38, Eater Essential US Restaurants, The Daily Meal 101 Best Restaurants in America, and more.
  8.  The Optimist (Westside, Seafood, 💰💰💰) – Oysters and spicy kale salad were good.
  9.  Star Provisions (Westside, Sandwiches, 💰💰)
  10.  Sublime Doughnuts (Westside, Donuts, 💰) – Try the A-Town Cream donut

TAKEN OFF THE LIST (OR LOCAL FAVES BUT NOT OURS)

  • O4W Pizza (Duluth, Pizza, 💰💰) – want to try it one more time to know for sure, but from what I tried last time, it wasn’t memorable.
  • Canton House (Buford Hwy, Chinese, 💰💰) – Not as good anymore. Bobo Garden and Royal China are better options now.
  • Masterpiece (Buford Hwy, Chinese, 💰💰) – On a few lists, and Jacob’s dad absolutely loves this place, but it was just okay.
  • Poor Calvin’s (Downtown, Asian Fusion, 💰💰) – People are constantly raving about this spot. It’s highly rated on Yelp too. The food was good and we’d order it if it was a takeout spot but for the price point, it’s nothing special. You’re mostly paying for ambiance here.
  • The Varsity (Multiple Locations, Burgers / Hotdogs, 💰) – The food isn’t the best, but it’s an iconic Atlanta establishment. Their frosted orange shake reminds me of those Flintstones Push Up popsicles.
  • Yet Tuh (Buford Hwy, Korean, 💰💰) – First of all, the service is terrible, but you never go to Asian places for good service, but the food is just not that good. I’m not sure how they managed to get on the Eater 38 list. We’re convinced money was involved. Out of everything we ordered, the jjampong sujaebi and ojinguh bokkum was pretty good, but with so many other Korean food options in Atlanta, I would skip this spot.

Map of the Best Places to Eat in Altnata

Best Places to Stay in Atlanta

How many of these restaurants have you been to? Did we miss anything?!

Did you enjoy this post? Pin it for later

How to Find the Best Food in Atlanta GA // localadventurer.comPin
The Ultimate Atlanta Food Bucket List - 49 Best Places to Eat in Atlanta Georgia // localadventurer.comPin
49 Best Places to Eat in Atlanta GA // localadventurer.comPin
49 Best Places to Eat in Atlanta GA // localadventurer.comPinThe Ultimate Atlanta Food Bucket List - 49 Best Places to Eat in Atlanta Georgia // localadventurer.comPinHow to Find the Best Food in Atlanta GA // localadventurer.comPin
estherandjacob-400pxPin

Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in NYC.

Local Adventurer on Pinterest Local Adventurer on Youtube

You might also love
Tags: , , , , , , ,