Whether you’re moving to Atlanta for work, be near family,or something else completely, there’s one thing for certain. Moving to a new area means new places to explore, new people to meet, and learning things only the locals know (like the best food spots). When you don’t have time to cook (or just don’t feel like it), you’ll want to know where to eat in Atlanta.
Luckily, Atlanta is home to many popular and delicious restaurants, and you’re sure to find one that fits your cravings that night. To help you get started, we put together a shortlist of some of the best restaurants in Atlanta which you’re sure to love.
1. Antico Pizza Napoletana
1093 Hemphill Avenue
When every room in your new home is full of half-unpacked boxes and some of your belongings still haven’t been retrieved from storage, ordering a pizza sounds like an easy and delicious solution. As far as restaurants in Atlanta go, nobody gets as authentic as Antico Pizza. Antico offers up authentic Neapolitan pies, baked fresh to order in brick ovens imported straight from Italia. Mouth-watering toppings such as bufala (a flavorful mozzarella made from Italian water buffalo milk), fresh basil, garlic, prosciutto, mushrooms,white anchovies, and more are generously spread over puffy crust, edges charred from the oven. You can even order desserts at Antico that you won’t find anywhere else such as homemade sfogliatelle (a fluffy filled pastry) and cannoli. Opening as early as 11:30 a.m. during the week and noon on Saturdays,make your order the minute you feel hunger pangs. Antico Pizza Napoletana only stays open until they run out of dough.
2. Kimball House
303 East Howard Avenue
Whether you are still in the throes of unpacking or looking for a place to enjoy your first official meal out as an Atlanta resident, a restaurant that serves a great steak should hit the spot. The great thing about Kimball House is that the atmosphere of the Decatur train depot-turned-restaurant is versatile enough to accommodate both a casual night out for a beer and steak or a formal date night. Start any meal off with a unique choice from the hors d’oeuvres menu including steelhead roe,cheddar-bacon cheddarwurst, or tempura onion rings, then move on to the dinner menu that includes caviar, rotating fish choices, pork and poultry, and various three-course steak dinners.
3. Hankook Taqueria
1341 Collier Road NW
Everyone has a favorite taco joint, but the taqueria you’ll fall in love with after moving to Atlanta will not be a traditional Mexican restaurant. The menu at Hankook Taqueria was inspired by executive chef Tomas Lee’s Korean-American heritage. Lee loved how easy tacos and burritos are to serve and eat but wanted to incorporate traditional Korean spices and meats to create an infusion menu like no other. If you’re just feeling a little peckish,order a street snack such as French fries tossed in red pepper flakes and sesame oil, a quesadilla with Bulgogi, onions, and cheese, or Gogi-nachos that feature ribeye beef instead of ground meat. Those with a full-on appetite will enjoy the Korean BBQ tacos or burritos featuring spicy marinated meats like chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or calamari dressed in green cabbage, cilantro, green onion, lime, and jack cheese. Burritos come with Kimchee fried rice.
4. Holeman & Finch
2277 Peachtree Road NW
Everyone needs a go-to spot for great burgers and brew. Billed as a Public House, Holeman & Finch serves brunch, dinner, and everything in between with a broad menu that includes unique takes on Southern favorites such as johnnycake, peameal bacon, and egg, red wine risotto, shortribs, and carrot,and rabbit, blue grits, and shiitake. Even dessert is tradition with a twist with choices such as vanilla panna cotta, satsuma, and fried apple pie. In addition to the terrific cocktail and food menus and casual atmosphere, the thing the locals love about Holeman & Finch is the burgers, specifically Burger Time. Get your house seat early because at 10 p.m. every night 24double-patty cheeseburgers–no more, no less–are paired with fresh, in-house buns and served up with hand-cut French fries. Don’t fret if you miss your chance at one of the best burgers in the city—there’s a special spot where you can get them all day long.
5. Nick’s Food to Go
240 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Everyone has a hole-in-the-wall favorite and once you are living in Atlanta, Nick’s Food to Go is sure to be yours. Nick’s is order-out only, but with some of the best food in Atlanta, is totally worth the trip. Nick’s supports community farmers, using as much local food as possible to craft the delicacies on the Greek menu. You’ll love the souvlaki, lamb, grilled chicken, and traditional Greek salad brimming with local tomatoes and cukes, along with pepperoncini, feta, and olives, and you’ll want to come in every day to see what the chef’s daily special is.
6. Home Grown
968 Memorial Drive SE
You should always have a go-to breakfast place no matter where you live. In Atlanta, that place is Home Grown. The breakfast, lunch, and brunch choice for many, you can typically find usual breakfast fare such as pancakes, French toast, eggs, grits, and biscuit sandwiches. Of course, you can order biscuits and gravy with chicken-fried steak or a vegetarian version with sautéed mushrooms and spinach. Lunch brings delicious southern-style choices such as homemade pimento with bacon and fried green tomatoes, shrimp or catfish po’boys, Spooner soup, and BBQ shrimp and cheese grits, along with traditional sandwiches and burgers. Naturally, brunch is a collection of items from both menus. The breakfast menu changes daily. On top of all of that, you know that the food is fresh because Home Grown grows much of it in their garden out back.
