The Local Dish – 10 Great Restaurants Around Atlanta

I love living in Atlanta! There’s always something to do and somewhere yummy to eat. Before kids, Josh and I loved trying out new restaurants all over town. Now, we tend to stick with places closer to home that are kid friendly. But when the rare date night pops up, you better believe we head out to one of our favorite places, or pick somewhere new to try!

There are so many amazing restaurants around Atlanta, and it would be hard to pick a top 10. But here’s a list of a few of my favorites that you should try.

The Local Dish – 10 Great Restaurants Around Atlanta

Community-Q
(Decatur)

This is, hands down, our favorite place to go right now. It’s super kid friendly and the BBQ is amazing. I love the brisket, Josh loves the pulled pork. But we’ve tried it all, and you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. As far as sides go, Maddie’s obsessed with the mac and cheese, and Graham loves the baked beans. I always order the roasted sweet potatoes and kale. (I know, it sounds too healthy to be good, but it’s delish!) Graham and Maddie’s favorite part about Community Q are the squeaky pigs they have near the cash register. I love when restaurants have something special for the kids to play with!

Matthews 
(Tucker)

My parents used to take me to Matthews once a week when I was growing up. It’s a cafeteria-style restaurant located in Tucker that serves amazing southern food. Fried chicken, BBQ ribs, meatloaf, chicken and dumplins, chicken pot pie, country fried steak, mashed potatoes, turnips, okra, squash… the list goes on and on! When I was little, I always chose the green jello for dessert. Now I can’t pass up the pecan pie or the banana pudding. There’s such a nostalgic aspect to eating there – grabbing a tray and pushing it down the wooden counter, picking out what you want to eat, sitting down to eat at a table covered in a red checkered tablecloth. If you’re over on the northeast side of Atlanta, stop by for some good old southern cookin’.

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen 
(Briarcliff Road and Clairmont)

Have you ever had Ethiopian food? I love trying out new cuisines and learning more about other cultures. A friend from church introduced me to Desta off of Briarcliff Road and I fell in love with the food! I’ve tried a few things on the menu, but by far, my favorite thing to get is lamb tibs with injera and the beet and potato salad. I like to tear off pieces of the injera (it’s a soft, rolled, spongy bread, similar to a sourdough crepe) and use it to scoop up bites of lamb. The beet and potato salad is the perfect cool, yet spicy, accompaniment to the warm injera and lamb. You’ve got to try it!

Napoleons Grill
(Oak Grove)

We love having an al fresco meal on Napoleon’s outside patio. Their brunch is delicious! Make sure to order the breakfast beignets. They’re served with caramel and pecan butter. Yum! And you can’t go wrong with the fried green tomato benedict or the fried chicken biscuits. For lunch or dinner, you should try the fish and chips, the tacos, or the pimento cheese burger. Or the daily special! (Like in the photos below.) They also have a great bar area with tasty cocktails.

Six Feet Under 
(Grant Park)

Six Feet Under is an amazing seafood restaurant, located right across from Oakland Cemetery. (There’s also a midtown location!) Before kids, my friends and I LOVED going to Six Feet Under for some delicious food and tasty cocktails, and then we’d cross the street and stroll around Oakland Cemetery. It was founded in 1850 and is such a cool place to explore! (Margaret Mitchell is buried there!) My favorite thing to eat at Six Feet Under is the shrimp and scallops cooked in parchment paper. The seafood is cooked perfectly! Their whole fried okra is also amazing, as well as the jalapeno hush puppies. Yum!

Bambinelli’s Italian Restaurant 
(Northlake)

Bambinelli’s is another restaurant that we’ve been choosing a lot lately. The kids love pasta, and Bambinelli’s has so many delicious pasta dishes to choose from! I’ve been ordering the tasty eggplant parm ever since I was 9+ months pregnant with Maddie and was trying every old wives tale to try and get labor to start. But Josh always gets something different, and it’s yummy every time! The owner, Bonnie, is almost always there when we visit, and you can tell she’s so proud of her amazing restaurant!

Leon’s Full Service 
(Decatur)

Leon’s is one of my favorite date night locations. I love the atmosphere, cocktails, and food, so if it’s my turn to pick a restaurant, Leon’s is at the top of my list! They have an appetizer called “Bacon in a Glass,” and it’s…bacon, served upright in a glass, with a peanut butter dipping sauce. You’ve gotta try it! I love so many other things on their menu too. The lamb chops, the shrimp and grits, the brisket, the burger, it’s all delish! I also love ordering their hand-cut pomme frites, which are fancy french fries. They have 12 different sauces to choose from and it’s my dream to order all of them at once one day. (Is that a weird dream? If it is, I don’t care!)

Calle Latina
(Decatur)

Calle Latina is another awesome Decatur restaurant. Tacos, empanada, salsa, plantains with cinnamon butter – it’s all yummy! Go on a nice day and sit outside. It’s a great place to people watch!

Boruboru Sushi
(Emory)

Home of the sushi burritos. I know what you’re thinking – a sushi burrito?!?! What the heck?! But you’ve got to try one! Boruboru has amazing sushi bowls, poke bowls, and sushi burritos. All of the ingredients are super fresh, and they have lots of vegan and gluten free options. I’ve had both the Boruboru style poke bowl and the BBQ eel sushi burrito, and they were both amazing. I’m ready to go back and try something new!

Iberian Pig
(Decatur)

Iberian Pig is a Spanish tapas restaurant and my number one pick for special occasions. We’ve celebrated a couple of anniversaries at Iberian Pig, and a few other holidays and special celebration dates as well. We always order the B.W.D. – bacon wrapped dates. Josh also loves the pulpo a la plancha, which is seared octopus with garlic and citrus flavors. They have amazing cheese and charcuteria platters too. Order a couple of tapas, a couple of cocktails, and a dessert to share, and you’ll have the perfect romantic date night!

 What are your favorite restaurants around Atlanta?

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