Atlanta's dining scene is a unique treat for diners looking for something special in the South. The most iconic dishes, such as chicken with crackers, bread pudding and crab cakes, share table space with creative dishes such as macaroni and cheese chimichangas, peach donut burgers and lasagna pizza. It was the latter that perfected fried chicken, many of whom were forced to work in the kitchens of slave plantations. Nowadays, you'll find many versions of the dish at ATL, from Paschal's signature fried chicken, which was once the meeting place of prominent civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr.
to the double-battered Southern fried chicken from Mary Mac's Tea Room, as well as to the numerous modern versions of the Southern classic. Atlanta didn't invent chicken wings, but there's no doubt that the city has adopted the dish as its own, with its own version, of course. Cricket's has existed since 1982 and is famous for its pepper and lemon seasoning (try them wet, which means they're also mixed with a lemon-pepper sauce). Peas, cornbread, collard greens, mac and cheese, sweet potato pie, fried chicken or banana pudding are just a few of the delicious soul food dishes that are plentiful in Atlanta. From layers of duck lasagna and crepe pie with mile to a Korean barbecue pork sandwich and a comfortable chicken cracker dipped in sausage sauce.
Diners looking for staples from the Atlanta dining scene, take note. It's time to summarize some of the dishes that define the ATL culinary landscape right now. Some have been around for years, while other dishes have recently achieved “icon” status. Atlanta is full of great food, and there isn't a big enough list to hold all the dishes, making Atlanta and its sprawling metropolitan area a great place to dine.
From layers of duck lasagna and crepe con mile pie to a Korean barbecue pork sandwich and a comfortable chicken cracker dipped in sausage sauce, check out these iconic dishes found in Atlanta restaurants. Local attractions include The Varsity, opened in 1928 as the world's largest self-service restaurant, and Mary Mac's Tea Room, opened in 1945, a traditional Southern food destination. Paschal's and the Busy Bee Cafe have been favorite soul dining restaurants since the 1940s; Busy Bee and Paschal's became meeting places for civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. The Busy Bee, according to Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta, is as well known for its role in the civil rights movement as it is for its chicken fried.
Here we'll explore the iconic dishes that place the capital of Georgia on the map as a first-rate dining destination. Cheese and Pepper, a spread made with cheese, mayonnaise and peppers, menus spread across Atlanta. Atlanta is home to several celebrity chefs who have appeared on reality food series such as Top Chef. There, the more than one million immigrants living in Atlanta have established several authentic ethnic restaurants, ranging from Vietnamese, Indian, Cuban, Korean, Salvadoran, Mexican, Colombian, Dominican, Japanese and Chinese restaurants, even Ethiopians.
The award-winning chef Meherwan Irani, who is on the menu at Chai Pani in Decatur and in Botiwalla in the Ponce Municipal Market, is a resounding success with his version of sev puri dahi puri, Indian street food. Many people credit the Filipino food startup Kamayan ATL, owned by Mia Orino and Carlo Gan, for finally bringing the country's cuisine to the forefront in Atlanta. This pop-up Matthew “Uf” Foster pizzeria, located in western Atlanta, offers handmade pies, including pizzas topped with wings soaked in lemon and pepper, oxtail and ricotta.
