Best Dishes to Try at Atlanta Restaurants

Restaurant recommendations come in many forms. There’s the good old word of mouth, the tried-and-true classics, and the endless list of new restaurants to consider. In a sprawling, congested city like Atlanta, it’s easy to retreat to neighborhood favorites, reserving all the high-risk, high-reward meals for a special night, like a birthday, date, or weekend indulgence. But how about just dining out for the sake of ordering a specific dish to curb a craving or trying that dish that friends always rave about at an Atlanta restaurant?

Each quarter, Eater picks five dishes we love to eat and think readers should research and try for themselves. These dishes include overlooked menu gems, off-menu specials, hot new items on the culinary scene, and even a few that might not be around for long.

Got a go-to dish recommendation from an Atlanta restaurant? Send details with brief description to [email protected], and Eater will check it for review in a future guide.

Meat Pizza at La Calavera Pizza and Bakery

1696 Memorial Drive, Kirkwood

When La Calavera owners Eric Arillo and Dale Ralston announced they were launching a pizzeria in February 2021, the decision sent the local neighborhoods of Kirkwood and Edgewood into a frenzy over the prospect of losing the well-known Mexican bakery. loved Memorial Drive. Known for its sourdough and specialty breads, La Calavera has instead partnered with local food suppliers to help create a wide range of toppings for the pizzas on the menu using the bakery’s popular bread doughs to make crusts. La Carne, a meat-lover’s version of the pizza, comes with house-made red sauce and cheese and is topped with bacon and pepperoni from local butcher Spotted Trotter. Kick things up a notch by adding a side of chili oil and hot honey to experience the full range of flavors blended into the sourdough crust of this pizza. You don’t eat meat? Replace it with the Spotted Trotter’s Vegan Pepperoni.

italian grinder Staplehouse

541 Edgewood Avenue, former Fourth Ward

A post-pandemic hub, Staplehouse transitioned to a full-service market, wine boutique, and counter-service restaurant in 2021, but still offers a refined yet super-casual dining experience. Only here can you buy a bottle of wine, toss it in the fridge, and order from a tight list of Staplehouse classics — old and new — including Chicken Liver Pie and Italian Mill , while browsing the high-caliber pastries in the display case. Dedicate a visit to the Italian grinder, which offers layers of homemade ham, soppressata, salami and giardiniera. The sandwich happens to pair perfectly with a bubbly, high-acid Vouvray – a throwback meal that tastes even better on the back patio or on the sunny garden table.

roasted cauliflower Nour Kitchen

7130 Buford Highway, Global Forum Mall

Nour Kitchen

In Buford Highway’s vast sea of ​​hotspots, where typical table changes can happen in 30-45 minute increments, Nur Kitchen wants people to stay a little longer and linger over a meal. Considered a modern Middle Eastern establishment, Nur Kitchen has become a haven for large groups of people who gather and dine as if they were eating together at a close friend or family member’s house. Find expected entrees like mezze, shawarma chicken pita, and falafel on the menu here, but don’t skip the house specialties, including roasted cauliflower. It is inspired by the chef of Nur Kitchen At Shay Lavi’s Israeli roots. A head of cauliflower is roasted whole in a brick oven and served with homemade labneh and doused with za’atar spices, creating an intoxicating aroma of smoky, earthy herbs.

Pea and peanut salad at Millers Union

999 Brady Ave. Home Park

Millers Union

Although there are four seasons in a year, there are several at Miller Union. And one of the best seasons here is for field peas. While signature dishes like free-range egg with cream of celery are available year-round, field pea and peanut salad is a swansong for Georgia’s late-summer harvest. It’s only on the menu for a short time and signals Miller Union diners that summer is coming to an end. An all-time favorite of many restaurant regulars, the simple preparation of field peas, crushed peanuts, roasted peppers and tomatoes on a bed of lemony ricotta is the perfect excuse to indulge on a date. alone at the bar. Pair it with bartender Evan Sewell’s Summer Nights cocktail made with chamomile tequila, passion fruit liqueur, kina l’aero and fresh lime.

Thai basil chicken Little Bangkok

2225 Cheshire Bridge Road, Lindridge-Martin Manor

Little Bangkok

At the height of the pandemic, Atlanta residents learned the ins and outs of ordering takeout. There are only a few foods that taste as good at home as they do when sitting in a restaurant dining room, and Little Bangkok’s menu is proof of that. When ordering in a Thai restaurant, people sometimes feel the need to venture out of their comfort zone and try a new dish, but sometimes it pays to stick with the classics. Basil Chicken, the humblest of stir-fries, goes perfectly on a bed of rice and is somehow greater than the sum of its parts – sliced ​​chicken breast, onions, peppers and wilted basil leaves. For Thai food purists, Basil Chicken makes a perfect, hassle-free meal that also makes great leftovers the next day. The only thing that makes this dish better is the addition of sliced ​​eggplant to help absorb the sticky, savory sauce.