Where to eat in downtown Atlanta

May 27, 2008 7:00 AM

ATL filter. I'm traveling to Atlanta for a concert at the Tabernacle near Centennial Olympic Park. Where should I eat beforehand?

Are there any good restaurants, pubs, etc. in the area? Anything I should stay away from?

We're going to the Progressive Nation Tour! Also going to the Aquarium!

posted by spakto to Travel & Transportation around Atlanta, GA (14 answers total)

There's a Gordon Biersch brewery/restaurant a couple miles north of there at 848 Peacthree St NE, right on the north edge of the main downtown area. It's pretty good and there are good beers to choose from. So that's sort of pubby and restauranty.

Perhaps closest to the Tabernacle, only a block away at 133 Luckie St. NW is a Ted's Montana Grill. That's Ted Turner's chain that serves bison. That might be easiest. Good food too.

For something upscale, try Ray's In The City about 4 or 5 blocks away at 240 Peachtree St. NW. Very good fresh seafood there. Although with video from the Aquarium in there... one wonders!
posted by Askr at 7:27 AM on May 27, 2008

You haven’t told us what sort of transportation you’ll have. Will you be limited to walking distance from the COP area? If you’ll have a car, I recommend Six Feet Under (seafood) or Daddy D’z (bar-be-que) which are both in the area of Oakland Cemetary. These are both uniquely ATL establishments. There are a glut of chains, such as Ted’s Montana Grill or Hard Rock Cafe in the immediate vicinity of COP.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 7:58 AM on May 27, 2008

Also, what night of the week will you be in town? Some places (Six Feet Under) will have very long waits on the weekends. Others (Daddy D’z) are pretty easy to get in and eat more quickly at nearly any time.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 8:03 AM on May 27, 2008

Depending on how far you want to go and how you'd like to get there (walk, transport, car), your options can change a lot. You can take a bus up Peachtree Street to Gordon Biersch as Askr mentioned, or just a few doors further down to Atlanta's own Vortex. Also in Midtown, just a few blocks away from the Modtown marta station is Einstein's (not the bagel place) which has a great patio and tasty food.

What type of food/scene are you looking for? I'd avoid chains and most things in the downtown hotels but YMMV.
posted by pointystick at 8:14 AM on May 27, 2008

Response by poster: I will have a car. I will be there tomorrow and Thursday. I try to avoid chains if possible. I like everything from sushi to Indian to a good steak. I am on a budget and I have heard the horror stories of Atlanta traffic.

Thanks for the posts so far!
posted by spakto at 8:23 AM on May 27, 2008

Agave is near there too. Upscale, Tex-mex. Fabulous!! If you have time and transportation, go a little further to Rathbun's on Krog street. Best resturant in the city. Be sure to get reservations, both Rathbun's and Rathbun's Steak fill up fast. AMAZING food!

Enjoy your trip!
posted by pearlybob at 8:25 AM on May 27, 2008

Well, none of my suggestions are easy on the budget but well worth it if you can splurge a little. :-)
posted by pearlybob at 8:55 AM on May 27, 2008

On the corner of 14th and State Near the Ga Tech Campus is Kool Korners grocery which makes a great Cuban sandwich; the owner is an engineer who fled Cuba during the revolution. Definitely a budget-friendly place and definitely not a chain. There are also some Ethiopian restaurants; I have been to Meskerem which is a little ways away but not too bad if you have a car.
posted by TedW at 8:56 AM on May 27, 2008

Here is a better website for Meskerem.
posted by TedW at 8:58 AM on May 27, 2008

I proposed to my fiancée after eating at Agave, and they sheltered us during a tornado warning (on the Saturday after the tornado hit Atlanta, while we were rescuing her stuff from her ruined Cabbagetown apartment).

Agave is awesome.
posted by Shepherd at 11:17 AM on May 27, 2008

There are two good, moderately-priced Indian restaurants in Little 5 Points. Calcutta is on Euclid Ave, and they have a good lunch special. For dinner, I lean towards Bombay Cafe on Moreland. There’s also the Brewhouse Pub in L5P on the corner of Euclid and Moreland.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 11:25 AM on May 27, 2008

And from the fiancée in question:

Carroll Street Cafe is up the street from Agave, as is the newly reopened Village Pizza. Mi Barrio is a hop, skip, and a jump from Six Feet Under and they have Mom-approved* Mexican food.

*Her mom is Mexican.
posted by Shepherd at 12:42 PM on May 27, 2008

Since you have a car, I would suggest going to either Little 5 Points or East Atlanta Village. Both areas have lots of good local bars and restaurants to choose from, plus cool shops and stuff for poking around.
posted by spilon at 12:52 PM on May 27, 2008

If you head to Buford Highway you can eat very well. I'm a big fan of Penang and Rincon Latino. If you're a beer aficionado you have to visit the Brick Store Pub in Decatur and sample something from their Belgian bar.
posted by PueExMachina at 4:50 PM on May 27, 2008