Atlanta Restaurants

When you just don't feel like cooking dinner, sometimes it's nice to have someone else cook you a meal from scratch. Here's a list of my favorite spots in Atlanta to grab a quality meal. Please note that these are simply the places I've tried to date, not a exhaustive list of restaurants!
(Unless otherwise noted, all pictures stolen from Yelp!)

Pizza 
Anticco Pizza 
Hands down the best pie in town. Bring a bottle of wine (BYOB), sit at one of the communal table in the kitchen, and watch your authentic Neapolitan style pizza come to life in one of their three 900-degree wood fired ovens. Get there early though, it gets crowded! 

Verasano's Pizzeria
How could a pizzeria that's invested this much time and effort into developing the perfect crust not be delicious. True NYC style pizza in the heart of Atlanta.

Vietnamese
Quan Ba 9
There are many Vietnamese restaurants along this stretch of Buford Highway, but this one stands above the rest. Friendly service and authentic food make this my go-to destination for steamy bowls of


No question, this is the best "fast food" in Atlanta. The bread is light and crunchy, and always served warm. The fillings are sure to please, and at $2.50 a pop it's also the best deal in town. That should leave you more than enough money to stop at one of the many Asian bakeries nearby on the way home.


Burgers

Bocado
It's a shame the burger "stack" here is so amazing, because the rest of the menu looks pretty darn good too. This deceptively simple burger consists of two perfectly griddled patties, melted cheese, homemade pickles, mayo, and a perfectly toasted bun. Words (and even pictures) don't do it justice!
Vortex
A stone's throw away from our apartment, this place might very well be the opposite of the Bocado burger. With toppings such as peanut butter and chorizo sausage slathered on their half-pound burger patties, there should be something for everyone.

Nose to Tail 
Holeman & Finch Public House
This is pretty much my favorite restaurant in town. The cocktails are amazing, and the beer list doesn't disappoint. But it's all about the nasty bits here... The first thing you see when you walk in the door are salamis, prosciutto, and other morsels of meat, hanging in the kitchen. Then you take a look at the menu - crispy pigs tail, confit chicken heads, buttered veal brains, gratin of marrow...  oh my! A carnivores dream come true. Small plates means you can try a little of everything, unless of course you're just here for the 10pm burger!



Abattoir
Thankfully for the owners, "slaughterhouse" sounds much sexier in french. Now that you know what the name means, you're probably understand why this restaurant features some of the best meat dishes in town: rillette, pork belly, steak tartar, and a beef stew with cheek, tongue, tripe, bacon and an egg. Of course there are also some some pretty tasty local veggies if you're into that sort of thing!



Cuban
Las Palmeras
A little family run restaurant tucked away in a residential neighborhood in Midtown. The quiet patio is a great place to order a pitcher of Sangria on a warm day and order some traditional Cuban fare. The food is simple and hearty - what I imagine you might find in the back alleys of Havana. The service is wonderfully friendly, with the owners waiting on most of the tables. Though I haven't tried it yet, the Pollo Fritto is supposed to be divine!



Eclectic
The Sound Table 
This place proves that a hip, cool restaurant doesn't have to be obnoxious or unreasonably priced. Way before the restaurant turns into a dance floor and bar, the kitchen serves up wonderful food. Everything we've ever eaten here has been top notch and a great value. The roast chicken, house-ground burger, pan fried bronzino, salads, arancini, charcuterie plate, and various sides have all been excellent. The highlights though are the deserts and cocktails. The pistachio pot de creme with dried figs is one of the most well balanced deserts I've ever had! Once you're done, just wait for the tables to clear and you can dance off all those calories (if that's what you're into...)



Japanese

Shoya Izakaya
This Japanese gastro-pub magically transports you to the back alleys of Tokyo. The food here runs the gamut from grilled meat skewered, to melt-in-your-mouth miso cod, to hearty bowls of udon noodles. Bring a large group of friends, order plenty of food from the extensive menu, and tell the waitress to keep pitchers of your favorite Japanese beer coming (a few shots of sake does a body good too). You're in for a treat!





Mexican
Taqueria La Oaxaquena
This place isn't exactly "convenient," and once you're inside there's really nothing to distinguish it from every other true Mexican Taqueria in the US. But then you get the menu and you realize there are some special treats here. Tlayudas (mexican pizza's of sorts), Oaxacan mole and cheese, handmade tortillas, sopes, tortas and tamales, oh my! The food doesn't disappoint, the portions are ample, and it's absolutely worth the long drive!


Brunch
Ria's Bluebird 
I'm not a huge brunch fan. Blasphemy, I know. You see brunch cooks are the definition of short order cooks... They sling your bacon, pancakes, and omelets all over the place with very little care. Well Ria's appears to be different. Well... the cooks are probably hung over from the previous night's party just like every other brunch cook ever, but the dishes seem to have some genuine thought behind them and they're well executed. A little hipster, a little southern, and a lot of love - the way brunch in the Atlanta should be.

Szechuan
Chong Qing Hot Pot
This is my favorite counter in the Chinatown food court. The owner is extremely friendly and  is always willing to to provide recommendations if you ask him. I told him I was looking for authentic Szechuan dishes the first time I went and he circled a number of items on the menu for me to try on subsequent visits. The atmosphere in the foodcourt is non-existent at best, but the food makes it worth a visit, or three.



Southern
Busy Bee Cafe
If you're visiting from out of town and you want authentic "local" fare, this is the place to go. Sweet Tea, Ham Hock, Chitlins, Oxtail, Fried Chicken, Cube Steak, Okra, Fried Green Tomatoes, Corn Bread Dressing... You name it, they got it. The atmosphere is most definitely unpretentious, but the food is truly soulful. If you're there on a Tuesday, make sure to try the Turkey Neck Bones - seriously good eats!



Thai

Thaicoon & Sushi Bar
When I studied in Thailand in 2010, the vast majority of my meals, and some of my best memories, were enjoyed over a plastic table on the side of a busy road. Thai street food is arguably some of the finest street-food in the entire world. Unfortunately, while many of these dishes are simple in nature, they're rather difficult to find outside of Thailand. Luckily Thaicoon has a Sunday "brunch" menu that features all of my favorite Thai street food. Sticky Rice, Gai Yan (BBQ chicken), Hoi Tod (pan fried mussel omelet), Rice Noodle Soup, and much much more.


Dim Sum
Oriental Pearl Seafood Restaurant
I'm definitely no expert when it comes to Dim Sum. As long as the service is reasonably expedient, I usually leave satisfied. Oriental Pearl is the first and only Dim Sum restaurant I've tried in Atlanta, so again take this review with a grain of salt. That being said, each time I've gone, I've left impressed. The carts are plentiful and the food is tasty, not too oily, and there's plenty of variety. I'm know for a fact there are other Dim Sum restaurants worth trying, but sometimes, if you find something that makes you happy - why change it?