Category: Restaurants

Midtown Atlanta just got another fun restaurant in the heart of Ansley Park. Lazy Llama recently opened for business and is serving margaritas and tacos, among other things.

If you want some good Tex-Mex and strong drinks in Midtown Atlanta, the Lazy Llama is the place to go.

Adjusting for the coronavirus pandemic, the eatery is open for seated dining Monday through Friday from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 10:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.(weekend brunch).

If you want takeout, Lazy Llama offers customer pickup and delivery via various delivery partners.

Currently, they’re offering this:

Lazy Llama To-Go Only Special – $69

• 12 tacos (chicken or pork )+ Queso + Chips + salsa + guacamole
• 4 beers of our choice.
• Feeds 6-8 people

The new Atlanta restaurant, which opened on Feb. 26, joins a stable of new food concepts opening in 2020. 

Lazy Llama is housed in the space formerly occupied by Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern. The restaurant is actually owned by the same people.

What’s On The Menu At Lazy Llama Cantina?

Consulting in the kitchen is veteran Atlanta chef Jeffrey Gardner, who has spiced up the menu with top-notch tacos and other Mexican specialties.

Foodies can also order brunch dishes like huevos divorciados and horchata French toast.

Drinkers can look forward to a premium beverage program stocked with Grade A tequilas, plus a variety of weekly food and drink specials.

Where Is Lazy Llama Located In Atlanta?

Lazy Llama is located near the corner of Piedmont and Monroe avenues in Midtown Atlanta. The address is 1551 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30324. Here is a map to help you find it.

Read more: 15+ essential soul food spots in Atlanta

The city has some good restaurants in each quadrant of the city: East, West, North, South. All you need to do is think about what you have a taste for. Italian? Soul food? Tex-Mex? Atlanta has it all.

For the latest in metro Atlanta’s food and drink scene, stay with Atlantafi.com.

• Where to eat in Atlanta
• The best Cajun-style restaurants in Atlanta
• Best date night restaurants you have to try right now

Yet another new Atlanta restaurant is set to expand the area’s dining options. Carson Kitchen is opening Thursday, February 13 in Alpharetta City Center.

The new restaurant concept comes to Georgia thanks to Woodstock-born chef/restaurateur Cory Harwell, partner in the Simon Hospitality Group.

Carson Kitchen To Open In Alpharetta City Center

With an extensive culinary background, Harwell first opened a Carson Kitchen in Las Vegas in 2014 with chef Kerry Simon.

Now it’s metro Atlanta’s turn to taste the goodness.

What’s On The Carson Kitchen Menu?

Patrons can expect Harwell’s reimagined comfort food classics. The menu is heavily inspired by the dishes Harwell’s grandmother made when he was a child.

You can expect such favorites as black rice and oxtail risotto with Parmesan cream and glazed donut bread pudding with triple rum caramel and a vanilla crème anglaise.

We all know Atlanta is a decidedly romantic place. I mean, on any given night we can enjoy a rooftop terrace meal amid the lit-up skyline. But it’s good to be nationally recognized for your dining scene.

OpenTable just released its annual list of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America. The list features seven Atlanta restaurants that locals and tourists already have on their must-eat list.

But first, here are some of our favorite spots to take your significant other:

• Best Date Night Spots
• 20 Atlanta Restaurants To Propose At
• Best Steakhouses in Atlanta

Now here are 7 Restaurants That Made OpenTable’s Most Romantic List:

Babette’s Cafe

573 North Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30307 | (404) 523-9121

Here’s what one Google reviewer says about Babette’s: “I go to this unique place often as I like the special air that is characterizes this place. The crew is extraordianrillyremarkably helpful and well trained. The service is absolutely quick. Most important, the food they cook is outstanding. I visited often and I was always satisfied. The expense is decent. I suggest this restaurant to to all.”

Blue Ridge Grill

1261 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30327 | (404) 233-5030

Here’s what one Google reviewer says about Blue Ridge Grill: “Absolutely love this place. Busy, bustling, friendly – awesome food, equally awesome staff and service (thank you Angelica, our wonderful server). Everything is great, including a wonderful wine list.”

Bones

3130 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 | (404) 237-2663

Here’s what one reviewer says about Bones: “Always a great meal and a go to steak house when in the area! Staff always does a great ob and the service is top notch. Steaks are cooked to proper temperature and very high grade of meat. Sides are like any nice steakhouse they are sharable and very good. We have eaten here on several occasions and always had a fantastic meal and excellent service. I would say this is a must do if in the area. If you want to eat at a great steakhouse book this place you will not be disappointed.”

Chops Lobster Bar

70 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 |  (404) 262-2675

Here’s what one Google reviewer says of Chops: “Impeccable service! Amazing. My wife and I celebrated our one year anniversary here. I mentioned this via Open Table and we had no less than 4 staff members stop at our table to congratulate us, all using our names. It was an incredibly thoughtful touch that really made our evening. Of course, the food here is wonderful and the atmosphere warm and inviting. When we are able to go, we are always so pleased at how welcome we feel.”

LaGrotta Ristorante

2637 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 | (404) 231-1368

Here’s what one reviewer says about LaGrotta: “This is a hidden gem in Atlanta. Located in the basement of an extremely unassuming condominium tower, La Grotta is a very authentic and tasty Italian restaurant. Everything in the menu seems to be well prepared and extremely tasty.”

Marcel

1170 Howell Mill Rd, Atlanta, GA 30318 | (404) 665-4555

Here’s what one reviewer says about Marcel: “What an incredible experience for a joint celebration dinner. Our waiter and an amazing voice and sang happy birthday to my sister. The food was cooked perfect. It was a wonderful ambience. 11/10 will go back.”

The Optimist

914 Howell Mill Rd, Atlanta, GA 30318 | (404) 477-6260

Here’s what one Google reviewer says about The Optimist: “Took my wife to dinner for date night and we had an excellent first experience. In short, everything was perfect. The service was outstanding, our waitress was personable and thorough. We had the calamari appetizer which was fantastic.”

Here is OpenTable’s full list of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America

100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America For 2020

• Aba – Chicago, IL
• Allora – Sacramento, CA
• Altius – Pittsburgh, PA
• Annie Gunn’s – Chesterfield, MO
• Arethusa al Tavolo – Bantam, CT
• Auberge du Soleil – Rutherford, CA
• Babette’s Cafe – Atlanta, GA
• Barclay Prime – Philadelphia, PA
• Barolo Grill – Denver, CO
• Blue Ridge Grill – Atlanta, GA
• BOCA – Cincinnati, OH
• Boka – Chicago, IL
• Bones – Atlanta, GA
• Bouchard Restaurant and Inn – Newport, RI
• Boulevard – San Francisco, CA
• Brewery Bhavana – Raleigh, NC
• Bull & Bear Steakhouse – Orlando, FL
• Butcher & Singer – Philadelphia, PA
• Ca Del Sole – North Hollywood, CA
• Café Ba-Ba-Reeba – Chicago, IL
• Cafe Juanita – Kirkland, WA
• Cafe Monarch – Scottsdale, AZ
• Cafe Provence – Prairie Village, KS
• The Capital Grille – Multiple Locations
• Carlo & Johnny – Cincinnati, OH
• Chef’s Table at the Edgewater – Winter Garden, FL
• Chez Billy Sud – Washington, DC
• Chimney Park – Windsor, CO
• Chops Lobster Bar – Atlanta, GA
• Collage Restaurant – St. Augustine, FL
• Crawford & Son – Raleigh, NC
• Daniel – New York, NY
• Dominick’s Steakhouse – Scottsdale, AZ
• Double Knot – Philadelphia, PA
• Eddie V’s – Multiple Locations
• Estiatorio Milos Midtown – New York, NY
• Fat Canary – Williamsburg, VA
• Fiola Mare – Washington, DC
• Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar – Memphis, TN
• Geronimo – Santa Fe, NM
• Gibsons Italia – Chicago, IL
• Girl & the Goat – Chicago, IL
• GW Fins – New Orleans, LA
• Highlands Bar & Grill – Birmingham, AL
• J-Prime Steakhouse – San Antonio, TX
• Jacques’ Brasserie at L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, VA
• Joan’s in the Park – Saint Paul, MN
• Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab – Multiple Locations
• Kokkari Estiatorio – San Francisco, CA
• L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, VA
• La Grenouille – New York, NY
• La Grotta – Atlanta, GA
• La Mer at Halekulani – Honolulu, HI
• Lahaina Grill – Lahaina, HI
• Le Colonial – Chicago, IL
• Le Diplomate – Washington, DC
• Le Yaca – Virginia Beach, VA
• Lewnes’ SteakHouse – Annapolis, MD
• Lon’s at The Hermosa – Paradise Valley, AZ
• The Love – Philadelphia, PA
• M Sushi – Durham, NC
• Mama’s Fish House – Paia, HI
• Mamma Maria – Boston, MA
• Maple & Ash – Chicago, IL
• Marcel – Atlanta, GA
• Marché Moderne – Newport Beach, CA
• Miro’s Restaurant – Palm Springs, CA
• Montalcino Ristorante Italiano – Issaquah, WA
• Ocean 44 – Scottsdale, AZ
• Ocean Prime – Tampa, FL
• The Optimist – Atlanta, GA
• Pappas Bros. Steakhouse – Houston, TX
• Parc – Philadelphia, PA
• Peninsula Grill – Charleston, SC
• Peter Shields Inn – Cape May, NJ
• Restaurant IRON – Pensacola, FL
• RL Restaurant – Chicago, IL
• Rosmarino Osteria Italiana – Newberg, OR
• RPM Italian – Chicago, IL
• RPM Steak – Chicago, IL
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Baton Rouge, LA
• The Saddle River Inn – Saddle River, NJ
• Salt at The Ritz-Carlton – Amelia Island, FL
• SINATRA – Encore at Wynn Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
• Sorellina – Boston, MA
• Sotto – Cincinnati, OH
• Southern Social – Germantown, TN
• St. Anselm – Washington, DC
• Steak 44 – Phoenix, AZ
• Steak 48 – Chicago, IL
• Steve & Cookie’s By the Bay – Margate, NJ
• Talula’s Garden – Philadelphia, PA
• Tar & Roses – Santa Monica, CA
• Tony’s of Indianapolis – Indianapolis, IN
• Truluck’s Seafood, Steak and Crab House – Multiple Locations
• Uchi – Multiple Locations
• Uchiko – Austin, TX
• Via Reál – Irving, TX
• The Victor Cafe – Philadelphia, PA
• Virtu Honest Craft – Scottsdale, AZ

The city has some good restaurants in each quadrant of the city: East, West, North, South. All you need to do is think about what you have a taste for. Italian? Soul food? Tex-Mex? Atlanta has it all.

For the latest in metro Atlanta’s food and drink scene, stay with Atlantafi.com.

• Where to eat in Atlanta
• The best Cajun-style restaurants in Atlanta
• Best date night restaurants you have to try right now

A new restaurant concept between Big Citizen and King of Pops is joining Atlanta’s redevelopment wave along the Memorial Drive corridor. Wonderkid opened its doors on Saturday, December 21.

Wonderkid combines the styles of a traditional diner with that of a modern ice cream parlor. Read our Wonderkid review HERE.

Wonderkid: Concept between Big Citizen and King of Pops coming to Atlanta

The principals, including Darren Carr and Eric Simpkins, both co-founders of Big Citizen, spoke to AtlantaFi.com about Wonderkid and how it came about.

Carr said that Big Citizen had been eyeing the surrounding properties for some time after previously working nearby. “Eric and I came over here two years ago and we loved the building and wanted to be back in the neighborhood.”

We already had a dining concept in the back of our minds that we always wanted to do and this felt like the time and place to do it,” Carr said.

The building’s proprietor first offered them 2,500 square feet, but that wasn’t enough space for what they wanted to do. 

“We said, ‘That’s not enough room, there’s not a lot we could do in that space,” Carr said.

“They then said, ‘Well, you’ve got these neighbors, it’s top secret, we’re not allowed to tell you who they are, but they might want to partner with you,” Carr said.

It turned out to be Steven Carse and Nick Carse of King of Pops, who they’ve worked with in the past.

“So it turned out to  be a very easy and natural relationship — these were guys who were our friends already — so we said why don’t we blend the two concepts into a bigger space and have some fun with it,” Carr said.

Simpkins said that the early talks between Big Citizen and Kign of Pops centered on how they could blend the two concepts nto something they both liked.

“When we actually saw their mood board that they had and their pitch document, we both had the same picture of this really great coffee house or ice cream shop and some place that just really had this beautiful bar and diner-esque feel,” Simpkins said.

“We knew that there was obviously some natural overlap with classic soda fountains,” he said. “And we all knew that we didn’t want to do the same greasy spoon diner.”

Simpkins also said they didn’t want to do something that didn’t feel original.

“There’s enough small local independent diners up the street who are run by friends of ours and they are doing some amazing things and are neighborhood staples,” he said. “We didn’t want to do the same thing, but we wanted to be there alongside them and not necessarily directly compete.”

And so that’s how Wonderkid was born. The eatery is also a passion project of sorts.

The new Atlanta restaurant will be an inclusive place for the nieghborhoods nearby from Reynoldstown, Cabbagetown and East Atlanta Village, Simpkins said. “We want this place to be a center where those communities can come for breakfast, lunch and dinner and late night.”

What’s On Wonderkid’s Menu?

Patrons can expect traditional diner food, but with a funky twist.

There will be a frozen drink machine that will use the ice cream process that King of Pops uses. Customers can also expect delicious specialties like frozen chocolate bourbon.

The executive chef is Justin Dixon, who is from Atlanta.

“We wanted to do something different, we knew we had to elevate things a little bit and our goal was to really find a chef that could match that spirit of elevation where it’s still very much a diner, approachable and broad, but understands the roll n’ roll feel we bring to it and have a bit more fun and shake things up a bit,” Simpkins said.

Other key players are:

Don Hart, the general manager, who previously worked at Barcelona Wine Bar.

Taylor Blackgrave, beverage director, who comes from The Lawrence in Midtown Atlanta.

Sarah Hagamaker, pastry chef, who previously worked at Proof Bakery, Bon Ton and the Lawrence.

Where is Wonderkid located in Atlanta?

Wonderkid is located at 777 Memorial Dr. SE, Suite 101A, Atlanta, GA. 30312. Here is a map to help you find it.

• Where to eat in Atlanta
• The best Cajun-style restaurants in Atlanta
• 40+ best Atlanta restaurants you have to try for 2019

Ready for another restaurant along the Beltline? Rina, the newest concept from Oliva Restaurants, is set to open its doors Monday, January 13, 2020. 

The new Atlanta restaurant is located on the Eastside BeltLine in the Ford Factory Lofts.

Everything You Need to Know Rina, The New Atlanta Restaurant

Rina is an Israeli diner-inspired eatery that will serve classic Middle Eastern dishes, creative cocktails, and boozy milkshakes in a vibrant, casual setting. Think beach-side Tel Aviv.

The people behind Rina are the same ones that has brought Atlanta some culinary staples, including Bellina Alimentari, Aziza, and Falafel Nation).

The eatery is named for restauranteur Tal Baum’s grandmother, who instilled a passion for cooking in Baum. 
 
“I wanted to expose Atlanta to the fun, lively, delicious part of my culture that is not always the focal point,” Baum says. “I want everybody to know what a magical and beautiful place Israel is and share the recipes that were first served at my family’s falafel stand in Israel in the 1950’s.”

What’s On The Menu At Rina?

Rina will serve classic Middle Eastern dishes such as pita sandwiches, skewers, seasonal mezze, hummus, salads, Israeli-inspired milkshakes, and more.

The kitchen will be helmed by Executive Chef Brandon Hughes, who oversees all of Oliva Restaurants’ ventures (Bellina Alimentari, Aziza, Falafel Nation).

“This concept takes more traditional Israeli food offerings, and brings things up a notch, adding in an element of fun and color,” Hughes says.

As for beverages, you’ll get to try any number of frozen drinks, draft cocktails, boozy milkshakes, and house-made sodas. The beverage program will be run by Demario Wallace, who oversees the same at Aziza.

He says to look out for the best of Middle Eastern flavors and authentic ingredients such as harissa, tahini, turmeric and tamarind.

Where Is Rina Located?

The eatery will be tucked into the Ford Factory Lofts, directly across the BeltLine from Ponce City Market. The address is 699 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA. 30308. Here is a map to help you find it.

As for the decor, famed Atlanta designer, Smith Hanes designed the relaxed and family-friendly 2,700 square-foot space which includes an inviting outdoor patio with BeltLine access.

• Where to eat in Atlanta
• The best Cajun-style restaurants in Atlanta
• 40+ best Atlanta restaurants you have to try