Two Atlanta Restaurants Make OpenTable’s ‘Big Night Out’ List

Two well-respected Atlanta eateries have made the list of OpenTable’s Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out.

Two Urban Licks in Midtown and The Optimist (West Midtown) made the cut in the list of 100 Best Restaurants in America for a Big Night Out. The list features a bevy of food spots known for great eats, toney locale, lively ambience and other amenities you’d want for a big night out.

OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, culled the list from more than 12 million verified OpenTable diner reviews collected between February 1, 2017, and January 31, 2018.

“The list features an array of buzzworthy restaurants, from up-and-coming to established, trendy to tried-and-true, across 24 states and Washington D.C.” said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. “Whatever your notion of a big night out entails, whether it’s a bustling bar scene or a spot to see-and-be-seen, fun is on the menu at any of these honorees.”

TWO Urban Licks, located at 820 Ralph McGill Blvd NE, Atlanta, GA 30306, is one of the hippest bars and food spots in ATL. One of the city’s busiest restaurants, Two Urban Licks is a well-known date-night restaurant and is known for its lively yet romantic ambience.

The Optimist, located at 914 Howell Mill Rd, Atlanta, GA 30318, is an opulent eatery known as a seafood lover’s paradise and must-do dining for couples. From the oysters to the drinks, it’s a place that knows what it’s doing, from start to finish.

Tee Johnson: Tee Johnson is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AtlantaFi.com, Atlanta’s independent hyper-local publication focused on news, restaurants, events, jobs, neighborhoods, and lifestyle. A 15+ year Atlanta resident and longtime journalist and content creator, she covers Travel News, Events, Business, Hair Care, and Money with a practical, Atlanta-first lens. Before launching the site, Johnson worked as a substitute teacher in Atlanta Public Schools and later in corporate roles at Home Depot’s Vinings offices. A marketer by training with a degree in business management, she grew frustrated with the fragmented, hard-to-find information about what was actually happening in the city. That gap led her to create AtlantaFi as a curated, one-stop resource for the pulse of Atlanta—#ATLHAPS—without the national noise. Editorial decisions remain independent; the publication does not accept products, meals, or services in exchange for coverage. As Editor-in-Chief, she oversees original local reporting and curated practical guides that help residents, visitors, and businesses discover and engage with the city. Readers turn to her work for timely event roundups, dining and neighborhood insights, business and travel updates, and straightforward money and lifestyle coverage grounded in firsthand observation of Atlanta. A devoted lover of all things Atlanta, Tee enjoys pickleball, a good margarita or bourbon, and walking the Atlanta Beltline. She can be reached for editorial inquiries at tjohnson@atlantafi.com (serious inquiries only).

This website uses cookies.