Marcus Bar and Grille runs Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward weekend brunch buffet: Marcus Samuelsson's fried chicken and waffles, shrimp gumbo, $55 spread.
Must order: Fried chicken and waffles, shrimp gumbo with chorizo from the buffet line.
Tip: Marcus Samuelsson's Old Fourth Ward room. The $55 buffet runs unlimited mimosas as an add-on; come hungry.
Address: 525 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
BeetleCat in Atlanta's Inman Park runs a weekend brunch built around hot donuts, raw oysters and 70s-coded boozy slushies, nautical room above the Beltline.
Order: The savoury donut flight, a rotating sweet-savoury board.
Tip: Downstairs Den is the bar room with the DJ; upstairs is daylight and the oyster bar. Sit upstairs for brunch.
The General Muir in Atlanta runs a daily New York deli brunch at Emory Point: house-cured pastrami, smoked-fish boards, matzoh ball soup, real bagels.
Order: Bagel with smoked trout dip and the matzoh ball soup.
Tip: Order a half-dozen bagels to take home; the everything bagel is what Atlanta's bagel critics measure other shops against.
Ria's Bluebird in Atlanta is the Grant Park diner that defined the city's brunch shorthand: buttermilk pancakes, tempeh gravy, ten-table queue.
Order: Buttermilk pancakes and country-fried tempeh with white pepper gravy.
Tip: Wednesdays are closed and weekends queue out the door by 09:30; come solo or sit at the counter to skip the worst of the wait.
Home Grown is Reynoldstown's Michelin-recommended Atlanta brunch diner: comfy chicken biscuits, steak hash, knotty pine booths, no reservations.
Order: Comfy Chicken Biscuit, plus a side of the cheese grits.
Tip: Michelin-recommended diner that closes after lunch. Aim for 08:00 on weekends or expect a 60-minute wait.
Folk Art in Atlanta's Inman Park has been the brunch corner for sticky bun pancakes and sweet potato beignets since 2013, brick walls and vintage decor.
Order: Sticky bun pancakes and the sweet potato beignets.
Tip: Complimentary valet on Saturday and Sunday makes the Highland Avenue parking issue go away.
Murphy's has anchored Atlanta brunch in Virginia Highland for 45 years: crab cake benedict, fluffy pancakes, an award-winning wine cellar attached.
Order: Crab cake benedict and the complimentary biscuits with jam.
Tip: Heated outdoor patio runs October through April, so winter brunch outdoors is genuinely usable.
