Brunch is close to a civic ritual in Atlanta, and the strongest options cluster on the east side. Old Fourth Ward holds Ria's Bluebird across from Oakland Cemetery and Marcus Bar and Grille on Edgewood, while Inman Park has Folk Art and BeetleCat both on North Highland. Murphy's in Virginia-Highland and The General Muir near Emory round out a deep field.
$$$$BrunchOld Fourth Ward
Ria's Bluebird in Atlanta is the Grant Park diner that defined the city's brunch shorthand: buttermilk pancakes, tempeh gravy, ten-table queue.
OrderButtermilk pancakes and country-fried tempeh with white pepper gravy.
TipWednesdays are closed and weekends queue out the door by 09:30; come solo or sit at the counter to skip the worst of the wait.
$$$$BrunchReynoldstown
Home Grown is Reynoldstown's Michelin-recommended Atlanta brunch diner: comfy chicken biscuits, steak hash, knotty pine booths, no reservations.
OrderComfy Chicken Biscuit, plus a side of the cheese grits.
TipMichelin-recommended diner that closes after lunch. Aim for 08:00 on weekends or expect a 60-minute wait.
$$$$BrunchInman Park
Folk Art in Atlanta's Inman Park has been the brunch corner for sticky bun pancakes and sweet potato beignets since 2013, brick walls and vintage decor.
OrderSticky bun pancakes and the sweet potato beignets.
TipComplimentary valet on Saturday and Sunday makes the Highland Avenue parking issue go away.
$$$$BrunchVirginia Highland
Murphy's has anchored Atlanta brunch in Virginia Highland for 45 years: crab cake benedict, fluffy pancakes, an award-winning wine cellar attached.
OrderCrab cake benedict and the complimentary biscuits with jam.
TipHeated outdoor patio runs October through April, so winter brunch outdoors is genuinely usable.
$$$$BrunchBuckhead
Toast on Lenox is Atlanta's high-glam Buckhead brunch destination: lobster sweet potato waffles, Biscoff french toast, gold-and-green dining room.
OrderLobster sweet potato waffles and the Biscoff french toast.
TipBlack-owned, woman-owned Buckhead room; reserve a week ahead for Sunday brunch or expect a 45-minute wait.
$$$$BrunchSummerhill
Southern National in Atlanta's Summerhill runs Sunday brunch only: Duane Nutter's beignets, fried chicken biscuit and short rib hash with champagne flights.
OrderBeignets with coffee-toffee sauce and the fried chicken biscuit.
TipChef Duane Nutter cooks Sundays only for brunch, so the room turns over the after-church crowd by 13:30. Reserve the 12:30 slot.
$$$$BrunchOld Fourth Ward
Marcus Bar and Grille runs Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward weekend brunch buffet: Marcus Samuelsson's fried chicken and waffles, shrimp gumbo, $55 spread.
OrderFried chicken and waffles, shrimp gumbo with chorizo from the buffet line.
TipMarcus Samuelsson's Old Fourth Ward room. The $55 buffet runs unlimited mimosas as an add-on; come hungry.
$$$$BrunchInman Park
BeetleCat in Atlanta's Inman Park runs a weekend brunch built around hot donuts, raw oysters and 70s-coded boozy slushies, nautical room above the Beltline.
OrderThe savoury donut flight, a rotating sweet-savoury board.
TipDownstairs Den is the bar room with the DJ; upstairs is daylight and the oyster bar. Sit upstairs for brunch.
$$$$BrunchEmory
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.
OrderBagel with smoked trout dip and the matzoh ball soup.
TipOrder a half-dozen bagels to take home; the everything bagel is what Atlanta's bagel critics measure other shops against.