Seafood$$$decaturMon-Thu 17:00-00:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-01:00, Sun 17:00-00:00
Kimball House in Decatur, Atlanta opened 2013 inside a converted 19th-century train station, with the city's deepest oyster selection and a James Beard.
Signature: Oysters, Absinthe service, Patate dauphine
Order: Two dozen oysters and the absinthe drip service.
Tip: Reservations on Resy; the bar takes walk-ins until late. Sunday Happy Hour 17:00-18:30 is the under-the-radar bargain.
Modern American$$$$old-fourth-wardThu 12:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-21:00
Staplehouse in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta opened 2015 inside a converted carriage house and runs a chef's tasting under the nonprofit Giving Kitchen umbrella.
Signature: Chef's tasting menu, Seasonal small plates
Order: The chef's tasting menu; the menu rotates with the seasons.
Tip: Profits fund The Giving Kitchen, supporting Atlanta hospitality workers in crisis. Reservations on Tock 30 days out.
Soul Food$$downtownMon-Thu 11:30-21:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-22:00, Sun 11:00-21:00
Paschal's in Atlanta has served soul food since 1947, when brothers Robert and James Paschal opened on Hunter Street. Located in Downtown. Priced at $$.
Signature: Fried chicken, Collard greens, Peach cobbler
Order: Fried chicken plate with collard greens, mac and cheese, candied yams.
Tip: The current Castleberry Hill location since 2002 expanded with a banquet space; the original Hunter Street site is preserved at Clark Atlanta.
Southern$$midtownDaily 11:00-21:00
Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta opened 1945 and runs Southern Sunday dinner classics in a four-dining-room compound on Ponce de Leon, with the same recipes.
Signature: Fried chicken, Pot likker and cornbread, Peach cobbler
Order: Pot likker with a side of cornbread, then fried chicken with three sides.
Tip: Order the pot likker as a starter; it comes free with cornbread. No reservations Monday through Thursday lunch; OpenTable for dinner and weekends.
Soul Food$$downtownDaily 11:00-19:00
Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta opened 1947 on MLK Drive and won the James Beard America's Classics Award in 2022 for its decades of soul food service near the AUC.
Signature: Fried chicken, Oxtails, Collard greens
Order: Fried chicken with two sides; the oxtails on lunch special when available.
Tip: Cash and card. Lunch and early dinner only Tuesday to Sunday; line forms before noon weekends.
New American$$$$buckheadMon-Sat 17:30-22:00
Chef Gerry Klaskala's Buckhead institution in Atlanta opened 2000 and runs a slow-cooked New American menu of braised meats and seasonal plates.
Signature: Braised short rib, Tasting menu
Order: The slow-braised short rib; the chef's tasting on Friday and Saturday.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the lounge bar takes walk-ins with the full menu.