It opened its doors in 1945 and closed in 2006, and in between Silver Grill became one of the most beloved spots for Southern food in Atlanta.
Carmen Walton, known as "Momma," opened the Grill at 900 Monroe Drive NE, and it quickly became a favorite of the country boys who spent their weekdays working in the city, according to a 2006 AJC article.
The first Grill had a tin roof and resembled a Quonset hut, though later renovations gave the Grill a silver train-car look.
The customers who filled the 58 seats got a daily printout menu that listed five main-course meals, which often included chicken fried in small batches behind the counter, grilled pork chops, and bacon-wrapped filet mignon. Meals included three items from a list of about eight vegetables and salads, including mashed potatoes and gravy, greens with ham, mac-and-cheese and potato salad with sweet mayo and pickles, a corn muffin, roll, tea or coffee and tax.
"So square that it's hip," is how Krista Reese described the Silver Grill in 2000. And indeed, the Grill was less a place that people gathered for the food (although there was some of that, too), and more of a regulars welcome, Cheers-style gathering spot.
"I may have had better cooking, but it's hard to imagine a more comforting kind of meal," Reese wrote.
Indeed, the Silver Grill was so storied that both a song was written about it and a waitress was used as the inspiration for a plan.
In 1975, self-described "singer/songwriter in a dress" Diamond Lil penned a song about the Silver Grill that finally made it to vinyl in 1984.
"Silver Grill chicken, it's gonna make your mouth water," the chorus started. "Plenty of coleslaw and French fries come along with the order --- oooh! I lost my heart tryin' to get my fill when I ate at a country diner called the Silver Grill."
In 1997, Tom Edwards wrote "Della's Diner 6" in past as an homage to Peggy Hubbard, longtime waitress of Midtown's Silver Grill and an inspiration for Della.
Despite its popularity, owner Kevin Huggins decided to close up shop in 2006.
""We're a diner, and that's a fading institution, " Huggins said at the time. "The people buying the half-million dollar condos on Peachtree are not going for collard greens and corn bread."
But the Silver Grill still had some life left in it -- in late 2007, Stephan Barrani and Sam Scott bought the restaurant, renamed it the Silver Midtown Grill, rehired most of the longtime staff and reinstated the old menu.
But the resurrection didn't last long -- the restaurant closed its doors again in late 2009.
Scroll down to get a taste of what made Silver Grill so special.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
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