These are the metro Atlanta restaurants that have been open for more than 25 years

The flying saucer-style Polaris restaurant and lounge first rotated above the Hyatt Regency hotel on Peachtree Street in May 1967. Want a longtime metro Atlanta restaurant added to the gallery? Email yzusel@ajc.com.

/ Courtesy of Polaris

Pizza spot Fellini's has been open for more than 40 years, with several locations around metro Atlanta. / Photo: Ligaya Figueras

Paella is on the menu at La Fonda, which now has five metro Atlanta locations. / AJC file photo

The Nakato Dining Room today, featuring hundreds of Origami Japanese Cranes (symbolizing peace and longevity), that were created for the restaurant’s 45th Anniversary. The restaurant celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022.
Courtesy of Nakato Japanese Restaurant

Cafe Alsace has been in business in Decatur since 1997.

The Beautiful Restaurant has served soul food in Cascade Heights for more than 40 years. / The Beautiful Facebook page

The White House Restaurant in Buckhead has served up diner favorites since the 1940s. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant has served Mexican classics in metro Atlanta for more than 30 years. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

More than 29 years ago, owner Andy Klubock took over Danny's Speakeasy in an unassuming strip mall on Stone Mountain Highway first as a Taco Mac franchisee and later renamed Summits Wayside Tavern because he wanted to bring good beer to the burbs.
(Courtesy of Mary Fiorello)

Spondivits has been serving dishes like crab cakes for more than 40 years in East Point. LIGAYA FIGUERAS / LFIGUERAS@AJC.COM

57th Fighter Group Restaurant has been a fixture at the Peachtree-DeKalb Airport for more than 30 years.

View of Peachtree DeKalb Airport from the Downwind patio. The restaurant has been open since the 1980s.
Ligaya Figueras / ligaya.figueras@ajc.com

Brewtopia Events’ Owen Ogletree and Brick Store Pub co-owner Dave Blanchard at the Brick Store Cask Bar. Brick Store opened on the Decatur Square in 1997.
(Bob Townsend for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Dubbing itself Atlanta's oldest continuously licensed tavern, Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar has been serving beer and pub food in Virginia-Highland since 1922.

Minato has been serving sushi in Smyrna for decades. / Minato Facebook page

New York-style deli Bagelicious has operated in Marietta for more than 25 years. / Bagelicious Facebook page

The coronavirus has forced Havana Sandwich Shop to enter a new chapter. It’s one that co-owner Debbie Benedit (pictured) wishes she didn’t have to face. “In the 44 years I’ve done this, I have never, ever, ever, ever experienced so much uncertainty,” she said. “Even with my fire and recessions and my husband’s death and whatever else was going on, I was able to have some control over the situation. I’ve had no control over this at all. That’s been the scariest part.” LIGAYA FIGUERAS/LIGAYA.FIGUERAS@AJC.COM

Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant has been serving Italian classics in Alpharetta for more than 25 years.
(Courtesy of Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant)

Canoe’s covered patio has been offering guests unparalleled views of the Chattahoochee River and surrounding manicured gardens for more than 25 years.
Courtesy of Green Olive Media

Atlanta classic The Colonnade opened in 1927 at the corner of Piedmont Road and Lindbergh Drive, and moved to its current location on Cheshire Bridge Road in 1962. The spot features traditional southern fare and a strong martini.

Henri's Bakery is not only the oldest French bakery in Atlanta, but also one of the city's oldest businesses. The bakery, which opened in 1929, was previously located at Peachtree and 10th streets, Rhodes Center, Peachtree Palisades and the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont Avenue before settling into its Irby Avenue space in 1969, and relocated to 56 East Andrews Drive in 2017. Henri’s, which specializes in desserts, sweets and sandwiches, also has locations in Sandy Springs and West Midtown.

The Varsity has been serving up hot dogs, friend and hamburgers in Midtown since 1928.

Little's Food Store in Cabbagetown has been slinging burgers since 1929.

Majestic Diner has been a 24-hour fixture on Ponce de Leon Avenue since 1929.

Zesto started in Atlanta in 1949 as a walk-up ice cream stand on Peachtree Road, across the street from Brookwood Station in Buckhead. Several more metro Atlanta locations followed.

Mary Mac's Tea Room, located in Midtown at 224 Ponce de Leon Ave, opened in 1945 as one of 16 tea rooms in the Atlanta Area. The restaurant has expanded since then from a single dining room to the six they have now.

Busy Bee Cafe became a meeting spot for civil rights leaders after opening on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive NE in 1947, and continues to stay busy, serving up fried chicken and other southern staples.

Paschal's, a meeting place for notable Black entertainers, politicians and businesspeople during the Civil Rights movement, opened in 1947.

George's Bar and Restaurant opened its doors in Virginia-Highland in 1961.

Moe's and Joe's on North Highland Avenue in Virginia-Highland opened in 1947.

Customers have been enjoying southern staples including fried chicken livers, turnip greens, hashbrown casserole and cornbread muffins at Matthews Cafeteria in Tucker since 1955.

Manuel's Tavern in Virginia-Highland has been a Democratic hangout and popular watering hole since opening in 1956.

The Silver Skillet restaurant has been a regular breakfast stop in Midtown Atlanta since 1956. (Joey Ivansco/AJC)

Athens Pizza opened on Clairmont Road in Decatur in 1966.

Gerald Wallace opened the original Wallace's Barbecue in 1966, and the restaurant moved down the street to a new building in 1988.

Swan Coach House has been open in Buckhead since the mid-1960s.

Nino's has been serving old-school Italian on Cheshire Bridge Road since 1968.

Polynesian restaurant and tiki bar Trader Vic's has been open inside Hilton Atlanta in 1976.

Opened in 1968 in Smyrna by Helen and Jim Llewallyn (Jim built the restaurant's tables and booths that remain today), Old South BBQ is now run by the Llewallyn children and serves up a variety of barbecue plates and sides.

Buckhead residents have been chowing down on Pero's Pizza and Pastas dishes since 1969.

The Sun Dial restaurant at the top of The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel opened in 1972.

No matter what name it goes by --it's been listed as Sgt. Wyatt's Country BBQ, Wyatt's Country BBQ and Wyatt's Diner -- this roadside spot on Memorial Drive in Atlanta has been serving old-school barbecue since the mid-1970s.

The infamous Northside Tavern has been operating in West Midtown since 1972.

Woody's Cheesesteaks opened in Midtown in 1975 and opened a second Buckhead location in 2019.

Golden Buddha opened in Decatur on Clairmont Road in 1975.

Nikolai's Roof atop the Atlanta Hilton has been open since 1976.

Opened in 1976 on Peachtree Road by Bob Newton, Old Brick Pit BBQ has since changed hands but continues to use the same techniques and vinegar-based sauce.

Old Hickory House in Tucker is the sole survivor of a beloved barbecue chain that started in 1974 and once dotted the local landscape from College Park to Dunwoody.

Grand China has been serving an American-Chinese to Buckhead since 1978, with a brief closure to renovate its building in the 2000s.

La Grotta has served up Italian classics in Buckhead since 1978.

Classic Atlanta steakhouse Bones opened in Buckhead in 1979.

Skip's Chicago Dogs has been slinging hot dogs in Avondale Estates since 1979.

Jalisco Mexican Restaurant has been serving Mexican staples in Buckhead off of Peachtree Road since 1979.

Customers have come to dance, eat and drink at Johnny's Hideaway in Buckhead since 1979.

Old school Italian restaurant Bambinelli's opened its first location in 1980. It has locations in Atlanta, Lilburn and Roswell.

Murphy's, located at Virginia Highland at the corner of N. Highland Ave and Virginia Ave., opened in 1980.

Ray's on the River opened in Sandy Springs in 1984.

This Is It, various locations. Shelley "Butch" Anthony and his wife, Barbara, opened the first This Is It in 1983. The restaurant, which specializes in barbecue and soul food, now has more than 10 locations in metro Atlanta.

R Thomas Deluxe Grill was ahead of its time when it started serving healthy fare on Peachtree Road in Buckhead in 1985.

The OK Cafe on West Paces Ferry Road NW has been open since 1987 and recently renovated after a fire.

Little Five Points residents and visitors have bellied up to the bar at Euclid Avenue Yacht Club since 1987.

Classic Buckhead steakhouse Chops, a Buckhead Life Restaurant Group restaurant, opened in 1989, with The Lobster Bar following in 1994.

Virginia-Highland residents and visitors have ordered steak and drinks at Highland Tap since 1989.

Chaplin's in Roswell has been hosting karaoke and serving up bar food since 1989.

Fat Matt's Rib Shack has been serving up barbecue on Piedmont Road since 1990.

Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q, various locations. Brothers Larry and Danny Williamson opened their first location in Marietta in 1990 and have since opened in Canton and Douglasville and have made a name for themselves with their sauces.

Savage Pizza opened its Little Five Points location in 1990. The restaurant also has a location in Avondale Estates. / AJC file photo

Buckhead Life Restaurant Group Italian eatery Pricci opened in Buckhead in 1991.

Slope's BBQ has been serving the Roswell area for more than 30 years.

Nuevo Laredo has been serving Mexican food on Chattahoochee Ave. since 1992.

The Grant Park neighborhood has changed a lot in the past few years, but Daddy D'z has been a mainstay since 1993.

Buckhead Life Restaurant Group eatery Atlanta Fish Market opened in Buckhead in 1993.

Customers have been eating up the meat and three and pasta from Eats on Ponce de Leon Avenue since 1993.

Find soup, salads, sandwiches and freshly-baked breads and pastries at Corner Cafe and Buckhead Bread Co. Both Buckhead Life Restaurant Group concepts opened in 1994.

Cafe Sunflower became one of the first all-vegetarian restaurants when it opened in Sandy Springs in 1994. That location closed in 2020, but a second remains open in Buckhead.

Casual southern French bistro Anis Cafe & Bistro has been open at 2974 Grandview Ave. in Buckhead since 1994.

Nicks Food To Go has specialized in gyros in Grant Park since 1994.

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The flying saucer-style Polaris restaurant and lounge first rotated above the Hyatt Regency hotel on Peachtree Street in May 1967. Want a longtime metro Atlanta restaurant added to the gallery? Email yzusel@ajc.com. / Courtesy of Polaris

By Yvonne Zusel

Updated May 15, 2023

Atlanta is often criticized for not preserving its history, but there are lots of metro Atlanta restaurants striving to keep the longtime character of the city alive.

Busy Bee Cafe became a meeting spot for civil rights leaders after opening on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive NE in 1947, and continues to stay busy, serving up fried chicken and other southern staples.

From Atkins Park Tavern, which has been serving beer and food in Virginia-Highland since 1922 to Anis Cafe and Bistro, which has been dishing up French cuisine in Buckhead since 1994, click on the gallery above to see some of the metro Atlanta restaurants that have been welcoming customers for more than a quarter century.

Atlanta Classics: Canoe celebrates 27 years on the Chattahoochee River

Atlanta Classics: Nick’s Food to Go endures in a changing area

Atlanta Classics: At Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant, it’s all about family

Atlanta Classics: Blue-domed Polaris continues spinning atop ‘hotel of hope’

Atlanta Classics: Atlanta’s oldest Japanese restaurant turns 50

Atlanta institution Zesto celebrates 70 years

Atlanta Classics: Tavern operator has always focused on bringing new beers into the market

At 90, The Varsity is still going strong

Read the AJC Spring Dining Guide: The Atlanta barbecue issue

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