There are great restaurants and favorite resturants - and these are not neccesarily the same thing. A favorite restaurant doesn't have to be fancy or acclaimed. It can just be good.
The first half of the year was dominated by the kinds of food that stand the test of time. Where locally sourced, sustainable ingredients fill the menus of every new restaurant in town, there was something old school about the big news hits of this year's first half: pizza, burger, taco.
Sure, other great restaurants have opened with environment and panache (and they're great, too)... but the pulse of the city cannot be denied, this has been the spring of the Shake Shack. So either order one with us, or deal with it.
5. Antico – Suburbs Edition.
Antico is the unofficial official pizza of Atlanta (by way of Naples). The fact that the brand is now expanding? A good thing, if you like great pizza.
2200 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta.
770-674-8811
littleitalia.com
4. Last Word
When P'Cheen went B'bye it left a hole in the Old Fourth Ward. But a little demolition here, some renovation there – and suddenly the location has been reborn. The team behind Last Word (which includes Bernard Moussa) are onto something with amazing cocktails and a rotating menu at this classy, seasonal spot.
701 Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta
404.343.1274
lastwordatl.com
3. Cooks and Soldiers
We love the atmosphere at Cooks and Soldiers, and we're thankful they didn't follow the 2015 trend of naming restaurants The ___ and the ____. The Cooks and the Soldiers, that would be too much army for one peaceful Westside Spanish spot. A lively drink menu makes this a great place to meet friends on a Thursday night.
691 14th Street NW, Atlanta
404.996.2623
cooksandsoldiers.com
2. Bartaco
Street-stye tacos and fresh-made margaritas on a stunning patio. Filed under ideas destined to succeed.
The ingredients might be Mexican in nature, but summers spent polishing the third pitcher? Those memories are red, white and blue.
969 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta
404.607.8226
bartaco.com
1. Shake Shack
Ever heard people go on and on about In n' Out Burger, or some other thing that is awesome and completely unavailable in Atlanta?
Shake Shack was like that, until it opened it's doors as the first relevant spot to visit at Buckhead Atlanta. Now, it's almost impossible to make it across town without someone asking you, with childlike excitement in their voice, "have ya been to shake shack?!"
If the answer is no, do the professional thing and assess the burger joint on it's cheeseburger and fries. Feel free to add a shake. The main thing to do when visiting a new burger sensation – don't get cute. You can branch out on return visits, but first you need to establish the baseline. Oh and after you go, be sure to ask everyone you encounter in the days and weeks ahead whether they have, in fact, been to Shake Shack.
3035 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta
470.809.9201
shakeshack.com
