Atlanta loves breakfast. And what’s not to love about bacon, pancakes and bottomless mimosas? But, sometimes that hour-plus wait at your favorite neighborhood brunch spot will leave you angry or rashly overindulging once you finally sit down. Here’s how to navigate the best breakfast spots without wasting your entire Saturday.
Get there early. While everyone else is still hungover or asleep, you could be halfway through that triple stack of blueberry pancakes. Home Grown GA (968 Memorial Drive S.E., Atlanta. 404-222-0455, homegrownga.com), Ria's Bluebird (421 Memorial Drive S.E., Atlanta. 404-521-3737, riasbluebird.com), West Egg Cafe (1100 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-872-3973, westeggcafe.com) and Thumbs Up Diner (multiple locations, thumbsupdiner.com) open at 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Consider the bar. Waits are usually longest for tables in the dining room, so cozy up to the bar for faster seating and generally faster service, plus an increased likelihood of endless coffee refills.
Embrace dinner. Many Southerners still call the midday meal "dinner" because, in farming families and communities, that was often the biggest meal of the day. Most of the above locations, plus other favorites such as Highland Bakery (655 Highland Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-586-0772, highlandbakery.com) and Sun in My Belly (2161 College Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-370-1088, suninmybelly.com) are open until at least 2 or 3 p.m. So, get your dinner early at a breakfast place to avoid the crowds.
Go on a weekday. The easiest way to hit up the most popular spots is on a weekday between the pre-work and lunch rushes.
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