Two buzzy restaurants open on the Atlanta Beltline this week
Two restaurants are opening on opposite sides of the Beltline this week. Northern China Eatery opened its second location along the Eastside Beltline on Thursday, while Monday Night Brewing is debuting the Grove, its west Midtown expansion on the Northwest Beltline Trail.
After operating for more than a decade at 670 Trabert Ave. NW, Monday Night Brewing made a major investment in growing its footprint.
The Grove includes a 7,400-square-foot indoor taproom that also serves cocktails, and more than 17,000 square feet of outdoor space that fronts the newest section of the Northwest Beltline, featuring a patio, fire pits and a canopy of native trees.
The new space opens to the public Saturday with festivities throughout the weekend.
The brewery has added an expanded menu of coffee and pastries available daily until 3 p.m.; 30 beers on tap, all made on-site; a food program with sandwiches, wings, dips, small plates and co-owner Joel Iverson’s sourdough pizza; and a seasonal cocktail list.
It will also launch a gluten-free pizza trailer on the property to go along with Monday Night’s gluten-free pilsner Placebo Pils, Iverson said.
The Grove’s patio bumps into the 1.2-mile stretch of the Northwest Beltline Trail that begins at Trabert Avenue near Monday Night Brewing and ends after crossing under I-75 at Tanyard Creek. This will be part of the full Northwest Trail that’s set to span 4.3 miles upon its completion.
In addition to Beltline access, the Grove offers three free parking lots.
“I love this city, I love what it represents, I love the intersection of so many different places and people and walks of life, and our hope and dream for the Grove is that it is a place where that can happen more and more,” co-owner Jeff Heck said.
The Grove at Monday Night Brewing will be open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
Northern China Eatery also opened this week along the Eastside Beltline at 665 Auburn Ave. in the Shoppes at Citizen building.
The modest original restaurant debuted on Buford Highway in 2008 with a large menu that specializes in cuisine from Beijing, Tianjin and a little farther into the country’s northeast. Over the years, the eatery has grown a loyal following around metro Atlanta, and owner Fan Zhang, who took over in 2011, opened spinoff, dumpling-focused concept Dumpling Factory in the Westside Paper development last year.
Zhang’s next venture is a second location of Northern China Eatery now open next to Emerald City Bagels.
“Once I saw what the Beltline had to offer, this was a no-brainer,” he said.
Zhang said he pared down the menu at this location and focused on the most popular items.
The menu features cold starters like spicy cold noodles and shredded tofu salad; small bites like scallion pancakes and crab Rangoon; chicken and lamb skewers; hot pot; handmade buns and soup dumplings; and a variety of entrées with beef, lamb, seafood, vegetables and chicken.
In the coming weeks, it will also have a full bar with cocktails, beer and wine. The indoor space has a “traditional, modern” design with a large mural stretching across one wall, Zhang said, with 88 indoor seats, 65 outdoor seats and a bar that can be accessed from inside the restaurant and from the Beltline.
Northern China Eatery is open 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday and Monday.
The Grove at Monday Night Brewing. 670 Trabert Ave. NW, Atlanta. 404-352-7703, mondaynightbrewing.com/location/atlanta-the-grove
Northern China Eatery. 665 Auburn Ave., Atlanta. northernchinaeatery.com
About the Author
Olivia Wakim is a digital content producer on the food and dining team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
