Diversity reigns among nearly 20 September restaurant openings in metro Atlanta
A wide variety of restaurants opened across metro Atlanta last month, from a reality star’s Trinidadian bistro to a fine-dining pop-up in a butcher shop priced at more than $300 per person.
Just a handful of restaurants closed, including a 10-year resident of Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall.
Restaurant openings
Blake’s Oyster Bar, a sister restaurant to D’Juan’s New Orleans Bistro from Donald Williams Jr., opened Sept. 6 with a menu featuring New Orleans cuisine and seafood.
510 Fairburn Road SW, Atlanta. instagram.com/blakesoysterbar
Brasserie Lundi and the Peacherie, a French restaurant and food hall in Midtown, opened Sept. 10, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Brasserie Lundi is a full-service French restaurant from chef Akhtar Nawab with a menu of dishes like oysters; foie gras torchon with stone fruit preserves and brioche; steak tartare with quail egg; poulet rôti with bacon and mushrooms; and poached halibut with charred leeks and smoked trout caviar.
1375 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. peacherieatl.com
Cucina Baci, a wine shop and Italian market, reopened in early September. The restaurant features a baby grand piano, live music, and stage performances like circus and magic shows. An Italian market, deli and cafe include a menu of paninis, salads and pasta. Cucina Baci will hold a grand reopening celebration on Sept. 26 with live entertainment, lobster rolls and Italian lobster specials.
2295 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-869-8003, cucinabaci.com
Dumpling Master, a Chinese dim sum restaurant, opened its fifth metro-area location in Decatur last month, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
1248 Clairmont Road, Decatur. 470-270-8850, dumplingmaster.us
Eclipse di Luna, the local tapas restaurant chain, opened a new location on the Atlanta Beltline at the beginning of September, a social media announcement confirmed. The new tapas spot took over the space formerly occupied by Nina & Rafi in SPX Alley.
661 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta. 463-252-3572, eclipsediluna.com
Friendship BBQ opened in Duluth in September with a menu of Chinese-style barbecue, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
2255 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth. 470-388-4382, friendshipbbqatl.com
Kin at Kinship Butcher & Sundry opened Sept. 5, bringing a high-concept tasting menu to the Virginia Highland shop two nights a week. Reservations for the $325-per-person pop-up have already been booked through the end of the year, with 2026 reservations expected to become available in December.
1019 Virginia Ave. NE, Atlanta. instagram.com/kn.atl
La Industria Mexican Grill opened in Peachtree Corners at the beginning of September, according to the restaurant’s social media pages.
3466 Holcomb Bridge Road, Peachtree Corners. 770-802-8133, laindustriamexicangrill.com
M @ Umi, an eight-seat omakase experience from chef Kazuo Yoshida, launched Sept. 24 at Buckhead sushi hotspot Umi. Yoshida joined Umi’s program as lead chef from New York City about 10 months ago. The omakase experience will be located one floor above Umi’s main dining room and features 19 courses with offerings like smoked bonito salad, madai sashimi, a wagyu hand roll with caviar and uni risotto. The reservation-only experience costs $295 per person. Sake and wine pairings are available for an additional $135. The 250-square-foot space features bar stools, a white maple chef’s counter, globe pendants and white yakisugi walls. The omakase room is open for 7 p.m. seatings Wednesdays-Fridays.
3050 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta. 404-841-0040, umiatlanta.com
Mason’s Super Dogs, a hot dog stand from young entrepreneur Mason Wright, opened on the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail on Sept. 8. The second location of Mason’s Super Dogs held a grand opening celebration at its new address, 850 Willoughby Way, near the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark.
850 Willoughby Way NE, Atlanta. masonssuperdogs.com
Mobay Spice reopened Sept. 8 after a renovation that expanded the Caribbean restaurant’s space in the Toco Hills Promenade strip mall in North Druid Hills, restaurant representatives confirmed to the AJC.
2957 N. Druid Hills Road, Atlanta. 404-941-7028, instagram.com/mobayspiceofficial
Red Room Bistro is a lounge and restaurant from Karlie Redd, a reality star of MTV’s “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta,” which opened in downtown Atlanta on Sept. 28. Reddand her business partner Ace Carrington, who also owns Spice House and Crescent City Kitchen, brought in executive chef Teddy Lopez to collaborate on a menu featuring a mix of Southern, American and Caribbean cuisine.
255 Trinity Ave. SW, Atlanta. 470-263-1664, instagram.com/redroombistro
Roaring Social opened its “treasury” location in downtown Decatur on Sept. 18, according to a news release from ownership group Competitive Social Ventures. The Roaring ’20s speakeasy-themed eatertainment venue will feature a full-service restaurant, bar, live music stage and boutique bowling lanes within its 7,500-square-foot space. Guests will enter the restaurant through a vault door in a former bank located across the street from the Decatur courthouse.
101 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. roaringsocialdecatur.com
Rreal Tacos opened its new location on the Atlanta Beltline on Sept. 8, the restaurant chain announced on social media with the help of its new ambassador, the rollerblading influencer known as Beltline Kevin (and a copy of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
699 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-941-9690, rrealtacos.com
Sauce Queen Kitchen & Pantry reopened in late September along Catherine Street after temporarily closing for the summer, chef India Johnson said. It has an “elevated bodega” feel with pastries, grab-and-go sandwiches like the Adair Park Club (smoked turkey breast, provolone, red onion, spinach and sweet pickleback mayo on grilled sourdough) and a market featuring Johnson’s small-batch seasonings and sauces, plus food products from other local businesses.
711 Catherine St. SW, Atlanta, 470-455-3093. shopsaucequeen.co
Smash’d Burgers and Bourbon, a new restaurant from chef Donnie Wicker, opened in late September in Stone Mountain. The burger establishment joins two other nearby restaurants owned by Wicker (also known as Chef Wic): Trend Urban Cafe and Guac Taco Studio & Bar.
5370 Stone Mountain Highway, Stone Mountain. 470-268-6068, smashdbb.com
Soul Foodies opened a brick-and-mortar location in the Covington Place Shopping Plaza in Decatur last month, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
4086 Covington Highway, Decatur. 404-604-1147, soulfoodiesatl.com
The Creamy Spot, a plant-based ice cream shop, opened Sept. 13 after relocating from Best End Brewing after the brewery’s closure, the AJC previously reported. The new shop is based in a 40-foot shipping container at Pittsburgh Yards.
352 University Ave. SW, Atlanta. instagram.com/thecreamyspot
Toastique, a gourmet toast, juice and coffee bar, opened its second Georgia location in Marietta last month. The menu features toasts like smoked salmon, tomato burrata and peanut butter crunch, plus smoothie bowls and cold-pressed juice. The store is open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
4250 Roswell Road, Marietta. 470-787-2159, toastique.com
White Windmill, a Korean bakery and coffee shop, opened its fourth location Sept. 6 in Buckhead near the Lindbergh MARTA station in the Uptown Atlanta development.
562 Main St. NE, Atlanta. 770-209-2347, whitewbakerycafe.com
Restaurant closings & relocations
Cafe Bombay has closed after more than 20 years in North Druid Hills, Tomorrow’s News Today first reported. The restaurant will move to a new location in Norcross and open a second, takeout-only location in the nearby Briar Clair strip mall.
Iron Hill Brewery closed its Dunwoody location Wednesday amid a complete shutdown of the chain, the company announced on social media. Another Atlanta-area location closed in May 2024, the AJC previously reported.
Lazy Dog Restaurant at the Perimeter has temporarily closed after a small kitchen fire, the restaurant chain said in a news release. The Dunwoody restaurant is expected to reopen later this fall, though representatives did not provide a specific date. While repairs are underway, fans of the restaurant can stop by for a $25 voucher that can be used at Lazy Dog’s only other location in the area, on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta.
Mambo Zombi will move to a new location after it served its final tropical drinks on Edgewood Avenue on Sept. 28, according to a social media post. “We’ve always known that one day we’d have to move after the Georgia Beer Garden building sold, and now, that day has come,” the ownership team shared in the social media post. “Thank you for loving Mambo on Edgewood as much as we have. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.”
Nut Cafe, a vegan food truck, announced in a Sept. 18 social media post that it would permanently cease operations. “As many of you all know, our food truck was involved in an accident, and after battling for several months, it has just recently been declared a total loss,” restaurant representatives said in a statement. “We’re deeply grateful for the support, smiles and encouragement you’ve given us over the years.”
W.H. Stiles Fish Camp, the Ponce City Market seafood restaurant from celebrated chef Anne Quatrano, closed at the end of September, the AJC previously reported. The restaurant brought its jaunty nautical theme to the Old Fourth Ward food hall in 2015; Quatrano previously told the AJC the restaurant was near the end of its 10-year lease. It will be replaced by a new location of 26 Thai, the fast-expanding local chain from restaurateur Niki Pattharakositkul.
Zeats, a franchise restaurant chain out of Michigan, closed its location in Atlanta’s Upper Westside neighborhood in early September, according to Tomorrow’s News Today.
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
