A barbecue breakup at Owens & Hull and more from the Atlanta dining scene
A nationally hyped barbecue restaurant announced a major change, a donut shop known for being open around the clock will now close overnight, several new restaurants opened and more happenings from metro Atlanta’s restaurant scene.
Splitsville for lauded barbecue restaurant
After failing to come to terms on a new operating agreement, the major stakeholders behind barbecue restaurant Owens & Hull have split, according to a news release.
Bryan Hull first partnered with Grand Champion BBQ owner Robert Owens in 2023. The pair opened Owens & Hull within Grand Champion, serving Texas-influenced barbecue with limited hours. The restaurant gained national recognition when Texas Monthly Magazine named Owens & Hull one of the best barbecue restaurants outside of Texas.
In a press statement, Hull announced that he has left Owens & Hull to partner with Canadian chef Tyler Heath. Together, Heath and Hull started a new concept called Misfitsss BBQ which is currently operating two separate residencies.
Misfitsss’ central Texas-inspired barbecue can be found at Round Trip Brewing’s location in west Midtown on Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. The menu includes brisket, smoked beef cheek, house-made sausage and more.
The team also serves a Tex-Mex menu at Communidad Taqueria in Old Fourth Ward on Mondays from 4-9 p.m. The Mistfitsss menu includes items like a lemon pepper wet turkey torta and smoked pork pambazos.
The two residencies are temporary, according to the announcement. Heath and Hull are actively searching for a permanent location for Misfitsss and hope to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant later this year or early in 2027.
According to the Misfitsss news release, Owens & Hull will rebrand as Owens & Co. later this year. Representatives for Owens said further details would be released later this month.
Other items of interest
Felipe Rivera and Eduardo Rivera, the owners of west Midtown hotspot Palo Santo, have purchased the Crescent Avenue space formerly home to Lure Saltwater Kitchen & Bar, according to the Schumacher Group, a local restaurant brokerage.
The new restaurant will be a Mexican steakhouse, a separate concept from Palo Santo, according to the brokerage. Felipe Rivera opened Palo Santo in 2021 and most recently founded another Mexican-inspired steakhouse called Orno in Bogota, Colombia, he said in the sales announcement.
1106 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta
Sublime Donuts, in a major departure from its longstanding 24-hour open policy, will close its Briarcliff Road location overnight. A sign posted on the donut shop’s door Friday showed new business hours: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m., seven days a week.
2566 Briarcliff Road NE, Atlanta. 404-315-6899, sublimedonuts.com
Wild Heaven Beer’s Avondale location has partnered with Pine Street Market for a winter-long soup series, according to a news release. Each week until March, the taproom will serve a different soup accompanied by an appropriate bread. Here’s the schedule for the remainder soup season:
Jan. 14-20: Loaded potato soup with sourdough
Jan. 21-27: Butternut squash soup with grilled cheese
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3: Beef and bean chili with oyster crackers
Feb. 4-10: French onion soup with crostini
Feb. 11-17: Creamy chicken marsala soup with naan
Feb. 18-25: Matzo ball soup with challa
Feb. 26 - March 1: Leftovers, while supplies last
135B Maple St., Decatur. 404-228-2961, wildheavenbeer.com
New restaurant announcements
The Victorian, the Old Fourth Ward plant shop known as the home of Burle’s Bar, will take over a former parsonage house next to the Collier Hall building in Atlanta’s Upper Westside, the neighborhood’s preservation group announced on Instagram. The new shop will also include a wine bar and is scheduled to open later this year.
1881 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta. thevictorianatlanta.com
D’Juan’s Bistro, a New Orleans-themed restaurant, will reopen in Smyrna on Jan. 19, the restaurant announced on social media.
4500 W. Village Place SE, Smyrna. 470-552-2153, djuans.com
Wyld Bird Miami Chicken, a Cuban-inspired chicken sandwich restaurant, is opening within Homegrown in February, according to a joint announcement on Instagram. Wyld Bird will take over the restaurant space for dinner after Homegrown closes following lunch service.
968 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta
Dos Caminos will open later this month in Midtown, representatives for the restaurant announced this week. The restaurant will serve Mexico City-inspired fare as well as cocktails in the space formerly occupied by the Oceanaire Seafood Room.
1100 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta.
Restaurants now open
Grindhouse Killer Burgers opened a new location on Atlanta’s Upper Westside on Jan. 14.
1221 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. 470-516-6067, grindhouseburgers.com
& Cheese, a specialty grilled cheese sandwich restaurant, holds a grand opening Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., according to a news release.
620 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-343-1144, andcheese.online
Saffron Darbar Indian Cuisine opened in Sandy Springs earlier in January, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
5975 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta. 762-453-2037, saffrondarbar.com
Restaurant closings
Academy Bar has permanently closed in Alpharetta.
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.
