BBQ restaurant pivots to lower-priced menu; more from Atlanta’s dining scene
A Summerhill barbecue restaurant is pivoting to Tex-Mex in an effort to keep its menu more affordable, several Atlanta restaurants and cafes received a Snail of Approval award and Ghetto Gastro is moving into Atlanta. These are just some of this week’s happenings from the metro Atlanta food and dining scene.
Wood’s Chapel BBQ to introduce Tex Mex menu
Wood’s Chapel BBQ, the Summerhill eatery from Rye Restaurant Group (the General Muir, TGM Bread, Fred’s Meat & Bread and Yalla), is pivoting to a Tex-Mex-focused menu starting May 5, according to a news release.
Instead of primarily offering meat plates, Wood’s Chapel will now offer its proteins in sandwich and taco form. It will also add more Mexican-inspired dishes like enchiladas, a green chile pork burrito, a quesadilla and a reworked selection of sides. Traditional meat plates will still be available for order.
This change comes in part as a way to offer more options for customers and lower the menu prices, chef and restaurant partner Todd Ginsberg said in a prepared statement. With the rising cost of meat, the restaurant was stuck between passing along those costs to customers, or feeling the squeeze themselves.
While all food prices are expected to increase this year, beef in particular has skyrocketed. According to the Economic Research Service’s April Food Price Outlook, beef prices were 12.1% higher this March than one year ago, and beef prices are expected to increase another 6.3% in 2026.
“Our prices already would raise some eyebrows, but we really needed to charge more than we have been,” Ginsberg said in a statement. “Our goal, really, is to lower the average ticket price for our customers, hopefully allowing people to come more often.”
The bar menu will shift slightly to adapt to this change with a focus on tequila and mezcal-based cocktails. There will be several frozen margaritas and a nonalcoholic frozen lemonade as well.
The revamped menu includes chips and salsa, cowboy beans, esquites, queso mac and cheese and spicy cabbage slaw. Taco offerings include chicken al carbon with guacamole and habanero salsa; pork carnitas with caramelized onions and tomatillo habanero salsa; and mushrooms with rajas poblanos and queso fresco.
Sandwiches are now priced between $9-$14, two tacos are $9-$11 and the burritos, enchiladas and quesadillas are between $10-$14.
Meat plates are between $12-$14 and can be ordered “all the way,” which comes with three flour tortillas, cowboy beans, cilantro rice, onion, jalapeno and salsa for an extra $6.
Wood’s Chapel will be closed Monday, May 4, for final preparations before it reopens with a new menu Tuesday, May 5.
85 Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-522-3000, woodschapelbbq.com
Snail of Approval 2026 winners announced
Several Atlanta restaurants, cafes and a soft-serve shop received the 2026 Snail of Approval award which recognizes “local businesses that exemplify Slow Food’s commitment to good, clean and fair food,” according to a news release.
Slow Food Atlanta, a local chapter of the global organization that works to prevent the disappearance of local food culture and tradition, presented the 2026 Snail of Approval winners during a celebration on April 27.
The winners include Global Growers Network, Kamayan ATL, La Semilla, Tybee Oyster Company, Georgia Peach Truck, Big Softie, Pink’s Barbecue, Quercus Farm, Artisan Milling Company, Portrait Coffee, Lola’s Organic Farm, Con Leche, Gigi’s Italian and Bovino After Dark.
Slow Food Atlanta also awarded community grants to Auburn Angel, a Southern restaurant in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, and TanBrown Coffee, a local coffee roaster that highlights Asian coffee, in honor of their work as “neighborhood-driven spaces that contribute meaningfully to Atlanta’s food landscape.”
All of the Snail of Approval recipients are evaluated based on sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support and business values.
Other news of interest
Jittery Joe’s, an Athens-based coffee shop and roaster, is entering the matcha world with the instant Kokoro Matcha Latte, a product made in collaboration with Peter Dale, the owner of Condor Chocolates, Maepole and 5&10. Dale and Jittery Joe’s co-owner Michael Ripps worked with Ishikawa Farm in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan to create the foundation for the mix. Kokoro Matcha Latte combines the Ishikawa Ceremonial Matcha with powdered oat milk, coconut milk powder and sugar. It can be mixed with hot water or enjoyed over ice. The Kokoro Matcha Latte is available at jitteryjoes.com and in Jittery Joe’s cafes in Athens for $28.
Ryan Pernice, the owner of Table & Main in Roswell, was named to OpenTable’s inaugural U.S. Restaurant Ambassador Council, according to a news release. The council is made up of 20 chefs, operators and industry leaders across 17 cities who will serve as OpenTable advisers. Members will meet with OpenTable’s executives to share industry trends, real-world insight and provide feedback on the company’s products and priorities.
Ponko Chicken, the Atlanta-based chicken chain, is introducing chicken nuggets to its menu and will give away a free order of its “Ponko nuggies” to the first 200 people at each of its six locations. One person will also have the chance to win free chicken nuggets for the year. The nuggets come in sets of 8, 12 and 30 and can be paired with Ponko’s sweet teriyaki, barbecue and spicy sauces.
11 a.m. May 4. Multiple locations. ponkochicken.com
McDonald’s is joining the “dirty soda” trend starting May 6 as it debuts six new drinks on its menu. Dirty soda is a drink made by mixing soda with flavorings like fruit syrups, cream and boba. The new menu offerings include combinations like a Dirty Dr Pepper with vanilla flavoring and cold foam; a Sprite Berry Blast with blue raspberry syrup topped with cold foam; and the Orange Dream with Hi-C Orange soda, vanilla flavoring and cold foam.
May 6. Multiple locations. mcdonalds.com/us/en-us.html
Whataburger will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week on May 7 by offering teachers and school staff a free breakfast of a bun, honey butter chicken biscuit or breakfast taquito from 5-9 a.m. with a valid school ID.
5-9 a.m. May 7. Multiple locations. whataburger.com/home
Restaurant announcements
Ghetto Gastro, a culinary collective founded in the Bronx that merges food, art, fashion and music, will be expanding into Atlanta, according to a social media post where it announced an open hiring call for culinary and dining room positions on May 3 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at A Ma Maniere.
Little Alley Steak, one of the AJC’s 50 best restaurants, is opening its third location in downtown Alpharetta on May 11, according to a social media post. The menu will include Linz Heritage Angus beef, over 300 bourbons and whiskeys and a global wine list.
102 S. Main St., Alpharetta. 770-558-4550, littlealleysteak.com/locations/alpharetta
Pie Bar, a local pie-focused bakery, announced it will open a third location in the Westside Market in west Midtown. It will offer whole pies, slices, mini pies, savory pies, hand pies and a full espresso menu. This will join its locations in Marietta Square and downtown Woodstock.
1530 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. NW, Atlanta. orderpiebar.com
La Semilla, a vegan Latin restaurant in Reynoldstown, is launching lunch service starting May 5. It will be open for dine-in, delivery and takeout from 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays.
780 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. 404-228-3090, lasemilla.kitchen
Showdown Social, a concept combining food, drinks and entertainment, opens May 14 in Alpharetta. Guests can enjoy host-led card games throughout the evening with a range of games such as Ace Face (similar to Black Jack), Chain Reaction (similar to UNO) and Card Mafia (similar to Mafia) available. The menu includes dishes like rib-eye steaks, salmon, Cajun pasta, crab corn dip, wings and skewers. It will be open 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Friday and noon-1 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
7955 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta. 770-676-7604, showdown.com
Great Big Game Show, an entertainment concept where guests become contestants in a TV-style competition, is opening at the Battery May 8. There will be multiple game studios with lights, buzzers and a live host for groups of friends to compete.
800 Battery Ave. SE, Atlanta. 678-212-5726, greatbiggameshow.com/atlanta
Openings
Patria Mezcalería has reopened in the Pata Negra space in Midtown. Pata Negra temporarily closed for several days to transform into this new concept inspired by its sister restaurant in Grant Park, Patria Cocina, according to a social media post.
1777 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-343-6212, instagram.com/patriamezcaleriaatl
Closures
Psito and Hero Diner in Summerhill are both temporarily closed. This comes as part of a larger story out of Alabama that the hospitality group that owns the restaurants, Pihakis Restaurant Group, has closed multiple eateries in Birmingham and faces a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, AL.com reported.
Johnny’s World Famous Chicken & Waffles has closed its location in College Park and is posted for sale, according to a listing from Steven Josovitz of the Schumacher Group. The restaurant was opened in 2021 by Crystal Smith, singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and reality star Karlie Redd. A location in Dallas, Texas, remains open.
Jinya Ramen Bar has closed its Roswell location, according to Tomorrow’s News Today.
NaanStop has closed its location in Atlantic Station, Tomorrow’s News Today reported. Its downtown Atlanta outpost remains open.
About the Author
Olivia Wakim is a reporter on the lifestyle 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.
