As Atlanta's suburban city centers in Roswell, Alpharetta, Woodstock and around the metro area have become thriving culinary and social gathering places, so too has the quality of food improved in the once rural outposts beyond the city.
Chefs with in-town credentials and newcomers alike have opened outstanding restaurants just outside our city limits. Among them are delicious eateries the whole family will love.
Here are some of those tasty options just right outside the perimeter that appeal to tastebuds of all ages:
Moxie Burger
3 locations in Roswell, Marietta
The environment at Moxie Burger is invitingly simple and friendly. You order at the counter, fill your own drinks and seat yourself while you await your food. When it arrives, the restaurant really shines: There are delicious burgers (like the Moxie and the Heater), salads and hot dogs, as well as gluten-free and vegetarian options for the special-needs eater in your group. Moxie Burger is at once the perfect place for an after-baseball team meal, and for a beer and bites with old friends.
The El Felix
2 locations at Avalon and SunTrust Park
If you've ever been to Superica in Atlanta, you pretty much know what to expect from The El Felix OTP. Both restaurants are Ford Fry Tex-Mex concepts that offer artfully presented, yet approachable Tex-Mex and the two restaurants share nearly identical menus. At The El Felix, try classics like mesquite wood-fired fajitas, hot tamales, pollo con mole and chile rellenos.
Century House Tavern Woodstock
125 E Main St., Woodstock.
Bacchanalia alum Daniel Porubiansky executes his take on American cuisine at Century House Tavern in an unassuming converted house in downtown Woodstock, offering a menu that rotates with the season and a relaxed atmosphere. The downtown food scene in Woodstock is experiencing an awakening similar to those seen in Roswell and Alpharetta, and Century House Tavern is perhaps Woodstock's best.
Seed Kitchen & Bar
1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta.
678-214-6888
Located in a shopping mall in East Cobb, Seed Kitchen & Bar is sneaky. It doesn't seem at first blush like the kind of place that would be as chef-driven and as artfully culinary as it is. Seed offers modern American cuisine in a casual, stylish atmosphere thanks to chef and owner Doug Turbush, whose menu is artful, seasonal and locally sourced wherever possible. Turbush has lived and cooked in places as far-flung as Bangkok, Thailand, and was chef de tournant at Nava under Chef Kevin Rathbun.
The Fickle Pickle Roswell
1085 Canton St., Roswell.
(770) 650-9838
The Fickle Pickle is a longstanding Roswell lunch spot known for its homemade fried pickles and its whimsical, approachable Southern fare. The Brie BLT is out of this world, and the family will thank you for bringing them when they discover The Sugar Shack at the back of the restaurant, where cookies and other desserts are sold with coffee. The Fickle Pickle is not a fancy place to dine, but it delivers on ambiance, charm and quality soups, sandwiches and salads every time.
The Beirut
1025 Peachtree Pkwy, Peachtree City.
Lots of suburbs have a place like Beirut. The formula is this: The place doesn't look like much, and it's tucked into a strip mall next to a Great Clips, but inside the food speaks for itself. From start to finish, The Beiruit is a best-in-class following that formula. The meze appetizers, grilled kebabs and kibbeh each explode off of the plate with luscious flavors. There are to-go options for families in a hurry, and dine-in for those ready to hunker over Lebanese perfection. The more you eat there, the more you love it.
Spring Guide OTP edition is a seasonal series from The Atlanta Journal Constitution that highlights some of the best dining and outdoor experiences taking place outside of Atlanta’s perimeter.
