10 Essential Atlanta Soul Food Restaurants (2024)

  • Atlanta
  • Eat

From classic spots to new and trendy upstarts.

By

Joshua Robinson

10 Essential Atlanta Soul Food Restaurants (1)

Whether you’re originally from Atlanta or you’re a transplant from a far-off city, you’ve probably realized by now that the South does soul food differently. And even though our sports teams may have had a tendency to disappoint in the past, Atlanta’s soul food has always been undefeated. Thanks to half-century-old eating establishments and innovative new chefs who specialize in Southern-style eats, the city’s soul food scene has a lot of great options. If you’ve been yearning for that special type of a meal that can fill your belly and replenish your Southern spirit, you can’t go wrong with any of the following eateries. These are the best Soul Food spots in Atlanta.

10 Essential Atlanta Soul Food Restaurants (2)

Castleberry Hill
Atlanta native and Xscape alum Kandi Burruss-Tucker and her husband Todd knew what we all have always known—old ladies make some mind blowingly good soul food. They, however, used that knowledge to their advantage and opened up Old Lady Gang, a classic soul food restaurant led by the OG OLGs: Joyce Jones, Bertha Jones & Nora Wilcox. The Camp Creek location is currently closed for renovations, but you can still pull up to the Castleberry Hill location and enjoy your favorite Southern staples, from shrimp and grits to barbecue rib tips. Plus, craft cocktails like the Stubborn Atlanta Mule and the Sneaky Georgia will make sure you stay lit throughout your entire meal.

10 Essential Atlanta Soul Food Restaurants (3)

Castleberry Hill
Like soul music, soul food is a direct extension of a chef’s lived experiences, so if you want your food to taste as great as Etta James sounded in her music, you want to visit a soul food restaurant with decades of experience. The easy answer: Paschal’s Restaurant in Castleberry Hill. Founded in 1947, Paschal’s is probably the same age as some of the elders in your family, so expect to have what the restaurant calls a “historic and soulful dining experience.” Menu highlights include the 1947 Old Fashion fried (or baked) chicken sandwich, the jumbo deep-fried shrimp served alongside Paschal's special dipping sauce, and of course, the tried and true two-piece fried chicken meal.

West Midtown
Having previously worked as a flight attendant before transitioning into a career as a culinary expert, Chef Deborah VanTrece brings a global perspective to soul food, and at Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, it shows. Wondrously unique entrees like the Southern Marinated Fried Chicken, Hoisin Glazed Oxtails, and Stewed Neckbones, Twisted Soul has one of the most eye-catching soul food menus in the entire city. Plus, “Pours” is in the name of Chef VanTrece and Chef Robert Butts’ restaurant for a reason—so make sure you try the P-Valley-inspired “No Cryin’ At The PYNK,” “Teenage Fever,” and all of the other exceptional signature cocktails on its drink menu.

10 Essential Atlanta Soul Food Restaurants (4)

Cascade
Unless you’ve been sleeping in late every weekend for the past few years, you already know that brunch in Atlanta is a vibe. For an even tastier, Southern-style brunch experience, you have to visit Milk & Honey at Cascade. First off, brunch is available at Milk & Honey anytime that it’s open(which is Friday through Monday), and more importantly, the menu is packed with soulful twists on brunch standards. At Milk & Honey, you can order a fried fish biscuit, have some lobster gumbo and grits, chow down on some crab hash, and even get a little boozy with the Georgia peach cognac french toast. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the indoor area remains closed for dine-in, but you can still come in to grab some take out and enjoy your meal on the outdoor patio.

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Decatur
Who’s Got Soul Southern Café is a neighborhood soul food spot that really takes pride in culture, tradition, and high-quality homemade ingredients. With no pork seasonings, no canned vegetables, or no MSG in Who’s Got Soul’s hearty plates, you can indulge in some well-earned soul food without feeling guilty. And for all the locals who have already been hip to Who’s Got Soul Southern Café for quite a while now, consider giving its newest location, the Who’s Got Soul Southern Grill, a shot. The new Duluth offshoot showcases the evolution of soul food and offers more healthy takes on Southern cuisine.

Bankhead
K&K Soul Food is another classic soul food restaurant in Atlanta that’s been around since the Civil Rights Movement. Founded in 1968, Bankhead Restaurant was born and eventually it became what the city now knows as K&K Soul Food. The small, Black family-owned eatery brings a simplistic, yet delicious approach to soul food, and its extensive menu features everything from fried tilapia, chicken sausage, and cubed steak to meatloaf, ribs, and turkey wings. Order yourself a plate from K&K and feed your soul.

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West Midtown
Just because soul food has the power to make you feel right at home, it doesn’t mean that Southern-style restaurants are incapable of being luxurious. If you’re not yet convinced, look no further than JCT. Kitchen & Bar in the Westside Provisions District. Lunch is currently not available due to it being “docked and quarantined,” but you can still head over for an elegant dinner. With menu options like duck frites, Gulf shrimp and Carolina “gold” grits, and black grouper, you’ll be surprised that Southern-style cuisine could even get this fancy.

Buckhead
Atlanta loves chicken, like in all forms. Whether it be Chick-fil-A throughout the week or wings at Magic City on the weekend, chicken holds a special place in all of our hearts, and that especially holds true when it comes to soulfood. For a Southern take on chicken that doesn’t come deep fried, Roasters gets the job done. The eatery’s famously slow roasted rotisserie chicken comes served with Roasters’ homemade BBQ sauce, and if you’re somehow tired of chicken, then give their country fried steak a try.

Brookhaven
Another upscale soul food spot is Roc South Cuisine on Buford Highway. The Atlanta Hawks’ own Lou Williams recently shouted out the Black-owned business during an interview on First We Feast, and if hometown hero Lemon Pepper Lou is a fan, you should be too. In addition to your typical soul food go-tos like fried chicken and fried catfish, Roc South Cuisine also offers mouthwatering entrees such as a fried lobster tail, jumbo lump crab cakes, a whole fried snapper, and lamb chops. As a restaurant that puts the same level of effort into its $6 sides that it puts into its pricier $40 entrees, Roc South Cuisine should definitely be on your radar.

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Vine City
You can’t utter the words “great soul food in Atlanta” without mentioning Busy Bee Cafe. The go-to Southern-style eatery of politicians like Vice President Kamala Harris and hip-hop superstars like Lil Baby, Busy Bee has earned itself a reputation as one of Atlanta’s respected soul food institutions. Its fried chicken is perhaps more famous than all of the city’s most prominent entertainers combined, and now that dining in is an option again, there’s nothing stopping you from having a homemade meal away from home.

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Joshua Robinson is an Atlanta-based contributor for Thrillist. Follow him on Instagram at @roshrisky.

10 Essential Atlanta Soul Food Restaurants (2024)

FAQs

Is Atlanta known for soul food? ›

Authentic Southern food is the historic beginning of today's popular menus. While it's substantial and uncomplicated in nature, its nicknames are across the board: home-style, country cooking, old-fashioned Southern eats or soul food. Call it what you want but know that Atlanta soul food is the best.

What is the restaurant from Love and Hip Hop Atlanta? ›

Frost Bistro & Bar

Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta's Rasheeda and Kirk Frost try to elevate their brunch spot with a courtyard and cabanas, but they're also serving oxtails with plastic forks, so the messaging gets lost.

Is Mississippi known for soul food? ›

Mississippi is home to some of the country's best soul food restaurants, where visitors can find plates loaded with fried chicken, greens and beans, hush puppies, cornbread, biscuits and gravy, okra and other seasonal vegetables, turkey wings, fried catfish, and much more.

What is Black Atlanta known for? ›

It is the heartbeat of the Civil Rights Movement, the largest collection of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), a number of historic churches, popular Black-owned restaurants, trendy lounges and legendary art galleries. Discover ATL Unguided, where legacy meets evolution.

Where is the birthplace of soul food? ›

Soul food takes its origins mostly from Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, a collection of states commonly referred to as the Deep South. During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, enslaved African people were given meager food rations that were low in quality and nutritional value.

What restaurant does 2 Chainz own in Atlanta? ›

Tauheed Epps, better known as rapper 2 Chainz, and Mychel "Snoop" Dillard, founded Esco in Atlanta in 2016 and now operate two Georgia locations as well as Esco Seafood. Esco Restaurant & Tapas began franchising this year.

What celebrity has a restaurant in Atlanta? ›

Celebrities have had a spotty past opening restaurants in metro Atlanta -- for every Gunshow from former “Top Chef” contestant Kevin Gillespie or “Old Lady Gang” from “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss, there's an Emeril's from Emeril Lagasse, he of “Bam!” celebrity chef fame or a Scales 925 from Atlanta ...

What restaurant does Jay Z own? ›

The 40/40 Club- Jay Z

The 40/40 Club is a posh sports bar that is only a short distance from Madison Square. The club, which is co-owned by American artist and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, has enormous plasma displays and private lounges.

Is soul food southern or black? ›

Trying to differentiate soul food from Southern food shouldn't be complicated. While not all Southern food is considered soul food, all soul food is definitely Southern. Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African-Americans in the Southern United States.

What food is Georgia known for? ›

Peaches. Georgia is affectionately known as The Peach State, and chefs around the state use the juicy stone fruits in pie, jam, salads, salsas and pretty much any other dish they can dream up.

What is the official soul food drink? ›

Whether it's strawberry, cherry, or tropical punch, “red” is the official soul-food drink.

Is Atlanta known for hot wings? ›

It's a fact: Atlanta has cornered the market on wings. And while there are dozens of great establishments offering flats, drums, and even that tiny extra part that some people eat as if it actually held meat, some restaurants are just leading the wing pack.

What is Atlanta state known for? ›

The capital of a US state that's known for its peaches, Atlanta is where you'll find almost all things peach, ranging from street names (we'll get to that further down the list), summer peach jam contests, to peach logos proudly shown on local license plates.

What is Atlanta known for culturally? ›

Music is a significant part of Atlanta's cultural identity, with the city being a hub for hip-hop and RnB. Atlanta also has a thriving art scene, with galleries, museums and festivals throughout the year.

Is Atlanta a foodie city? ›

Atlanta is a great food city, home to fine dining from James Beard Award-winners (Chai Pani, Lazy Betty and more) and Top Chef contestants (Gunshow), as well as some of the best burgers you're ever likely to try (Vortex, Slutty Vegan).

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