The lunch rush is finally subsiding on a weekday afternoon inside Atlanta's Krog Street Market, but there is still a bit of a din inside the decade-old food hall thanks to customers chatting over pours at Hop City or tucking into loaded cones from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.
The market, located in the growing Krog District just north of Atlanta's historic Cabbagetown and a few blocks east of the Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park and the birthplace of King himself, opened near the end of 2014 and was designed as a way to give users of the then-new Beltline path some terrific amenities in the form of food and drink options.
And while the KSM itself is marking a decade in business, the area is still seeing growth. Step across the street and into a new location of Florida-based coffee and donut shop The Salty, which now has three Atlanta outposts. The display case is loaded with goodies, from house-made pop tart pastries to coconut passion fruit or strawberry shortcake donuts, along with several vegan options, and a full beverage menu that includes options like a cinnamon cereal milk iced latte.
Revitalized spaces blend history with local eats and shopping
While KSM makes use of the 1889 Atlanta Stove Works building, about a mile north, the Ponce City Market's sprawling gourmet food hall makes use of a 1926-built Sears & Roebuck building, topped with several floors featuring retail shops, offices, and even a sort of carnival fun zone on the roof.
Opened the same year as Krog, Ponce City Market also celebrates local food enterprises, with its jaw-dropping line-up of businesses set up in a variety of configurations. You can grab a seat at the counter and a cup of coffee from Spiller Park in one of the centre zone stalls, or duck into one or more of many sit-down restaurants around the perimeter to enjoy anything from Iranian cuisine to fresh seafood, or pizza, burgers, or ramen.
One section of the main floor food hall is dedicated to desserts, which is where you'll find King of Pops, a well-established Atlanta all-natural popsicle maker's stall. Choose from their house-made creamy or fruity pops, or try their soft serve treats or pop-tails, as in popsicle cocktails.
Though not within the food hall itself, at the Ponce City Market complex you'll also find Dancing Goats Coffee, a local roaster and cafe. A bag of their single-origin or blended beans makes for a great souvenir of Atlanta and your purchase gets you a free cup of joe on the house; their iced coffee was fantastic. If the name is familiar, Dancing Goats began in the late 1980s in Olympia, Washington, before adding a second roaster in Atlanta back in 1994.
Much like Atlanta itself, places like KSM and Ponce City celebrate and reflect the city's diversity, vibrancy, and rich history. Rippling across the metro zone locals affectionately refer to as "ITP" for "in the perimeter" (the perimeter is I-285, which forms a loop around Atlanta) is an exciting culinary scene built on tradition, innovation, and exploration.
TL;DR: You're going to eat very well in Atlanta. I certainly did.
Atlanta restaurants feeling "Michelin Guide effect" since inaugural 2023 list
In October 2023, the Michelin Guide revealed its inaugural list of 45 Atlanta restaurant awardees: Five one-star ratings, 10 Bib Gourmand "value-driven" picks, two "green star" (for sustainability), and 30 recommended spots. In the past few years, Michelin Guide has extended its reach in North America, partnering with tourism boards for multi-year deals to support its esteemed anonymous "inspectors" to dine around a given city and proclaim its selections. Anecdotally, the initiative has proven a win for a city like Vancouver - headed into its third year of Michelin Guide rankings in October 2024 - and restaurateurs are similarly appreciative in Atlanta.
At veteran farm-to-table venture Miller Union its Michelin Guide plaque for its place on the "recommended" list hangs at the bar by the entrance. The West Side restaurant, named for the former Miller Union Stockyards, is laid out a bit like a rabbit warren and exudes casual chicness.
One-half of Miller Union's ownership team is Neal McCarthy, who serves as its General Manager. McCarthy and I wound up having a terrific ad hoc chat about the Atlanta restaurant scene when I came in for dinner; he happened to be working the floor and a casual "what brings you in?" opened up the gates to a great convo. (It should come as no surprise to anyone that McCarthy also won the inaugural Michelin Guide Atlanta Service Award.)
Fundamentally, while Miller Union may find more tourists are booking tables (guilty!), the restaurant isn't concerned with doing anything different than what they've done since 2009 to land themselves in the spotlight and secure a loyal following. Miller Union's core principle is to celebrate what local farmers and purveyors produce, and to showcase those ingredients in simple, flavour-focused presentations prepared with top-level techniques.
As a result, the seasonally-driven Miller Union menu is a true testament to Georgia, complete with a southern accent, with dishes like an heirloom tomato Panzanella salad with corn, snap beans, and quinoa, tossed generously in a tangy, creamy buttermilk dressing. For mains, proteins like roasted chicken (poulet rouge) or grass-fed steak are paired with expertly prepared seasonal veg. A popular option is to order the Seasonal Vegetable Plate as a main, which features all of Miller Union's current side dishes.
Southern comfort shines day and night
About a five-minute drive northwest of Miller Union is Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, where local legend Deborah VanTrece has perfected contemporary soul with a global twist. The veteran chef and cookbook author blends comfort, creativity, and Southern hospitality in a warm, rustic space.
Thick slices of green tomatoes are fried in cornmeal and plated with chunks of smoky, sweet Applewood bacon, onion jam, and creamy truffle-laced burrata. The fried chicken has that ASMR crunch but is juicy inside, and comes teamed up with a gooey mac and cheese, a sweet potato and apple chutney, and braised collard "rolls" with that coveted pot liquor for dipping.
If you're looking for some soul in the morning, Atlanta Breakfast Club is all that and a side of sweet tea - the south's beloved (and super sugary) beverage. Popularized in part by food TikTok star Keith Lee, ABC oozes friendly down-home hospitality (our server Air Dropped us a staff-curated list of top things to do in Atlanta) with a menu to match. Their showstopper is the Georgia Peach which has crispy, golden fried chicken on a Belgian-style waffle topped with peach cobbler sauce and shortbread crumble.
Then there's Bomb Biscuit Co., known for its massive biscuits used for towering breakfast sandwiches, a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand pick, signalling it delivers quality eats at a good value. Don't be daunted by tales of long lines or their reservations page showing no openings; as walk-ins on a weekday morning at opening we were one of the only tables in the place.
For a hearty taste of Atlanta, try Bomb's Big Boy, which is a biscuit sammie with sausage (I opted to sub in chicken sausage), "the people's cheese" (aka American cheese), egg, dynamite sauce, and bread and butter pickles. The restaurant is adjacent to a path that offers a short jaunt to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, so you can readily burn off your breakfast before continuing your exploration of Atlanta. Incidentally, the MLK historic sites are not too terribly far from the Krog Street Market, brimming with lunch options.
Some of the best eats in Atlanta aren't at fancy restaurants
Back at the KSM, I take a seat at the old-fashioned-style counter at Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand pick Fred's Meat & Bread, and settle in for some 10-napkin sandwiches and a quick chat with chef and co-owner Todd Ginsberg, and co-owner Ben Johnson. These two are as seasoned in the Atlanta food scene as Fred's Old Bay tossed fries, and they not only offered me some insight into how the lunch counter came to be but also how exciting the city's dining landscape is, and has been.
Fred's was one of the original KSM tenants and it enjoyed immediate success thanks to its approachable menu of hearty, creative riffs on familiar sandwich classics and Ginsberg's signature burger. By design, Fred's was an ideal stop for early adopters of the Beltline and, even when the pandemic put the restaurant industry into freefall, the sandwich shop endured - and thrived - because they were already set up for take-out.
Being named among the Michelin Guide's inaugural honourees in Atlanta certainly raised Fred's profile, namely giving its discoverability a major boost for tourists; that includes someone like me, who cherry-picked Fred's as a must-try when compiling Atlanta restaurant options.
Sure enough, I chose well. Admittedly, their sandwiches are designed more to taste good than look pretty, which means heaps of chopped chicken tossed in fiery gochujang sauce with sticky, melty American cheese, creamy garlic aioli, and sweet candied jalapeños will spill out of their crave-able Korean Cheesesteak and their seasonal Heirloom BLT with its layers of juicy heirloom tomatoes and Spotted Trotter Pork Belly Bacon similarly will have you mopping your grinning mouth repeatedly.
Diversity in cuisines keeps Atlanta's food scene growing
But, as Ginsberg says, Atlanta's food scene is characterized as one that has been exciting for the past several years and only continues to get better - and more diverse. He and Johnson swayed my decision completely to find time to head to Heirloom Market BBQ, a fellow Bib Gourmand recipient, located just a breath within the "perimeter" in the northwest corner of the city.
Heirloom Market BBQ is known for its slow-cooked southern BBQ with a Korean influence, a culinary marriage inspired by the owners' actual marriage. The result: The best BBQ I've ever had. I said it. You order online via an app (fellow Canadians, don't be dissuaded when the app won't take your Canadian address and credit info; just step inside the storefront and place your order with a staff member) and either take your feast to go or eat it standing up in the adjacent umbrella-covered courtyard.
You can order meat by the pound, on sandwiches, or in combo platters with a selection of sides. The brisket is smoked for 12 hours and is incredibly tender and smoky, while the pulled pork has a gentle kiss of gochujang. The mac and cheese is rich and a great foil against the meat, but it's the green tomato kimchi that I wish I could have taken home by the bucketful.
Would you like a drink with that?
In addition to the aforementioned sweet tea and locally roasted coffee, Atlanta is brimming with options for drinks. KSM is home to a popular cocktail bar, Ticonderoga Club, while Michelin Guide-recognized spots like Lazy Betty and Banshee are also known for having fantastic cocktail programs.
Fair warning, Atlanta is where Coca-Cola began, and not only is there an entire museum (and drink-tasting) experience dedicated to the soft drink, but the town is also by and large a "Coke town." As in, you aren't going to hear "We've got Pepsi, is that okay?" much in Atlanta, if at all.
A taste of Atlanta: A few great restaurants and spots to check out
Twisted Soul Cookhouse
Contemporary Southern food through a global lens from Chef Deborah VanTrece in Blandtown. Michelin Guide Recommended.
📍1133 Huff Rd NW #D
Miller Union
Elegant, simple regional cuisine using locally sourced produce and ingredients. Michelin Guide Recommended.
📍 999 Brady Ave NW
Atlanta Breakfast Club
Big breakfast platters, including several Southern staples, like fried chicken and waffles.
📍 249 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW
Fred's Meat & Bread
Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand pick known for classic sandwiches and lunch counter fare.
📍 Krog Street Market - 99 Krog St NE
Bomb Biscuit Co.
Big fluffy biscuits are the base of these Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand-endorsed breakfast sandwiches.
📍 668 North Highland Ave NE
Heirloom Market BBQ
Classic slow-cooked Southern smoked BBQ meats by the plate or pound with a Korean twist.
📍 2243 Akers Mill Rd SE
King of Pops
Atlanta's own hand-crafted frozen treat vendor with an extensive menu featuring all-natural ingredients.
📍 Multiple Atlanta locations
Dancing Goat Coffee
Local coffee roaster and cafe. PNW born, ATL raised.
📍 Multiple Atlanta locations
The Salty
A Floridian import with a growing presence in ATL, known for excellent donuts and fun coffee drinks.
📍 Multiple Atlanta locations
Krog Street Market
A collection of vendors spanning a range of styles, from craft brews at Hop City to
📍 99 Krog St NE
Ponce City Market
The massive old Sears building is kitted out with a huge ground-floor food hall and adjacent buildings showcasing dozens of restaurants, cafes, and other food vendors.
📍 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
Thanks to Discover Atlanta for facilitating two of the above-mentioned meals. All opinions and inclusions are those of the author and were based solely on personal experience. None of the businesses or entities featured were granted any previews of the story before publication or paid to be mentioned.
