Photograph by Martha Williams
Bottle Rocket Fine Food and Beverage
South Downtown
@bottlerocketatl
Longtime Castleberry Hill tavern Bottle Rocket has moved to the historic Hotel Row in South Downtown. The hangout, known for its dive-bar vibes, well-executed cocktails, sushi bites, and burgers, has set up in a spiffier, renovated space. It’s a broad room some Atlantans may recall was restaurateur Paul Luna’s eclectic Lunacy Black Market, which closed in 2014. The four owner-operators are husband and wife Josh Calvin and Bonny McKinnon, marketing director Kim Singleton, and culinary director Dallas Miller. Find them mingling nightly at their gathering spot that already seems like it’s been there forever. Dark-wood accents and deep-red vinyl booths set the right mood: noir-ish but not-too-serious. The scene is enhanced by a montage of artworks, vintage illustrations, and charming, nostalgic pendant lights. The bar top made from salvaged wood flooring nods to the building’s past, which dates back to the early 1900s. Among the must-try items on the eclectic menu: martinis made with Murrell’s Row Spirits gin, crab Rangoon and Big Ass Egg Roll appetizers, sushi rolls (a solid trio: Bottle Rocket, Rufio, and shrimp tempura), and the Bottle Rocket burger marinated in a house-made Korean barbecue sauce. The chatter and the digital jukebox get louder in the later hours on weekends.
Courtesy of Weepa Puerto Rico
Weepa Puerto Rico
Hapeville
@weepapuertorico
This past spring, chef Emanuel Jiménez swept through downtown Hapeville like a Caribbean trade wind, opening Weepa Puerto Rico in the former Mami’s La Cubana space on Central Avenue. The cozy cafe, now refreshed, has mango-colored walls with island-inspired paintings and enough plants, straw hats, flags, and Bad Bunny music to fill another halftime show. Weepa (pronounced weh-pah) is an all-purpose exclamation of joy, prompted here by a welcoming vibe and an affordable menu packed with authentic Puerto Rican dishes. Tall bottles of pique (vinegar-steeped chiles, garlic, and herbs) sit atop each table. Splash the tangy blend over rich bites of pernil (roasted pork), grilled whole red snapper, rice with gandules (pigeon peas), bistec encebollado (steak with onions), pinchos (chicken skewers with salsa guava or barbecue sauce), and fried or mashed plantains. Drinks like Kola Champagne soda (hints of bubble gum) and fresh mango juice deliver a sweet buzz, as do desserts, such as the cinnamon-dusted coconut custard and the deep-fried cheesecake with vanilla ice cream and passion fruit sauce.
This article appears in our August 2026 issue.
