Photograph by David Danzig
Roswell’s Little Alley Steak will bring its steaks, seafood, and sides to Buckhead on May 14. Owners Hicham Azhari and Fikret Kovac (also of Salt Factory Pub) opened the original Canton Street location in 2013. Now, they’re taking over the former Aja space at 3500 Lenox Road, a spot three times the size of the original location.
Photograph by David Danzig
The dinner menu will be the same, offering wet- and dry-aged steaks, as well as USDA prime cuts, plus branzino, Chilean sea bass, and more. “New classic” sides range from mushroom risotto and Belgian fries to triple mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole. Unlike the Roswell location, the Buckhead outpost will also serve lunch.
We spoke to Azhari to learn more.
Photograph by David Danzig
Why did you decide to open Little Alley in Buckhead?
When I first came to the states [from Morocco], I worked at a French fine dining restaurant in Buckhead. That’s where I fell in love with cooking and serving. When the opportunity opened up to get back to Buckhead, I took it.
Atlanta seems like it has a lot of options for steakhouses, but there is a need for something new from local owners who understand the local customers. We get a lot of people from Buckhead [at Little Alley] up in Roswell. This is right off the GA-400 exit, so it has easy access.
What are the differences between this location and the original in Roswell?
The menu will be very similar. We have a great reputation for wine and bourbon and liquor. Our selection in Buckhead will be bigger, and the wine list will be slightly more extensive. We have the biggest selection of whiskey in Atlanta with 426 bourbons, whiskeys, and scotches. The Roswell location is 3,000 square feet. This one is 9,000. We kept the same butcher-inspired design elements but added some new designs with lighting made from meat hooks.
Photograph by David Danzig
At three times the size of the original location, how is the new space set up?
It’ll seat 250 people inside on two levels. There are three sections: a main bar with live music seven nights a week, a smaller dining room we call “the butcher block room” that’s a little more casual but has the same menu, and a formal dining room that’s more like the original Little Alley. There’s a private dining room on the second floor that seats 36. There’s also complimentary valet and self-park. We spent three-quarters of a million [dollars] making it visible from the street, creating a patio with an outdoor bar, dining section, and lounge section for 110 people.
Photograph by David Danzig
Photograph by David Danzig
What’s on the lunch menu?
The lunch menu is more budget-conscious with signature steaks and appetizers, and we added entrée salads, hamburgers, sandwiches, and smaller entrees. Lunch service will begin about two weeks after we open.
Photograph by David Danzig
Photograph by David Danzig
Aside from offering more wines and spirits, how will the bar program be different in Buckhead?
We’ll create our own cocktail list. We’ll have three Manhattans, three types of Old Fashioned, and other craft cocktails.
Do you have any other locations in the works?
Not for Little Alley right now, but we’re hunting for locations for Salt Factory in downtown Kennesaw.
Check out the brand new lunch menu, as well as the cocktail menu, below. (Tap to enlarge.)
