Courtesy of El Gordo
Anchored by the Lindbergh MARTA Station, Uptown Atlanta has been in a period of intense redevelopment recently. The 47-acre mixed-use area saw a number of closures in the past several years, including Longhorn Steakhouse, Five Guys, Taco Mac, Sip, Wet Willie’s, and Jimmy John’s, with major office tenants like Cricket Wireless moving as well. 26 Thai stood strong, and a few new restaurants and retailers including J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen—which opened in April—are helping to reinvigorate the space. Developer Rubenstein Partners, which bought the property formerly known as Lindbergh City Center in 2019, announced that El Gordo taqueria, Bene Korean Steakhouse, and Roundhouse Kickboxing will join the fold, with White Windmill Korean bakery, Madre Selva Latin restaurant, and the Commodore barber shop to follow.
El Gordo
From the family behind Birria El Gordo in Marietta comes a modern taqueria. The 75-seat restaurant, which opened in July, serves birria made with owner Nestor Pineda’s family recipe. This is the birria that blasted Birria El Gordo to fame four years ago. It’s made from scratch with a 25-ingredient dried chili marinade. The beef is boiled for three to four hours, then strained and shredded. It’s served on a hot tortilla with melted cheese (quesabirria) with cilantro-laden consume.
But the birria is only one component of El Gordo. Specialty tacos include al pastor, sliced straight from the spit, and picapiedra (Spanish for “the Flintstones”), which is a hunk of pork belly chicharron with guacamole, salsa, radish, and microgreens. “Specialty tacos are comfort food in our family,” Pineda says. Burritos, tostadas, and sides like street corn and bean dip round out the menu.
Courtesy of El Gordo
The bar, too, is a focus, with a program built around cocktails using Mexican whiskey, rum, and agave spirits. Expect six flavors of margaritas with juices made in house. Even classics like the old fashioned are “enhanced.” At El Gordo, it’s made with corn liqueur and a spray of mezcal for a smoky taste. With mixed drinks taking priority, beer and wine offerings are limited.
Food and beverages can be ordered from the table via QR code or at the bar. Come 10 p.m., a limited late-night bites menu is available via counter service, and a DJ plays on weekend nights.
The space features bold murals and natural textures, as well as hand-painted tiles imported from Mexico. Interior designer Liz Chinchilla was inspired by a trip to Guadalajera in 2021. “We wanted to capture the feel of the trendy, art-driven, energetic city, bring tradition to the restaurant but give it a modern twist,” she says.
Courtesy of Bene Korean
Bene Korean Steakhouse
Lisa Kim lived in Korea for the first 12 years of her life—and it made an impression. After moving to the United States, she decided to share her culture with Atlantans when she grew up. She owned a traditional Korean restaurant in Doraville earlier in her career. More recently, she wanted to give Korean barbecue a more upscale feel. Bene Korean, which will host a grand opening celebration on August 10, is inspired by Gangnam Seoul. Kim describes it as fusion, as the chef, though Korean, also studied French cuisine. The result is a primarily Korean barbecue menu with twists on some atypical items. For example, there’s a caprese salad with sweet soy glaze rather than balsamic vinegar.
Courtesy of Bene Korean
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant features 25 tabletop grills, as well as 20 regular tables. Diners who don’t want their food to be prepared at their table can order it from the kitchen, and it’ll be served in hot stone pots. A separate lunch menu featuring bibimbap includes kimchi, corn salad, and rice for $9.99.
Kim says the bar offers an “extensive” wine list, as well as Korean and imported beer. Cocktail utilize Asian ingredients such as yuzu and lychee. Hallabong (which tastes like sweet orange citron) is pureed and served in martinis and highballs.
