The most anticipated Atlanta restaurants of 2019

Where to eat, drink, and be merry this year

11024
Most anticipated Atlanta restaurants of 2019 restaurants opening in Atlanta 2019
A rendering of Woodward & Park, Robert Phalen’s upcoming restaurant

Courtesy of the Boulevard Group

This year promises to be an exciting one with plenty of big-name Atlanta chefs opening new restaurants, bars, and breweries all over the city. Here’s what you can look forward to in 2019:

Aftercar
Located in the basement of the Telephone Factory Lofts, Aftercar will be the first restaurant from BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel. Designed to spark social and political ideas and generate conversation, it will serve coffee and pastries in the morning, as well as lunch, dinner, and late-night offerings. It is planned to be open by the end of the year.

Aziza
Bellina Alimentari’s proprietor Tal Bam is taking her Israeli roots to the Westside with the opening of Aziza, a Middle Eastern restaurant, located underneath Marcel. It will serve entrees such as leg of lamb and will also have a small falafel stand next door. She’s also working on a more casual spot, named Rina, in the Ford Factory Lofts near the BeltLine Eastside Trail. Both restaurants are scheduled to open in the spring.

Cold Beer
Kevin Gillespie introduced Atlantans to a new way of dining with his Glenwood Park restaurant Gunshow. He’s continuing the sharable plate trend at his new Old Fourth Ward restaurant Cold Beer, a beer garden-esque spot opening June 1. Gunshow’s beverage director Mercedes O’Brien will lead the cocktail program.

The James Room
The long-awaited coffee and cocktail bar from Missy and Kristin Koefod, the ladies behind 18.21 Bitters, is set to open this winter in SPX Alley in Old Fourth Ward. Patrons will be able to enjoy pastries, coffee, and juice in the morning, followed by wine, cocktails on tap, and European bites in the evening.

Gulf snapper tartare at Lazy Betty

Photo by Eric Sun

Lazy Betty
Sweet Auburn BBQ and Le Bernardin alum Ronald Hsu has been hosting popular Lazy Betty pop-ups for months. Come January or February, Atlantans will be able to get his modern seasonal fare on a regular basis, with both tasting menu and a la carte options. The restaurant will be located in the former Radial Cafe space in Candler Park.

Le Colonial
The Shops of Buckhead Atlanta is getting a French-Vietnamese spot in May. Le Colonial Atlanta is a partnership between Farshid Arshid (Umi and Himitsu) and Rick Wahlstedt of Le Bilboquet. Successful outposts already exist in San Francisco, New York, Houston, and Chicago.

Little Bear
Chef Jarrett Stieber has been impressing crowds and critics with his Eat Me, Speak Me pop-up, currently at S.O.S Tiki Bar, since 2013. Now, the acclaimed chef is bringing fresh ingredients and his trademark tongue-in-cheek style to his first brick-and-mortar restaurant on Georgia Avenue, planned to open this summer.

Little Rey
Ford Fry’s latest endeavor will be a taco and chicken al carbon restaurant in the former Anchor Bar & Tattoo spot on Piedmont Road. The counter-service spot will open in the spring with a menu designed by Fry and Kevin Maxey, along with a beverage program created by Eduardo Porto Carreiro.

Manny’s Grant Park Pub
A bar created by Manuel Maloof, a relative of the Manuel’s Tavern founder of the same name, Manny’s Grant Park Pub will target families and sports fans alike with a game room, patio, 20-plus beers on tap, and an extensive wine list. It’s planned for a late January opening.

Pancake Social
Anne Quatrano (Bacchanalia) and Tony Riffel (Octane coffee) are part of the all-star team opening this walk-in-only brunch spot in Ponce City Market in late January or early February. Expect about eight varieties of pancakes made with whole grains, plus egg dishes, sandwiches, and more. A second location is also set to open later this year in Pinewood Forest.

Redbird
Having led the kitchens at Watershed on Peachtree and Proof & Provision, Zeb Stevenson is opening the first restaurant of his own with Watershed co-founder Ross Jones. Set to open this summer, it will feature a wood-burning hearth and large-format dishes with global influences. It will be located in the old Bacchanalia space in the Westside Provisions District.

Sceptre Brewing Arts
The Argosy team bought the Oak Brewpub in Oakhurst with plans to reopen it as Sceptre Brewing Arts in early 2019. Trevor Jones, who brewed at Orpheus and Atlanta Brewing, will be the brewmaster.

Southern Belle and Georgia Boy
Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward will leave the Kevin Gillespie mainstay this year to open two concepts of his own. Located in Poncey-Highland, Southern Belle will be a cocktail bar highlighting Southern craft distilleries and serving small plates prepared by Ward and chef de cuisine Spencer Gomez, formerly of Holeman & Finch. The adjacent Georgia Boy will serve 10-course tasting menus at a 16-seat chef’s counter. Both concepts will strive for zero food waste.

Supremo Taco
Nhan Le, of 8Arm and Octopus Bar, is planning to open a street taco joint with chef Duane Kulers early this year. Located next to Grindhouse on Memorial Drive, it will serve 5-6 different tacos, including one vegetarian option, for takeout only. Le is still working on the long-awaited, BeltLine-adjacent seafood spot Ama, too.

Talat Market
After Parnass Savang opened his “Georgian Thai” pop-up Talat Market at Gato, he quickly became one of Atlanta’s biggest rising star chefs and earned national accolades. Now he’s taking the concept to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Summerhill, set to open this spring.

Wood’s Chapel BBQ
From the team behind the General Muir comes this wood-fired barbecue joint in Summerhill. Named for one of the first churches to serve the community after the Civil War, it will serve a fried smoked catfish sandwich, a barbecue version of a Cuban sandwich, lamb belly cemita, and brisket grilled cheese, all on TGM Bread. Opening in March, it will be one of the few barbecue spots to serve brunch.

Woodward & Park
One Eared Stag owner and chef Robert Phalen opened Mary Hoopa’s House of Fried Chicken & Oysters in East Lake last year. Now, he’s turning his attention to Grant Park with this European-inspired bistro, targeting an early February launch.

Unnamed Asian seafood restaurant in Madison Yards
Char’s Richard Tang and Mike Yang, formerly of Ba Bellies, are collaborating on an Asian seafood spot in Madison Yards. Not much else is known about the restaurant at this time.

Unnamed Atlanta Dairies diner
The King of Pops team has partnered with Bon Ton’s Eric Simpkins and Darren Carr on an American diner in Reynoldstown. King of Pops will make ice cream and dessert, while Carr and Simpkins will take care of food and drinks.

Unnamed Roman restaurant on the Westside
The Storico Fresco team is reviving the former Little Bacch space with a Roman restaurant. The food promises to be similar to that at Storico in Buckhead.

Unnamed restaurant in Lilli Midtown
Former St. Cecilia executive chef Craig Richards has teamed up with Billy Streck (Hampton & Hudson, Cypress Street Pint & Plate, and Nina & Rafi) on this thus-unnamed spot in Lilli Midtown. So far, the duo is staying mum on the type of cuisine their restaurant will offer, but it is slated to open next fall.

Update 1/3/18: We added Little Bear and Talat Market to the list.

Advertisement