Tag: East Lake

Before becoming a chef and restaurateur, Hudson Rouse was a farmer. He enjoys planting vegetables on his Rockdale County land, and a focus on seasonality is part of his nature. At his Avondale Estates breakfast spot Rising Son, Memorial Drive diner Pure Quill Superette, and Reynoldstown cocktail bar Whoopsie’s, he uses local ingredients whenever possible. This will endure at his latest restaurant, an all-day cafe called Babygirl, slated to open in East Lake by April 2026.

In 1995, developer Tom Cousins purchased East Lake Golf Club, the historic home course of Bobby Jones that had fallen into disrepair. Cousins had a vision not only of restoring the golf course to its former glory, but also rejuvenating the community around the club. To do so, he created the East Lake Foundation to build mixed-income housing and provide more education and job opportunities for residents. It didn’t take long for Cousins’ vision to start to become a reality.

Gene’s BBQ opened in late July in the same building as Poor Hendrix and Mix’d Up Burger. Avery Cottrell started Gene’s and has flooded his debut restaurant with creativity. The restaurant offers Cottrell’s take on Viet-Cajun and Texas-style barbecue, all set at a Flora-Bama party in Pensacola.

At Cars & Coffee Atlanta, you may see anything from a Porsche 911 GT3 RS to a vintage Japanese fire truck—and everything in between. “There’s always something unique to look at. It’s not boxed into one kind of category,” says Dana Toledo, a hospitality interior designer and admirer of fast cars, who attends the free monthly event.

As part of the buildup to the PGA Tour’s ultimate contest, officials with the Tour Championship have described East Lake Golf Club’s course renovation by celebrated designer Andrew Green as a pivotal moment and new era not just for Atlanta and the Tour—but for the game of golf itself.

Gene’s is an eclectic restaurant opening July 23 in the former Salaryman space in East Lake. Previously a pop-up at spots like Kimball House, Talat Market, Bogg’s Social & Supply, and Poor Hendrix, Gene’s serves smoked barbecue with Vietnamese and Cajun flavors. Gene’s is designed as a mix of highbrow and lowbrow, reflected in the food, drinks, and decor.

As the neighborhood slogan goes: “The sun rises first in Atlanta in East Lake.” Indeed, this quiet, walkable community of vintage bungalows is the city’s easternmost hood. Founded in 1892 as a trolley-car suburb, the area offered country living and lakefront attractions, including a penny arcade, a swimming beach, and steamboat rides.

A number of lively Black-owned beverage shops have opened in town in the last couple years, running the gamut from tea to coffee to beer. Here are a few of our faves.

The Kai Garden doesn’t have a retail storefront, an ecommerce site, or even regular business hours. Yet the grounds of Eric Mack’s East Lake residence are home to a sprawling one-man nursery and pop-up shop with one of the city’s best selections of rare and unusual plants.

After first pondering a move to the country, interior designer Jayme Armour ended up buying a house a few miles from downtown Atlanta, but it turns out the two ideas weren’t that far apart. The 1950s cottage she discovered in East Lake came with a large, lush lot—including a banana palm tree in the back—and a leafy neighborhood.