Best Atlanta Food Experiences to Try in 2024
Atlanta food represents a banquet of influences made by a delicious variety of cultures through generations of culinary invention. The result is a merging of flavors that merges global inspiration with local ingenuity for a cuisine unlike any other.
Food lovers lucky enough to find themselves in the city have a wealth of Atlanta food places serving famous Atlanta food in all its fabulous forms.
Is Atlanta a foodie city? The answer is a resounding “Yes, and it always has been!” Keep an open mind to the possibilities for new Atlanta food experiences this year and you’ll find more delicious options than ever before.
We put together our favorite ways you can dig into the food landscape in Georgia’s sweet capital city. It’s a mix of the coolest restaurants in Atlanta, exciting spots to shop and sample and contenders for the best Atlanta food to represent the savory spirit of this sweet Southern gem.
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Most Fun Atlanta Food Experiences
1. Try a Cooking Class
Get knee-deep in the culinary traditions of the region with gourmet cooking classes in Atlanta. You’ll get a first-hand view of the ingredients and recipes that make Atlanta food a Southern phenomenon.
There’s no experience necessary; step-by-step instruction from a talented chef from the city ensures success for everyone. You’ll take home Atlanta food recipes filled with authentic flavor that you can recreate whenever the urge for down-home dining strikes. Pair this with photography classes in Atlanta so that you can show off all your dishes on Insta.
2. Pick Peaches
What would Atlanta food be without Georgia peaches? The city is minutes away from orchards boasting some of the sweetest fruit in America. Plan a trip with friends and family and gather a few bushels for canning, baking and enjoying as a sweet treat.
Check a list of farms offering peach-picking opportunities during peak season, between May and September to find one that works for you.
3. Visit a Farmer’s Market
Farmers’ markets offer produce lovers their best opportunity to discover the fresh Atlanta foods grown throughout the area. You’ll find organic growers, food artisans and flower vendors sharing spaces around town during fair-weather months.
Work your way through the circuit one weekend at a time to explore the variety Atlanta foods provide among its vital farming community.
4. Take a Food Tour
Scheduling an Atlanta food tour may be the most direct path to Atlanta food places that suit your tastes. Walk with a guide who’s already scouted out the scene and learn about landmarks and historical events around the city as you travel.
Stop in for satisfying samples and mark your map for noteworthy spots that deserve to be part of your personal favorites list. These excursions also make thoughtful experience gifts in Atlanta for the food aficionados in your life.
5. Visit a Southern Brewery
The Atlanta food scene extends into beverages as well, with a craft beer movement that infuses the city with fresh flavor. Brewhouses like SweetWater and New Realm open their operations to show ale fans how the suds are made.
Some experiences come with tastings to whet your whistle, while others provide pub-style dining you can enjoy after your tour. These spots are especially fun for home brewmasters who love talking shop with other draft devotees!
6. Explore a Food Festival
Finding the right food festival gives you a full-fledged Atlanta food map served in a single location. Food producers and restaurants around town set up stands to entice customers, while artisans get the chance to introduce their creativity to a hungry crowd.
Consider working a food fest or two into your date ideas in Atlanta for a dining crawl featuring a readily available smorgasbord of Atlanta foods to share with your favorite foodie.
Famous Atlanta Foods
7. Peach Cobbler
What foods is Atlanta famous for? If your first thought is “peach cobbler,” you’ve hit the bullseye! Peach cobbler made Atlanta-style uses beloved Georgia peaches in a dessert that feels like a hug from Grandma.
In fact, of all Atlanta food recipes passed down through the years, peach cobbler is likely to be one where every family’s creation has a twist that makes the finished product different from the rest.
8. Homemade Biscuits
Visitors asking “What is the national dish of Atlanta, Georgia?” clearly haven’t been introduced to homemade biscuits yet!
Though this quintessential Atlanta food can be found in restaurants as a separate side dish or an a la carte add-on, there are entire restaurants dedicated to the art of the biscuit.
Places like Bomb Biscuit celebrate the versatility of biscuits by transforming them into sweet and savory dishes that take Southern flavor to the max.
9. Fried Green Tomatoes
Few famous Atlanta food are as evocative as fried green tomatoes. The book and movie of the same name may have taken place in Birmingham, Alabama, but you’ll find these crisp, juicy fritter-style slices in restaurants all around Atlanta as well.
They’re a showpiece on diner menus, as essential as chicken livers and hushpuppies, though the homemade version is a crowd-pleaser as well.
10. Korean BBQ Pork Sandwiches
While trolling the best restaurants in Atlanta downtown for magnificent morsels, be on the lookout for Korean BBQ pork sandwiches.
Adding Asian elements into the local food scene in a familiar food form like BBQ that Southern diners love results in a global fusion that makes Atlanta foods a true melting pot scenario.
It wouldn’t be wrong to declare Atlanta the site of a full-fledged BBQ adventure, with these juicy sandwiches leading the pack!
11. Shrimp and Grits
What is Georgia's most iconic food? Maybe shrimp and grits should take the crown! of all the Atlanta foods on the Southern menu, this combination of succulent seafood and creamy grain is one that never goes out of style.
It’s also an example of Lowcountry cuisine celebrated by the region for the simple satisfaction it provides. Find yourself a restaurant that knows how shrimp and grits is made and see what it’s all about.
12. Fried Chicken
The best restaurants in Atlanta know better than to leave fried chicken off the menu! Southern-style batter peppered with bold seasoning makes Atlanta fried chicken a must-try for eaters passing through town and a go-to favorite for locals who grew up knowing that the best flavors don’t come in a bucket.
Find a diner offering fried chicken and settle in for one of the most essential creations in the American cookbook.
Best Restaurants for Authentic Atlanta Food
13. Busy Bee Café
Make sure your Atlanta food map includes a stop at Busy Bee Café, a staple for Georgia diners since 1947. The restaurant and its owner, Tracey Gates, were honored as inductees into the 2023 Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame.
With soul food specialties served in the most comforting manner possible, this stellar eatery has attracted luminaries like Oprah Winfrey and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others.
14. Homegrown
One of the best restaurants in Atlanta for simple, satisfying food, Homegrown feels like a roadside café that kept its Southern roots intact. Breakfast and brunch are sacred here, but don’t mistake early eats for light fare.
With hearty dishes like pot roast and meatball subs on the counter, you’ll be leaving fully satisfied and happy that you dropped in!
15. K&K Soul Food
Family is a featured ingredient in the recipe for success at K&K Soul Food. Every meal feels as warm and welcoming as Sunday dinner, filled with comfort foods that never skimp on flavor.
If you can imagine a homestyle favorite that conjures the spirit of Atlanta dining, you’re likely to find it on the menu. From catfish to chicken gizzards to grits by the bowlful, it’s food made with love that reminds guests how eating in Atlanta is meant to be.
16. Fat Matt’s Rib Shack
You can’t round up the coolest restaurants in Atlanta without giving Fat Matt’s Rib Shack a spot on the list. The name clues you in on the food you’ll find in this down-to-earth space: ribs, ribs and more ribs, plus chicken and sides to complete the meal.
On the sweeter side, diners can indulge in sweet potato pie and roasted peanuts for even more authentic Atlanta vittles. And it’s all served with a side of live blues music to season the whole menu!
17. Wisteria
Wisteria is among the best restaurants in the Atlanta downtown area for sampling upscale reimaginings of classic Southern recipes. Enjoy modern Southern creations with your inner circle or plan a private party for your special occasions in the warm, boho-chic space.
This thoughtful take on an Atlanta eatery also provides gluten-free options, as well as a kids’ menu for families in search of a more refined dining experience.
If you’re new to the idea of dining in Atlanta, there’s a tempting world of regional magic for you to discover. And if you’re a local in search of new possibilities or a returning guest refreshing your options with another spin through the city, this year is the perfect time to learn what’s new and notable.
The expansive Atlanta food menu gives residents and visitors a chance to revel in the ever-growing dining heritage of one of America’s most iconic cities.
For even more fun Atlanta experiences, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
