With 20 new restaurants opening around metro Atlanta, May was largely a positive month for the dining scene. However, local diners were forced to say goodbye to some well-established favorites, like the original Taco Mac in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood, chef Pat Pascarella’s West Midtown Italian restaurant Bastone and Jekyll Brewing, the Alpharetta-based brewer of Hop Dang Diggity IPA.
May Openings
Azotea Cantina, the Mexican restaurant at Atlantic Station, opened a second location at the new Southern Post development in Roswell on May 8, a restaurant representative announced.
1025 Alpharetta St., Roswell. 404-902-6010, azoteacantina.com
Belén Bistro + Market Argentina has opened on Decatur Square. The restaurant, from the team behind Belén de la Cruz, features empanadas, provoleta, chorizo and steaks, as well as a selection of Argentinean wine.
115 Sycamore St., Decatur. 470-990-7052, belenbistro.com.
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Bomb Biscuit opened in Grant Park on May 30 after moving from its original brick-and-mortar location on Highland Avenue. In its prior location, Erika Council’s restaurant racked up local and national acclaim, including nods from the James Beard Foundation, Michelin Guide and Food & Wine. Bomb Biscuits will take over the space formerly occupied by Woodward and Park in the Larkin development on Memorial Drive.
519 Memorial Drive, Atlanta. 678-949-9439, bombbiscuitatl.com
Brash Coffee began serving from its vintage coffee truck, the Beast, at Halcyon on May 23, according to a news release.
6365 Halcyon Way, Alpharetta. visithalcyon.com
Chico Cantina opened in late May in Brookhaven. The Mexican restaurant is run by chef Mimmo Alboumeh, who also owns Botica in Buckhead.
705 Town Blvd., Brookhaven. 404-963-1356, eatchico.com
Cafe Comma opened its second coffee shop in late May in Sandy Springs, according to the cafe’s social media. Cafe Comma serves a menu of tea, matcha and espresso drinks as well as savory toasts and pastries.
6125 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. atlcafecomma.com
The Fabled, a lounge serving lunch, dinner and drinks, has opened at the recently renovated Grand Hyatt Buckhead hotel, according to a news release. The menu is focused on small plates and locally sourced ingredients, with items like Kurobuta pork belly with hot honey glaze and wild mushroom soup with roasted Ellijay mushrooms and black truffle.
3300 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-237-1234, hyatt.com.
Fire Maker Grill, a restaurant at the Fire Maker taproom in West Midtown, opened Tuesday, according to the beverage maker’s social media.
975 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. 678-705-8777, firemakerbeer.com.
Gusto, the local fast-casual chain known for bowls and wraps, opened its 13th location in Sharpsburg on May 29, the company announced.
100 Fischer Marketplace Ln., Sharpsburg. 470-483-1902, whatsyourgusto.com
Hey Yogurt, a health-conscious, yogurt-based drink chain, opened in Duluth on May 1, the restaurant announced on Instagram.
3512 Satellite Blvd., Duluth. 470-433-8692, heyyogurtus.com
Neko an entry-level omakase experience with fewer courses from the team behind Omakase Table and Ryokou, opened in West Midtown on May 15, according to a social media post. The restaurant took over the space occupied by the first iteration of Omakase Table, the Michelin-starred sushi restaurant that moved to Buckhead in March.
788 West Marietta Street, Atlanta. 404-680-8968, resy.com
Credit: NFA Burger
Credit: NFA Burger
NFA Burger opened a second, full-service location at Alpharetta’s Avalon development on May 8. The new restaurant is a departure from the original bare-bones, 100-square-foot space inside a Dunwoody gas station. Orders will still be placed at a counter, but there will be indoor and outdoor seating, a bar, TVs and an exterior window for takeout orders.
On the Green, 3180 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta. 770-272-2735, nfaburger.com
Phew’s Pies, the pizza pop-up known for its lemon pepper wet pie, opened a stall in downtown Atlanta’s Municipal Market, also known as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, on May 23.
209 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta. 470-338-0658, phewpies.com
Credit: Rodrigo Moreno
Credit: Rodrigo Moreno
Rosetta Bakery, an Italian chain founded in Miami, is now open in at Two Buckhead Plaza on Peachtree Road in Buckhead, according to a news release. The location at 2 Buckhead Plaza is the chain’s first Georgia location after expanding in Florida and New York. Rosetta serves espresso along with focaccia, pizza, bombolone (Italian doughnut) filled with Nutella or cream, and saccottino (puff pastry filled with chocolate), along with both sweet and savory Italian baked goods.
3050 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta. 404-205-5588, rosettabakery.com
Rreal Tacos opened a new location in downtown Lawrenceville on May 19, its ninth metro Atlanta location.
30 S. Clayton St., Lawrenceville. 470-709-2704,rrealtacos.com
Credit: Courtesy of Rebecca Carmen
Credit: Courtesy of Rebecca Carmen
Side Saddle Wine Saloon opened at the beginning of May in Atlanta’s Boulevard Heights neighborhood with the tagline “pampered without pressure.” It means providing a fine dining-level experience without the “arrogant and dusty atmosphere,” said Side Saddle’s general manager Flemming Love. The space is directly adjacent to a second Finca to Filter location, Side Saddle’s sister restaurant. Once the coffee bar closes for the night, the Finca space will become available to host events, while Side Saddle will seat diners and serve food and drinks to both spaces.
680 Hamilton Ave. SE, Atlanta. instagram.com/sidesaddlewine
Smash, Burgers by Vice held its grand opening celebration on May 17. The Milton burger joint from chef Nick Leahy is a showcase for pasture-to-plate dining, sourcing beef from its own cattle that the owners raise and process locally.
3100 Heritage Walk, Milton. 404-764-9555, smashbyvice.com
Uno Mas Taqueria and Cantina debuted in Buckhead on May 22 in the One Alliance Center office complex next to Little Alley Steak. The new restaurant from STHRN Hospitality Co., the team behind Westside Motor Lounge, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.
3500 Lenox Road NE, Atlanta. 404-237-8969,unomas-atl.com
Voagies, a vegan hoagie shop from Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole, opened May 24 in Atlanta’s Westview neighborhood, according to a news release. The sandwich shop took over the Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard location of the first brick-and-mortar Slutty Vegan, which began as a food truck. Cole has been developing Voagies for about six years, the announcement said, and the launch of her new restaurant comes just months after her recent reclamation of the Slutty Vegan brand.
1542 Ralph D. Abernathy Blvd., Atlanta. instagram.com/voagies
Yeppa & Co., the casual Italian restaurant from the team behind Forza Storico and Storico Fresco, opened a second location on the Atlanta Beltline’s busy Eastside Trail on May 20. The highly visible new restaurant joins Yuji Modern Japanese at the Junction Krog District, the Portman-developed office building looming over the Beltline’s heavily trafficked crossing of Irwin Street in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.
667 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta.yeppaco.com
May closings
Bar Vegan closed in Ponce City Market after a final service May 5 with a lawsuit settlement over unpaid wages looming overhead.
Bartaco closed its West Midtown location after a final service on Cinco de Mayo after 11 years in business, Tomorrow’s News Today reported.
Bastone, the Italian restaurant known for its house-made mozzarella, closed in West Midtown because of simple business fundamentals, according to its chef and owner Pat Pascarella.
Char Korean Bar & Grill closed after nine years in Inman Park, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
Jekyll Brewing announced that it would cease all operations May 11, AccessWDUN reported. The Georgia brewery, known for its Hop Dang Diggity IPA, had multiple locations around the state, with its original taproom in Alpharetta.
Social Bites Food Hub in Sandy Springs closed without warning on May 11, Tomorrow’s News Today reported.
Taco Mac closed its original Virginia-Highland location after a nearly 50-year run.
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