Metro Atlanta sees more restaurant openings than closings in January

January was a net-positive month for the metro Atlanta restaurant scene, though the rate of churn slowed with 11 new restaurant openings against seven closures. Bar Lewis joined its already-popular sister restaurant, Lewis Barbecue, in Ansley Mall, but the Cabbagetown neighborhood was finally forced to say goodbye to its beloved Agave.

Restaurant openings

& Cheese, a specialty grilled cheese sandwich restaurant, held a grand opening Jan. 17, according to a news release.

620 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-343-1144, andcheese.online.

Bar Lewis opened Jan. 31 in Ansley Mall, across the walkway from pitmaster John Lewis’ main restaurant, Lewis Barbecue. Both spaces face the Atlanta Beltline’s Northeast Trail. Bar Lewis includes a 60-foot bar with couches, lounge areas, additional tables and patio seating. The interiors are styled after a “Texas dance hall,” Lewis said in a previous interview, with colorful patterns and vintage decorations.

1544 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-939-9567, lewisbarbecue.com/location/lewis-barbecue-atlanta.

ExploreOff to a smoking-hot start in Atlanta, Lewis Barbecue is already getting better

Bobo Izakaya, a Japanese restaurant offering private tatami rooms, opened in early January in the Toco Hill Shopping Center, the restaurant announced on social media.

2899 N. Druid Hills Road, Atlanta. 404-985-1091, boboizakaya.com.

Casa Bembé, a new Cuban restaurant, opened the first week of January in Buckhead at the Tuxedo Festival development, Tomorrow’s News Today reported.

3655 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta. 470-312-2126, instagram.com/casa.bembé.

Credit: Courtesy of Bryce France

Credit: Courtesy of Bryce France

Cuevacía, which means empty cave or empty tomb, opened in Midtown Atlanta’s Colony Square on Jan. 27. The interior of Cuevacía, an Oaxacan and Northern Mexican restaurant, has been transformed from a light and bright fast-casual sushi restaurant into a moodily lit, stone-walled cavern with arched grottos meant for intimate dinners and cocktails.

The restaurant will serve brunch, lunch and dinner with lunch launching several weeks after opening. Executive chef Christopher Smith and chef de cuisine Aaron Paik are handling kitchen duties.

1201 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. cuevacia.com.

D’Juan’s Bistro, a New Orleans-themed restaurant, reopened in Smyrna on Jan. 19, the restaurant announced on social media.

4500 W. Village Place SE, Smyrna. 470-552-2153, djuans.com.

Dos Caminos opened in late January in Midtown, representatives for the restaurant announced. The restaurant will serve Mexico City-inspired fare as well as cocktails in the space formerly occupied by the Oceanaire Seafood Room.

1100 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 470-912-2986, doscaminos.com.

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Grindhouse Killer Burgers opened a new location on Atlanta’s Upper Westside on Jan. 14.

1221 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. 470-516-6067, grindhouseburgers.com.

Haraz Coffee House opened in Midtown on Jan. 17 with a ribbon-cutting celebration, the shop shared on Instagram.

930 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. 404-748-1084, harazcoffeehouse.com.

Credit: Courtesy of Anitra Isler

Ruki’s Kitchen opened Jan. 10 in Switchman Hall, the new food hall that debuted in Atlanta’s Peoplestown neighborhood. Chef Ali Lemma’s Ethiopian restaurant is similar to what was offered at his pop-ups, with a mix of steak, salmon and chicken tibs — which Lemma likened to the “Ethiopian version of fajitas” — along with injera and veggie sides.

1161 Ridge Ave. SW, Atlanta. instagram.com/rukiskitchenatl.

Saffron Darbar Indian Cuisine opened in Sandy Springs in the first half of January, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.

5975 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta. 762-453-2037, saffrondarbar.com.

Credit: abcutrer@gmail.com

Restaurant closings

Agave closed Jan. 31 after about 25 years in business in Cabbagetown. The beloved Southwestern restaurant was packed with regulars mourning its closure in the months leading up to its final dinner service.

ExploreRegulars approach Agave’s closure with tears, reflection and faint hope

Alici Oyster Bar, the seafood-focused Italian restaurant in the Midtown Promenade shopping center, has closed after a little more than four years in business. Chef and owner Pat Pascarella announced the closure Jan. 13.

“After a lot of thought, we’ve decided to close this chapter and say goodbye to Alici as you know it,” Pascarella said in a social media statement.

Credit: Paula Pontes

Academy Bar permanently closed in Alpharetta in early January.

Ponce City Market said goodbye to both of chef Guy Wong’s restaurants, Miso Ko and Ton Ton Ramen, in early January, Tomorrow’s News Today reported.

McCormick & Schmick’s at The Center in downtown Atlanta shut down after New Year’s Eve to make way for its sister concept, Mastro’s Ocean Club, a move first reported in August by Tomorrow’s News Today. Both chains are owned by Landry’s, the restaurant giant based in Houston, Texas.