For the people who are searching for the best restaurants Atlanta, the main challenge is not just to find somewhere to eat but to decide where to begin. Atlanta’s dining areas include neighborhood barbecues, food institutions, chef-made restaurants, and casual spots that deliver some of the city’s most comforting foods.
Here in this guide, we have 10 top restaurants in Atlanta that are serving BBQ and southern food. Instead of a strict ranking list, it is a curated list of restaurants, as the right restaurant depends on what you are craving for, where you are staying, and the type of dining experience you want.
If you are searching for BBQ restaurants near me, you can begin with the options described below.
Best Restaurants In Atlanta: Comparing Top Dining Options At A Glance
| Restaurants | Speciality | Atlanta Location | Must Try | Dining Style |
| Fox Bros Bar-B-Q | Texas Style BBQ | Candler Park | Smoked Brisket | Casual & Lively |
| Fat Matt’s Rib Shack | Classic BBQ | Piedmont Heights | Ribs | Casual |
| Heirloom Market BBQ | Southern & Korean-Influenced BBQ | Cobb Country | Brisket and Korean-Inspired BBQ | Casual |
| Busy Bee Cafe | Southern And Soul Food | Atlanta | Fried Chicken & Southern Sides | Casual |
| Miller Union | Contemporary Southern | West Midtown | Seasonal Southern Dishes | Casual |
| Mary Mac’s Tea Room | Classic Southern Food | Midtown | Fried Chicken & Southern Sides | Casual |
| Sweet Auburn BBQ | BBQ & Southern | Atlanta | BBQ Plates & Smoked Meats | Upscale Casual |
| Lewis Barbecue Atlanta | Texas-Style BBQ | Atlanta | Brisket & Smoked Meat | Upscale Casual |
| Community Q BBQ | Southern BBQ | Atlanta | Pulled pork, Brisket & Ribs | Casual |
| Odoms & Sons BBQ | Southern BBQ | Greenbriar | Smoked Oxtails, Brisket, & Ribs | Casual |
10 Best Restaurants Atlanta For BBQ And Southern Food
1. Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q is one of the top restaurants in Atlanta which is recognized widely for its barbecue. Its BBQ style reflects the strong Texas flavor rooted in Atlanta’s barbecue culture. Their menu is filled with the combination of smoked meats and classic BBQs, making it a perfect choice for your briskets, ribs, pulled pork beef, and smoked meats cravings.
What To Try: Ribs, Brisket, Pulled-Pork Beef, and Traditional Sides.
Perfect For: Traditional BBQ Meals
2. Fat Matt’s Rib Shack
For a casual BBQ experience, Fat Matt is also considered as one of the best BBQ places in Atlanta. The restaurant is completely associated with ribs and the laid-back environment that many of the people expect from a traditional rib shack restaurant. If you are looking for the best places to eat in Atlanta, then this is the place to consider when you want barbecue without a formal dining experience.
What To Try: Ribs and Classic BBQ Sides.
Perfect For: Casual BBQ Meals for BBQ Fans
3. Heirloom Market BBQ
Heirloom Market BBQ offers a unique BBQ combination in Atlanta by combining traditional southern BBQ with Korean flavors. This is an interesting stop for diners who want something beyond the traditional BBQ flavor. This BBQ smoque restaurant demonstrates how Atlanta’s BBQ culture is evolving while maintaining its central flavor of smoked meat and traditional sides.
What To Try: Brisket, Smoked Meats, and Korean Influenced BBQ dishes.
Perfect For: People who love to have some creative takes on traditional BBQ.
4. Busy Bee Cafe
Busy Bee Cafe is an essential stop for the ones who want to experience Atlanta’s historic food tradition. It was established in 1947 by Lucy Jackson, Busy Bee Cafe has been a longstanding part of Atlanta’s cuisines. It is one of the best places to eat in Atlanta which is known for its southern taste and has received national recognition, including the Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, and James Beard America’s Classic award.
What To Try: Oxtails, Mac n Cheese, Fried Chicken, and Classic Southern Sides.
Perfect For: Soul-food lovers and visitors who are interested in Atlanta’s culinary history.
5. Miller Union
Miller Union offers Southern food in a redefined and more seasonal direction. It is located at 999 Brady Avenue NW. It is included in one of the family friendly restaurants in Atlanta, which are focusing on providing farm-to-table seasonal ingredients and southern cooking experiences. Miller Union describes how southern cooking can be seasonal, delicious, and elegant instead of focusing only on heavy comfort food.
What To Try: Seasonal Vegetable Cuisines and Restaurant’s Special Southern Menu
Perfect For: Special Occasions, Intimate Date Nights, and Exclusively Southern Dining.
6. Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Mary Mac’s Tea Room is another one of the best restaurants downtown Atlanta which focuses on classic southern cooking. For the people who are interested in traditional southern comfort food, restaurants like Mary Mac’s are offering traditional cuisines that are defining Atlanta’s Southern identity. Their way of providing food is simple, appetizing dishes, Southern hospitality, and the recipes that reflects city’s culinary tradition.
What To Try: Collard Greens, Fried Chicken, Peach Cobbler, and Cornbread
Perfect For: First-Time Visitors of Atlanta and Traditional Southern Dishes
7. Sweet Auburn BBQ
Sweet Auburn BBQ combines Southern taste with barbecue and a global influence. It is another one of the best options for the people who need smoked meat but are interested in the menu that goes strictly beyond the traditional BBQ. It is located in a very convenient location to combine a meal while exploring Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn district.
What To Try: Smoked Meats, BBQ Plates, and Creative Traditional Southern Sides.
Perfect For: The Ones Who Are Exploring Atlanta’s Barbecue Cultures While Visiting the Historical Places.
8. Lewis Barbecue Atlanta
Lewis Barbecue brings a Texas style BBQ in Atlanta. It is one of the best for the people who enjoy brisket and traditional Texas inspired smoking techniques. For the people who are comparing the best BBQ food near me, Lewis Barbecue is the best restaurant that focuses heavily on Georgia-style Southern cooking.
What To Try: Smoked Meats, Briskets, and Southern BBQ Sides
Perfect For: Texas Style BBQ Lovers
9. Community Q BBQ
Community Q is another one of the best restaurants that has perfect food near me BBQ and traditional sides. Their menu focuses on familiar BBQ dishes and smoked meat, which makes it suitable for the people who are looking for classic traditional BBQ meals.
What To Try: Smoked Meats, Ribs, Pulled Pork Beef, and Southern BBQ Sides
Perfect For: Families and Casual BBQ Meals.
10. Odoms & Sons BBQ
If you want an authentic, slow smoked barbecue, Odoms & Sons BBQ restaurant in Atlanta is on the top of Atlanta’s culinary scenes. It is located at 2740 Greenbriar Parkway SW. Odoms & Sons is a family-owned BBQ restaurant in Atlanta. Its menu includes ribs, pulled pork beef, brisket, smoked turkey wings, smoked chicken, and signature oxtails. They are also serving traditional sides which are the essential part of its experience which has options including Mac n Cheese, Baked Beans, Collard Greens, Potato Salad, Yellow Rice, and Cabbage.
For the people who are looking for restaurants downtown Atlanta, Odoms & Sons BBQ is worth considering as they are also providing catering services. The business is offering BBQ catering for weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, family reunions, and other events in Metro Atlanta.
What To Try: Signature Smoked Oxtails, Pulled Pork Beef, Smoked Briskets, Ribs, Mac n Cheese, Collard Greens, and Peach Cobbler.
Perfect For: Families, BBQ Lovers, Caterings, and Weekend Dining’s
How To Choose Among The Best Places To Eat In Atlanta?
If you’re looking for places to eat Atlanta GA, the city’s BBQ joints, soul-food restaurants, and modern Southern eateries offer plenty of delicious options to explore. Choosing between the Atlanta smoked meat and BBQ chicken restaurant depends on the taste you need and dining experience.
For Traditional BBQ
Look for restaurants that are specialized in slow-smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and Southern sides. Odoms & Sons BBQ, Fox Bros., Fat Matt’s, and Community Q are examples of restaurants that fit this category.
For Soul Food
Busy Bee Cafe provides a historic Atlanta soul-food experience, while traditional Southern restaurants offer dishes such as fried chicken, greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, and oxtails.
For Modern Southern Food
Miller Union is a strong example of a restaurant that approaches Southern cooking through seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.
For Something Different
Heirloom Market BBQ demonstrates how Atlanta barbecue can influences from another culinary tradition, while Lewis Barbecue offers a Texas-style approach.
Book your event now with Odoms & Sons BBQ to experience the traditional BBQ taste with Southern sides.
Final Thoughts!
The culinary experience of Atlanta is broad enough to satisfy every visitor or food lover. From historic soul food to traditional BBQ, the city is offering plenty of locations where you can experience the traditional Southern food.
In this Atlanta dining guide, we have compared one of the best restaurants in Atlanta from which you can choose from. If you are searching for a family-owned BBQ restaurant, Odoms & Sons BBQ offers signature smoked oxtails, slow smoked meat, Southern sides, and catering throughout Metro Atlanta.
