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Atlanta has one of the best aquariums and one of the best civil rights museums. Other popular attractions include World of Coca-Cola, where you can taste sodas from around the world, and The Clairmont, a club with octagenarian strippers. Its High Museum of Art is also good.
Atlanta is known for its fried chicken as well as other Southern staples like fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese (pimento cheese is definitely hit-or-miss depending on who makes it), biscuits and white gravy (not that brown imposter), and meat & 3 meals (cafe-style dining with a meat and Southern side dishes--Eats is our go-to meat & 3 cafe). Fyi, the entree choices at the wedding will be: 1. ribs, 2. fried chicken, 3. risotto.
Unlike much of the South, Atlanta does not have much of a Bar-B-Q scene, but there are good options like Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q.
Some newer Southern foods include fancy popsicles--King of Pops has many locations throughout Atlanta--and americolas (an americano made with coca-cola, a surprisingly creamy drink), which you can find in Octane cafes and others.
Our favorite Southern restaurant is Home Grown Restaurant, where you can get their famous comfy chicken biscuit with the best gravy we've had and fried green tomatoes with some of the best pimento cheese around.
These popular places are either overpriced or haven't kept up with the food scene:
- Antico's: Good but overpriced. Atwood's pizza is nearby.
- Zesto's: A Dairy Queen where they put the ice back in ice cream.
- Mary Mac's: You're paying extra for a stereotypical Southern experience. Eats is similar and nearby.
- Rocky Mountain Pizza: Highly rated only by underaged college kids due to not getting carded. Atwood's pizza is nearby.
- Silver Skillet: hasn't kept up with the brunch scene. West Egg Cafe is better and nearby.
- The Varsity: garbage fast food that has literally made each of us throw up multiple times. Sewage is better and nearby.
Parking is difficult and/or expensive in Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown. Otherwise, within a couple of minutes you can usually find a decent spot near where you're going. For Midtown, I'll park in Metropolis Parking and get a ticket validated for 2hrs at Sweet Hut.
You can pick up a cheap rental at Atlanta's airport, but we usually go without.
When Atlantans say MARTA, they usually mean its rail, even though MARTA also has buses. That's how infrequently we use buses. You can pick up a MARTA card at any rail station.
Atlanta has many walkable neighborhoods and the Atlanta Beltline, a loop of biking & walking paths, connects many neighborhoods. Generally, the closer to the Beltline, the bougier and more dense shops/restaurants/bars are. Google map "Atlanta Beltline" and you'll see a bunch of pins along it, starting at the southeast of Piedmont Park and going south.
Atlantic Station has a free shuttle between it and the MARTA Arts Center Station. You can track it here: https://asfreeride.transloc.com/t/routes/4006282
Piedmont park is Atlanta's "central park". Here are some good parks that are an hour drive away:
- Sweetwater: Less busy, with a babbling river.
- Stone Mountain: A big rock with a racist carving.
- Kennesaw Mountain: Good views of Atlanta.
Atlanta's bougiest neighborhood. Because of that and difficult/expensive parking, we never go there except for Legoland.
Not Atlanta's actual downtown, which is Midtown. When in Downtown, you are either at one of the good attractions or you are bored.
Attractions:
- National Center for Civil and Human Rights
- Georgia Aquarium
- World of Coca-Cola
Atlanta's actual downtown.
Attractions:
- The High Museum of Art
Cafes:
- Sweet Hut: Asian bakery and cafe. Linh and I met here!
- Land of a Thousand Hills
- Dancing Goats
Bars or good for drinks:
- Cypress Street: Sports bar with good food.
- The Vortex Bar & Grill: Grungy, smokey.
- Momonoki: Decent Japanese food with great cocktails.
Food:
- Highland Bakery: brunch/lunch spot.
- Blue India
- Atwood's Pizza
- Babs: Pop & Pop brunch spot with rotating menu.
- The Flying Biscuit: Local Southern brunch. Recommend apple-cranberry butter.
- The Canteen: Good bagels.
Quaint hip town.
Food:
- Victory Sandwich Bar: Great sandwiches and alternative bar food, with a ping pong table.
- Chai Pani: Indian.
- Masti: Street Indian.
- Home Grown Restaurant: Southern brunch. Famous comfy chicken biscuit and fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese.
- Sun In My Belly: Upscale Southern brunch.
- Ammazza's Pizza
- Revolution Doughnuts: Atlanta's best cake doughnuts
Upscale hipster.
Favorites at Ponce City Market, a giant food and shopping hall:
- King of Pops (fancy popsicles)
- Five Daughters Bakery (amazing cronuts)
- Hop's Chicken (Nashville hot chicken)
Attractions:
- The Clairmont: octagenarian strippers.
Cafes:
- Dancing Goats: coffee
- Honey Bubble: bubble tea
Food:
- Eats: Southern meat & 3
- Soul Vegetarian: Vegetarian Southern meat & 3
Trendy indie. The closer to the beltline, the bougier.
Food:
- Krog Street Market: A food hall.
- Revolution Doughnuts: Atlanta's best cake doughnuts.
- Ammazza's pizza.
- A Mano: Upscale Italian.
- Ladybird: Great Southern brunch, but bad dinner.
- Highland Bakery: Brunch/lunch spot.
Bars:
- Joystick Gamebar
- Victory Sandwich Bar: Great sandwiches and alternative bar food, with a ping pong table.
Bohemian. Halloween all-year-round.
- The Star Community Bar
- Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
- The Vortex Bar & Grill: Grungy, smokey.
Great Asian food & karaoke
Cafes:
- Sweet Hut
- White Windmill
Bougie open-air mall and surrounding area.
Brewery: Monday Night Brewing
Attractions:
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Bodies the Exhibition
- Center for Puppetry Arts
Cafes:
- Land of a Thousand Hills
Next to GA Tech, it's what you'd expect.
South of Amelie's French Bakery has more crime.
Attraction: Trap Music Museum
Cafes:
- BRASH
- Octane
- Amelie's French Bakery
Bar: Ormsby's
Sweets:
- Jeni's: Best ice cream ever.
- Sublime Doughnuts: Atlanta's best yeast doughnuts.
Food:
- West Egg Cafe: Southern brunch.
- Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand
- Pijiu Belly: Japanese/Korean/American fusion. Not the best, but still good, and never busy.
- IKEA / Cook Out: cheap eats.
- Upbeet: Salad/grain bowls.