James Beard award-winning chef Linton Hopkins will open Linton's Bar and Grill in Buckhead next year. The opening of Linton’s Bar and Grill will also see the return of his popular bakery-cafe, The But...

Karim Alburaii and his family opened Al Chef, a halal food restaurant at Clarkston Market, in the spring of 2024. Drawing on decades of culinary experience in Iraq and Lebanon, the restaurant serves from-scratch dishes like falafel, kebabs, and vegetarian sides to the Clarkston community and beyond.

Welcome to "What's That Cost?" This by-the-numbers breakdown series examines the costs behind creating one specific dish from a local restaurant. This time, we're breaking down the costs for making th...

Chef Demetrius Brown opened his new restaurant Heritage in Summerhill, offering an immersive dining experience that explores the diverse culinary traditions of the African diaspora.

Marietta coffee shop Terminus 72 offers a late-night third space for college students, Kennestone hospital staff, and third-shift workers

Viet-Cajun restaurant Bon Ton will close on Sept. 30 after nearly a decade on Myrtle Street in Midtown. And The Waiting Room, the vibey cocktail lounge above Bon Ton, closed this week after three year...

Each month, Rough Draft’s dining team, Beth McKibben and Sarra Sedghi, share their favorite restaurant dishes, along with a few restaurant discoveries and cool pop-ups to put on your radar. Check out ...

Check out this roundup of recent restaurant openings and upcoming restaurant announcements you might have missed in August.

It takes a lot of coordination and people to feed tens of thousands of school kids each week. To understand how school lunch programs operate, Rough Draft spoke with nutrition professionals for Fulton...

In this week’s Quick Bites, get updates on a highly anticipated restaurant opening in Midtown, a Midwest restaurant chain’s upcoming locations around metro Atlanta, and a local bakery's expansion to A...

Rough Draft Atlanta is launching its first podcast. "From the Paper to the Pod," hosted by Summer Evans, is a behind-the-scenes look at the stories that appear in print, online, and in our daily newsl...

In this week’s Quick Bites, get updates on restaurant openings in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, and Brookhaven, new hires at Madre Selva and Il Premio, and brunch at an Avondale Estates restaurant. There are ...

The Switchyards work club is scheduled to leave its Biltmore Hotel location by Aug. 27 as the building transforms into a tech hub.

Georgian Corner is a triple-threat in Roswell, providing the city with a bakery and cafe, Eastern European market, and restaurant under one roof. Opened in 2025, the restaurant dedicates its menu to t...

When Alex Woodruff was looking to direct his first short film, he originally wanted to set the story during the Stop Cop City movement – the social and environmental movement opposing the construction of the controversial Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in the South River Forest.  But that idea became a little unwieldy for a couple of reasons. “One, it was so epic, and I had never directed before, so I was nervous about trying something like that,” Woodruff said. “Two, before I made that movie, I wanted people to understand my stake in what was going on with the Stop Cop City movement.

After two-plus years of construction and opening new businesses and restaurants, South Downtown developers will wrap up Phase I of the development and “let the market marinate,” while turning their at...

Check out this roundup of recent restaurant openings and upcoming restaurant announcements you might have missed in July.

After two-plus years of construction and opening new businesses and restaurants, South Downtown developers will wrap up Phase I of the development and “let the market marinate,” while turning their attention to attracting residents to the neighborhood.

Students across metro Atlanta will head back to classrooms next week as the region's largest public school districts begin the 2026-27 academic year. Schools in Fulton County, DeKalb County, City Schools of Decatur, and Atlanta Public Schools will open Monday, Aug. 3, with teachers and staff wrapping up professional development and open house events this week. Gwinnett County Public Schools, the state's largest district, will begin classes Wednesday, Aug. 5. Atlanta Public Schools will host a series of open houses for elementary, middle, and high school students on Friday, July 31.

Get details on indoor farmers markets in Underwood Hills and Peoplestown, a new Middle Eastern cafe in Sandy Springs, and the opening of Kamayan ATL at its new location. Plus, we have updates on the J...

In this week’s Quick Bites, get updates on several new restaurant openings, along with a few upcoming restaurants just announced. We also share sad news on the passing of Nick Poulos, the owner Greek ...

While the James Beard Foundation seeks a successor to Chicago for its annual awards, local chefs and restaurateurs argue the case for Atlanta to be the next host of what's known as the "Oscars of the ...

Joystick Gamebar will call a new neighborhood home this fall. The cocktail bar, which includes old-school arcade games and regularly hosts game clubs and game nights, pulled up stakes on Edgewood Aven...

The original location of MetroFresh permanently closed at Midtown Promenade, nearly five months after sustaining damage from a fire. The One Midtown Plaza location on Peachtree Street remains open.

In this week’s Quick Bites, get updates on a new food hall in Castleberry Hill, a closure in Avondale Estates, and Victory's replacement in Decatur. You'll also find details on the rescheduled Atlanta...

Victory Sandwich Bar in Decatur will rebrand to American-Italian restaurant and bar Besto at the end of July. Victory's last day on Church Street is July 20.

Rough Draft Atlanta spoke to two area physicians on how GLP-1s work, why strength training and other lifestyle habits can support successful results, and who should take these drugs – or avoid them al...

With the Men’s World Cup wrapping up, Atlanta United resuming its season, the city bidding for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, and a women’s national soccer league club debuting in 2028, there's never bee...

For this installment of “Heard,” Atlanta chefs Claudia Martinez and Sam Pinner share their thoughts on the importance of music in the kitchen before, during, and after service, along with their favori...

Mico Quijano, a runner from Charlotte, North Carolina, ran his first Peachtree this year dressed as a hot dog. His mission for the race was simple: eat one Costco hot dog every mile, while handing out...

Some Atlanta restaurants and bars are seeing big boosts in business from the World Cup, with fans gathering to watch matches, drink, eat, and cheer both day and night.

This Rough Draft dining guide highlights some of the restaurants, bars, and coffee shops within easy walking distance from the Arts Center and Midtown MARTA stations in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood.

A Polish couple in Roswell opened Baltic Deli in 2024 to bring metro Atlanta a taste of Poland through authentic grocery items and homemade dishes like stuffed cabbage, pierogi, and grilled kielbasa.

The New Soul Veg on Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., formerly known as Soul Vegetarian #1, will cease operations after service on July 12.

Spiller Park Coffee's Moores Mill location will close on July 3 due to financial reasons, but the brand plans to expand its baked goods operations and potentially add sandwiches to other locations.

It's another shut out for Atlanta restaurants at the 2026 James Beard Awards

Here are the restaurants and bars now open or opening soon in downtown Atlanta, part of a big development boom.

A new generation of Livaditis family members have taken control of Zesto in hopes of reviving the iconic Atlanta restaurant brand, betting on people's nostalgia and cravings for its Chubby Deckers and...

Celebrate the World Cup without stepping foot inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium by attending one of the following watch parties, fan festivals, or soccer events around ATL. Check back for updates to this W...

Jarrett and Hallie Stieber of Little Bear will open Bar Schmutzi, an intimate wine bar in East Atlanta Village, featuring a dog-friendly atmosphere, small-production wines, and bar snacks.

Georgia Tech alum Zahra Tabatabai founded Back Home Beer to honor her grandfather, who brewed beer in the cellar of his home in Iran. Inspired by his recipes, Tabatabai creates beers using ingredients...

The owners of Ike's Cafe & Grill, a metro Atlanta West African restaurant, are preparing for throngs of visitors headed here for the World Cup with renovations to its Norcross location and two new loc...

Podcast Episode · The ATL Arts Collective · June 3 · 57m

Over two dozen restaurants opened in Atlanta in May, with close to 30 more announced for the coming months, ranging from Thai dishes and cocktails to bagels, Vietnamese cuisine, Italian food, Korean b...

Local chapters like Slow Food Atlanta carry on the advocacy work of the movement's late founder Carlo Petrini.

MARTA's new fare gates will be fully activated on May 30, requiring riders to pay fares at all stations using Breeze cards, mobile wallets, or bank cards.

Atlanta restaurant Avize ranks #29 on North America's 50 Best list. James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah won the North America's Best Female Chef of 2026 award.