The pace of restaurant openings in metro Atlanta slowed in April compared to a torrid March. Among closures, the dining scene said goodbye to a few neighborhood favorites, including There Brookhaven, Panbury’s, and Nina and Rafi. April also saw a couple of relocations, including moves for Dr. Bombay’s and Ruchi Bangladeshi Cuisine.
Here are the restaurants that opened in April, followed by the list of closings.
April openings
7 Brew, a drive-thru coffee stand in Flowery Branch, opened April 16. The coffee chain says it offers more than 20,000 unique drink combinations. At Wednesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony, 7 Brew donated $1,500 to the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia.
3449 Winder Highway, Flowery Branch. 479-358-9274, 7brew.com
Altona Burger & Beer Garden opened earlier this year in Norcross but was just announced in April. Its sister restaurant, Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden, is in Mooresville, North Carolina, where it says it serves one of the best burgers in that state.
3975 Holcomb Bridge Road, Norcross. 470-657-2307, altonaburger.com
Credit: Courtesy of Niki Pattharakositkul
Credit: Courtesy of Niki Pattharakositkul
Blackjack Bar Tapas, an Asian cocktail and tapas-style restaurant, opened in Midtown on April 23. The bar is an “edgier and more experimental” concept from Niki Pattharakositkul, the owner of 26 Thai, a local restaurant chain that now has nine locations around metro Atlanta.
1080 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-748-9675, blackjackbartapas.com
Dr. Bombay’s opened in a new location in Grant Park on April 5 after nearly 20 years in Candler Park. The tea shop will share space with Howdy ATL.
753 Cherokee Ave. SE, Atlanta. drbombays.com
Redacted Basement Drink Parlor opened April 25 after six years of effort from owners Judy Ho and Jake Karmin, who decided to start their own place after they lost their jobs with the closure of Virginia-Highland English pub Hand in Hand. Their Summerhill bar serves mostly classic cocktails and can be found behind an unassuming side door on Georgia Avenue.
63 Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta. instagram.com/redactedbasementdrinkparlor
Ruchi Bangladeshi Cuisine moved to a new location in Chamblee on April 8. The popular restaurant was opened by owner Amit Shapta in 2019 when he was just 22 years old and still in college.
5522 New Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 678-691-9270, ruchibangladeshi.com
Sammy’s joins Ryokou, Seventh House and the Vine Club at Abrams Fixtures, a mixed-use development that also houses office space and residential units in Atlanta’s Adair Park neighborhood. The coffee and sandwich shop is owned by chef Sam Pinner and general manager Jason Furst, restaurant industry veterans who have been friends since attending high school together at Paideia in Atlanta.
565 Northside Drive SW, Atlanta. sammysatl.com
Credit: (Courtesy of Nick Leahy)
Credit: (Courtesy of Nick Leahy)
Smash Burgers by Vice began a soft-opening week in the middle of April, according to the restaurant’s social media. The burger joint is a sister restaurant to chef Nick Leahy’s forthcoming steakhouse Vice Steak Bar, next door to Smash. Both restaurants will use beef from locally raised cows.
3100 Heritage Walk, Alpharetta. 470-709-4086, instagram.com/smash.burgersbyvice
Utopia Lounge opened April 19 at Underground Atlanta. The Latin-fusion restaurant offers daytime service, but the sci-fi themed interior creates a club-like ambience. The menu features “interactive guest experiences” like wagyu beef served on hot stones, according to a news release.
50 Upper Alabama St., Atlanta. instagram.com/utopialoungeatl
Zahra Mediterranean Grill opened earlier this year at Chattahoochee Food Works, according to an announcement shared in late April.
1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. zahragrill.com.
Zeus Greek Street Food opened its second metro area location in Roswell on April 25.
10350 Alpharetta St., Roswell. 678-226-1281, zeusgreekstreet.com
April closings
J‘s Mini Hotpot Deluxe closed April 1 after 21 years on Buford Highway, the restaurant announced on Instagram.
4897 Buford Highway NE, Chamblee
Mamoun’s Falafel, a chain with franchises mostly in New York, shut down in early April in West Midtown.
1269 Northside Drive NW, Atlanta
Mix’d Up Burgers closed its East Lake location in April with no announcement. The closure was spotted by a reporter with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
2371 Hosea L Williams Drive NE, Atlanta
NaanStop closed in Buckhead on April 3 after 10 years, the restaurant posted on social media. The local chain still has locations downtown and in Atlantic Station, as well as a catering business.
3420 Piedmont Road, Atlanta
Nina and Rafi, once a hot spot on the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail, closed in late April after the space was purchased by a group that includes the owners of Rreal Tacos and Eclipse di Luna. The space will become a new location of the local tapas chain.
661 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta
Panbury’s shut down its stall in the Sweet Auburn Curb Market after the last full week of April, the business announced on social media. The South African pie shop was in business 11 years and shipped pies nationwide from its stall, the announcement said.
209 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta
Snooze A.M. Eatery shut down its Sandy Springs location early in April. The nationwide brunch chain also shuttered its West Midtown location in January but still has five other metro Atlanta restaurants.
4600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs
There Gastropub, a favorite neighborhood pub in Brookhaven, closed its doors in the Town Brookhaven development in early April.
305 Brookhaven Ave., Brookhaven
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on X and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
