Best Soul Food Southern Restaurants in Atlanta | Eater Atlanta

"There’s a reason Busy Bee Cafe continues to dominate the Southern food conversation in Atlanta after seven decades — it’s that good. The dining room fills immediately after the doors open for lunch, and folks pour into “Atlanta’s soul food kitchen” for some of the best fried chicken likely within a 100-mile radius. People also love the tender collards, which the restaurant now prepares with smoked turkey rather than pork. Make sure to also indulge in the cornbread, baked mac and cheese, yams, cobblers, or sweet potato pie, while gazing upon bronze-framed photos of Civil Rights icons, celebrities, and world leaders — all who have eaten at Busy Bee over the years. The restaurant earned a James Beard award in 2022 and was named a bib gourmand by Michelin in 2024." - Mike Jordan