"The Optimist opened in West Midtown in 2012 and has since maintained its status as Atlanta’s buzziest seafood restaurant. The massive main dining area is often full of white collar business teams, yacht owners, and couples celebrating big nights out. If it's too packed and noisy, there’s a quieter oyster bar area that feels more like a retro diner—plus, it’s fun to watch the oyster prep. But we care about the food, not the fanfare. And dishes like their legendary meaty lobster roll help to keep The Optimist on top of our Best Seafood guide." - demarco williams, nina reeder, juli horsford, jacinta howard