"We are a Asian Southern restaurant featuring items like Buttermilk Fried Chicken tossed in Chinese chili crisp and Vietnamese spiced fried okra. We have craft cocktails, beer, wine, and a full coffee program! We also feature a selection of artisanal homemade pastries."
"Just over a year after opening Juniper Cafe at Westside Village, chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips closed the Vietnamese cafe and bakery January 1, 2023, with plans to relocate the restaurant further into town. But Hsu and Phillips will continue operating the wholesale bakery arm of Juniper Cafe from the Marietta Boulevard location and are opening a new restaurant there later this year. Hsu declined to provide further details on what led to the closure of Juniper Cafe and its relocation, or just what will replace the restaurant at Westside Village in 2023. However, Juniper Cafe’s relocation may come down to lack of foot traffic and street visibility. Despite praise from both local and national press for its food and cocktails, the restaurant didn’t quite capture the attention from diners it deserved at the northwest Atlanta development, a complex set along a busy four-lane road and heavily traveled truck route. Named for Hsu’s niece and the tree-lined street populated with historic homes and restaurants in Midtown, Juniper Cafe serves pho, bún, bánh mì, spicy fried chicken, Vietnamese sausages, and summer rolls, along with fresh pastries baked daily." - Beth McKibben
"Whenever we’re on the brink of losing our sh!t, caffeine, cocktails, or a really great meal have always been a leading light out of middle hell. So, allow us to put you on to Juniper Cafe, a Southern U.S./Pan-Asian cafe at the Westside Village that welcomes you, as you are, and provides you the perfect trifecta to help soothe whatever frustration is currently bringing you to tears: unrequited love, the gas pump, or an insufferably draining “baby and me” swim class at the neighboring AquaTots. You could head inside to the blue-walled main room, where the small white tables give date night vibes. But we’re good on the patio with some drinks and noodles. Nearly everyone sits in this ultra casual, screened-in sunroom, including parents dragging in their damp kids straight from swim class. There’s a walk-up service window to order drinks and pastries if you’re in a rush, but there are plenty of teal, perforated back patio chairs in the sunroom when you just need to chill. photo credit: Amy Sinclair It all feels like a regular cafe—everything here suggests a no-frills meal. But when a plate of beautifully crisped fried chicken and a fragrant bowl of lemongrass and coconut broth mussels come to the table, you’ll stand corrected. (Or possibly stand to applaud the flavors. Do you.) A taste of the food, which comes from the culinary minds behind Lazy Betty, may make you feel underdressed for the occasion. But you’re not. Find your warm hug with a full coffee menu of all the usuals. We especially like the milky Vietnamese coffee, on ice. If you’re feeling a bit more spirited, add a Japanese beer or Korean makgeolli to the table. And while all the imported drinks get rightful attention here, you shouldn’t overlook Juniper’s housemade drinks—including mildly-sweetened sodas in fun flavors like kumquat, passion fruit, and calamansi, which they make and bottle every Monday—or their creative cocktails, which feature some of those imported spirits. Juniper is one of our favorite places to lose ourselves in a meal, to try out a few different beverages, and to temporarily forget about the cruel outside world, which would normally force us to change out of our workout clothes to eat and drink things this good. Food Rundown Noodle Salad Juniper’s vermicelli noodle bowls give your soul the satisfaction of carbs but with the freshness of herbs, crunchy peanuts, and other vegetable additions, so you’ll walk away feeling satisfied, without any heaviness. We like it with the Thai Fried Tofu, which is a masterpiece in itself—crispy on the outside, moist in the middle, and packed with enough flavor that you’ll want to make it your everyday snack. photo credit: Amy Sinclair Star Fruit, Citrus, and Green Papaya Salad We pity the fool who doesn't order this shredded papaya salad. It's fresh, flavorful, full of textures from crunchy to soft, and a bit too addictive. photo credit: Amy Sinclair Coconut Shaved Ice This is a multigenerational crowd pleaser. The kids will love it because the finely shaved coconut ice looks and tastes like ice cream. Us non-kids will appreciate the topping of fruit cubes and soft mochi pieces, a reminder of the days when fruit was considered dessert. photo credit: Amy Sinclair Vietnamese Coffee Their Vietnamese coffee, drizzled with sweetened condensed milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk, is an instant hit of happiness. You can also add favors like lychee, passion fruit, and coconut to top it off. We like it served cold, which feels like more of a refreshing treat." - Nina Reeder
"Once you’re seated on the sprawling covered patio at Juniper Cafe, you’ll almost forget you’re in a shopping center overlooking a parking lot. The airy space, the beautiful tableware, and the pastry counter set a calming mood before a menu is even dropped off. And when the food does get dropped off, the experience keeps improving. To stay cool, there are Vietnamese coffees and creative, fresh house-made sodas and cocktails (we particularly like the breezy gin-based Patio Country). Snappy appetizers include crisp fried okra and beautifully fragrant mussels, and with an unfussy all-day menu anchored by banh mi and noodle salads, there are no bad choices here." - ByThe Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors
"Vietnamese restaurant and bakery, Juniper Cafe, opens December 15 at Westside Village on Marietta Boulevard, also home to the Woodall, which opened earlier this summer at the complex. Backed by Lazy Betty chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips in partnership with Lazy Betty general manager and beverage director Carl Van Tyle Gilbert, expect pho, bún, bánh mì, Vietnamese sausages, and summer rolls, alongside fresh pastries and shaved ice desserts on the menu here. In addition to coffee, tea, and fresh-made sodas, look for cocktails using Japanese whisky, soju, and Vietnamese flavors and ingredients from Gilbert as well as beer and French, American, and natural wines. Led in the kitchen by former Lazy Betty senior line cook Timothy Rufino, Phillips now helms the kitchen at Lazy Betty and acts as corporate chef for Juniper Cafe, while Hsu takes on the role of culinary director for both restaurants. Open for breakfast and dinner, with lunch set to begin in the coming weeks, the design for Juniper Cafe features stepped ceiling details inside reminiscent of the terraced countryside found throughout Vietnam and two patios with elements taking inspiration from historic Vietnamese homes. One patio also includes a takeout window for pastries, coffee and to-go food and drinks." - Beth McKibben
"Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips, the owners behind Candler Park tasting menu restaurant Lazy Betty, open Vietnamese restaurant and bakery Juniper Cafe at Westside Village in Bolton this summer. Hsu and Phillips partnered with Lazy Betty general manager and beverage director Carl Van Tyle Gilbert in the northwest Atlanta restaurant. Chef Tim Rufino, currently a senior line cook at Lazy Betty, will lead the kitchen at the restaurant, which will serve pho, noodle salads (bún), banh mi, sausages, and spring and summer rolls alongside fresh pastries and shaved ice desserts. In addition to coffee, tea, and house-made sodas, look for cocktails using Vietnamese flavors and ingredients from Gilbert as well as beer and French and American wines on the bar menu." - Beth McKibben
