Mary Mac's Tea Room
Southern restaurant (US) · Atlanta
224 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Highlights
Southern institution serving fried chicken, fried green tomatoes
Southern institution serving fried chicken, fried green tomatoes
"Expect to find this Southern classic on Ponce packed with weekend tourists. Mary Mac’s is an old school meat-and-two where you write down your own order on a menu card. And where else will servers announce, “Comin’ in, honey” before setting down a plate of delicious fried green tomatoes? Plus, it’s one of the few places where you can still get potlikker (think: chips-and-salsa starter but with collard broth and cornbread). The setting feels nostalgic—homey rooms lined with photos of famous guests (yes, that’s the Dalai Lama) and old floors that creak with a Southern accent." - nina reeder, juli horsford, jacinta howard
"Yes, this Southern food classic on Ponce gets all the attention, but it is a meat-and-two experience worth checking off your Atlanta list. And Mary Mac's has been Black-owned since 2020." - jacinta howard, juli horsford
"Depending on the day, this Southern landmark on Ponce is either packed with out-of-towners or colleagues at lunch. They come for the nostalgia of the original 1940s tearoom, which is valid. Name another meat-and-two stop where you write down your own order on a menu card. And where else will the waitress announce, “Comin’ in, honey” before plopping down a pretty decent pot roast and fluffy sweet potato soufflé? We’ll wait. And while we do, we’ll dip our cornbread into a cup of their brothy collard green potlikker (a fading Southern tradition that’s still very much the right move here)." - demarco williams, nina reeder, juli horsford, jacinta howard
"A longstanding Midtown tea-room institution on Ponce de Leon Avenue that was purchased in 2020 by Fresh Hospitality (led by Harold Martin Jr.) after more than 25 years of ownership by John Ferrell; it now operates alongside the group's other regional brands." - Henna Bakshi
"Mary Mac’s Tea Room, the beloved Southern restaurant on Ponce known for its fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and yeast rolls, underwent a change of ownership in 2020. But very little has changed on the menu or with the decor and service here. Mary MacKenzie first opened Mary Mac’s Tea Room in 1945. At the time, it was one of 16 tearooms in Atlanta." - Missy Frederick
