Southern cuisine & cocktails in industrial-chic spot, Civil Rights history
"This historic restaurant just west of downtown Atlanta once served as a meeting place for Martin Luther King, Jr. and his lieutenants during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. But long before MLK put Paschal’s on the map nationwide, the restaurant was already well known around Atlanta for its delicious fried chicken and Southern sides. Paschal’s offers an eight-piece fried chicken or oven-roasted chicken meal with two pints of Southern side dishes and four cornbread muffins that’s just under $40 for takeout and delivery. Paschal’s has an outpost at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at concourse B. Order online." - Molly Harris
"The location has changed more than once from when brothers James and Robert Paschal founded the iconic restaurant. Its history is inseparable from the Civil Rights era in Atlanta due to the restaurant and its owners’ willingness to post bond for and provide free meals to jailed protestors. Now located at the corner of Northside Drive, Paschal’s continues to welcome new generations of diners for Southern fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, pulled pork platters, and Paschal’s original recipe fried chicken. Try the peach cobbler for dessert here. Paschal’s includes a location at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport." - Mike Jordan
"Founded in 1947 near the Atlanta University Center, this establishment has long functioned as a crucial gathering place for the Black community and the civil-rights movement. Founders James and Robert Paschal supported activists by posting bail, offering free meals, and extending hours for families waiting for released loved ones, creating a central meeting spot that combined nourishment with direct material support for movement work." - Shani Hillian
"Back in the day, classic soul food restaurant Paschal’s in Castleberry Hill was like the Avengers headquarters, a gathering spot for civil rights activists like MLK, John Lewis, and Andrew Young." - jacinta howard, juli horsford
"If you're just passing through Atlanta, all you might notice about Paschal’s is its cafeteria-style spread of ribs, collards, and other soul food staples. What we see is a tasty extension of an institution rooted in the ATL since the ’40s. But the thing we love most about this airport outpost is that it doesn’t cut corners in the kitchen. The forkfuls of down-home delight you get with the fried chicken and mac and cheese here in the food court is nearly the same as what you get at the iconic Northside Drive location—only thing missing is the attentive service and ’70s soul tunes." - demarco williams, nina reeder, juli horsford, jacinta howard