"If you need a wakeup jolt, R. Thomas in Buckhead’s Brookwood Hills delivers the perfect sensory overload. There are pinwheels, birdcages, tchotchkes, and several random, loudly-patterned tablecloths. But there’s also an eclectic menu assortment to match that vibe with everything from traditional breakfast offerings to chicken piccata sandwiches and teriyaki quinoa bowls. The classic establishment, which has had solid vegan options since the ’80s, also serves things like raw cashew cheese and some of the city’s best tofu scrambles—and is our most likely place to run into the ever-elusive Andre 3000. Since the pandemic, the restaurant is only open for takeout on Fridays and Saturdays until 5am, with dine-in closing at 1am." - juli horsford, nina reeder
"This Peachtree Street icon has earned a reputation for being a late-night haven (open until 5am Thursday-Saturday), but the eclectic address resembling a Phish fan’s garage sale has its share of loyal patrons during normal business hours. Young ones love chatting it up with the talkative birds in the outdoor cages and usually can’t get enough of the colorful metal art pieces hanging everywhere. Pint-sized french toast, half burgers, and strawberry-agave smoothies always bring out the smiles, too. Oh, and let them find their own way to the bathroom, which is essentially a mini maze through a functioning kitchen." - demarco williams, nina reeder, jacinta howard
"There isn’t anything quite like R. Thomas in Atlanta, and there wasn’t anyone quite like the colorful character Richard Thomas, who built the popular 24-hour breakfast spot on Peachtree Street. After more than 35 years, Thomas’s legacy is still a restaurant menu filled with healthier breakfast fare. R. Thomas’ was also one of the first establishments in the city to offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes." - Lia Picard
"R. Thomas Deluxe Grill, known for its late-night hours and famous birds at the entrance — Ruby the parrot, Peaches and Cream the cockatoos, and their raisin-loving toucan — has been serving food around the clock since 1985. It was also one of the first establishments in the city to center its menu on vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. Order from all-day breakfast, grain bowls, and freshly-pressed juices. In a recent announcement, the landmark restaurant is up for sale after 40 years, though the owners hope its legacy will continue even after the sale." - Henna Bakshi
"Known as the quirkiest eatery on Peachtree Street in Buckhead, this long-running, family-owned restaurant—now up for sale—built a reputation for late-night (originally 24-hour) service and a healthier take on breakfast, lunch, and late-night fare, including an early focus on vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. It’s famous for a mini exotic bird sanctuary and its resident birds—Ruby the parrot, Peaches and Cream the cockatoos, and a raisin-loving toucan—that have often roamed the dining room or perched on the founder’s shoulder; those birds were once stolen in 2023 and subsequently returned. Founded in 1985 by a restaurateur who had been the first president of operations at Kentucky Fried Chicken and who later launched the chain that became Bojangles, the operation passed to his daughter after his 2017 death; she is seeking a buyer who will continue the brand and its roughly 40-year legacy, with entrepreneur Cliff Oxford brokering the sale." - Henna Bakshi