Season Openers Abound -- New Eateries and New Locations of Local Favorites Welcome Diners this Spring

Open wide and say, “Yum!” to spring’s hefty helping of restaurant openings, both those new to the Atlanta area and additional locations of local favorites.

New on the Scene 

• Brine Seafood Shack sails into Alpharetta’s Avalon retail complex this spring, ferrying boatloads of fine, fresh seafood. The newest venture from Marc Taft’s Southern Fried Hospitality heads seaward from the successful Chicken and the Egg in Marietta. Taft and Brine chef de cuisine David Connolly bridge Southern California beach vibe and Cape Cod classics on a menu brimming with lobster rolls, fish stew, clam fritters, tuna poke, fresh oysters and fish tacos. A rooftop Tiki bar with fans and fire pits draws guests upward. Ground level, a walk-up window will open for takeout as well as offer soft-serve ice cream, milkshakes, cocktails, beer and wine to enjoy while strolling Avalon.

• Dallas, Texas-based Cowboy Chicken gallops into the Atlanta area this summer, turning McDonough (South Point shopping center) and Duluth (Sugarloaf Centre) onto its wood-fire rotisserie chicken. The bold, simple and natural style of “just” chicken, chicken enchiladas and sandwiches, salads with rotisserie chicken and healthy “Wild West” sides center on the art of cooking over a real wood-burning fire. Lassoing a menu of picnic-perfect family packs to go and catering offerings, Cowboy Chicken opens in the nick of time for outdoor concert, pool and party season.

 Favorites Add Locations

• HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern is opening a second location in Town Brookhaven this May when it moves into the former Smash Kitchen & Bar space. The tavern with Southern flair provides a friendly gathering spot for neighbors, shoppers, moviegoers and those just out for a stroll to sit a spell and enjoy tavern specialties, signature cocktails and bourbons from the extensive selection.

• Willy’s Mexicana Grill will roll -- like its fresh and fabulous burritos -- into Smyrna (2995 Atlanta Road, SE, Suite A-160) and the Northlake area (4076 Lavista Road, Tucker) this spring. Welcome timing for those hungering for Willy’s healthy burritos, tacos and bowls to eat in or carry out to the ballpark, swim meets, tennis matches, concerts or wherever summer’s extra daylight hours lead.

• Taco Mac wings its way into McDonough with an anticipated May opening near South Point shopping center. An Atlanta institution since 1979, Taco Mac is the place to find more than 100 beers on draft, the Southeast’s Original Buffalo wings and 50+ HD TVs for sports viewing.

Stadium Winners

• Gamechanger brings award-winning chef Kevin Gillespie’s fan-fare favorites to Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium (200 concourse western end zone), opening July 2017. Catch craveables and popular dishes such as Gunshow’s famous Joey’s West Coast burger, Revival’s Closed-on-Sunday chicken sandwich and Buffalo pork belly sliders, a hit with Falcons fans. Gillespie plans daily specials and a signature item for each stadium event, be it music or sport. Grab draft beer and sodas at the main station, craft beers at the two satellite beer bars or a citrusy cocktail at an “adult lemonade” stand.

• As a boy, Marc Taft loved watching Braves baseball and eating his grandma’s juicy fried chicken. Now grown, restaurateur Taft is living his dream, opening FEED – Fried Chicken & Such at The Battery Atlanta this spring. Those familiar with Taft’s Chicken and the Egg are already salivating over the made-from-scratch specialties, anticipating buckets of chicken, fried chicken tenders and Nashville hot chicken; Southern favorites of North Carolina catfish, Texas-style country fried steak, meatloaf, braised greens, macaroni and cheese, green beans and fried green tomatoes, as well as healthy options such as grilled chicken and salads. Soft-serve ice cream, milkshakes, pies and other fresh-baked treats satisfy that sweet tooth. FEED will offer fast counter service on game days and a relaxed, full-service dining area for lunch and dinner the rest of the year. Bar beverages can be taken outside restaurant walls to be enjoyed within The Battery complex.  

• Sublime Doughnuts owner Kamal Grant is rolling his chef-crafted sweet treats, both round and shaped, into two outlets within Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Home team’s ahead? Celebrate with an A-Town cream. Opponents score? Guests can make their own touchdown at Sublime for one of the many creative doughnut flavors, fill a box to win points with new seat section friends or opt for Sublime soft-serve ice cream and doughnut sandwiches.