Atlanta loves brunch. These recent additions to the local breakfast circuit provide even more reason to rise and shine — any day of the week.
Breakfast at Barney’s
If you happen to catch Netflix’s new “High on the Hog: How African American Food Transformed America,” you’ll hear narrator Stephen Satterfield reference fried catfish and spaghetti, a soul-food pairing I haven’t seen much in restaurants. At the newish downtown spot Breakfast at Barney’s — which offers pancakes with edible gold; a $1,000 feast for four with two bottles of champagne; and other pricey items — my gaze went straight to the spicy spaghetti with cornmeal-crusted catfish. I couldn’t look away until I tried it.
First, let me say I’d probably pass on the soul rolls — over-the-top fried egg rolls stuffed with macaroni and cheese, collards and candied sweet potatoes (not yams, a distinction that also gets a thorough and entertaining explanation in “High on the Hog”). I could stomach what the server called a taste of Thanksgiving in a single bite, but I could not abide the mumbo sauce drizzled over the rolls — I thought it was plain ketchup until I discerned a bit of heat.
And, I was shocked to see my bloody mary was the priciest thing on my check — $17 for the so-called surf and turf treatment. I simply asked for a bloody mary. If I’d known I was paying for an unfortunate garnish of a single boiled shrimp and a rectangle of rolled up mystery meat on a skewer, I would have passed.
All quibbles aside, I do think everyone should try the fried fish and spaghetti.
And, on the sweet side, French toast — brioche bread with banana cream, fresh berries, blueberry compote and bourbon apple cider syrup — was just dandy.
This all-day brunch spot is quite popular, so you can expect a wait, even on weekdays. Takeout also is an option.
7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. 349 Decatur St. SE, Atlanta; 404-549-6042, breakfastatbarneys.com.
— Wendell Brock
Credit: Ash Wilson
Credit: Ash Wilson
Graffiti Breakfast
Among the spate of new restaurants at Food Works on Chattahoochee Avenue, chef Marcus James Waller recently opened Graffiti Breakfast with his wife, Tonya. After a series of pop-ups, it’s the Wallers’ first brick-and-mortar space, and it shows in the energy and love they project. The menu features breakfast staples made from ingredients sourced from nearby urban farms, plus surprises, like a cornbread, collard green and macaroni and cheese stuffed waffle, served with fried chicken and sweet potato puree.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. 678-974-8190, theworksatl.com/directory/graffiti-breakfast.
— Bob Townsend
Hot Betty’s
It’s easy to spot Hot Betty’s during weekend brunch: Simply look for the throng of people waiting outside on Main Street in Tucker. Serving brunch all day, the new hot spot specializes in thick, cake-like biscuits, with loads of add-ons; fish and grits, featuring the fish of the day; towering stacks of chicken and waffles; and perfected Southern appetizers, such as fried green tomatoes, boiled peanut hummus and fried chicken livers with paprika aioli. Hot Betty’s has a laid-back, sit-wherever-you-like vibe, with a full bar, including a long list of cocktails named for famous Bettys. The “Betty” of the restaurant’s name is co-owner Shea Powell’s grandmother. Business partner and Executive Chef Wes McNeil honored his grandmother as well, including her crabcake recipe on the menu.
7 a.m.-3p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays; 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 8 a.m.-10p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 2316 Main St., Tucker. 470-395-9146, hotbettystucker.com.
— Angela Hansberger
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
Johnny’s Chicken & Waffles
In January, Crystal Smith; her singer-songwriter husband, Ne-Yo; and hip-hop artist Karlie Redd opened Johnny’s Chicken & Waffles in College Park. It’s a lively spot, with a full bar. And, on weekends, there’s service into the wee hours. Along with fried chicken and waffles, you’ll find jumbo chicken wings, crispy chicken tenders and Buffalo wings, plus salads, sides, breakfast platters, sandwiches and desserts. Smith’s barbecue salmon and lamb entrees are available every evening until they run out.
8 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 3725 Main St., College Park. 404-748-4244, johnnyschickenandwaffles.com.
— Bob Townsend
Credit: handout
Credit: handout
Snooze
If coffee or a boozy breakfast cocktail don’t jolt you awake at Snooze, the retro orange color palette and high energy of the place will do so. Open since February, the Denver-based chain offers creative twists on breakfast and brunch favorites, with plenty of options to have it your way. For folks who don’t worry about calories or cholesterol, a breakfast pot pie features a puff pastry smothered with rosemary sausage gravy, topped with a sunny-side-up egg. For those who do, there’s the Bountiful Buddha Bowl, with roasted veggies, greens, grains, avocado and everything-bagel seasoning. Pineapple upside-down pancakes are a Snooze signature dish, but a pancake flight offers triple the fun, especially when one of those flapjacks is flavored like a blueberry Danish. Look for a west Midtown location to open this fall.
6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. 4600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 470-571-3880, snoozeeatery.com.
— Ligaya Figueras
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