Atlanta Quarantine Eats Week 10
Welcome to Week 10 (8/21 - 8/23) of Quarantine Eats.
The goal of this take-out series is to hopefully inspire some of you to try a new spot, highlight Atlanta restaurants that are open, support an Atlanta restaurant impacted by COVID-19, support a black-owned business, or just try some darn good food! Atlanta take-out doesn’t have to be boring. Restaurants are going above and beyond to make your at-home dining experience amazing. If you’ve been following along, thank you! If you would like to see something else or have any (constructive) feedback shoot me a DM on Instagram or head to the About page and send me a note.
Weekend Summary
Tap on the images to read more on the restaurants covered in Quarantine Eats Week 10!
Friday, August 21st
coffee
Buena Gente
The popular food truck, Buena Gente, now has its own Decatur storefront (next to The Po’Boy Shop) serving up Cuban pastries, sandwiches, coffee, milkshakes & more. This week marks their second week of operations and they have had such an overwhelming turnout. We stopped by around 12 pm last Friday and were told that everything was sold out (minus the coffee and milkshakes). They open at 8 am or 9 am (depending on the day) for pastries & coffee and start serving sandwiches at 11 am. The people of Decatur must really love their Cuban sandwiches to have sold out in under an hour! I would recommend checking Instagram for “sold out” updates before making your way there.
We tried the cortadito and loved it! Reminds me of the ones I used to get in Miami. I want to go back to try more of their food. Here is what stood out to me on the menu: Guava & Cream Cheese Pastelitos, Flan, Tres Leches, Tostada, Pollo Sandwich, Pan Con Bistec, and their tropical milkshakes!
Also, there is plenty of parking, so it shouldn’t be an issue unless there is a huge crowd.
Dining: There are a few outdoor tables as well as some standing tables inside the restaurant but that’s only for when you wait for your order.
Ordering: Walk-in to order. They only allow 4-6 people inside at a time. Payment is contactless (mobile pay accepted) and they can complete the transaction on the touchpad for you.
ZdApproved Eats: Cortadito
lunch
Cubanos ATL
A house on wheels serving cuban coffee and sandwiches, sign me up! Cubanos ATL is the latest coffee / sandwich shop to open in Sandy Springs. It’s situated in a parking lot of a business complex, so you might even miss it while driving by.
The food menu is brief with a total of four sandwiches. It’s not always about quantity though, the pictured Pollo Sandwich packed a lot of flavor - I loved the spicy kick from the aioli/peppers. They warned us that it would be spicy and they delivered, although I can always handle more spice! And the bread (sourced from a famous Cuban bakery in Tampa) really made the sandwich! This week they started breakfast service which looks to offer croissant sandwiches and more!
They also have an assortment of Cuban-based coffee beverages, Latin sodas, and flan. We ordered an iced cafe con leche (coffee + milk) and a cortadito (Cuban espresso + milk). Pro-tip: add whip cream to your iced drinks for an extra layer of flavor. Also don’t skip out on the flan. It’s not the best one I’ve ever had but it was tasty and the texture was spot on!
Lastly, we went at 2 pm on a Friday and there was no line but in the few weeks they have been open, they tend to sell out of food very fast on the weekends!
Dining: One picnic table and some standing areas, but mainly takeaway. A lot of people were just eating in their car (plenty of parking when we went).
Ordering: Order online via Clover or order in-person. Grab a disposable menu and pencil and mark your order while in line, approach the take-out window, and pay (contactless - mobile pay). Your order can be picked up around the corner. FYI - It seems like they take down online ordering if they are very busy.
ZdApproved Eats: El Pollo Cubano
saturday, August 22nd
Breakfast
Hen Mother Cookhouse
I hope there comes a day when Hen Mother Cookhouse opens a location ITP, but in the meantime, I will continue to make the 40-minute trek to Johns Creek for one of the best breakfasts in greater Atlanta. What stands out to me is the taste and portion sizes. At most brunch spots, large portion sizes usually is a red flag for mediocre food. But that’s not the case here. Big portions = tasty food. The quality is amazing and I haven’t disliked anything I’ve ordered. I would order everything again!
They are open for outdoor dining but in case you order take-out like us, just keep in mind that the breakfast tostada was amazing, but it did get soggy once we got to my in-laws (20-minute drive). But the owner messaged and said next time to ask for the tostada/chips on the side, so there’s your pro-tip! Everything else is easily re-heatable (make sure reheat the pancakes, because they taste great crispy). Check out the ZdApproved Eats below for more of my favorites!
Also, I’ve never met the owner in person but she seems like an awesome person from all her Instagram videos!
Dining: Open for outdoor dining (full-service). Staff was either wearing masks or a shield (not both).
Ordering: Call to place your order and pull-up Curbside (order 15-25 minutes before you want to eat). A staff member will walk out to get your name and if your order is not ready you will be asked to park and they will bring it to you. Also, they have a separate weekday versus weekend menu, so make sure you look at the right one.
ZdApproved Eats: Brown Butter Buttermilk Pancakes, Tostada, Cinnamon Roll, French Toast, the Crispy Chicken Biscuit, Banana Date Muffin, and a side of Smashed Potatoes
Coffee
Academy Coffee
If you follow me on Instagram then you know how much I love Academy Coffee! I’ve been going religiously since they first opened two years ago and always take my out-of-town guests here too (which is my way of giving the highest compliment)! Connan, the owner/barista, was one of the first baristas in Atlanta to offer unique coffee beverages beyond the standard lattes and cold brews. His creativity impresses me every time I go. Most of the coffee shops in Atlanta have followed suit, but Connan’s creativity still reigns supreme!
Along with your traditional “Classic” coffee beverages, Connan has around 5 - 8 unique drinks or “The Academy” drinks every season. The website is outdated, but just walk-up and browse their menu or ask Connan to “surprise you” with a drink of his choice (based on your preferences of course).
The Waddah Melown, composed of watermelon, watermelon rind, lime, and cascara, is the summer drink you didn’t know you needed. It’s always so refreshing and the perfect drink to grab right off the Beltline. Don’t skip on this somewhat hidden gem of a coffee shop located right off the Atlanta Beltline (Irwin St)!
Dining: Indoor is closed but there are a few small tables outdoors.
Ordering: Walk-up and order in person or online via Cloosiv. I would recommend ordering in person since some of the drinks are not listed on Cloosiv. Payment is contactless (mobile pay, accepted) and they will complete the transaction on the touchpad for you.
ZdApproved Eats: The menu changes quarterly but my current favorites on the menu are the Waddah Melown, Hercules Hercules (bay leaf + olive oil cappuccino) & Shoto Style (ask for it spicy). My all-time favorite drink is the Matchapanela.
dinner
Glide Pizza
Welcome to the neighborhood, Glide Pizza! There are now seven pizza shops I can walk to within a one-mile radius from Inman Park, but Glide Pizza just moved into my top three!
Glide sells New York-style pizza out of Irwin Street Market with a short menu of four flavors - Cheese, Pepperoni, Garlic, and the Home Grown. There are a few options for toppings to customize your pizza further. Just remember that the pizza slices are massive - three slices would have been enough for Nizar and me to share and feel full. Also, I’m a big fan of thin crust, so this was right up my alley.
Pizza is sold as whole pies or slices. We grabbed a few slices of the Garlic pizza which had the right balance of garlic flavors and cheese. Dipping it in ranch and topping it with pickled peppers took it to another level. Next time I’ll try the Home Grown, which uses pimento cheese from Home Grown, mushroom, mozzarella and scallions.
I recommend going for a walk on the Atlanta Beltline (masks on) or in the neighborhood, exiting on Irwin St.,ordering a few slices of pizza from Glide and a Waddah Melown from Academy Coffee.
Dining: A few outdoor tables. No indoor dining.
Ordering: Order online via Toast (whole pies + sides only) or in-person. Orders for slices can only be placed in person. They have a take-out window (where O4W Pizza used to be - next to Academy). Payment is contactless but you complete the transaction on their touchpad, so bring a stylus.
ZdApproved Eats: Garlic slice with a side of ranch and pickled peppers
sunday, August 23rd
Coffee
Daily Dose Coffee
The team behind The Merchant and The Read Shop just opened a new coffee shop in Reynoldstown - Daily Dose Coffee. Daily Dose is part coffee shop/part gift shop and serves Stumptown. I don’t know of many coffee shops that serve Stumptown in Atlanta, so it was a nice change! They are located on the Atlanta Beltline, in the Madison Yards complex right across from Muchacho which is some tough competition but I think they will do well!
Dining: No outdoor seating but they have socially distant indoor seating (they placed X’s on where to avoid sitting).
Ordering: Order in-person only. Contactless pay but you have to complete the transaction on the touchpad, so bring a stylus.
ZdApproved Eats: Caramel Latte & Lavender Latte
Lunch / snack
The Companion
The Companion is a great addition to the Westside. It’s a short drive from Westside Provisions and has the perfect patio for socially-distanced outdoor dining.
The restaurant is from the same team as Steinbeck’s in Oakhurst. The menu is an eclectic mix of items including American favorites like burgers and wings but also some other cuisines with items such as eggplant fries and falafel. But what I think is most intriguing are the daily specials. Most of the daily specials have more of a ''“homey” vibe perfect for weekday dinners. Some of the items that stood out to me on the daily specials are the shrimp linguine with cheddar bay biscuits or fish tacos.
We only tried the eggplant fries because we were in the mood for a snack, but if these fries were any indication of how good the rest of their food is, then I’m definitely going back! If you’ve had fried eggplant at Szechuan restaurants then they tasted similar but these were skinnier and I liked the addition of scallions! Make sure you check Instagram for their weekly menu!
Dining: Six outdoor picnic tables (each can fit 6 - 8 people) spaced more than six feet apart (one of them doesn’t have an umbrella). Food for outdoor dining is served in take-out containers. I did not see the staff cleaning the tables after each guest, so bring Clorox to wipe things down.
Ordering: Call to order and pay, or order in-person at the outdoor window. Payment is not contactless. They swipe your credit card and then ask you to sign a paper receipt. So just call ahead to order.
ZdApproved Eats: Eggplant Fries
coffee
Bellwood Coffee
Bellwood Coffee has become a favorite these past few months. Hands down, Bellwood makes the best Vegan Horchata Lattes (The Ezra) in all of Atlanta. And their Masala Chai Latte (Barack on the Rocks) is a close second. They now offer 32 oz bottles for free delivery (in certain zip codes) but can also be added to Fresh Harvest orders or picked up directly from their store. Pro-tip: Bring your bottle back for $1 off your next order.
Bellwood roasts their own coffee and the few times I’ve been, Bellwood’s specialty drinks have been really unique and delicious. They even have a drink where 100% of proceeds are donated to the Equal Justice Initiative - The Ahmaud. Also, I can’t wait until this pandemic is over so I can go back to drinking their coffee in pretty antique mugs (see picture below).
FYI - they just had a pop-up with BBQ Pitmaster Bryan Furman of B’s Cracklin Barbecue and apparently the turnout was amazing. Bellwood made coffee milkshakes and Bryan Furman brought the brisket and more! They plan to do this again, so give Bellwood a follow for updates.
Dining: There are around 4 - 5 tables outdoors.
Ordering: Order ahead on Cloosiv or pay in-person at their walk-up cart (contactless).
ZdApproved Eats: French Lavender Vanilla Latte, The Ezra (Vegan Horchata) and the Barack on the Rocks (Masala Chai Latte)
Lunch
Phở Cue™
Round two of Phở Cue™ was even better than the first! Phở Cue is a Vietnamese-BBQ concept that operates from the parking lot of A Mano on Sundays. I’m not always the biggest fan of “American” barbecue, so I really gravitate towards more fusion BBQ. I loved the Vietnamese flavors that came through in the brisket egg rolls. And the banh mi was unique, the slaw and smoked brisket/mushrooms worked really well together. There are some consistent items on the menu but they also offer specials every week, sometimes even in collaboration with other pop-ups!
You can find them popping up at The Chop Shop this Saturday with Ry’s Table and almost every Sunday at a mano.
Dining: Outdoor dining with covered seating and standing tables. Everything is served in takeout containers.
Ordering: Order in-person only (with the exception of the pho kit which can be ordered in advance). Mobile pay accepted and you must complete the transaction on their phone, so bring a stylus.
ZD’s Favorite Eats: Mushroom or Brisket Banh Mi, Brisket Egg Rolls & Basil Pesto Salad
Have you tried any of these restaurants in Atlanta? Let me know in the comments below! And WEAR A MASK!
