Atlanta’s Most Anticipated Restaurants Opening Spring 2022

Spring begins on Sunday, March 20, and its arrival ushers in a new season of restaurant openings throughout Atlanta. As restaurants adapt to the ever-changing culinary landscape and service changes brought about by the pandemic, owners preparing to launch new establishments in the city are grappling with frustrating construction delays, shortages of equipment and permit issues that continue to push back planned opening dates. But a few long-awaited restaurants are finally nearing the finish line and are expected to open within weeks this spring.

Eater actively monitors the progress of the following new restaurants with expected spring debuts serving everything from cochinita pibil and carnitas enchiladas to king oyster mushrooms to wood-fired pizzas and seafood salads and sandwiches.

D Boca N Boca

Location: Summerhill, 39 Georgia Avenue
WHO: Helio Bernal
Projected opening: Late March/early April

D Boca N Boca, a Mexican gastropub from Real Mexican Vittles mobile kitchen owner Helio Bernal, just received its certificate of occupancy from the city and is waiting for that coveted liquor license before opening doors on Georgia Avenue. Bernal wants people to walk into his restaurant and “smell and taste all of Mexico,” from Sinaloa and Veracruz to Mexico City and the Yucatan. Like its pop-up, D Boca N Boca’s menu includes street corn, street tacos and tamales, but dishes here also draw on Bernal’s family roots, like relleno negro (turkey stew black) and cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork). Also expect plenty of fresh margaritas and other tequila cocktails from the bar.

from Oreatha

Location: Cascade Heights, 2287 Cascade Road
WHO: Chef Deborah Van Trece and Shea Embry
Projected opening: April

Deborah VanTrece, owner of Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours, and real estate investor Shea Embry are currently hiring for the first of two restaurants to open at The Point. Located at the intersection of Cascade Road and Benjamin E. Mays Drive in southwest Atlanta, Oreatha’s serves what VanTrece describes as a “world cuisine” menu. Look for Serenidad to open later this year centering its menu on Latin soul cuisine.

Spiller Park Cafe

Location: Moores Mill Mall, 2275 Marietta Blvd.
WHO: Dale Donchey
Projected opening: April

Building his third cafe has taken longer than expected, but owner Dale Donchey is undeterred and hopes to finally open Moores Mill shopping center in the coming weeks. Look for a layout similar to Spiller Park in Toco Hills, but with the addition of a walk-up window outside dubbed the “Coach’s Express.” Donchey plans to add a few new coffee drinks to the menu and, with a larger kitchen, more food, including a variety of toast, cereal bowls, local pastries, bagels and bagel sandwiches from his pop -up Dear Friend, Bagels.

leave of absence

Sky TSA

Location: The Interlock, Howell Mill Road
WHO: Slater Hospitality
Projected opening: April

The Mediterranean resort-style pool, bar and restaurant combination LOA (Leave of Absence) is gearing up for its highly anticipated debut atop the Interlock resort on Howell Mill Road this spring. Owned by Slater Hospitality, the group behind the Ponce City Market Skyline Park rooftop amusement park and Nine Mile Station restaurant, the sprawling 300-seat restaurant serves “coastal European” fare and has a bar and lounge. a garden-like outdoor lounge called the Grove and a swimming pool with views of the Atlanta skyline and an indoor bar.

Fogons and Lions

Location: Alpharetta, 10 Roswell Street
WHO: Chief Julio Delgado
Projected opening: End of April/May

Chef Julio Delgado is bringing Spanish-Latin restaurant Fogón and Lions to Alpharetta this spring, a restaurant specializing in open-hearth cooking and dishes rooted in the culinary traditions of Spain, Mexico, South America and from his native Puerto Rico. The menu should include a variety of pintxos, tapas and ceviches as well as paella, chicken croquetas, cold cuts and shrimp tacos. Delgado also plans to highlight churrascos on the menu here (marinated, grilled meats often found in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.) Rum and tequila drinks dominate the bar menu, with wines focusing on Spanish and South American producers.

Fishmonger

SRS Real Estate

Location: Poncey-Highland, Ponce de Leon/North Highland Avenues
WHO: Skip Englebrecht and Chief Nhan Le
Projected opening: End of April/May

Signage is now in place at Fishmonger. Skip Englebrecht and Chef Nhan Le, owners of 8ARM and Octopus Bar, are finally opening their next business together this spring, a seafood market and restaurant called Fishmonger. Located in the Plaza on Ponce complex, expect regional seafood at retail and wholesale along with a menu of salads of whitefish, bottarga, oysters, soups and sandwiches.

The Semilla

happy seed

Location: Reynoldstown, 780 Memorial Drive
WHO: Sophia Marchese and Reid Trapani
Projected opening: May

Opening at Modera Reynoldstown, expect La Semilla’s menu to focus on Latin vegan dishes and drinks, including crunchy seitan beef wraps and seitan asada sopes as well as empanadas a la squash and oyster mushroom carnita enchiladas. Owned by Sophia Marchese and Reid Trapani, the team behind vegan Latino pop-up Happy Seed, La Semilla seats around 75 people and has a covered patio.

The Chiquiada

The Chiquiada

Location: Decatur, 118 West Trinity Place
WHO: Catherine Zuber
Projected opening: May

Owned by Catherine Zuber, La Chiquiada opens this spring in the same building as the WeWork coworking space for breakfast tacos, morning conchas and coffee and street tacos, chili relleno, flank steak marinated in citrus and roast chicken dinners in the evening. Happy Hour here features snacks paired with Northern California wines as well as cocktails, including a margarita, cucumber tendril, and a version of the gin fizz. Also look for a Mexican-inspired weekend brunch.

humble pie

Praxis3

Location: The Interlock, Howell Mill Road
WHO: Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips
Projected opening: End of May/beginning of June

Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips, owners of Lazy Betty and Juniper Cafe, opened Humble Pie later this spring, a restaurant serving whole-wheat, wood-fired sourdough pizzas, pot pies and a variety of dessert pies. Expect wood-fired pizzas like broccoli and cheddar and loaded baked potatoes on the menu here, paired with cocktails, beer, and mostly natural, biodynamic wines from the bar. Design plans call for a variety of seating arrangements at Humble Pie, including a counter overlooking the wood-burning pizza oven in the kitchen, a bar and mezzanine, and a patio with an indoor/outdoor bar.