Next time you decide to be adventurous and get out of your part of town, try a meal at one (or all) of these five restaurants:
The Pecan. You may have passed their mini location inside the International Terminal at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Head just down the road from the airport for a bite at the Southside staple. While you're there, try their signature dishes like the shrimp and grits made with pepper jack cheese, crab cakes and fried catfish. Be sure you save room to try the restaurant's popular peach cobbler or pecan pie.
Brake Pad Restaurant and Bar. A sister restaurant to Universal Joint, Oakhurst Market, Moe's & Joe's, 97 Estoria and Steinbecks Bar, Brake offers an alternative to your usual neighborhood spot with the same feel. From the time you enter the door, Brake Pad shows you exactly why it's a comfortable place to spend a few hours sipping beer with friends with its casual décor and patio all situated inside a rehabilitated gas station. Stay to try their very typical Atlanta take on American cuisine and you'll wonder where you day went.
The Manchester Arms. While it's not authentic British pub food, it's still worth the drive. Located inside a quaint former home on Virginia Avenue, the menu offers something for everyone, with expanded selections for an American take on typical pub fare. Diners rave about their plates including fish and chips, Shepard's pie and bangers and mash.. If you're looking for authentic pub beer, be sure to order a Guiness or Boddingtons with your meal.
The Corner Grille. With an emphasis on Cajun influenced cuisine, The Corner Grille offers gives diners options like blackened salmon, Cajun pasta and catfish po'boy. Their lunch and dinner menu (one and the same) also has brunch favorite, fried chicken with a Belgian waffle. Besides the food, highlights of dining at The Corner Grill include the pressed tin ceiling and brick walls giving the restaurant an industrial aesthetic similar to Twin Smokers BBQ.
Bole Ethiopian Restaurant. Where can you get authentic Ethiopian food around Atlanta? If College Park wasn't on the tip of your tongue, it should be. Located near the College Park Cemetery, Bole offers highly rated dishes that will give you a taste of flavorful Ethiopian cuisine without offering anything better fit for an Andrew Zimmern segment. First time diners beware, when the menu says "spicy," they aren't kidding.