First Look: Whole Foods Restaurant The Roast Opens Its Doors: ICYMI

ATLANTA, GA -- The Roast, Whole Foods grocery's first full-scale restaurant, opened its doors Thursday in Midtown Atlanta.

The eatery on Ponce De Leon Avenue serves a fast-casual menu featuring Brazilian cuisine with a build-your-own-bowl setup. The restaurant represents the first free-standing restaurant by the Austin, Texas-based company. SIGN UP: To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the Midtown Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.

On its inaugural day, a crowd of people ordered signature bowls from the menu, including Flavor of the Andes (Peruvian chicken and purple potatoes with golden beets) by renown chef Kevin Gillespie; Brazilian lamb; pork and grits and Chimchurri beef.

The eatery's hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., as Patch previously reported. The fare feature bowls of protein, vegetables and vegan options that patrons can build themselves using digital kiosks at the eatery's entrance.

The spot also has a decent alcohol roster, featuring Jekyll Brewing Southern Juice IPA, Orpheus Atlanta Plum Saison and Second Self Thai Wheat, to name a few. The vino list includes Bodini Cielo Rojo and Vacanze Italiane Frizzante Prosecco among others.

The decor streams seamlessly into what you would expect in a Whole Foods, with high ceilings, Earth tone colors and wooden farmtable benches for sitting. In the back of the eatery is a couple of billiards tables bookened by two huge big-screen TVs.

Want to go shopping after you've eaten? The restaurant's eastern wall opens up into the grocery store.

In the evenings, customers can enjoy bar bites along with local and regional draft beer and cocktails.

Read more: Ponce City Market added to historic places

Image via Google Street View