This Sushi Eatery Named The Best Metro ATL Restaurant, AJC Says

ATLANTA, GA — For the first time in at least a decade, the Atlanta 50 has returned to name the best 50 restaurants in metro Atlanta.

The list released this week was curated by Atlanta Journal-Constitution dining critics Ligaya Figueras and Henri Hollis. The duo rated the food, service, drinks and atmosphere of the restaurants they patronized, according to the local newspaper.

The AJC added menu costs were not a factor in choosing the top 50 restaurants, though conducting the research had a price tag of about $30,000.

Figueras and Hollis visited almost 150 locally- and independently-owned establishments in Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties between mid-June and the end of August, the AJC reported.

In the end, the top 10 metro Atlanta restaurants were chosen:

1. Mujō, 691 14th St. NW, Atlanta
2. Georgia Boy, 1043 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta
3. Lazy Betty, 999 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta
4. Bones, 3130 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta
5. Kimball House, 303 E. Howard Ave., Decatur
6. Omakase Table, 3330 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta
7. Aria, 490 E. Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta
8. Little Bear, 71 Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta
9. Madeira Park, 640 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta
10. Avize, 956 Brady Ave. NW, Atlanta

In his depiction, Hollis said, "Mujō is the best restaurant experience in Atlanta." He called the sushi omakase a "luxury seafood dreamland" and noted its "creative modern Japanese dishes."

"Most important, Mujō is fun," Hollis wrote. "Rap music and party tunes play over the speakers, servers are game for some light banter, the furniture is comfortable, and the mood is celebratory. It feels like everyone there is having a good time."

Modern American eatery Georgia Boy is "a love letter to the local food scene," and the cuisine at Lazy Betty is "imaginative," Hollis wrote.

The accommodations at Bones are limitless, and Kimball House is perfect for date night, Figueras said.

As for Omakase Table, "the food remains unchanged — it’s still exceptional. The dining experience is filled with exploration and discovery," Figueras wrote.

Also on the top 50 list were Bistro Niko, Delbar, Gene’s, La Semilla, Lucky Star, Mothers Best, Rumi’s Kitchen, Seed Kitchen and Bar, Southern National, Talat Market, The Chastain and Tio Lucho’s.

The AJC also included honorable mentions. Among those were Kevin Rathbun Steakhouse, Nan Thai Buckhead, Poor Hendrix, The Colonnade and Bread and Butterfly.

See the AJC's Atlanta 50 and read more about its methodology.

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