BEST ASIAN
LITTLE BANGKOK
Little Bangkok (www.littlebangkokatlanta.com) is a hole-in-the wall restaurant on eclectic Cheshire Bridge Road who have been serving up the best Thai food in the city for more than 20 years. While the lobby is the size of a postage stamp, the wait is never long and the service is quick. The staff is excellent and the food is simply divine. Be sure to order the Tom Ka Soup, with chicken, mushroom and green onion, served dramatically in aluminum pots with Sterno flames warming it. The curries here are also excellent, with the Massaman Chicken being a favorite.
Second place went to Doc Chey’s (www.doccheys.com) and Nam Phong (www.namphuongatlanta.com ) nabbed third.
BEST BAR FOOD
WOOFS
Belly up to Atlanta’s only gay sports bar, Woofs (www.woofsatlanta.com), for a great meal while catching a game on the big screen. Georgia Voice voters say Woofs’ menu of burgers, wings, pizza and, of course, tater tots, beat the rest when it comes to serving up a winning dish. Don’t forget to order a beer or cocktail to wash it all down.
Burkhart’s (www.burkharts.com) took second place and Max’s Wine Dive (www.maxswinedive.com) finished third.
BEST COFFEEHOUSE
CAFÉ JAYA
Café JAYA (www.cafejaya.com), which bills itself as a nonprofit community coffeehouse and tea room, is just one of many gay-owned businesses located in the heart of Stone Mountain. Serving up Selva Negra Estate Coffee from Nicaragua, Café JAYA’s blends include only a few roasts to ensure freshness daily, including a special dark roast, Smoke Rise, created exclusively for the store.
Last year’s winner, Starbucks (www.starbucks.com) in Ansley Mall, lovingly dubbed “Bearbucks,” placed second and Dancing Goats in Decatur (www.batdorfcoffee.com) placed third.
BEST BREAKFAST
RADIAL
Placing second among Georgia Voice readers in 2014, Radial (www.radial.us) takes the top spot this year. Choose from the signature biscuits with vegetarian gravy, cinnamon rolls made from scratch, scrumptious cheese grits, and eggs any way you want. Radial makes sure the most important meal of the day is also the tastiest. Since opening in 1999, Radial has maintained a philosophy that the best food comes from local farms while also working year-round to keep a small carbon footprint by recycling and composting.
Flying Biscuit (www.flyingbiscuit.com) comes in the number two spot and Ria’s Bluebird (riasbluebird.com) rounds out the category at third.
BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH
ROXX
Gay people are known for loving their Sunday brunches and always popular LGBT restaurant Roxx takes the crown this year. The restaurant does not have its own official website, so a dedicated and hungry fan keeps one at www.roxxfanclub.com. The Sunday brunch menu includes everything from the filet steak omelette topped with bleu cheese crumbles and a fresh basil sauce to southern eggs benedict, two half-biscuits topped with bacon, eggs and house-made sausage gravy. And if you partied a little bit too hard the night before, go for the hangover helper—three scrambled eggs loaded with bacon, sausage, ham, mushrooms, peppers and cheeses and topped with pico de gallo.
Max’s Wine Dive ((www.maxswinedive.com) takes second and Poor Calvin’s (www.poorcalvins.com) finishes third.
BEST LOCAL CHEF
PATRIC BELL-GOOD, MAX’S WINE DIVE
Chef Patric Bell-Good (follow him on Twitter @ChefPatricBGood) fell in love with cooking at 12 when he took the top prize in a school bake-off with his banana nut bread. He honed his craft while studying at the Art Institute of Atlanta’s School of Culinary Arts, graduating with honors in 2002. His cooking has been recognized as “One of the Best Breakfasts in Georgia” from Southern Living, “Best Breakfast” from Jezebel, and he’s been an Eater Atlanta “Hottest Chef Competition” semi-finalist. He was also last year’s Georgia Voice runner-up in this category.
Second place goes to Javier Viera of 10th and Piedmont (www.eatoutatlanta.com/10th-piedmont) and Kevin Phan of Poor Calvin’s (www.poorcalvins.com) coming in third.
BEST BAKERY/SWEET TREATS
HIGHLAND BAKERY
Georgia Voice readers cannot get enough of Highland Bakery’s (www.highlandbakery.com) goodies, voting this the Best Bakery since 2011. The lesbian-owned business mills its own chemical-free grains to make everything from cinnamon rolls to rosemary garlic bread. This business also boils its own bagels and specializes in creating just about any kind of custom cake you may desire. Blueberry crumb cakes, mini donuts, scones and muffins are also made from scratch all day, every day.
Taking the second and third place spot are Southern Sweets Bakery (www.southernsweets.com) and Burly Bakers (burlybakers.com). Both these businesses have suffered tremendous setbacks this year—Nancy Cole, owner of Southern Sweets, died July 17 after a long battle with cancer; and Bill Armstrong, 42, owner of Burly Bakers, who is gay, suffered congestive heart failure in May and likely needs a heart transplant.
BEST LATE NIGHT
LANDMARK DINER
Last year’s runner-up is this year’s top vote getter as Landmark Diner (www.landmarkdiner.com) beats out the competition. Its motto is “Where Stars Meet At Night” and this is the place to be to soak up some booze or cure the munchies after partying all night, whether a Saturday or a Tuesday. Open 24 hours, the diner’s menu includes dozens of dishes covering everything from egg platters to a Thanksgiving-inspired oven-roasted turkey platter to Greek specialties such as Greek Souviaki (two skewers of marinated pork), Moussaka (eggplant with sliced potatoes and seasoned ground beef) and, of course, Spanakopita.
R. Thomas (www.rthomasdeluxegrill.net) comes in second with third place going to Loca Luna (www.loca-luna.com).
BEST MEXICAN
LAS MARGARITAS
The gay owner of this restaurant and his sweet mother have been running this LGBT hot spot for nearly two decades. Las Margaritas (lasmargaritasmidown.com) is the place to go for Latin fusion food coupled with all kinds of fun, including the Crazy Bitch Bingo. Mexican specialties range from Stuffed Crabmeat Chile Relleno to Carnitas to Flautas Supremas. A veggie menu is available.
Second place goes to La Hacienda (www.lahaciendamidtown.com) and Tacos and Tequila (www.tandtatlanta.com) takes third.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
TWISTED SOUL
If you haven’t tried Twisted Soul in Decatur (www.twistedsoulkitchenandbar) then you are missing out on one of metro Atlanta’s best dining experiences. This is Southern dining at its finest, with its already famous Southern Marinated Fired Chicken. There’s also the Cocoa Crusted Rack of Lamb, but don’t shy away from the divine Seafood Mac-N-Cheese (with lobster, shrimp and crawfish tails). And can we get an “amen” for the bar, where mixologists pours signature moonshine cocktails and drinks named the Butter Pecan Shooter and the Sweet Pot Pie Martini.
Max’s Wine Dive (www.maxswinedive.com) nabs second and Dragon Bowl (www.dragonbowlatl.com) finishes in the third spot.
BEST PATIO
HENRY’S
The servers’ T-shirts don’t say “Midtown’s Biggest Deck” for nothing at this lesbian-owned restaurant. Located on 10th Street just a short jaunt from Piedmont Park, Henry’s (www.henrysatl.com) patio, with sunny and shady seating, provides one of the premier Atlanta Pride Parade watching sites in the city. This popular patio is also dog friendly.
Roxx (www.roxxfanclub.com) takes second with Joe’s On Juniper (joesonjuniper.com) placing third.
BEST ITALIAN
ALFREDO’S
When you want to feel like you are eating in an Italian grandmother’s kitchen, take a trip to Alfredo’s (1989 Cheshire Bridge Road, 404-876-1380) for comfort red-sauce dishes and an attentive staff. The restaurant opened in 1974 and is one of Atlanta’s oldest Italian dining establishments. The restaurant’s interior, with dark wood paneling and mirrors everywhere, is a throwback to an earlier era. Diners are loyal and many have been eating at Alfredo’s since the 1970s. The fried calamari is an excellent start to a meal and the Padrino, or Godfather, with three veal preparations, is always a favorite. Save room for dessert, especially the cannoli. And be prepared to drop some coin—this establishment is not cheap.
Finishing number two is Campagnolo (www.campagnoloatl.com) and placing third is Osteria 832 (www.osteria832.com).
BEST ROMANTIC
CAMPAGNOLO
The casual Italian restaurant Campagnolo (www.campagnoloatl.com) is the top vote getter. Opened in 2012, Campagnolo’s offers a warm interior as well as a spacy patio near the corner of the crossroads of gay Atlanta—10th and Piedmont. The location is perfect for people watching whether on your first date or as newlyweds enjoying a night in Midtown. After a filling meal, take a walk to Piedmont Park and continue the romance with a stroll around Lake Clara Meer.
Campagnolo edged out Agave (agaverestaurant.com) and Apres Diem (apresdiem.com) for Most Romantic restaurant.
BEST TAKEOUT
DOC CHEY’S
When you don’t feel like dining out and don’t want to cook, the best place to pick up takeout is Doc Chey’s (doccheys.com), according to Georgia Voice readers. With locations in Grant Park, Morningside-Virginia-Highland, and now Emory, there’s a Doc Chey’s within driving distance of many living in Atlanta.
Second place finisher is Su’s Chinese (www.suschinese.com) and taking the third spot is Chico and Chang (www.chicoandchang.com).
BEST VEGETARIAN
RADIAL
Gay-owned Radial (www.radial.us) keeps its title as Best Vegetarian, repeating as the number one vote getter after taking the title last year. The Biscuits and Vegetarian Gravy as well as the vegetarian sausage are delicious enough to fool any meat-lover. The lunch and dinner menus also have numerous vegetarian options, including black bean burger and parsnip farroto.
Coming in second is Doc Chey’s (doccheys.com) and placing third is Chai Pani (chaipanidecatur.com).
BEST CHEAP EATS
ROXX
For a great meal at an affordable price, there’s no better value than Roxx, say Georgia Voice voters. Most dinner dishes run you between $10 and $15 with a nice lunch selection offering meals at lower prices.
Chai Pani (www.chaipanidecatur.com) is the next top vote getter and placing third is Doc Chey’s (www.doccheys.com).
BEST RESTAURANT
BACCHANALIA
When you want to eat at the finest restaurant in Atlanta, you go to Bacchanalia (www.starprovisions.com/bacchanalia). Featuring contemporary American cuisine, Bacchanalia is owned the wife-and-husband team of chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison. The duo also own Star Provision, Floataway Café, W.H. Stiles Fish Camp, and Little Bach. Seasonal menus are created for their restaurants that use only organic ingredients, many from their own farm.
Second place goes to Max’s Wine Dive (www.maxswinedive.com) and Poor Calvin’s (www.poorcalvins.com) finishes third.