Now that I’ve lived in Atlanta for a year, I’ve spent a great deal of time exploring its vibrant food scene and diverse neighborhoods. Yet, no matter how many new areas I encounter, I keep finding myself drawn back to Decatur. Located in the heart of DeKalb County, this charming city is home to delicious food, public art, burgeoning nightlife, and an inviting downtown square, making it the perfect place to spend an entire weekend day. Here are the ultimate spots to eat your way through the best Decatur restaurants, from breakfast all the way to dessert. You and your stomach will thank me later.
Breakfast: B-Side Cafe
As I’ve written about extensively in the past, I have an unrelenting (and potentially obsessive) love for bagels. While nothing can beat New York City’s warm, crunchy-on-the-outside doughy-on-the-inside bagel, B-Side’s hand-rolled Montreal-style wood-fired bagels have surely exceeded expectations. They have satisfied my cravings while I’m away from the bagel capital of the world. In fact, they are the best bagels I’ve had in Atlanta. They not only have a wide range of delicious bagels, from cinnamon and brown sugar to caramelized onion and japapeño and cheddar, but they also have a comprehensive list of schmears and add-ons to take your order to the next level. So if you’ve ever had a hankering to put fried bologna, pastrami, or egg salad on your bagel, B-Side is your place. Don’t worry; they’ve also got all your standard bagel toppers, like bacon, smoked salmon, or a fried egg. If you’re not a bagel person (what are you doing??), they have plenty of fun sandwiches, salads, soups, and pastries to choose from as well.
To pair with your delightful eats, I cannot recommend their coffee enough. They know how to make a good cup of joe, and their adorable latte art and homemade flavored syrups sure don’t hurt either. While I’m loyal to their coffee, my friends are adamant that their chai is even better. So, do me a favor, settle the debate and go for yourself! Just be sure to go early in the day on weekends as they tend to sell out fast.
Lunch: The Iberian Pig
If you like tapas, a lively atmosphere, and great food, The Iberian Pig is the perfect weekend lunch spot for you. I must warn you, though, trying to decide what to eat here is quite the struggle. They have so many mouth-watering options, from ibérico mac ‘n’ cheese to brussels sprouts cooked with bacon, romesco, and truffle aioli. I also love their lobster croquettes. Since this is a tapas restaurant, their portions are rather small, which is especially great because it allows you to try many of their creative and flavorful plates in one sitting. Their drink selection is equally exciting and innovative, making it an excellent afternoon choice to sit, relax, booze and enjoy.
Dinner: Scout
Scout is an absolute gem. Everything I ate at this modern American spot was fantastic. I cannot wait to go back and have more of their table bread with heavenly honey butter, filet mignon kabobs, charred brussels sprouts with candied walnuts and balsamic reduction, crispy prosciutto salad, and their griddled salmon burgers. I love that they source their ingredients from local and regional products whenever possible and are constantly changing their menu, which adds to its fun and freshness. The atmosphere is warm and modern, making it the perfect spot to go out for a meal with friends, a date, or a family member. Similar to the Iberian Pig, the only problem with this place is that there are just too many delicious things to choose from, both on their dinner and dessert menus.
For dessert here, it was so hard to decide that my friends and I got the warm banana bread pudding with salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream as well as the chocolate chip cookie bake with an ambrosial roasted marshmallow in the center. The desserts not only exceeded expectations but may have been the highlight of the entire meal. I still regret not trying the New York Cheesecake with Nutella and chocolate chips, but hey, I’ll be back, and definitely soon.
Dessert: Butter and Cream
Now at this point, if you’ve followed my suggestions, I’m sure you’ll be quite full (which is likely an understatement considering how decadent these spots are), and I absolutely respect if you want to end your day of Decatur eats now. Still, I cannot with good conscience recommend my favorite places in Decatur without mentioning Butter and Cream. Not only is Butter and Cream one of my favorite places in Atlanta, but it’s one of my favorite places in the world. This ice cream is superb, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve had quite a bit of ice cream during my twenty years on this earth, and from the very first lick, I knew Butter and Cream was special. Their ice cream is locally made, uses the freshest ingredients, and their selection of flavors is expansive.
While their classic flavors are great, I urge you to try their signature options like butterscotch brownie – a sweet butterscotch ice cream with pieces of their house-made brownies mixed in – and their honey ice cream, which includes their house-made honeycomb candy. An absolute can’t miss, however, is their seasonal flavors. Their apple crumble is a vanilla ice cream with brown butter blondies and an apple butter swirl, and the pumpkin spice cake is a vanilla ice cream with pumpkin spice cake pieces, bourbon spiced pecan bits, and a salted caramel swirl – both autumnal and divine.
While you’re at it, be sure to try their ice cream sandwiches. My friends and I are convinced that they are some of the best ones we’ve ever had. No worries if you’re not an ice cream person or simply not in the mood for it; their selection of homemade brownies, cookies, and cakes is excellent. I cannot recommend enough their chocolate cake and brown butter blondies. You can’t go wrong at a place like Butter and Cream, so try it for yourself and experience its magic.
Whether you decide to go to all of these spots in one day, or you’d prefer to make several trips, run don’t walk to these scrumptious Decatur spots. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.