Why Atlanta’s restaurants are so expensive

Have you ever looked at your bill after a meal and wondered why it looks like an area code? Eating out is expensive, and inflation has made it even more expensive.

According to a study by the National Restaurant Association, 97 percent of restaurant operators blame higher food costs for the increase in menu prices. Despite having access to a better and more competitive supply chain, restaurateurs suffer the same burden as home cooks: paying more for ingredients. Jared Hucks, chef and owner of Alden in Sandy Springs, says those who cook with specialty ingredients and buy smaller quantities don’t benefit from the volume discounts restaurants get on products.

Then there’s the cost of labor. According to ZipRecruiter, the current average wage for a restaurant worker in the U.S. has risen to $17.11 per hour, and in Atlanta it’s $16 per hour. The American minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. In addition to higher wages (which skilled workers well deserve), there’s also the cost of recruiting, retaining, and training employees. Regardless of the price, restaurant sales are up this year.

“Locations in prime areas with high foot traffic or in upscale neighborhoods can incur higher rental costs,” says Tal Baum of Carmel, Rina, Bellina Alimentari and others, which in turn requires higher prices to cover costs.

After all, as the saying goes, time is money, and artful food presentation requires both. Joey Ward, chef and owner of Georgia Boy and Southern Belle, says focusing on presenting a flavor experience is like putting on a performance, allowing guests to take their time and enjoy the show. Instead of rushing to the tables, they have fewer guests per night and less opportunity to recoup their operating costs.

But don’t rule out fine dining just because the prices are too high. Many of the city’s best restaurants offer Atlantans the opportunity to save money when eating at their restaurants.

Here’s a list of tips and tricks to help you get a taste of Atlanta’s hottest chefs on a budget.

The $125 tasting menu at James Beard Award winners Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison’s Michelin-starred flagship Bacchanalia is a must-try for foodies, but if you want a more everyday taste of their farm and kitchen, head to the other side of the building during the day.

Sunny, casual, farm-style Star Provisions offers some of the best baked goods, soups, sandwiches, boards and bowls you can get in town. For breakfast, try the French omelet with fine herbs, brie and aioli on a fresh baguette ($12). For lunch, enjoy the hot Italian beef sandwich with braised short rib and pickled vegetables ($15) or the yellowfin tuna confit ($15) and the potato and gorgonzola pizza with caramelized onions, rosemary and figs ($16).

Ryan Fleischer

The exquisite, Michelin-starred eight-course tasting menu at Ron Hsu and Aaron Philips’ Lazy Betty, which costs $205 (including tip), is among the best two to three hours you can spend dining. If you don’t have that much time or budget, there are now two ways to check out the megastar duo’s menu. The first trick is to dine in the lounge from the bar menu—a new option in the new space, with dishes like a foie gras doughnut ($25) or truffle agnolotti ($32). The second option is to head to Humble Pie, a restaurant that, like Lazy Betty, boasts technical know-how, local ingredients and, above all, imaginative flair.

Try the Nikki pizza with white truffle sauce, wild mushroom dip, arugula and truffle butter dip ($28); the short rib ragu with cavatappi ($23); and the house salad with golden beets, fennel, dill hazelnut and honey apple cider dressing ($16). It’s always worth saving room for desserts like a peanut butter pie with cookie crumbs and raspberry gel ($12) from the pastry team at Juniper Cafe (RIP).

Matt Wong

Though it’s not without controversy (the management of French-inspired steakhouse Marcel’s faced accusations of racism, sexual harassment and safety violations at the establishment in March), chef and restaurant owner Ford Fry has a long history in Atlanta. Marcel and its companion Little Sparrow (both named after the passionate love affair between fighter Marcel Cerdan and singer Édith Piaf) are some of his best fine-dining restaurants, with prices to match. But looming prominently above Little Sparrow is Bar Blanc, a French restaurant with indoor, outdoor and lounge seating and a hyper-focused menu that gets straight to the point.

The Steak Frites, priced at $49.50 per person, is a prix fixe menu that begins with a crusty baguette and house salad for the table, then continues with a steak with a brown butter béarnaise sauce and as many triple-fried, thick-cut, suet-rich Little Sparrow fries as guests can handle.

“It was important to me that it felt relaxed and accessible,” says Fry.

Although the Inman Park and Alpharetta locations are distinctly different, a visit to either of Fares Kargar’s Delbar restaurants is an experience—the first is old-school, cosmopolitan, intimate and lively, and the second is a vast space that brings the sun, flowers and splendor of his family’s homeland, Iran, to Alpharetta. But if you only have time and money for one piece of the cultural patchwork on this menu, Bibi Eatery in Ponce City Market is the perfect solution.

“I’ve always believed that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the rich flavors of Iranian cuisine in a welcoming, approachable setting,” says Kargar. Try the hanger steak kebab marinated in yogurt, saffron and onion with lentil-raisin rice ($20); the braised lamb and dill labneh sandwich with barberries ($17); or the falafel plate with spicy tahini and hummus ($11). Cool down with iced coconut chai ($7) or house-made sharbat lemonade, or indulge in an azadi ($12), a refreshing gin drink with grapefruit, cardamom and mint.

Lobster is served at Snap Thai Fish House—chef Pattie Lawlertratana’s chic flagship restaurant, which was named one of Atlanta’s best new restaurants last year. You’ll find it in a Thai take on a lobster roll and lobster bisque, in pad Thai, fried rice, sushi rolls and even alongside a Wagyu beef burger.

If all of that sounds great but is a bit much for you, then go back to Lawlertratana’s roots: Bangkok Thai. This restaurant is more casual and focuses on the classic Thai and street food dishes she cooked up in Thailand. It prides itself on being “Atlanta’s original Thai restaurant since 1977” and continues to be a great introduction to her exceptional expertise.

Try the Thai version of lemon pepper wet wings with sweet chili sauce ($14), jeeb (tea rose dumplings with pork, $9), shrimp and water chestnuts, pad thai with chicken and shrimp ($17) and pla khew whan, white fish in green curry and coconut milk ($18).

Carmel is restaurateur Tal Baum’s love letter to the sea with an upscale, trendy setting with a resort vibe and the $14-$62 prices you’d expect given the ambiance and quality.

Luckily, there are other ways to experience what’s close to her heart, especially now that Rina has also expanded from Old Fourth Ward to Avalon. Try anything with falafel ($6 to $15), reminiscent of her grandmother’s recipe from the now-closed Falafel Nation; the chicken shawarma bowl with baba ghanoush, Israeli salad, harissa and tahini ($17); and the amba chicken marinated in peach sauce ($19).

Skye Lin

Bonus Hacks

Special, recurring events include First Thursday at Chef Jared Hucks’ Alden, which features a five-course tasting menu for $125, down from the usual seven-course price of $175. Even more affordable is Sunday Supper & Spins at celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Marcus Bar & Grille, where the Southern dream buffet of around 20 items – including hits from the regular menu like peach barbecue ribs, everything wings, grilled salmon and his famous fried chicken – is served for just $48 per person.

The $35 summer menu at Double Zero offers three courses from a limited selection. The $35 multi-course brunch at Ford Fry and Drew Belline’s No. 246 starts with a whopping four Appetizers for the table, followed by a list of oversized brunch dishes and selections from the regular menu – and yes, that includes the exceptional chicken alla francese.