Atlanta Good Food category interest

Think of Ponce City Market like a massive mall, except food stalls account for most of the vendors. Once a Sears warehouse and then our city hall, the Atlanta landmark now serves as a hangout for tourists, teens, Beltline trail goers, and anybody who wakes up saying, “I want to disappear in a large crowd today.” Maybe 2% of that horde is here to actually shop, 15% just to loiter, but the overwhelming majority are here to eat—since PCM has a few great restaurants that are, on their own, worth the over-peopled chaos and parking hell.

THE SPOTS

photo credit: Courtesy of Jamestown

The HandF burger has been a solid, consistent option for years. Ever since this fast-casual outpost of the original full-service restaurant opened in Ponce, we’ve headed straight here whenever we get a sudden craving for the beloved double stack (two juicy beef patties, a soft bun, and melty american cheese). And the hand-cut fries are some of the best in town—well-seasoned, crunchy, and squishy inside. You can take a seat inside at one of the long wooden counters, or join the other folks walking around clutching milkshakes and grease-stained paper bags from here.

Botiwalla serves tasty Indian street food, including puffed sev potato dahi puris and a nice variety of wraps. There are some standouts, like the chicken tikka, which comes with plenty of slaw inside a buttery naan. You can grab anything here to go, but there’s also an Iranian high tea ($6.95 for two people weekdays from 3-5pm). Turns out that sipping masala chai and nibbling Parle G cookies while a Bollywood soundtrack plays over the speakers is a great break from Ponce’s mayhem. Like HandF, this fast-casual counter service spot also has an excellent sister restaurant (Chai Pani).

The frilly pink and green walls here are a standout amid Ponce City Market’s generally muted, industrial look, so it’s no surprise that the Atrium is the go-to for bachelorette parties, birthday outings, and any other occasion that might be worth pulling out a Lilly Pulitzer ensemble. Similarly, the solid American menu can get a little loud in the flavor department, like the no-ketchup-necessary fries that pull off the nostalgic flavors of salt and vinegar chips. And in place of lemon pepper, the Atrium has respectable sweet lime jalapeño wings that are nicely charred instead of fried.

If window shopping at William Sonoma leaves you feeling like you should be dinner partying in the Hamptons, then head to W.H. Stiles, which has the feel of a beach bungalow-meets-coastal market. Slurping down ​a dozen oysters almost helps you forget you’re at Atlanta’s busiest and biggest food hall. Plus, this counter-service spot is the only place in the hall where you can get a full fish meal. The giant, crispy cod sandwiches with pickles and a vinegary slaw are a must-order. But there are also a lot of great dishes here that might make you a repeat visitor.

photo credit: Amy Sinclair

El Super Pan is a wise fail-safe for when you’re wandering the food hall with your indecisive tourist friends. Yes, the easily accessible stall, quick counter service, and Top Chef connections (it’s owned by TC alum Hector Santiago) make it an alluring stop, but you’re here because everything on this Latin American menu scores high marks on taste, especially their crispy, melty cubano. Kicked up with mojo sauce and their golden, crunchy tostones, it’s satisfying enough to lessen any FOMO if your friends walk by people happily eating burgers and pizza on the way out.

You can always count on a line at Hop’s. That's because the chicken here is the prototypical example of what good fried chicken should be—crispy, well-seasoned, and tender inside (that’s why it made our fried chicken guide). You can buy your chicken by the piece, quarter, or whole bird, and pair it with a soft Parker House roll (which comes from the HandF team’s bakery). The only thing that sours what could’ve been an excellent chicken platter are the regrettably bland sides. Hit other spots in the food hall to round out your meal.

photo credit: Jacinta Howard

LaRayia’s Bodega is a great stop when you want a light lunch or smoothie break after your Beltline jaunt. Tucked in a back corner, the juice bar feels like you’ve completely left touristy PCM—hip-hop and nu-soul bounces through the speakers, mingling with the plants and colorful art. And while the decor is great, the smoothies here are bar-setting, especially the thick and sweet Outkast with sweet cinnamon apples, nutmeg, and oatmeal or the fruity red Cardi Bacardi with sea moss. Their matchas (like the silky sweet Yoko Ono with lavender, maple, and oatmilk) are fantastic, too.

As the fast-casual, counter-service sister to the popular Delbar, Bibi also serves up wonderful Persian favorites—but in quick-eats form. Perfectly tender koobideh kabobs sit on a bed of fluffy rice. Every bite of the joojeh sandwich stuffed with thick cuts of marinated chicken, pickles, and onions causes dill labneh to drip out the side. The falafel plate gives you four crispy chickpea balls and a reasonably sized portion of creamy hummus. It’s not as good as Delbar, but this stall works as a reliable spot to snag a stellar lunch in between work meetings.

This Mexican restaurant is one of the few spots with waitstaff inside of the counter-service-heavy hall. And that’s fitting when you’re ready for your umpteenth tortilla chip refill (who’s counting?) and your second margarita pitcher with extra refreshing fresh-squeezed lime juice. And if you need more than just chips, the tacos, quesadillas, and burritos are decent. The best is the crispy fried catfish taco with fresh cabbage and a spicy green tomato tartar. And if you’re in severe stomach-growling territory, go for the ridiculously large burrito (there are three protein options but we like the extra filling steak) that you need three hands to hold.

This where you should go if you're with folks who like to share. Jia is a full-service restaurant that has a giant menu of solid Chinese dishes, a few large tables inside that’ll accommodate groups of eight, and plenty of seating on the usually quiet back patio. Take advantage of the family-style dining and fill your table with bowls of steaming noodles, saucy beef and broccoli, vinegary Sichuan peanuts, and garlicky green beans. Just know if you order the handmade dumplings, the tasty appetizers may arrive long after your entrees.

photo credit: Amy Sinclair

Nine Mile Station has sweeping ATL skyline views, so there will be tables filled with groups, who, without fail, congregate in the back of the patio for an obligatory sunset photo opp. The rooftop is the major pull here, but the Southern-leaning menu is dependable enough—sometimes really great (the mussels in a buttery wine broth with thick country bread), and sometimes just OK (the baked chicken wings with mild lemon pepper seasoning), but never bad.

Pizza Jeans brings a little punk to PCM with old-school pizzeria lights and an order counter covered in pop culture stickers. And noisy garage band music blasting from the speakers helps to drown out the frenzy of tourists and suburbanites just outside the stall. While their good-enough pies aren't making it onto any best pizza list, they sell by the slice, so you can grab something quick and get back to shopping. Snag a beer and a $6.50 mall slice—it’s super cheesy with a crust that perfectly balances softness and crunch, and it’s so big it hangs over the paper plate it’s served on.

photo credit: Courtesy of Ponce City Market

Since it’s in a quiet end of the market, this easy-to-find bar makes a great pre-dinner cocktail spot before heading to dinner in the hall or across the street to City Winery. It’s also the place to kick start your food hall stroll with a bang—we like the Soju Think You The Bomb: it’s sweet and comes with fresh diced strawberries, strawberry soju, calpico, and Sprite for a little fizz. The food here is pretty skippable as the bulgogi beef bowl is too dry and under-seasoned, and the K-dog tends to be flavorless despite its sugary coating. And these are the most exciting picks.