When I first moved to metro Atlanta in 1997, everyone directed me to Buford Highway – an iconic stretch of international restaurants that offered unique flavors from all over Asia and Latin America. It was an unparalleled culinary journey! And over nearly three decades, I have seen many food halls and neighborhoods boasting concentrations of diverse cuisines, but really not another culinary highway, until now.
Sandy Springs reveals 120 restaurants along the new Restaurant Row. Photo: contributed
The city of Sandy Springs recently launched its own Restaurant Row that includes more than 120 restaurants along a 10-mile corridor on Roswell Road. For years, this area seemed to be saturated with Persian and Mediterranean restaurants and grocery stores, but it has expanded to become one of the most diverse dining scenes around.
Partly driven by a marketing campaign, partly an effort to aid local businesses, the city partnered with the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber and Visit Sandy Springs to create the Sandy Springs Restaurant Council, which worked to make local restaurants more successful through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. A big push towards dining locally and offering more take-out friendly meals enabled the independent businesses survive and new ones to open. One such establishment that opened in March 2024, Pendolino, picked the location for “its small town feel in the heart of a booming Metropolis,” says chef and owner Kevin Maxey, who promises that his homemade ricotta ravioli will melt in your mouth. He loves the “regular diners, younger generations, as well as multi-generational families coming in for good neighborhood Italian cooking,” he claims.
Pendolino chef and owner Kevin Maxey picked Sandy Springs for its small town feel. Photo: contributed
What’s unique about this particular Restaurant Row is that it is as diverse as the United States itself. You can find everything on Roswell Road, including Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, French, Brazilian and Persian, at all price points, and for all occasions.
As a weekly visitor to the area, I have personally tried the majority of the eateries and engaged in conversations with the proprietors and the local community. I remember having my first taste of Oaxacan style duck carnitas with mole negro at Casi Cielo Cocina Mexicana, and tasting delectable kashke bademjan (Persian eggplant dip) with warm pita bread at Rumi’s Kitchen (a favorite of Grammy award-winning artist Ludacris). At Kwality Ice Cream Parlor, I reminisced the traditional flavors of mango, tutti-frutti and butterscotch ice cream that I grew up with in India.
For years, I have stood in long lines at lunchtime for homemade soups and hearty sandwiches at family-owned Breadwinner Café and Bakery (also Oprah’s favorite bread). At Café Vendome, Founder and owner Hamid Rouchdi who previously lived in Morocco and France always welcomes guests with a pleasant “Bonjour!” ushering them to taste the case of fresh made pastries and macarons.
Breadwinner’s bread was mentioned on Oprah’s Favorite Things. Photo: contributed
At Café I Am, you will feel like you’re in a cozy living room of the owners, Vanda Teixeira and brother, Miguel, drinking South African Rooibos tea and munching on tuna salad toasties.
You might catch Executive Chef Robert Gayle in the kitchen simmering Jamaican style curry goat at his longstanding Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café. And at Okiboru, you might try Tsukemen style of “dipping ramen” for the first time. In 2019, the Los Angeles location earned a Michelin Gourmand designation.
Michelin Gourmand Okiburu’s Paitan Tsukemen brings street food of Japan to Sandy Springs. Photo: contributed
Whether you are craving an Indian chicken biryani combo from Bawarchi Biryanis, want to treat yourself to a dozen chargrilled oysters at Clark and Schwenk’s (C&S) Seafood and Oyster Bar, or feel like a steaming bowl of pho (noodle soup) at Pho 24 on a cold winter night, you will find it on Restaurant Row – with a casual neighborhood atmosphere and genuine Southern hospitality.
The hardest part may be trying to narrow down on where you should eat first. The handy interactive map makes it easy to find restaurants by cuisine and location, so make sure to download a copy.
