Healthyish Atlanta Guide
I am so excited to put this list Atlanta guide together, I have friends and family who ask for recommendations all the time, it will be great to give them an organized list. I grew up in the historic neighborhood of Inman Park, I was fortunate to be surrounded by incredible food. Atlanta has one of the best food scenes in the country. Please try to challenge me on that, you will lose. Several of the restaurants listed below have been nationally awarded. Atlanta’s food scene is filled with history, heart, innovation, and really nice people. I love that about the South, we generally are really friendly. This list is focused on healthier options, with some fun bakeries thrown in. Some of my favorite spots to eat healthy are at local farmer’s markets and grocery stores, I am going to make my own extensive guide to that soon!
Quick Facts
Vegan Options
Smoothies (build your own there are no rules!)
Health shots
Juices can be found in grocery stores
Friendliest People
Arden’s Garden is the OG juice shop in Atlanta. I have been going to the Arden’s Garden in Little 5 Points since I was 13. My brother was actually the one to introduce me to the “Grand Slam”, when we were in middle school he came home so excited to share his new discovery. I personally thought it was disgusting and the wheatgrass tasted like I ate an entire soccer field. But these health shots did make me feel better after eating an entire bag of Goldfish. I love the “Grand Slam” because everyone in Atlanta knows you are the picture of health after you take them, even if you grab a Grindhouse burger and a beer after.
Arden’s Garden has locations all over Georgia and you can buy their juices/smoothies in grocery stores and cafes all over the city. Or if you hate leaving the house you can order their amazing products online and have them sent directly to you!
Arden’s Garden always has the sweetest and most informative people working in their shops. I love that they do not have a huge attitude like most juice shops that make you feel like a loser if you ask one question. My go too order is a 16oz smoothie with ph solution water base, banana, peaches, papaya, and a buttload of spinach (yes I tell them to put a buttload of spinach in my smoothie they smile/laugh and do it for me). I love the ability of being able to build my own smoothie. They also have incredible raw vegan treats, my favorites are the fuzzy kisses (Raisins, raw almonds, dates, raw walnuts, coconut).
Quick Facts
Fancy Juices/Smoothies
Fast healthy lunch
Multiple Locations
Hilarious millennial name
Kale Me Crazy is the “new kid on the block” of juice/smoothie shops. I will always give Arden’s Garden OG credit. Kale Me Crazy is one of the most millennial named shops, maybe that is why I have so much love for it? Kale me crazy has tons of locations all over Georgia (my favorite is Inman Park of course) and slowly opening up all around the country!
This shop is more on the expensive side, but they use high-quality ingredients and you can tell the difference. My go to smoothie is the Warrior (maca powder, spirulina, goji berries, flax seeds, banana, spinach, hemp milk, vanilla extract, agave). I take their health shots before every flight, KMC (wheatgrass, ginger, cayenne, lemon) is the best to protect yourself from tons of germs or heal you from a bunch of germs.
Kale Me Crazy has amazing salads and wraps, perfect option for a healthy lunch. The tuna wrap is out of this world, incredibly fresh and filling. I love Kale Me Crazy if I am in a rush and need something healthy, you can pre-order online.
Quick Facts
Amazing Coffee
Seasonal drinks
Extremely hipster with friendly people
Unique place to find Atlanta themed gifts
I couldn’t help but add a couple coffee shops and bakeries on this list. I love a great cup of coffee, luckily that is easy to find in Atlanta. Chrome Yellow Trading Co. is my favorite spot to grab a oat milk latte or one of their incredible seasonal drinks.
The space is so cool and a perfect place to be a true millennial, work on your computer for hours, and talk to n one. In true hipster fashion, this place was a hidden spot but everyone found out about it, now it is packed ALL the time. But if you cannot find a spot to work all day long, please go in and grab a delicious coffee. They rotate different kinds of Methodical Coffee, hands down my favorite roasters.
Not only do they have delicious coffee, they have incredible unique Atlanta themed prints, clothing, and more! I know you were wondering…yes you can buy a mug, hat, and t-shirt with this super cool logo.
Quick Facts
Fresh Bread
Seasonal Treats
A perfect place to do work
Get there early to get the tastiest things (monkey bread do not leave without monkey bread)
Proof Bakeshop is a cute bakery with some of the best cookies and seasonal pastries you can get in the city. Maybe I am biased because my brother is the barista there, so I visit way too much. One of my favorite pastries is the peach danish, made from fresh peaches from their very own peach tree (I feel like an authentic Georgia girl when I eat it).
It’s the perfect place to go and work on your laptop they have a giant communal table so you might have to make a friend, but you are in the South people are friendly!
If you want to feel healthy you can order the avocado toast, it’s served on sourdough bread and served with a simple salad (why does simple salad taste way better out?) Be sure to get surgery treats, monkey bread, not and oreo (way better than regular oreo, peach danish, almond croissant.
Proof uses Counter Culture you are in for a solid cup of coffee. But if you want a break from coffee they make a delicious London fog.
Quick Facts
Doughnuts
Real Ingredients
Seasonal Flavors
Vegan Options
Ok I warned you guys that this list would be healthy-ish. A doughnut with fresh fruit is healthy right? Revolution doughnuts are made with real ingredients, organic flour, real chocolate, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and pure vanilla. They offer vegan and gluten-free options! There are two locations, again my favorite is Inman Park.
As you can tell from this excessive amount of doughnut photos (1 cinnamon roll, follow them on instagram to find out when they serve these buns of goodness) I have saved on my phone, I might have a slight addiction to Revolution. With flavors like fresh fig sliders, orange pistachio, and mango jelly how can you not be addicted? People ask me all the time what do I miss about the east coast, I miss these doughnuts the most (besides my family and dogs), west coast step up your doughnut game because it is seriously lacking.
Quick Facts
Endless nitro beverages
Endless healthy breakfast options (vegan yogurt and chia pudding)
Comfortable indoor and outdoor seating
Try not to chug the nitro matcha latte (drank mine in 10 seconds flat)
I am so sad that Cold Brew Bar opened the week I was moving to San Francisco, I only got to try it once! They are so much more than a coffee shop. This location opened up in East Atlanta off of Memorial street, the space is so inviting, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Cold Brew Bar has over 10 nitro beverage options on tap. The must tries are the nitro oat milk latte and nitro matcha latte. I drank my matcha latte in 8-10 seconds while I was waiting for my delicious Thai bowl (pictured above). The food menus includes vegan yogurt berry parfaits, they use culina yogurt, hands down the best vegan yogurt on the market! If you want something more filling try the crushed egg and pimento cheese sandwich served on H&F bread. I wish I had more time to try more things and eat there every day before my move.
This is one of the first healthy coffee shops that has quality food actually worth the price! If you are a local you might notice I have left off some pretty big Atlanta health coffee shops and restaurants, that is because I think most are a fade or overpriced.I want to be as honest as possible, Cold Brew Bar is worth every penny.
Quick Facts
Grass-fed meat
Local ingredients
Organic
Gluten-Free/Vegan options
Delicious and affordable
Yeah! Burger is one of my favorite burger spots in the city. They have two locations, the Midtown is my favorite, I became a regular at the bar they knew my name. My go to order was a turkey burger with caramelized onions, spinach, pickles, mustard, in a collard wrap. Yes you might look at this and say how depressing there is no bun, but trust me this collard wrap does not disappoint. But if you are feeling like a regular bun Yeah! Burger uses H&F Bread.
I love that you can build your own burger, I am all about customization. Yeah! Burger also serves amazing all natural hot dogs, salads, and all-natural soft serve.
Quick Facts
Healthy breakfast/lunch/dinner
Casual place to meet friends/outdoor seating
Best homemade soups/salads
Metro Fresh is the best place to grab a quick and healthy meal, they are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Located across the street from my high school my mom would bring me lunch from Metro Fresh all the time when I forgot mine at home (yes I was/am extremely spoiled). My go to lunch order is their kale salad and turkey chili.
The menu changes constantly so you can always look forward to trying a new healthy dish. When I was working as a reporter in Atlanta, I would always rush in for a cup of bone broth and a kale salad to-go before covering a long court case.
Quick Facts
Local ingredients
Seasonal menu
Creative veggie options
Best local beers
Wrecking Bar Brewpub is one of my favorite places in Inman Park, it is down the street from my childhood home so my family and I are regulars. I love it so much I had my wedding rehearsal dinner in their historic Marianna room. Their menu is seasonal and local, what more could you ask for in a neighborhood pub?
The Wrecking Bar Brewpub has my favorite simple salad and the best french fries in the world (it’s all about a balanced meal). The weekends they have delicious brunch and one of the best stacks of pancakes I have ever put in my mouth.
Quick Facts
Romantic Date Spot
Seasonal Menu
Award-winning for good reason
Chef Steven Satterfield is the nicest chef in the city
This is one of the only photos I have from Miller Union, incredible trout dish, I always eat my food way too fast so I do not have much proof of ever eating there. I cannot put into the words the beauty and elegance of Miller Union, here is a snippet from their website.
Steven Satterfield cooks in an organic way by reacting to the ever-changing harvest of the seasons. The restaurant embodies an authentic approach to farmstead-inspired cooking, in which ingredients drive the menu. Satterfield’s style is simple, but creative and refined, with a lean on Southern history. Neal McCarthy’s acclaimed wine program complements the style of Satterfield’s cooking with a dynamic wine list that focuses on small producers with sustainable farming practices.