No beach? No problem. Head to one of these Atlanta restaurants for succulent seafood, tropical treats, and coastal classics.
Summer fun may be fading, and fall may be threatening to make its annual appearance, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up the vacation vibes.
One of the advantages of living in a big city like Atlanta is access to restaurants with creativity and resources—they can source fresh seafood from the coast and deliver it right here to the busy streets. That means city folk don’t need to go far to keep that seashore feeling going year-round.
Atlanta’s temperate climate makes patio dining pleasant through the fall, and on the days when Mother Nature reminds you how Hotlanta got its nickname, you can duck into the splendors of an air-conditioned dining room to enjoy your feast.
So order up a tropical cocktail, crack open a crab leg, and escape to the coast (at least in your head) at these A-Town restaurants that make you feel like you never left the beach.
Roberto’s Deluxe Oysters & Fine Fish
Address: 8212 Main St., Woodstock
Claim to coastal fame: A legendary oyster shucker
Walk into Roberto’s Deluxe Oysters & Fine Fish, and the first thing you’ll notice is the massive, framed black and white photo of Roberto Olmeda, who appears to be meditating over hundreds of fresh-from-the-sea oysters.
He is Chef William Sigley’s first and longest-running employee, who worked his way from dishwasher to master oyster shucker, and as Chef says, is the soul of the kitchen to this day. That one photo tells you exactly where you are—in a restaurant that exudes fine dining yet still manages to feel like a comforting oceanside restaurant.
A large raw bar anchors the dining room, and outside, a patio filled with greenery takes you right back to the tropics. Whether you prefer the smooth flavors of a Connecticut-pulled oyster or the briny sweetness of a Maine bivalve, your taste buds will be met with salty delight.
BeetleCat
Address: 299 N. Highland Ave. NE, Inman Park
Claim to coastal fame: Cocktails on deck
Day drinking just got a whole lot more interesting, thanks to the coastal vibes at BeetleCat. The cool, retro look on the bottom floor belies a second floor draped in dark wood and blue-and-white décor that suggests you might have just entered a fish shack.
Add not one but two decks (one upstairs for sun worshippers, the other downstairs for shade lovers), and all you need is the seafood. You won’t have to wait long for a selection of crudos, Gulf shrimp, monkfish, and a menu filled with oyster options from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Virginia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick.
And let’s not forget the drinks, like the Ukulele Princess concocted from a blend of reposado tequila, passion fruit, lime, red pepper, and bitters and served in a Tiki-inspired bowl big enough for four. Slurp it up alongside a bite of fry bread with honey butter or some coconut fried rice.
Lapeer Steak & Seafood
Address: 12 N. Broad St., Historic Alpharetta
Claim to coastal fame: Thinking outside of the seafood box
Not everyone equates the beach with seafood. Some just want a chop of good ol’ red meat.
For those who might want dinner of the terra firma sort, I give you Lapeer Steak & Seafood, a restaurant that does both land and sea beautifully.
You might be in historic downtown Alpharetta, but you wouldn’t know it by the West Indies crab salad or the Delmonico ribeye topped with French roquefort cheese. You can also indulge in a raw bar with bivalves from Florida, New Brunswick, and Maine.
In a celebratory mood? Go big with the Grand Style Plateaux, a chef’s selection of premium seafood and shellfish with accoutrements that will make you feel like you’re at a 5-star resort on an exclusive beach.
The Optimist
Address: 914 Howell Mill Rd., Westside
Claim to coastal fame: A beachy attitude
You know that carefree feeling you get when you’re sitting on the beach, watching the waves come in? You can sink blissfully into that same feeling right here in Atlanta at The Optimist, where positivity and good vibes reign.
You’ll find comfort in beach food classics like deep-fried hush puppies and buttery lobster rolls. And you’ll taste the difference in seafood coming from sustainable suppliers, like oysters from Alabama, sea scallops from Maine, and whole roasted trout from our great state of Georgia.
Take advantage of the oyster happy hour every Monday through Friday from 5 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 5:00 p.m. Enjoy the outside putting green while you’re waiting for a table, or settle at the bar with a spirit-free cocktail like Second Sunrise. It’s a delightful mix of jasmine green tea, lemon hibiscus, and soda.
Fishmonger
Address: 674 N. Highland Ave. NE, Poncey-Highland
Claim to coastal fame: Barack Obama’s seafood of choice
If it’s good enough for former president Barack Obama, it’s good enough for you. When Obama visited Atlanta in 2022, he could have ordered from roughly 6,000 restaurants in this city. But he chose Fishmonger, and that says something. For the curious, he chose a Caesar salad with blackened grouper, and we haven’t heard any complaints.
That doesn’t mean the restaurant is hoity-toity. It’s actually surprisingly laid back, with sidewalk bistro sets, a community high-top, and a converted Toyota pickup parked out front. Despite being recognized as a Bib Gourmand restaurant, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. As it says of its menu items: “Rotating. Twelve things, give or take, depending on what came in this morning. Fish from small Florida boats. Cut to order at the counter.”
Start with steelhead trout crudo, then segue into the hot fish sandwich that’s stacked like this: Mississippi catfish plus chili oil plus celery salad and buttermilk dressing topped with a butter-toasted Martin’s seeded bun. When you’re recreating that “weekend at the shore” feeling, it’s all about keeping it simple.
The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill
Address: 3279 Roswell Rd. NE, Buckhead
Claim to coastal fame: A vibe that would make Jimmy Buffett proud
The Big Ketch is the complete package: beach-house architecture, daily fresh seafood shipments, a relaxed maritime ambiance, and an open-air patio that beckons you to linger.
At night, the wooden deck is aglow with string lights that harken to your favorite island bar, and on Thursday evenings, live acoustic music brings a seaside tavern energy to your visit. Guests are welcomed the Southern way with hot boiled (pronounced bolled here in Georgia, y’all) peanuts that encourage you to sit a spell.
Fuel up on crushpuppies, The Big Ketch’s signature crab-spiked hushpuppies, peel-and-eat fish, and fish tacos, and wash it all down with frozen cocktails blended in colors that remind you of the tropics.
Atlanta may be 250 miles from the closest beach, but lucky for us, we don’t have to make the drive. It’s an easy trip to one of these restaurants just a few miles away, and once you’re settled on a stool with an umbrella-dressed cocktail and a spread of oysters, you’ll swear you can feel an ocean breeze.
