Best of the Beltline: What’s good to eat and drink when you’re on the loop?

By Mary Margaret Stewart, contributor
A quarter-mile from the Beltline’s Eastside Trail, Venkman’s ranks as a must-try Old Fourth Ward restaurant. Rated with 4.5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, this American bar serves lunch and dinner, is friendly for large parties and takes reservations.
Out of the 19 customer reviews, the majority rave about quality service, great live music, wellmade food and drinks, rating it as an overall “great venue.”
To read more about Venkman’s, check out local food critic Megan Volpert’s INtown review at:
http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2016/03/31249/.
Another restaurant and bar with live music is Two Urban Licks. Ranking as number 108 of 3197 restaurants in Atlanta, it’s known by Atlantans for “great food, service and ambiance” in a convenient location.
Out of the 600-plus reviews on TripAdvisor, a few customers recommended their seafood dishes, specifically name-dropping the salmon chips.
Out of the four dining options that Two Urban Licks offers – brunch, lunch, dinner and late night – Volpert recommends the brunch and dinner menus.
Looking for a different brunch scene? One of Volpert’s favorites, Highland Bakery, is 0.6 miles from the Eastside Trail. This Old Fourth Ward bakery stands as number one out of 92 bakeries in Atlanta on Trip Advisor.
Known for chicken fried eggs benedict and sweet potato pancakes, large portions and a family-friendly environment, Highland Bakery landed number 24 out of 3426 places to eat in Atlanta on TripAdvisor.
The double coronary bypass: if locals aren’t talking about their recent surgery, they’re probably referring to a burger from a restaurant ranked 11 out of 3197 in Atlanta on TripAdvisor: The Vortex.
The Vortex, located in Little Five Points and Midtown, only serves customers age 21 and over and works to serve “burgers and bar food” and “liquor and libations.” The Little Five location is 0.8 miles from the Beltline’s Eastside Trail.
Alongside pulled pork, tots and beer, the menu offers signature sandwiches with names like Fat Elvis and Hell’s Fury.
About Megan Volpert
Megan Volpert, local food critic for Atlanta INtown believes that the top-ranked Atlanta BeltLine restaurant’s “best food assets rely upon patio culture to take full advantage of the green space and pedestrian sight-seeing.”
Some of her favorite eateries along the Beltline are …
Brunch
Lunch
Dinner