Georgia's Mouth-Watering Southern Food Hub Is Home To Over 120 Restaurants (And It's Not Atlanta)

The moment my waiter waved for the man with the cheese cart, I knew I was in love. He scraped two large spoons along the sides of a Parmesan bowl the size of a car tire and then tossed in the noodles, still steaming from the pan. He worked fast — scraping, swirling, and tossing — until the pasta wore a thick coat of fresh Italian cheese. It was the best pasta I have had to date, and it came from Tre Vele, a modern Italian eatery in the middle of Georgia's mouth-watering food hub. 

Fight your way through Atlanta traffic to reach the outskirts, and you're in for a treat. Sandy Springs, Georgia — an enchanting riverfront suburb just 20 miles north of downtown — is home to a river-load of hidden gems. Outdoor adventuring is big here; you can wander through the East Palisades bamboo forest, which looks like it belongs to another country, to rent a kayak or paddleboard from Murph's Surf Paddle Shack and glide across the calm blue waters of Bull Sluice Lake. Visitors can stroll shaded trails in the John Ripley Forbes Big Trees Forest Preserve, or cast a line along the 22 miles of riverfront that trace the banks of the Chattahoochee River.

But the food is the real show. Sandy Springs' "Restaurant Row" is a ten-mile stretch of flavor — more than 120 local eateries serving everything from Mediterranean street fare to kosher Latin American cuisine and everything in between. Tre Vele sits within this southern food hub — and if the thought of those noodles has your mouth watering, grab your keys, brave the I-285, and see why this suburb has become Atlanta's tastiest escape.

Located about 20 miles north of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Sandy Springs is easily accessible by both public transit and major highways. If you're flying in, one smooth option is to hop on the MARTA Rail Service Red Line from the airport; the train drops you at the Sandy Springs station in about 43 minutes. From there, a quick rideshare or the MARTA Route 87 Bus will take you straight to Roswell Road, home to the city's legendary Restaurant Row, which is just as vibrant as New York's historic food street – if not more.

For drivers, the corridor is framed by Georgia State Route 400 (GA-400) and Interstate 285 (I-285), two major arteries that make access simple from anywhere in the metro area. Once you arrive, you'll find Restaurant Row is exactly as the name suggests — a roughly 10-mile stretch of Roswell Road lined with more than 120 independent eateries representing nearly every corner of the globe, from Mediterranean fare to Japanese omakase.

But there's plenty to do here besides eat. The corridor is dotted with boutiques, coffee shops, and parks, perfect for browsing between meals. And if you want to work up an appetite before diving in, explore the outdoor recreation options that sit just minutes away. With more than 20 parks, this stretch of Georgia wilderness has something for hikers, kayakers, history buffs, wildlife watchers, anglers, families, and every other kind of explorer. 

With more than 120 restaurants packed into that 10-mile stretch, you could — if you tried — visit a different place every Friday and Saturday night for nearly two years and still not try them all.

On the Restaurant Row website, you can see all of your available options, color-coated by cuisine type and designed to help you clearly make your plan of attack. Grab some tapas, then share a few appetizers somewhere else. Grab a quick lunch-to-go at Cubanos. Bar hop down the street with your friends or spend a date night trying desserts from different corners of the world, all along one famous street.

Beyond individual restaurants, this corridor is a destination in itself. Whether you opt for a chef-driven Italian spot, a laid-back tiki bar, an American barbecue joint, or vegan Latin-American fare, the variety keeps the energy exciting. It's wise to check a restaurant's hours and perhaps reserve a table. Many spots offer online reservations or call-ahead seating. Weeknight dinners tend to be less crowded, while weekend evenings are more lively.  For food lovers, this culinary stretch flows next to the Chattahoochee like a river of restaurants, so grab your appetite, cast a wide line, and see what you reel in.