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The Best Restaurants In Alpharetta, Georgia

Eggplant, tomato, vegetable salad on the wooden plate
Eggplant, tomato, vegetable salad on the wooden plate | Photo by Farhad Ibrahimzade on Unsplash

Located just north of Atlanta, Alpharetta is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis but still boasts a dining scene worthy of a big city. From Southern-style locavore eats and barbecue to elevated comfort food and prime steaks, our dining guide shows why Alpharetta, Georgia is a must-try dining destination.

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Jerusalem Bakery & Grill

M5JNAM Middle eastern or arabic dishes and assorted meze, concrete rustic background. Meat kebab, falafel, baba ghanoush, muhammara, hummus, sambusak, etc

Known throughout town for its delicious Middle Eastern and Mediterranean baked goods and food, Jerusalem Bakery & Grill is a family-owned shop opened in 2009 with over 40 years’ experience in the business. In fact, the bakery is one of the biggest suppliers of Middle Eastern bread, pastries and desserts in the southeastern states. Guests can try hearty platters of beef shawarma and kufta kebab, classic Middle Eastern dishes like baba ghanoush and the fava bean-based foul mudammas, pies, calzone and desserts like pistachio baklava and those wanting to replicate the Jerusalem Bakery & Grill dining experience at home can pick up essential ingredients in its onsite store.

Smokejack

Located in the heart of Alpharetta’s historic downtown in a beautiful, inviting 180-year-old property, Smokejack first opened its doors in 2004 and serves upscale Southern-style comfort food and barbecued-to-perfection meat inspired by owner Dave Filipowicz’s travels around the USA’s barbecue hotspots. Smokejack’s dining room, a mix of restored brickwork, exposed beams and modern design, is a stylish but welcoming space in which to try executive chef Johnny Umberger’s delicious barbecue like pulled pork shoulder, burnt ends with Kansas City BBQ sauce and baby back ribs alongside classic Southern small plates like chicken and sausage gumbo or fried green tomatoes with Creole mayo.

South Main Kitchen

One of the most recent additions to Alpharetta’s dining scene, South Main Kitchen opened its doors less than a year ago during the summer of 2014 but has already earned itself rave reviews and a firm following from guests who have fallen in love with chef Christy Stone’s contemporary American eats. Housed in a gorgeous 1902 building in historic downtown Alpharetta, a welcoming dining room with communal seating encourages what the restaurant calls the ‘social aspect of dining’ while a rooftop bar is perfect for a locally brewed beer while taking in the views. Standout dishes include the Brussels sprouts with feta and bacon and the duck breast with sweet potato purée and sausage.

Pampas Steakhouse

Filet Mignon. The King of steaks.

For steak that is a little out of the ordinary, Pampas Steakhouse is the place to go when eating out in Alpharetta. Taking its cue from the age-old Argentinian culinary technique asado, chef Luis Ramirez cooks the restaurant’s prime steaks and chops on a custom-made parilla grill over Georgia white oak wood embers resulting in a unique, mouth-watering flavor that keeps guests coming back for more. Meat lovers will delight in dishes like the huge 24 ounce bife de Costilla (bone-in rib eye) and the pork chop with mango habanera salsa, while other authentic eats like South American-style lobster bisque and mini beef tenderloin empanadas are also available.

Cabernet Steakhouse

Definitely a must-try dining destination for oenophiles and meat lovers, Cabernet Steakhouse is a classy, business-casual restaurant that teams its prime steaks and exquisite seafood dishes with quite possibly the most extensive wine list in all of Alpharetta with selections from Italy, USA and Argentina to name but a few. Modeled on the grand steakhouses of New York City, a classy and comfy dining room awaits guests while an exposed stainless steel kitchen shows Cabernet Steakhouse’s talented chefs hard at work crafting mouth-watering dishes like the 16 ounce prime New York strip steak and pan-seared Chilean sea bass with steamed bok choy, sticky rice and teriyaki juice.

Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails

Located in the neighboring city of Milton in the heart of its charming historic Crabapple District, Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails offers local diners a unique dining experience focused upon contemporary Southern cuisine crafted from locally grown ingredients, some of which come from the restaurant’s own onsite garden. A beautiful, rustic 150-year-old farmhouse forms the main part of Milton’s, where guests choose from Southern locavore eats like bourbon-apple braised pork belly or sesame-crusted mountain trout served alongside refreshing craft cocktails. During summer months guests are treated to the restaurant’s garden dinners where chef Derek Dollar dishes up a four-course menu in Milton’s beautiful gardens.

Nahm Thai

When executive chef and owner Nahm Thongyoung opened Nahm Thai in 2006, she brought to the city elegant, authentic Thai cuisine and years of experience learning the culinary art of Thailand’s unique food alongside her grandmother as a child, and almost a decade into business, the restaurant remains as popular as ever. A classy, chic dining room and charming patio welcome guests to try Nahm Thai’s delicately balanced, flavorsome dishes like the spicy stir-fried catfish with fresh basil, peppercorns, Thai eggplant and green peppers in a fresh chili sauce or the chef specialty of roasted duck curry with pineapple, bell peppers, grapes and cherry tomatoes in a rich red coconut curry sauce.

About the author

Helen Armitage lives near Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England where she recently graduated with a Masters in Magazine Journalism. She enjoys writing about culture, pop culture, feminism and film and her favourite destinations are New York City and Dublin. She is about to embark on a three-month placement in Seville, Spain and in the future would love to visit Reykjavik, Vancouver and New York (again).

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