The 10 Best Restaurants In Kennesaw, Atlanta

Humble spot for Southern comfort foods

Established in 2013, The Rotisserie Shop is a chef-driven eatery with a focus on fresh all natural slow roasted meat and locally sourced produce. While the menu consists of rustic and humble items, the care and quality going into each dish provides a unique gastronomical experience. Through years of training and relationships built with local food purveyors, the culinary team at The Rotisserie Shop offers a broad spectrum of menu items while maintaining its core values of using the freshest and highest quality ingredients possible. At the restaurant, guests are treated to free range rotisserie chicken, natural pork and beef, and made-from-scratch sides, soup, salads, and sandwiches. The restaurant prides itself on being humble place, with friendly service, a homey atmosphere, and well-made comfort food. Patrons love the juiciness of the meats that slide right off the bone and go perfectly with the restaurant’s homemade BBQ sauce. The sides really steal the show, however, with some of the best collard greens, macaroni and cheese, garlic sautéed broccoli, and mashed whole potatoes in town. The pulled pork poutine made with french fries, gravy, and actual cheese curds (a rarity in Georgia), as well as the hearty creamy grits served with chicken or shrimp, are also favorites among the restaurant’s patrons. There’s even a great outdoor patio perfect for enjoying nice weather.

Price: Mid-Range

Opening Hours: M-Th 11am-9pm, F-Sat 11am-10pm

Watch out for: the delicious homemade sides

Chic sports bar with traditional American fare

Known as Atlanta’s best sports bar, Hudson Grille is a local chain with seven locations throughout the area, offering everything from burgers, steaks, fresh seafood, and wings, to a huge draft beer selection and full bars, to party rooms, UFC, boxing, way too many TVs, and every game imaginable. One look at their menu and it becomes clear that Hudson Grille does not serve your typical bar food. Sure, you’ll see the game day classics, but they’ve also got plenty of healthy, local, and gluten-free options not found at any other sports bar. Executive Chef Adam Maddox has crafted a diverse menu that delivers everything from all-natural chicken breast to fully loaded burgers, sausages, and dogs, to original Anchor Bar jumbo wings and 12-ounce ribeye steak, to fresh salmon and roasted red pepper hummus. Not only does the bar offer a wide variety of lunch and dinner options, but it also features Sunday brunch, special weekday lunch deals, and delectable desserts and coffee drinks. Hudson Grille even offers special menus during the holidays, including an amazing all-you-can-eat three-course turkey and ham dinner for Christmas. Pair that with an upscale atmosphere and a friendly staff, and it’s not hard to see why this sports bar is considered the best in town.

Price: Mid-Range

Opening Hours: M-Sat 11am-2am, Sun 11am-12am

Watch out for: the giant TVs all over the restaurant and the game room

Seafood and steak in a classy setting

Located just down the street from Downtown Kennesaw and Marietta in the heart of Cobb County, Capers Restaurant and Bar offers a symphony of all-American steakhouse and seafood cuisine with Southern accents. Founded by Steve Dudley over a decade ago, Capers first opened on March 17, 2004, in a small house in historic downtown Kennesaw beside the train tracks on Main Street. The restaurant’s goal was to provide Kennesaw and its surrounding neighborhoods with great food, excellent service, and an intimate atmosphere. Kennesaw was in need of a restaurant that could give diners a Buckhead/Midtown experience but in their own backyards, and thus, Capers was born. With a deck and small indoor seating area, the restaurant set out to bring customers from Acworth, Kennesaw, and Marietta together for great food and drink. After meeting with much success in the small downtown space, Capers decided it needed more room to accommodate its guests, so it moved to a new location off of Barrett Parkway and now offers an open kitchen with plenty of seating for parties of all sizes. The restaurant continues to serve up the finest seafood, chicken, and steak, signature sides, and classic desserts all made from the highest quality and freshest ingredients, using locally produced and sustainable products wherever possible.

Price: Mid-Range

Opening Hours: Tu-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10pm

Watch out for: the wasabi mashed potatoes, crab cakes, and grouper

Laid-back place for healthy Mediterranean fare

Based near the Kennesaw State University, Mediterranean Bistro aims to provide every guest with a warm and relaxed Mediterranean-style atmosphere in which to enjoy a fine dining experience and attentive, leisurely service that allows each guest to really take the time to savor their meal in the pleasant surroundings. The restaurant delights in creating innovative dishes, using only the freshest ingredients in the Mediterranean style. The dishes are not only a treat for your palette but also considered one of the best diets for your health. All of the welcoming staff at Mediterranean Bistro offer you not only a meal but an entirely pleasurable experience in fine dining. From casual lunches, dinners, and snacks, to family gatherings and celebrations, Mediterranean Bistro is an ideal venue. Guests love to enjoy a meal in the restaurant’s light and airy dining area or relax with some good food and drink in the easygoing surroundings of the bistro area. The restaurant serves up delicious food that has stood the test of time and will help keep you healthy for years to come, thanks to the traditional Mediterranean diet, which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts, healthy grains, fish, olive oil, meat, and dairy. Patrons can never get enough of Mediterranean Bistro’s tasty gyro platter, tzatziki sauce, and fresh vegetables.

Price: Budget

Opening Hours: M-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 12-6pm

Watch out for: the authentic and healthy gyros, salads, hummus, and baklava

Simple spot featuring Caribbean classics

A local chain bringing the flavors of the tropics to the Atlanta area, Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill offers its visitors the essence of the South Seas, with attention to authenticity and an adherence to the recipes of generations. The restaurant has become known as the best place to go for delicious Cuban sandwiches, black beans, mofongo (a fried plantain-based dish from Puerto Rico), yuca con mojo (root cassava boiled and served with mojo), empanadas, masitas de puerco (tender cubed pork marinated with Cuban spices and mojo sauce, lightly pan-fried to perfection and served with congris, tostones, and salad), fried pork, arroz con pollo (chicken with yellow rice), and ropa vieja (shredded beef). Portion sizes are big enough to share with just a regular plate and side of sweet plantains, and the prices are all very reasonable. Papi’s also serves great natural juices (guanabana, pineapple, mango, papaya, guava, or passion fruit), amazing daily specials, tasty mango pie, Cuban coffee, and cafe con leche (Cuban coffee with frothed milk). The restaurant’s outdoor patio is the perfect place to sit and eat while enjoying nice weather, as the popularity of the place means that the inside can often be very crowded and loud. In addition, there’s fun live music on weekends, and many guests like to bring maracas to play along.

Price: Mid-Range

Opening Hours: M-F 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 12-8pm

Watch out for: the authentic Cuban dishes and the live music on weekends

Authentic Indian cuisine in modern establishment

Born out of the idea that there should be a sit-down Indian place catering and appealing to all of the senses, Pinch of Spice aims to be a place where the dining experience is as delectable as the joy on your tastebuds. Not your average restaurant, Pinch of Spice is meant to be a social house where memories are made, a place where guests want to stay longer in order to have longer conversations, heartier laughter and celebrations, and meaningful meals. The decor, ambience, and trendy facilities of the restaurant offer and provide a feeling of welcome to all guests, and the environment plays a part in the making of wonderful memories. Indian food lovers are sure to enjoy the singularly distinct signature dishes served at Pinch of Spice, with popular dishes including the flavorful and moist butter chicken, fluffy yet crunchy naan, pillowy rice, tender lamb, spicy vindaloo, creamy pasanda, and delicious chicken tikka masala, just to name a few. The restaurant offers a wonderful lunch buffet offering a great variety of items at a reasonable price, with dishes like chicken biriyani, tandoori chicken, naan, and sagg, as well as plenty of other favorites and even a wide selection of vegetarian choices. For those new to Indian food and spices, the friendly staff are happy to explain everything and personalize the order to ensure complete satisfaction and a memorable experience.

Price: Mid-Range

Opening Hours: M 5:30-9:30pm, Tu-Th 11:30am-2:45pm, 5:30-9:30pm, F-Sat 11:30am-2:45pm, 5:30-10pm, Sun 11:30am-3pm, 5:30-9:30pm

Watch out for: the great lunch buffet with authentic Indian classics

Relaxed spot for drinks and American fare

Featuring the ‘Best of the Best’ in American tavern fare served in a modern atmosphere, Marlow’s Tavern offers a diverse combination of classic dishes that are updated and elevated to a higher level. With a warm neighborhood yet contemporary feel, Marlow’s Tavern is the perfect complement to Executive Chef and co-founder John Metz’s modern tavern menu. Marlow’s Tavern was designed by Metz’s partner Thomas DiGiorgio, the president of Florida-based architectural and development contract firm DK Group. DiGiorgio focused on modern comfort, utilizing a black and white motif to create a sleek, fashionable look accented by black and white photographs and Chicago-style brick walls. The neighborhood feel is also accomplished with the tavern’s open kitchen that invites diners to observe the chefs at work, the communal tables in the bar, and the large cozy booths. In addition, several flat-screen plasma TVs are discreetly incorporated around the walls amongst the photographs, allowing guests to enjoy a variety of shows while they dine. Marlow’s is the perfect meeting place for all seasons, with spacious patios open year round allowing guests to enjoy cocktails and tavern specials under the stars. Favorite menu items include the delectable asparagus fries, the delicious fish tacos, and the outstanding shrimp and grits.

Price: Mid-Range

Opening Hours: M-Th 11am-11pm, F-Sat 11am-12am, Sun 10:30am-11pm

Watch out for: the wonderful outdoor patio, gorgeous design and decor, and the shrimp and grits
By Catrina Pang