Doraville dining guide + R. Thomas for sale
Apr. 18 — It’s Thursday! Time for a little “Side Dish.”
For today’s Side Dish, we’re offering two recipes, including one for barbecue-glazed wings using fresh herbs and onions from the farmers market.
Our transit-oriented dining guide to cities and neighborhoods along MARTA rail lines continues this week with restaurants within easy walking distance or a quick bus ride from the Doraville MARTA station. The guide heavily features Buford Highway restaurants!
➕ Plus, read Sarra’s story on the history of carrot cake, and another from Rough Draft contributor Denise James on Atlanta restaurants offering drag and jazz brunches on the weekends. As always, expect the latest Atlanta dining intel, like news that R. Thomas Deluxe Grill is up for sale on Peachtree and details on a space-age-themed restaurant and lounge opening at Underground Atlanta this weekend.
In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal.” It features Beth’s story on boundary-breaking women in the bar industry and a recipe for the lamb ragu from Marcus Bar & Grille.
Cheers from the Rough Draft dining team!
🍸 Beth and 🍰 Sarra
🐾 The Midtown Mutt Gala returns Sun., May 4! Inspired by the Met Gala, enjoy food, music, vendors, and costumed dogs on the red carpet. Free to watch; small fee to enter your pup (register by May 1). Details here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Have You Heard?
Legacy Buckhead Restaurant for Sale
🥺 Beloved Peachtree Road restaurant R. Thomas Deluxe Grill is up for sale. But it’s not closing, according to the AJC (paywall).
Linay Thomas Sheltra, the current owner and daughter of founder Richard Thomas, lives in Charlotte and runs a flooring business there. Operating two businesses – one from afar and with an hours-long commute – has become too difficult to manage.
Sheltra tapped longtime family friend and Atlanta entrepreneur Cliff Oxford to help find R. Thomas’ next owners. The two plan to be strategic about who they sell R. Thomas to, given its long history as a dining institution in Atlanta. They hope to secure buyers who will preserve the restaurant’s legacy on Peachtree.
🦜 R. Thomas Deluxe Grill opened in 1985, becoming known for its extensive menu of organic and vegetarian- and vegan-friendly dishes at a time when such restaurants didn’t exist in Atlanta. Open 24/7 before the pandemic, R. Thomas was also a popular stop for late-night dining, coffee, and breakfast fare in the wee hours of the morning. But its kitschy decor, lush garden, and talkative tropical birds outside the entrance made the rambling restaurant on Peachtree an attraction for locals and visitors alike. Richard Thomas could often be found outside watering the plants and feeding his birds, while chatting with regulars and customers as they entered and exited the restaurant.
Richards died in 2017, leaving the running of the restaurant to his family. There’s no word on what will happen to R. Thomas’ resident tropical birds–Ruby the parrot, and cockatoos Peaches and Cream–once the new owner takes over the restaurant. Stay tuned!
Restaurant Openings
⭐ Chef Ryan Smith, owner of Michelin-starred Staplehouse, will open tasting menu restaurant Uberto on April 18 as part of the experience at new luxury guest ranch Quercus in Gay, GA.
Located an hour-and-a-half south of Atlanta, the 30-seat restaurant will include multiple courses from Smith and his team using ingredients grown on the farm at Quercus. You don’t have to be a guest at the ranch to dine at Uberto. A meal here will set you back $255 per person. Optional wine pairings are an additional $125 per person.
🚀 Closer to home, Lalani Ventures, the owners behind Underground Atlanta, and Premier Hospitality Group will open Utopia on Upper Alabama Street this Saturday. Billed as an “upscale Latin fusion restaurant and lounge” with “space-age” decor, Utopia will serve everything from Wagyu beef served on hot stones to vegan dishes, paired with cocktails, beer, and wine. Open daily from 11 a.m. until late for brunch, lunch, dinner, and late-night.
Coming Attractions
🥟 It appears the second location of Northern China Eatery is getting closer to opening on the Eastside Beltline. Construction fencing is up, and a sign indicates the restaurant is hiring. Last year, owner Fan Zhang told Rough Draft that an in-town location of the popular Buford Highway restaurant, known for its dumplings, would open along this busy section of the trail. The new location will open beside Emerald City Bagels and its bagel sandwich automat.
Fan opened The Dumpling Factory at Westside Paper on West Marietta Street in 2024 and plans to open another location later this year at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Don’t miss Buckhead’s dining event of the year!
SPONSORED BY TASTE OF ATLANTA
🍾 Discover the best of Buckhead dining at Grand Tasting Buckhead on April 24! This all-inclusive event includes unlimited tastings of food, wine, beer & craft cocktails from over 20 local restaurants, plus chef chats, mixology demos and live music! Find your next favorite cocktail or destination date night spot, all while supporting Atlanta’s thriving restaurant scene.
➞ Don’t miss out on this unforgettable evening of flavors, fun, and fabulous food — get your tickets here!
Top Stories From the Week
MARTA dining guide to Doraville
This Rough Draft dining series will continue throughout 2025, highlighting restaurants in cities and neighborhoods within easy walking distance or a short bus ride from MARTA rail stations.
🚆 With a population of nearly 11,000 residents and its proximity to Buford Highway, Doraville is one of Metro Atlanta’s most culturally diverse communities. The small city’s digital welcome packet provided to new residents includes translations in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Bengali, highlighting a handful of the communities that call Doraville home.
This dining guide spotlights seven restaurants and the Super H Mart complex accessible from the Doraville MARTA rail station, the final stop on the Gold Line. All the restaurants listed are within a short walking distance or a quick bus ride from the station located on New Peachtree Road between Park and Central avenues.
⏩ Read the MARTA dining guide to Doraville here.
Food Fact: A brief history of carrot cake
🥕 Carrot cake is considered a classic dessert, but its history dates back to medieval Europe and likely evolved from puddings. Carrot cake didn’t take its present-day form or reach peak popularity until the 20th century.
During World War II, sugar rationing and the United Kingdom’s emphasis on carrot consumption brought the cake back into fashion. However, the cream cheese frosting we Americans know and love didn’t gain traction until the 1960s.
⏩ Read Sarra’s brief history of carrot cake and get a recipe, too!
Atlantans are all in on weekend jazz and drag brunches
🎶 Atlantans love weekend brunch, especially when those brunches include music and live performances. From jazz to gospel to drag acts, these weekend brunches at Atlanta restaurants give people another reason to roll out of bed on a Saturday and Sunday, put on something a little nicer than sweatpants, and visit restaurants for eggs, pancakes, and music and live performances.
⏩ Read the full story from Rough Draft contributor Denise James.
🐾 The Midtown Mutt Gala returns Sun., May 4! Inspired by the Met Gala, enjoy food, music, vendors, and costumed dogs on the red carpet. Free to watch; small fee to enter your pup (register by May 1). Details here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🍗 Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets are partnering to bring you two great recipes each week. This time around, we’ve got two dishes that would be perfect for a springtime barbecue-glazed chicken wings and seared asparagus. Check out both recipes here.
