Buc-ee’s goes to court
Thursday, Aug. 6 — Hello, internet friends.
💡 My absolute favorite thing about being a reporter is that I get to learn something new every day. It could be a new-to-me type of condiment, a monthly tabletop game meetup, or a dish I never considered ordering until I saw someone else eating it.
Subconsciously, I am always seeking novelty and updates, and I get more excited as a story comes together — or an idea for a new one takes shape. Without giving too much away, I’m really looking forward to sharing my upcoming stories highlighting food cultures from around the city.
In this week’s Quick Bites, get updates on an opening in Smyrna, closures in Buckhead and West Midtown, a Buc-ee’s trademark infringement lawsuit, and a pop-up becoming a restaurant in East Atlanta Village. We’ve also got a story on a Danish cafe coming to Midtown next year and an explainer that demystifies South Downtown’s big announcement about its redevelopment plans going forward.
And make sure to read this week’s “Family Meal,” where Beth recaps July restaurant openings and the best things we’ve eaten so far this year. Also, {S}table in Dunwoody shared its recipe for Salisbury steak, which actually has a fascinating history.
See y’all next week,
🍰 Sarra
🍾 Raise your glass on Thurs., Aug. 27 at The Hotel at Avalon for the Grand Tasting Alpharetta. A one-night-only celebration of Alpharetta’s top restaurants with tastings of wine, craft beer, and cocktails, live music and more. VIP entry begins at 6 p.m., general admission at 7 p.m. Get tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Quick Bites
Manuel’s 70th birthday
🎂 Manuel’s Tavern celebrates 70 years in Poncey-Highland today through Aug. 9. Expect food specials and an exclusive 70th anniversary T-shirt for sale. Catch live performances by Seed and Feed Marching Abominable, The Four O’Clocks, and a one-man circus act on stilts. Read Beth’s story on Manuel’s Tavern and its ties to local politics.
Openings
☕ Riverline Coffee opened in Smyrna. The shop will host a grand opening celebration on Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
🍽️ The Cheesecake Factory opened a location at The Collection at Forsyth in Cumming.
Closings
🥗 Gusto! closed on 17th Street, as first reported by Tomorrow’s News Today.
🇹🇭 Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft in Buckhead closed after 16 years this week, according to WSB-TV. The restaurant is owned by Chef DeeDee Niyomkul and the Niyomkul family’s Tamarind Restaurant Group, the group behind Nan Thai Fine Dining in Midtown and Buckhead.
Temporary closings
🌞 Smorgasburg Atlanta is going on summer break and will reopen Sept. 12.
🧀 Adam J’s Grilled Cheese in the Pittsburgh neighborhood will go on hiatus next week as the owners of the food truck and catering business decide its next steps. Look for Adam J’s to reopen on Aug. 14.
Coming attractions
🇵🇭 Filipino pop-up Zarate Tiki Co. will open as a restaurant in East Atlanta Village, What Now Atlanta reports.
🍕 East Coast pizzeria chain &pizza will open a location at The Interlock on Howell Mill Road in September. The area currently features five pizzerias: Emmy Squared, Johnny’s, Antico, Pizza Hut, and Domino’s. Local pizzeria and restaurant Humble Pie closed in 2025 at The Interlock. Slim + Husky’s closed a year earlier just up the street at the corner of 11th and Howell Mill Road.
Community announcements
📮 Sammy’s in Adair Park introduced a community mailbox where customers can submit feedback, doodles, hot takes, and spontaneous notes. Owners Jason Furst and Chef Sam Pinner will open the mailbox once a month for a community reading.
🧑🌾 Atlanta Harvest is currently hiring farmers market associates to join its Sunday crew.
Buc-ee’s gets litigious
🦫 Buc-ee’s filed a lawsuit against a North Georgia mini mart chain for trademark infringement. According to Atlanta News First, the Texas-based travel center chain is suing Teddy’s Market over its smiley teddy bear logo donned in a blue ball cap and jacket, saying it closely resembles Buc-ee’s red-ball-cap-wearing beaver. Buc-ee’s also takes aim at the name Teddy’s, arguing the similarity of the names is likely to cause confusion among consumers. The owners of Teddy’s called the lawsuit “overzealous, groundless, and bad-faith trademark litigation.” Meanwhile, Buc-ee’s is also pursuing legal action against Beaver’s Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, over its smiley (unclothed) cartoon beaver logo.
⛽ Inc.com reports that Buc-ee’s has filed 27 similar lawsuits against small businesses across the country, prompting late-night talk show host John Oliver to dare Buc-ee’s to sue him and his show for trademark infringement. In a recent segment on “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver reintroduced seven-foot-tall squirrel mascot Mr. Nutterbutter, which was first created in 2017 as a parody bit for the show targeting former coal executive Bob Murray. Murray filed an unsuccessful defamation suit against Oliver’s show and HBO over the Mr. Nutterbutter segment.
Say what?
💎 Let them drink diamonds? Roaring Social in Decatur and Alpharetta and Solomon Brothers Jewelers have collaborated on The Roaring Jewel, a $10,000 martini (yes, you read that right) made with Beluga Gold Line vodka and garnished with beluga caviar and a 5-carat-diamond, 14-karat-gold tennis necklace, valued at $11,700 MSRP. The martini also comes with a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Champagne Le Réserve, a marquee sign, and sparklers to document the conspicuous consumption of said martini for all posterity on Instagram.
Add to your calendar
👨🏾🍳 Atlanta Black Restaurant Week runs through Aug. 16. Check out the restaurant lineup here.
🦀 Press Shop and Halfway Crooks Beer in Summerhill will host a cookbook club potluck on Aug. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. This month’s theme is Gulf Coast cuisine.
🥩 Buckhead Butcher Shop will host a customer appreciation day on Aug. 14, from noon to 6 p.m. Expect complimentary chef-prepared dishes, product tastings, giveaways, and an opportunity to meet the butchers and culinary team. Cash bar.
❤️ ASW Whiskey Exchange and Stave Room will host Taste of Generosity: Atlanta on Aug. 14, from 6 to 10 p.m. Expect chef-prepared food and tastings from more than 20 beverage partners, along with live and silent auctions. Proceeds will go toward the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. $175 per person.
🎵 Hapeville’s Downtown Live Summer concert series and Jess Lucas Y-Teen Park will host Downtown Live: Wings & Strings on Aug. 15, from 7 to 10 p.m. Look for a performance from Donovan Fuller and wings from local vendors.
Where to Find Summer Inspired Drinks in Roswell
SPONSORED BY ROSWELL INC. AND VISIT ROSWELL
🍹 Explore Roswell’s beverage scene with a summer inspired twist. Enjoy Summer Sippin’ at participating locations all around Roswell.
The beverage competition returns for its 11th year and showcases creative seasonal beverages at restaurants, coffee shops, tasting rooms and breweries.
➞ Check out the NEW interactive event guide and rate every sip you try this summer to help decide the ‘Best Sip in Roswell.’ Get your sip on.
Top Stories
Couple plots Danish cafe in Midtown
🇩🇰 When Freddy Adkins and Mikkel Jensen got married in 2024, they merged cultures: Adkins is an American from the South, and Jensen moved to Atlanta from Denmark to be with him.
As the couple established their new life together in Midtown, they quickly realized they couldn’t find the dishes and baked goods they loved eating at cafes in Copenhagen. Adkins and Jensen want to change that, and plan to open The Danish Bakery & Smørrebrød Café in Midtown, styling it after Copenhagen’s bakery-cafe culture.
⏩ Read Katie’s story for Georgia Voice here.
What’s up with South Downtown?
🤔 South Downtown is hitting the brakes on any further commercial development until remaining residential, retail, and office spaces are filled. Or, as area restaurateurs see it, the chance to create an actual 24/7 neighborhood.
⏩ Read Logan’s story on the decision and how restaurant owners feel.
Party in the Kitchen turns 23
🤗 Open Hand Atlanta will host its 23rd annual Party in the Kitchen fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at The Foundry at Puritan Mill.
The culinary fundraising event will bring together Atlanta’s celebrated chefs, an exclusive auction experience, and hundreds of supporters for an evening to fund Open Hand’s free, medically tailored meals and nutrition education for individuals facing chronic or severe illness.
⏩ Read more on the event here.
At the Market
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🫑 Each week, Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets partner to bring you two recipes you can make at home using fresh ingredients from your local farmers market. This week, we have recipes for creamy corn-filled orzo and okra stew. Check out both recipes here.
At the Market
😋 Usually for “That Slaps,” I focus on a favorite thing I ate within the past week. Sometimes, though, my first bite of a dish will completely blow me away.
That is the case with the plum-stuffed pork stroganoff with homemade egg noodles, smietana (sour cream), and brandy sauce I had at the 70s dinner party last week, hosted by Beksa Lala and Soupbelly.
🍴 Basia Piechoczek of Beksa Lala handled the pork stroganoff, which was accompanied by Candy Hom of Soupbelly’s marinated mushrooms and a glass of what the event menu called “a big fat cab” from Hedges Family Estate.
I love how all the distinct tastes and textures — the jammy plum sauce, the savory pork, the spaetzle-like noodles, the subtly vinegary mushrooms, and the full-bodied red — played off one another to make a strong and cohesive course. If there’s anything I love, it’s a theme.
We’re always looking for recipes to highlight on Rough Draft. If you have a favorite dish from a restaurant you want the recipe for, please send me an email to sarra@roughdraftatlanta.com.
