Monday is the slowest day of the week for restaurants. It’s the day most people return to the work grind and daily routine after the weekend.
Customer data and behavior patterns even prove the Monday patronage plummet, collected by restaurant point of sales (POS) systems like Toast. According to a 2023 report from Toast, Monday reservations run about 30% below the weekly average, while Saturday reservations run about 85% above it. The drastic drop in diners on Monday means many restaurants close at the beginning of the week, sometimes extending the closure into Tuesday, before picking regular service back up on Wednesday.
But for some restaurants, the “We’re Closed” sign on the front door provides an opportunity to lend out the kitchen to chefs and pop-ups, while filling tables with people seeking exclusive dining experiences.
This symbiotic relationship between restaurants and chefs and pop-ups has become one of the hallmarks of Atlanta’s underground food scene, with Monday the top night to hit up these restaurants within restaurants and intimate supper clubs hosted by chefs at private homes.
We continue to update this guide with new Monday night supper clubs, pop-ups, and underground dinners to try.
So So Fed at OK Yaki ($$)
East Atlanta
Lao-Chinese; Sunday and Monday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Operating out of Japanese restaurant OK Yaki every Sunday and Monday night, this award-winning Lao-Chinese food pop-up truly defines what it means to run a restaurant within a restaurant in Atlanta. Owned and operated by Molli Voraotsady, So So Fed has been a popular weekly fixture at OK Yaki since 2023. With a name inspired by Atlanta-based record label So So Def, Voraotsady whips up dishes like Lao papaya salad, khua mee (stir-fried caramelized noodles), crispy fried fish filets in red curry broth, and laab fried chicken based on family recipes. Dessert might include a red bean milkshake mixed with coconut milk and vanilla ice cream. Walk-ins only.
Wick & Nick’s ($$$)
Near Oakland Cemetery. Location disclosed upon reservation
Monthly Monday night multi-course menu with cocktails and wine
Hosted monthly by Chef Jared Warwick (Octopus Bar) and Chef Ben Skolnick (BoccaLupo) in an apartment near Oakland Cemetery, Monday night dinners at Wick & Nick’s are low-key and intimate. With no more than 20 people seated at tables in the living room, lit by the glow of candles and neon lights, Warwick and Skolnick prepare dishes in the kitchen in full view of their guests. Look for courses such as split scallops with jalapeno pesto, wagyu picanha, and crispy duck confit atop corn tortelloni. And don’t be surprised if Waylon greets you during dinner. The friendly orange cat serves as the unofficial master of ceremonies on Monday nights at Wick & Nick’s. Reservations required. $150-$175 per person.
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Breaker Breaker ($$)
Reynoldstown
Various pop-ups on Monday nights
Every Monday night, Chef Max Hines turns the Breaker Breaker kitchen over to different chefs and pop-ups for a month-long residency at the Reynoldstown restaurant. Past pop-ups have included smashburgers from Mal’s Kitchen and ramen from Senpai Noodles. You’ll currently find Polish dishes and comfort foods from Chef Basia Piechoczek of Beksa Lala in the Breaker Breaker kitchen on Monday nights. Walk-ins only.
Mikasa Omakase ($$$)
Larakin in Midtown
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night omakase with sake pairings
One of Atlanta’s most intimate omakases (often paired with sake) takes place every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night in a room tucked off the patio at Larakin in Midtown. Led by Chef Jorom Paler, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an omakase in Atlanta that mirrors the more personal, laidback experiences found at casual sushi spots throughout Japan. Fish is flown in weekly, sourced straight from the Toyosu Fish Market, then catching a ride alongside the orders from some of Atlanta’s most renowned sushi restaurants. $165 per person for 16 raw and cooked courses. Sunday-Monday, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. seatings. Saturday, 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. seatings. Reservations required. Sake and wine pairings optional.
Hermanita ($$)
Tio Lucho’s in Poncey-Highland
Monday nights; Peruvian street food and chicken
Every Monday night, Peruvian restaurant Tio Lucho’s in Poncey-Highland transforms into Hermanita, serving pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken roasted over charcoal). Think platters of whole and half chickens with sides of salad dressed in huacatay ranch, red beans and rice, or collards with red peas, along with flan for dessert. Walk-ins only.
Side Quest ($$-$$$)
Westside/Inman Park
Viet-Lao food; Sunday nights at Bar Avize; every fourth Monday at Mushi Ni
Lao-Viet supper club Side Quest is now in residence every Sunday evening at Bar Avize on Brady Avenue. A collaboration between bartender Nik Soukavong and Cynthia Hoang, Side Quest first launched last summer above Pisces in the Old Fourth Ward. Expect dishes like Vietnamese-spiced fried quail with a five-spice dipping sauce, cheesy crab toast, and conch poached in ginger sauce. Cocktails incorporate spirits like soju and cachaça and ingredients like mango, fermented melon, and pandan. You’ll also find Side Quest popping up the last Monday of the month at Mushi Ni in Inman Park. Reservations highly encouraged.
Mi Barrio ($$)
Grant Park Market
Mondays, 4:30-8:30 p.m.; homestyle Mexican dishes and margaritas
If you’ve been missing Mi Barrio on Memorial Drive since its closure in 2024, you’re in luck. The family continues to pop up with its popular tacos, chimichangas, and chile rellenos on Monday evenings at Grant Park Market, just up the street from the former restaurant on Memorial Drive. And yes, the pop-up also serves Mi Barrio’s super strong margaritas. Walk-ins only.
