In this week’s Quick Bites, get details on a burger residency above an Edgewood Avenue dance club, Smorgasburg ending its 2026 season early in South Downtown, Pollo Primo’s Ponce location, and the Decatur restaurant community’s fundraiser for the MLK Service Project. There’s also a roundup of Atlanta food events, including an Oktoberfest in Buckhead and a South African dinner in Old Fourth Ward.
Opening
Thicc Burger began a residency at Edgewood Avenue dance club and bar Pisces. Expect the pop-up to serve its smash burgers and patty melts on Friday and Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. The upstairs space above Pisces will also host beer and shot specials on Friday and Saturday nights from 8 to 10 p.m.
Coming attractions
Pilar Coffee Bar will open a location at Ansley Mall in early 2027.
It appears Pollo Primo’s Poncey-Highland location will open soon in the former Best Sandwich Shop and Wurst Beer Hall spaces.
Midi, the upcoming Parisian-style sandwich shop from Little Tart Bakeshop owner Sarah O’Brien, is looking for front-of-house workers. Expect Midi to open in Candler Park later this fall.
Closings
South Downtown pop-up food festival Smorgasburg Atlanta ended its fall 2026 season earlier than expected. The pop-up, which debuted in South Downtown nearly a year ago, canceled its Oct. 3 festival market, along with this year’s remaining festival markets. Smorgasburg should return in 2027
Gula Indonesian Cafe in Doraville is temporarily closed while the staff takes a break. Look for Gula to reopen with new specials on Oct. 23.
Community announcements
Mary Mac’s Tea Room is mourning the death of Flo Patrick, a beloved server. Patrick worked at Mary Mac’s for 39 years, epitomizing the Ponce restaurant’s trademark hospitality.
A GoFundMe page was set up on behalf of a Souper Jenny-Brookhaven employee, following her cancer diagnosis. You can donate here.
Marcus Samuelsson’s new cookbook, “Back to Green,” will publish Oct. 20. Pre-order it here. Attend a Q&A with Samuelsson at the Fulton County Central Library on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. It’s free to attend. However, a $48 ticket includes a signed cookbook from Samuelsson.
Menu updates
Buckhead restaurant Aria recently debuted Wine Wednesday, which offers small plates, an expanded selection of wines by the glass, and live music.
On Oct. 11, Botanico Cocina & Social Club in Midtown will launch an entirely gluten-free brunch menu. The menu is available on Sundays, starting at 10 a.m.
Add to your calendar
South African chef Lorna Maseko will collaborate with Necessary Purveyor founder Tyler Dabestani for a special Oct. 9 dinner in the Old Fourth Ward. The seven-course, prix-fixe dinner, based on Maseko’s Ekhaya dinner series, takes inspiration from South African culinary traditions and includes beverage pairings. Tickets cost $201.47 per person via Eventbrite.
Select Atlanta-area restaurants will donate proceeds to the MLK Service Project, as part of October’s Restaurants for Repairs fundraiser. Farm Burger, Leon’s Full Service, Twain’s, and Folk Art will participate in the event on Oct. 13. More area restaurants will participate on Oct. 20 and 27.
The Palm in Buckhead will celebrate the chain’s centennial with a five-course wine dinner on Oct. 17. Tickets are $192.60 per person.
Buckhead Butcher Shop will hold its inaugural Oktober Wurstfest on Oct. 25 from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person and include a beer flight, small bites, and bratwurst and sauerkraut demonstrations from chefs Jacob Rich and Matthew Ableman.
