Having lived in Tucker for more than half her life, Anne Lerner has watched it grow and become more diverse over the decades. She sees this reflected most in the city’s growing food scene, with its many family-run restaurants.
As mayor, Lerner has had the privilege of cutting ribbons at several new Tucker restaurants, including one featured on her list of five favorites below. Cuisines served at the mayor’s top five Tucker restaurants range from Middle Eastern fare and West African food to Nepalese, Mexican, and Korean dishes.
Pro tip straight from the mayor’s desk: “If you’ve never been to any of these restaurants, go in and ask what you should try for the first time, and they’ll be more than happy to help you.”
- Middle Eastern cuisine: Baraka Shawarma on Idlewood Road has huge portions, so come hungry. I love the shawarma plate with lamb. The falafel is amazing. The owner, Said [Gheddai] is incredibly nice. I’ve watched him with new people coming in. He lets them taste-test things. You feel like you’re at his house.
- Nepalese food: Everest Gorkhali Kitchen is off Lawrenceville Highway. It’s tucked away in a shopping center next to Handy Ace Hardware. It’s Nepali cuisine with samosas, fried cheese cubes, and paneer. This is great for somebody who’s a vegetarian. For folks who maybe aren’t as adventurous, the restaurant has Thai, so you can get your drunken noodles and pad Thai. They have a delicious curry stew.
- Korean fusion: Bite of Korea is owned by a young husband-and-wife team. They opened as a pop-up in 2020, and then decided to go for a full brick-and-mortar. I’m excited they’re in Tucker at the Publix shopping center on Hugh Howell Road. They have delicious Korean fried chicken and scallion and seafood pancakes. There’s a corn cheese appetizer that’s really good. Then, of course, the bulgogi rice bowl. You can get it as a wrap and as a bulgogi quesadilla. They also have a little robot that delivers your food.
- West African cuisine: Le Nouveau Maquis [on Lavista Road] has been open for almost a year, and I got to cut the ribbon during Tucker’s Restaurant Week. It’s in the Northlake Festival Shopping Center. It’s operated by a wonderful mother-and-daughter team: Fanta and Fabiola. When you walk in there, you feel that you are in their family dining room. Beautiful decor, and you’re transformed into a different experience. I like the jollof rice. It’s cooked in a tomato, red pepper, and garlic sauce. You can get that in a stew with different meats, or they have a snapper, which is delicious.
- For dessert: Sugar Mex [on Lawrenceville Highway] offers Mexican desserts and snacks. The owner, Maria Salazar, takes pride in everything she does. You walk in, and it’s bright colors, and it smells so good. There’s fresh fruit everywhere. She’ll do frozen bananas, dipped strawberries, homemade fruit ices, and also homemade ice cream. I love the Ferrero Rocher ice cream that she makes. And there’s churro cheesecake, which is really, really good.
