Not sure where to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year? I’ve put together a list of some of the top Mexican restaurants around Atlanta. There’s probably one in this list nearby for your Cinco de Mayo Celebration.

Buckhead, Midtown and Grant Park- Tin Lizzy’s
Party at the Buckhead location with DJs or live music at the Midtown and Grant Park locations. They’ll have multiple bars and lots of festive music. And of course they have one of the best patios for margarita sipping!
3639 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA 30305

Downtown
No Mas!
Located in the heart of historic Castleberry Hill in downtown Atlanta, No Mas! is an award winning 350 seat Mexican Restaurant.
180 Walker St. SW
Atlanta GA 30313
404-574-5678

Virginia Highlands
Pozole
Pozole is sponsoring the Annual Virginia Highlands Cinco de Mayo Celebration & Block Party. Party is 5 pm to 11 pm. There is a $5 cover, $10 after 5pm. There will be beer and margarita specials and live music. For more information, click the link below.
1044 Greenwood Ave (at N Highland Avenue)
Atlanta, GA 30306
678-973-4779
Pozole Website

The Original El Taco<
Wonderful chips and salsa and margaritas in a beautiful atmosphere. Great place to party for Cinco de Mayo!

Westside
Nuevo Laredo
I have to mention Nuevo Laredo as it is a staple as far as Atlanta Mexican restaurants go, but I can’t imagine how crazy busy this place is going to be on Cinco de Mayo when it was packed on a random Tuesday when I visited.
1495 Chattahoochee Ave
Atlanta, GA 30318

Taqueria del Sol
Lots of delicious menu items like salsa trio starter (verde, asada and fresca), the shrimp corn chowder, the Memphis taco (smoked pork, jalapeño cole slaw, tequila BBQ sauce), the fish taco (poblano tartar sauce and pickled jalapeños).
1200-B Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA

Northeast
Pure Taqueria
103 Roswell St
Alpharetta, GA 30004

Decatur
Raging Burrito
Raging Burrito has a great patio. So, seems to be perfect if you’ll be in Decatur for Cinco de Mayo.
141 Sycamore St
Decatur, GA 30030

Sandy Springs
Teela Taqueria
City Walk at Sandy Springs
227 Sandy Springs Place
Suite 506
Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Perimeter
LaBotana
Cheap, cheap cheap. Kind of a hole in the wall, but with decent food and drinks. Maybe it won’t be totally packed on Cinco de Mayo.
2071 Savoy Dr
Atlanta, GA 30341

Not so Mexican
These three restaurants may not be Mexican, but they sure do have intriguing menus. And they are perfect for those of us that don’t want to be smack dab in all the Cinco de Mayo hoopla.
TAP
Live music and Dos XX or a handcrafted sangria. Crispy Fish, Yucatan BBQ Pork, Buttermilk Fried Chicken or Shrimp a la Diabla tacos. There will also be a taco eating contest. The winner will receive a grand prize of $150. 2nd place wins $50.

HD1
Grilled Wings with Adobo Sauce, Lime Crema and Pickled Red Onion paired with a traditional Mexican Coca-Cola or a Modela Especial cerveza for $7.00. S
664 N. Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30306

FLIP
Carnitas Burger with a Spiced Pork Patty, Cilantro-Lime Mayo, Chipotle & Beer Braised Pork Cheek, Shredded Cabbage and Salsa Verde for $8. Thirsty? We got your Mole Churro Shake, a refreshing chocolate shake spiced with Chiles, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Nuts and Raisins for $5.00.

Skip the guacamole in favor of the special house made cheese dip (pictured at the top). Called, Queso Compuesto, it comes with seasoned ground sirloin and pico de gallo. Chicken dominates most of the menu, and the house special dish is the Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom. What makes these chicken enchiladas special is the Boom Boom sauce that covers it. Beware – it isn’t for those that don’t like hot and spicy.

If you like seafood, go for the Baja tacos. With your choice of fish or shrimp, these are very flavorful, although they were a bit on the salty side. We chose the fried shrimp and these jumbo shrimp were delicious. We also sampled a steak burrito that was bursting with flavor too. While all in our group agreed it was tasty we had had the same sentiment – it’s no Uncle Julio’s.

Smashburger already has several other locations in Atlanta (Buckhead, Alpharetta and Johns Creek) and opened its latest in Kennesaw off of Barrett Parkway. The chain is a quick service or fast casual restaurant. Patrons order at the counter and the food is brought to their table.

Smashburger offers fresh ground beef burgers or chicken burgers. Guests can choose from Smashburger combos or create their own. Prices start at around $4.99 for a small burger and go up to $6.99 for the large. Sides range from $2-3.

I got the large smash, which is a large burger. I would have preferred them to make it a double patty vs. one large patty which hangs over the bun. I also thought the burger was rather dry. The ingredients – lettuce, tomato, and jalapenos all tasted very fresh. For sides, the veggie fries (beans and asparagus) were quite tasty, albeit very salty. And although I usually favor sweet potato fries over regular fries, I liked the regular better because I thought it went well with the rosemary and olive oil drizzle on top. They also offer a special burger that compliments each city. For Atlanta they offer a peach topped burger, of course!

Disclosure: The meals provided for these reviews were complimentary.

As much as I like to go hiking at and around Kennesaw Mountain, I had never made it to Mountain Biscuits. It just never seemed the right time with my eating schedule. I knew Mountain Biscuits must be a popular spot, having driven by at peak meal times and seen the parking lot just about overflowing. However, I paid them a visit recently in the name of the research.

I visited late enough in the day to know I had avoided the lunch crowd. Good thing as there is not much seating inside. There are only about five tables inside that seat four people per table. There’s also a row of about six bar stools at the counter. It was nearly empty at my visit, close to 2 pm on a weekday. I did appreciate the bright colors and the mural on the wall. When it is not crazy hot and humid, there’s a picnic table to enjoy your biscuit outside.

I tried the sausage biscuit with egg and cheese. It was HUGE. I could have easily split it with someone and been totally full. Super cheap at only around three bucks for such a mammoth biscuit, it was delicious too. I kind of expected the biscuit to crumble under the weight of the sausage but it held up rather well. I’m anxious to go back and give Mountain Biscuits’s Country Ham, and Chicken Biscuit a try too.

Note: They are closed on Sundays.

1718 Old 41 Hwy NW
Marietta, GA 30060
770-419-3311

Earlier this year, I was approached by a publishing company, Globe Pequot Press, and asked if I was interested in writing a Food Guide book for Atlanta. I practically jumped out of my skin, I was so excited that they picked me. My publisher just sent me the cover of the book (pictured above) and I wanted to share it with you.

I’ve had so much fun over the last several months visiting restaurants around Atlanta and talking to staff and chefs. It has been a wonderful experience writing the book and I definitely have a new appreciation and respect for both authors and editors.

As you are reading this, I’m down in Florida for a short break and celebrating finishing the book!

Cheers!

Cafe Istanbul has had one location in Decatur for many years. They seem to be quite popular, though I can’t comment on the food as I’ve never eaten there. They’ve chosen their new location to be Kennesaw. The new location will be off of Wade Green Road in the LA Fitness shopping center. While it is a prime location with lots of traffic, I just wonder if Kennesaw folks will embrace Turkish cuisine.

Website