🥚 Bye, WaHo egg surcharge!

July 5, 2025 Waseem Abbas

Bankhead Seafood Temporary Closure + Bye-Bye WaHo Egg Surcharge + Blooming Onion Recipe

July 3 — For today’s Side Dish, we’re offering two recipes, including one for a blooming onion, possibly the most perfect picnic snack. We also have two stories on the next pair of restaurant openings headed to South Downtown.

Looking for dining inspo over the holiday weekend? We dish on the best bites we ate last month at restaurants throughout Metro Atlanta. And, we’ve rounded up several restaurant openings and restaurant announcements you might have missed in June.

As always, get the latest Atlanta dining news, including the removal of the Waffle House egg surcharge, details on Bankhead Seafood’s temporary closure, and a new yappy hour to check out. We also provide a quick roundup of Fourth of July dining events to attend this Friday. Plus, other Atlanta dining news to know.

In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal.” It features a recipe for Korean braised beef and where to find a peaches and cream pound cake from an Atlanta bar to pair with a glass of bubbles.

Cheers from the Rough Draft dining team!

Beth and Sarra

Experience Buckhead Restaurant Week, July 21-26! Delight in Atlanta’s best cuisine with exclusive offerings. Perfect for foodies ready to explore and savor new flavors. Book your table today! SPONSOR MESSAGE

Have You Heard?

Temporary Closures

On Monday, community journalism organization Canopy Atlanta was the first to report the sudden closure of Bankhead Seafood in Grove Park. Bankhead Seafood reopened nearly seven years after rappers T.I. and Michael “Killer Mike” Render announced in 2018 that they were taking over the legendary restaurant founded by the late Helen Harden. Bankhead Seafood now includes a rooftop patio. According to a statement provided to AJC/UATL senior editor Mike Jordan, ownership decided to temporarily close at the end of June to shore up operations at the restaurant, including updating the menu. Bankhead Seafood could reopen as soon as mid-July.

Over in Virginia-Highland, Paolo’s Gelato will close temporarily to repair damage caused by an electrical fire on Wednesday. No one was injured, but the damage, according to the Instagram post, is “significant” and will lead to costly repairs and replacement of equipment. Next door neighbors, Pielands Pizza and Kinship Butcher and Sundry, did not sustain any damage.

No More Egg Surcharge at Waffle House

Waffle House kicked its maligned egg surcharge to the curb. Prices of eggs have stabilized over the last few weeks as bird flu cases continue to subside in commercial flocks around the country. In February, Waffle House announced a 50-cent per egg surcharge across all menus in response to the bird flu epidemic in the U.S.

Yappy Hour in Glenwood Park

Glenwood Park cocktail bar Vesper just launched a Sunday evening yappy hour, from 5-7 p.m., featuring pup-tails and treats for dogs and cocktails for their people.

Espresso Tonic Szn

Love espresso tonics? Consider the non-alcoholic Cigarettes & Coffee cocktail at Lyla Lila Midtown, made with espresso, grapefruit juice, and yuzu tonic, which is a perfect after-dinner drink for folks who want a little jolt of caffeine that won’t keep you up all night. It’s a solid summertime take on the espresso tonic. FYI: Lyla Lila sits adjacent to the Fox Theatre at the corner of 3rd and Peachtree streets.

Top Spring Restaurant Openings

Earlier this week, Beth offered her picks for the top five spring restaurant openings of 2025. This is the second batch of new restaurants she’s watching closely this year – stay tuned as she continues to monitor each restaurant’s progress over the coming months. These restaurants join her previous picks for the top five winter restaurant openings of 2025, including Arepa Grill and Kitchen in Roswell, Yuji on the Eastside Beltline, Heaps in Decatur, Madeira Park in Poncey-Highland, and Fawn in Decatur.

July 4th Dining Events

Running the Peachtree Road Race on Friday? Pop over to the Stroll Coffee y Snacks Airstream at the corner of Monroe and 10th for an after-party with snacks, drinks, a DJ, and cold plunges. On 12th Street, half a block from the entrance to Piedmont Park, wine and coffee bar Larakin will host its annual Peachtree Road Race after-party to include a DJ, hot dogs, beer, and plenty of wine and caffeine.

The women’s sports bar Jolene Jolene at Pullman Yards will celebrate both its grand opening and the Fourth of July on Friday, starting at 3 p.m. The event will feature a DJ, food and drinks, and merch, all while tuning into Women’s Euros soccer, Wimbledon, and Club World Cup matches. If you ran the Peachtree Road Race, don’t forget to bring your bib to get free food and drinks.

Celebrate Independence Day at Your 3rd Spot’s “Red, White & Play” celebration from July 3-6. The festivities will include cocktails, food, over 100 games, DJs, free bowling, and more. Be sure to indulge in the seven-course Taste & Explore menu that will feature many red, white, and blue ingredients.

Little Bear in Summerhill will feature a Fourth of July-inspired food and drink menu this holiday weekend. The restaurant will be open as usual, with reservations and walk-ins, but will serve a “wacky colonial era” prix-fixe menu.

Dunwoody Village’s Fourth of July festivities began on Tuesday this week and will run through July 6, with different food and drink experiences at restaurants each day. And head to the Fourth of July parade on Friday.

Alpharetta restaurant Fogón and Lions is hosting a Fourth of July celebration from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. The day includes a $20 burger and beer special, a 1980s rock DJ, and is just a few minutes walk to the nearby fireworks show at Wills Park at 9:15 p.m.

Check out Rough Draft’s full roundup of Fourth of July events.

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The best dishes we ate in June

Looking for weekend dining inspo? Here are the top dishes we ate in June, including pesto pasta in Sandy Springs, tandoori hot wings in Chamblee, enchiladas in Dunwoody, and strawberries and cream cake in Decatur.

Read the full roundup of dishes here.

Did you miss these June restaurant openings?

From Alpharetta to Dunwoody and Buckhead to Avondale Estates, check out this brief roundup of recent restaurant openings and announcements of upcoming restaurants you might have missed in June.

Peek the full list of June openings and coming attractions here.

Indulge in Buckhead Restaurant Week, July 21-26! Savor exclusive menus and chef specials from Atlanta’s top spots. Book now for a culinary journey that will ignite your taste buds. Click here for details! SPONSOR MESSAGE

At the Market + Two Recipes

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS

Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets are partnering to bring you two tasty recipes that you can make using ingredients from your local farmers market. This week, it’s all about snacks and sauces – we’ve got a blooming onion recipe and one for blueberry barbecue sauce. Check out both recipes here.

Today’s Side Dish was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.

The post 🥚 Bye, WaHo egg surcharge! appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

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