The Atlanta Restaurant That's Been Serving Up Classic Comfort Food Since 1945

With all the uncertainties restaurants have faced in the last decade, it's nice that some establishments continue to thrive. Though there are restaurant chains that are struggling financially, there's no shortage of smaller, local mom-and-pop restaurants that have also been through the ringer but are still serving customers. One such local icon in Atlanta, Georgia, is Mary Mac's Tea Room. 

Since 1945, Mary Mac's Tea Room has been serving loyal customers delicious scratch-made Southern cuisine and, of course, tea. When Mary MacKenzie first opened the tea room right after World War II, it was at a time when females weren't allowed to be restaurant owners. So these enterprising females substituted the more refined, feminine "Tea Room" title into the name of their establishments. From there, more than 16 tea rooms opened across the Atlanta area, but Mary Mac's is the only one that still remains today. Originally, the tea room could seat only 75 guests but later expanded to 13,000 square feet of space, featuring six separate dining rooms and a full-service bar.

It's not just the locals that flock to Mary Mac's Tea Room. The restaurant has been host to quite a few celebrities and dignitaries over the years -– including Dalai Lama, James Brown, Hillary Clinton, Beyoncé, and President Jimmy Carter. Both locals and celebrities seek out this Atlanta establishment for good reason. The menu at Mary Mac's Tea Room reads like a Southerner's comfort food fever dream. Appetizers include fried green tomatoes, lightly fried okra, hushpuppies, and deviled eggs. Customers raved about the fried chicken with white pepper gravy, sweet potato mash, fried catfish, shrimp and grits, homemade peach cobbler, and the large range of classic, Southern sides. You can even try some of Mary Mac's classic items by ordering them through Goldbelly.

Every city has their own iconic, long-standing restaurant that serves up great food with exceptional customer service. Mary Mac's Tea Room absolutely fits that bill when it comes to restaurants in Atlanta. It's much more than just a tea room; Mary Mac's has managed to grow over the last 80 years without sacrificing quality. And it's one of many restaurants where you can still dine at the original location.